Verse 28    Word For Word  Translation  Commentary  Errors

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28. kaRavaikal pin cenRu

Simple Word for Word meanings
kaRavaikaL pin cenRu                kaanam  cErn^thu           uNpOm *
Cows       following (them) (after) forest  reaching (we will) eat

aRivu         onRum illaatha               aaykkulaththu *    un^thannaip
enlightenment any   not having  , (We the) cowherd community  you

piRavi  peRun^ thanaip              puNNiyam        yaam               utaiyOm *
born    having been (to us)  (What) good deeds (to) our (credit do we) claim 

kuRai  onRum illaatha   kOvin^thaa * un^ thannOtu
fault  any   not having Govida       your

uRavEl   namakku iNGku         ozhikka ozhiyaathu *
relation to us   here (cannot) break or be broken

aRiyaatha piLLaikaLOm              anpinaal * un^ thannai
innocent  children (we all) (with) affection  you (with)

ciRu  pEr       azhaiththanavum cIRi aruLaathE *
short name (we) address         do not be angry

iRaivaa! nI           thaaraay paRai
O Lord   You (please) give us  emancipation .

El                                Or empaavaay
Come (Let us do) (the penance of) paavai nOmbu

Translation   By Dr. V.K.S.N. Raghavan

Commentary   By Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchari Sadagopan

In the previous Paasuram (KoodArai Vellum Paasuram) , the Gopis decalred , "Unnai arutthithu VanthOm " and requested the blessings of " Paal , sORu , AbharaNams , Aadai " et al. That to Lord KrishNa looked like the Gopis were seeking from Him , the siRRinbhams ( worldly pleasures) . He was amused  and Our Lord turned around  and asked them: " Oh Gopis! Your mind seems not to be steady .  Are you desiring the perishable pleasures or some thing  higher than that from me ?" . The Gopis recognized the situation and responded: " Oh Lord , we might have given You the impression that we are seeking sanmAnam that is commonly asked of You in a lOka reethi. Our true and inner wish is to have You and  perform kaimkaryams to You always ".

Then the pleased Lord revealed to them His Isvaryam (MahA VibhUthis) and the Gopis were overwhelmed and  sought His pardon (aparAdha KshAmanam) for taking liberties with Him and forgetting His SarvEsvarathvam .They say : " Oh Lord of the Universe !  You are Self-complete(Svatha: PoorNan ). We might have  appeared to have offended You due to our Overwhelming  sense of affection (PraNayam ) or attachment(abhimAnam). For You . You are the most generous (parama OudhAryan). You are the most compassionate ( parama DayALu). We are simple folks , who do not know the difference between our right hand and left hand ( idathu kai , valathu kai aRiyAtha aai peNNkaL. We do not have the Jn~Anam ,Bhakthi , anushtAnam ,AachAram , Vidvath balam to seek You innately as  SiddhOpAyam in the saasthrA-ordained manner .We do NOT have  therefore the seven requisites (states of mind) needed to approach You ( the SarrvEswaran ) as  a SaraNAgathan:

(1)Aakinchanyam ( kai muthal inmai)
(2)Naichyam ( awareness of our lowliness to approach You)
(3)awareness of Your Soulabhyam (ease of access by One& all
(4)awareness of Your Parathvam ( as the Supreme Lord)
(5)awareness of knowledge about Sambhandham( Seshathva Jn~Anam:  our uRavu to You, which is timeless & indestructible)
(6)awareness of the need to seek Your pardon for our  trespasses ( aparAtha KshAmanam ).
(7)awareness of the importance of seeking You as the only rakshakan to provide the strength to seek Your lotus feet as refuge
(" Unnadi sEr vaNNam  aruLAi , KaLai kaNN maRRilEn ).

PerukkAranai Swamy points out that the word "Unn " is used by the Gopis in an endearing manner THREE times in this paasuram:

(1) UNRRANNAI piRavi perumtannai puNNiyam yAmm udayOm
(2) UNRANNODU uRavEl nammakku ozhikka ozhiyAthu
(3) anbinAl UNRRANNAI siRu pEr azhaithtanavum

The Gopis address the Lord as "KuRai OnRum illAtha  GovindhA ! and say " We are unsphisticated cowherdesses  (aRiyAtha PiLLaikaLom ) with the BhAgyam of having You born in  our kulam ( UnraNNai piRavi perumtanai puNNiyam yaamm udayOm). Out of affection , we have called you by inappropriate names ( anbinAl unn tannai siRu per azhaitthanavum ). We  addressed You as NandhagOpan mahanE and other short names !Please do not be angry at us ( seeRi aruLAthE)for that . Our relationship is indestructible ( unthannOdu uRavu ozhikka ozhiyAthu). You are sEshi and we are sEshans.Even if we do not have seshathva Jn~Anam , the sEshathvam will not disappear. Sarva Jeeva seshathvam is incorporated in Your Pranavam . Therefore Oh SarvEswaran who has descended from Sri Vaikuntam in the form of a human being to be with us and bless us !Please grant us the nithya Kaimkarya purushArtham !".

The Lord's identity as "PrApya-PrApaka Sangrahan" (essence as means and goal) was revealed succinctly in the First verse (NaarAyaNE namakkE paRai tharuvAn) and that quintessential upadEsam is elaborated in detail in passurams 28 and 29 ( KaRavaikaL pinnsenRu and SiRRam siRukAlE vanthunnai sevitthu).Bhagavath daasyam through Sva-Svaami (servant- Master) relationship is pointed out here as the way for our liberation .

PBA Swamy's anubhavam
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In the first Paadham ( karavaikaL pinn senRu ghAnam sErnthuNpOm ), the Gopis describe themselves as the ones, who seek their livelihood by tending to cattle in the forests and thus do NOT have sath-Kaarya Phalan.

In the second Paadham ( aRivonRumillA Aaikkulatthu), they reveal their unfitness (apakarsha anusandhAnam) to pursue Bhakthi, Jn~Ana Yogams.We are Tatthva-Hitha- PurushArtha Jn~Ana Soonyars."Jn~AnEna Heena : pasubhi: samAna:"

In the Third Paadham ( piRavi peRumtanai puNNiyam yaam udayOm),they refer to the extraordinary BhAgyam of having KrishNA born as sajAthIyan in their Kulam.

In the fourth Paadham , the Gopis address Him as "KuRaivonRumillatha GovindhA ".They celebrate here the moola Sukrutham ( the fundamental , quintessential bhAgyam ) of Isvara GuNa Poorthy ( PrApya-Prapaka sangrahathvam and GuNa Thungathvam ).

In the fifth Paadham ( UnRannOduravEl namakku inku ozhikka ozhiyAthu), the Gopis celebrate the sambhandha Jn~Anam

In the sixth paadham ( aRiyAtha piLLaikaLOm anbinAl), the Gopis identify themselves as the little country girls without awareness of lOka maryAdhai and without Bhakthi or Jn~Anam .

In the Seventh Paadham ( UnraNNai siRu pEr azhaithtanavum sseRi aruLAthE), the Gopis seek PoorvAparAdha KshAmanam ( forgivance for previous trespasses).

In the eighth paadham , the Gopis address te Lord as "IRaivA" and request for Kaimakerya sampath (Nee ThArAi parai).Here UpAya apEkshai is made .

The anubhavam of Abhinava Desikan
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Until the 27th slOkam , the VaishNava dinasaris up to the third stage (ijyA Kaalam ) were described. In this paasuram , the activities of a Sri VaishNavan for the fourth and the fifth stages of the day (SvAdhyAyam and Yogam) are referred to. During the SvAdhyAya Kaalam , one should approach BhaagavathAs ( who are like affectionate , milk giving Pasus) and study the Dhivya Sookthis with them.The PuNyam ( Punniyam YaamudayOm) refers to the state of wakefulness (Jaagaram) or Yogam to have dhruva smruthi about the Lord. " anbinAl siRu pEr azhaitthanavum seeRi aruLAthE" refers to AparAdha KshAmanam for deficencies in upachArams during AarAdhanam . "Nee ThArAi paRai" refers to the prayer to grant vigna-rahitha aarAdhanam and performance of pancha kaala prakriyAs of a Sri VaishNavan .  

Soodikkoduttha NaacchiyAr ThiruvadigaLE Saranam ,
Sarvam KrushNArpanam asthu
RaamAnuja Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan