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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00159 Dec 2003

 
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Dear friends,

(7) "kalandhu pEsina pEccharavam kEttu?"

"kallandhu pEsina pEcchU" is a beautiful Tamil
expression rich in its poetic suggestion of the Gita
phraseology we saw earlier -- i.e. "kathayantascha mAm
nityam" and "bOdhyanta: parasparam". 

AndAl's expression "pEsina pEccharavam" is an
amazingly creative use of words in Tamil. It seems
like tautology and sounds like alliteration. (As
tautology it is akin to that familiar cyber-world
term, "chat-room chatter", but it alliteratively
conveys the idea that the "chatter" of milkmaids in
the TiruppAvai is no "empty chatter" but "eloquent,
euphonious speech" --it is "pEsina pEcchu"). 

"pEccharavam" immediately strikes us as being the
"earnest and intimate conversation" carried on
constantly by members of a 'satsangh'. They meet, they
talk, they freely share thoughts and feelings and
experiences of God; they ask and tell each other
stories from the 'pUrAna'; they recollect scriptural
passages; they compare notes on the sayings of wise
men, of preceptors and their holy books? 

In the true 'satsangh' people make as much effort to
listen as they wish to speak ("kalandhu pEsi?" and
"kalandhu kEttu?" is how AndAl's expression of this
idea in this verse may be read by us). There can be no
"satsangh" if everyone within it wants centre-stage
space for himself. A true 'satsangh' delights more in
listening than in being heard; it is far keener to
learn than to preach; and more eager to freely give
and share than to grasp or hoard. 

The first ever 'satsangh' of such ideal devotees
occurred in a distant period in "purAnic" pre-history.
The members gathered in the deep and sylvan forests of
ancient "naimishAranya" (India) around the great
story-teller, Sri Soota PaurAnika, and engaged him in
long, earnest conversations ("pEccharavam"). The
interactive and animated discourses of "naimishAranya"
eventually became sacred and exalted copy for that
classic 'pUrANa' of the Vedantic tradition viz. the
'Srimadh BhAgavatham'.

Even today, the truly devout ones that go on
pilgrimage to "naimishAranya" swear that when they
went into the deep woods and listened intently
("kallandhu kettu"), they thought they could hear
within their hearts, faintly but clearly, Soota and
his august "satsangh" conversing -- or "chattering" --
away happily ("kallandhu pEsi?"). 

That ancient "pEccharavam", that "holy chat" of
"naimishAranyam" has never indeed stopped echoing, the
pilgrims of today's "satsangh" keep insisting? and
never will it stop echoing across the endless expanse
of Time?     

                  ***********
               (to be continued)

Regards,

dAsan,
Sudarshan






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