SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //
SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha //
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya//
KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /
SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//
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SRI RANGA SRI VOL.07 / ISSUE # 24 dated 2nd January 2006
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IN THIS ISSUE:
1. TIRUPPAVAI PASURAM # 18
UN^THU MATHAKALIRRAN
(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
2. TIRUPPAVAI PASURAM # 18
UN^THU MATHAKALIRRAN
ENGLISH VERSE TRANSLATION
(MS. SHOBA RAMASWAMY)
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ISSUES RELEASED
So far, 200 Regular issues of SRS have been released
apart from Special Issues:
27 Issues of Vol. 1
15 Issues of Vol. 2
42 Issues of Vol. 3
35 Issues of Vol. 4
28 Issues of Vol. 5
30 Issues of Vol. 6 and
23 Issues of Vol. 7
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1. TIRUPPAVAI PASURAM # 18
UN^THU MATHAKALIRRAN
(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
TIRUPPAVAI 18
un^thu mathakaLiRRan
un^thu mathakaLiRRan Otaatha thOL valiyan *
nan^thakOpaalan marumakaLE nappinnaay *
kan^tham kamazhum kuzhali katai thiRavaay *
van^thu eNGkum kOzhi azhaiththana kaaN * maathavip
pan^thal mEl palkaal kuyilinaNGkaL kUvina kaaN *
pan^thaar virali un maiththunan pEr paatac *
cen^thaamaraik kaiyaal cIraar vaLai olippa *
van^thu thiRavaay makizhn^thu ElOr empaavaay. (2) 18.
============================================================
? In the previous Paasuram, they woke up the Achaaryan.
? Now, they wake up the ?Pradaana Naayaki?. Why?
Because, it is she who acts as the mediatrix and does ?Purushaakaaram?
? What is Purushaakaaram?
It is because she is making the Lord ?Purusha? or ?Rakshaka?- the Protector.
? When AanjanEya could not find Sri Sita anywhere in Lanka, he invokes
Sri
Sita and Lo! And behold! Sri Sita is sighted!
?namOstu Raamaaya salakshmaNaaya/
dEvyai cha tasmai janakaatmajaayai //
? When LakshmaNa pleaded with Rama to accompany him to the forest, he
fell
at Sri Rama?s feet but all the time he was looking at and addressing Sri
Sita (to recommend him) and Sri Rama (to accept his request)
Sa braathrus charaNou gaaDam nipeedya Raghu nandana:/
Seethaam uvaacha athi yasaa Raaghavam cha mahaavratam //
? In the Kaakaasura story, we know how the crow ultimately fell at the
feet
of Sri Sita and in front of Rama and was saved.
un^thu (lit) to push.
mathakaLiRRan:
? One who pushed (and killed) the intoxicated elephant.
? KaLiru means elephant.
? We have seen animals and birds acting as mounts (vaahanams) for
different
deities.
? Do you know that one dEvata who makes a human being as his Vaahanam?
? It is ?KubEra? who is considered the Lord of wealth. He was earlier
known
as ?subEra?. A ?nara? (human being) plotted to pull him down and suggested
that he should make love to Paarvati. When Lord Siva noticed this
misdemeanor, he cursed SubEra to become ugly. From then on, he came to be
known as ?Ku-bEra?- (one with an ugly form)!
Otaatha thOL valiyan *
? In Svapadesam, Achaaryas never give up and turn their back while
dealing
with ?kudrishTis? and ?kuyuktas?
? Hers both Nanda and GOpala have this trait of Achaaryas.
nan^thakOpaalan marumakaLE
? After KrishNa?s birth, all girls in ayppaaDi considered themselves as
the
?daughters-in-law? of Nanda. So, Nappinnai did not heed. That is why they
call her now by her name ?Nappinnai?
? Nanda was lucky in having KrishNa as son and Nappinnai as
daughter-in-law.
? What is luck?
?A-drishTam? That blessing which arrives unseen.
? Fortune favors whom it pleases
(adan + IshTam) Examples: KuchEla, Dhruva, Ambareesha
Nappinnaay*
? Do you know who Nappinnai is?
? There is a lot of confusion. Some identify her with Andal herself.
Obviously, this is not correct because Andal herself addresses Nappinnai.
? Nanada?s brother-in-law was called ?Kumban?; Nappinnai is the daughter
of
this Kumban.
? It is said that she told PerumaaL ?Nam pinn varak kaDaveer? (follow me)
and came down to Earth to protect the world. Hence, Nam (p) pinnai.
? Another interpretation is she is Nalla + Pinnai= Good one who came
after.
? ?Pinnai? means ?younger? Then who is the ?elder? or who came ?earlier??
It is ?Moo-dEvi?. So, Nappinnai is none other than Sri Mahaalakshmi who came
after moo-dEvi during the churning of the milky ocean.
? Why praise Nappinnai here?
It is because a husband would feel elated if someone praises his wife in his
presence and will feel humiliated if someone were to use derogatory words
against her. This is an age old trick they are trying to play!
? Did not YasOda employ the same psychological weapon when inviting Baby
KrishNa to have a bath? All her entreaties fell on deaf ears for KrishNa.
Finally, she throws a bombshell saying ?I do not mind if you remain dirty.
But, if Nappinnai sees you in this condition she is sure to laugh at you!?
This works and KrishNa hurries to have his bath!
? ?pooNi thozhuvinir pukkup puzhudi aLainda pon mEni
kaaNap peridum ugappan aagilum kaNDaar pazhippar
NaaN ithanaiyum ilaadaai! Nappinnai kaaNir sirikkum
maaNikkamE! En maNiyE! Manjanam aaDa nee vaaraai?
kan^tham kamazhum kuzhali
? The hairs of Napinnai had natural fragrance that would betray her
presence
even if she were to hide herself out from the view of the gOpis.
? So, this ?gandam kamazhum kuzhali? is a ?perfect match? for the ?naatra
thuzhaay muDi naaraNan?!
katai thiRavaay *
? KaDai = Bolt
? They seem to say ?All others have opened their doors and let us in.
Your
door is the last one ? Open it?
van^thu eNGkum kOzhi azhaiththana kaaN *
* They say that the roosters all over the place (Engum) have
been calling.
? Nappinnai does not respond because she thought that the rooster they
were
mentioning was one of those ?Jaama-kOzhis? that call every hour
(Like the cuckoo clock!). They tell her that the roosters they were
mentioning were different in that they wake up only at day break. Thus, they
try to dispel her doubt in this regard.
? In Svapadesam, like these roosters, Achaaryas wake up early morning to
attend to their Nitya karma anushTaanams.
? The mention of the rooster takes us to a story of a Sishya of BhaTtar.
BhaTtar asked his Sishya to go and learn from Ananta azhwaan about
Bhaagavata LakshaNam. When the Sishya arrived at Anata azhwaan?s place, he
was received with royal honors and was made to sit with the master for
eating. Next day, he was made to sit a distance away and with every passing
day, he was relegated to outer and still outer circles. And, the Sishya took
everything in its stride and never felt slighted. Finally, when he
approached the master for being instructed on ?Bhaagavata LakshaNam?, the
master told him:
? ?A true Bhaagavata will be like a crane, like a rooster, like salt? and
concluded ?like you?
- The crane would patiently wait till it gets its big fish;
- the Rooster would reject all trash and until it is able to pick what it
needs;
- Salt adds flavor to food but remains incognito.
- The Sishya was like all these.
maathavip pan^thal mEl
Maadavipandal = Upanishads
palkaal kuyilinaNGkaL
? It is a tradition to compare Achaaryas with cuckoos.
? Earlier they cited the roosters. Now they say that the "koels" called
not
once but several times! (Palkaal)
? Was not Vaalmiki called as ?kOKilam??
koojantam Rama RamEti maduram madura aksharam
aaruhya kavitaa saakhaam vandE Vaalmiki kOkilam
kUvina kaaN *
? This refers to the melodious voice of the cuckoos.
? Unfortunately however, the cuckoos sing so melodiously (koovina), but
cannot do ?aDai kaathal? (nurture the eggs). So, they leave their eggs in
the nest of crows that nurture them till the birds emerge out in spring.
Then only it will be known which young ones are Crows? and which ones are
Cuckoos?!
?vasanta kaalE sampraaptE kaaka: kaaka: pika: pika:?
pan^thaar virali
? Holding KrishNa in one hand and ball in another
? Acharyas rave about this with various comments like:
- ?barthaavin paDukkaiyaium kuzhandaiyin toTTilaiyum
yEka kaalathil kaNN kaaNippar?
- KrishNa = Nityavibhooti; Ball = Leelaavibhooti
- KrishNa = Bhoga UpakaraNam; Ball + Leela UpakaraNam!
- BhOghyam in one hand and BhOga sthaanam in the other!
? The gOpis yearn to be like bouquets and balls to enjoy the ?sparsam? of
the Lord
- Cf KulasEkara Azhwaar?s ?PaDiyaai kiDantu unn pavazha vaai
kaaNbEnO
- Andal?s ?karpooram naarumO etc
un maiththunan pEr paatac *
? They seem to induce her opening the door saying:
?If you let us in, we will act as umpires and declare you as the winner in
the game with KrishNa.
? Nappinnai looked as if she was asleep but was having her eyes wide open!
? We, however, have experienced similar strange scenario when our school
going kids appear to be studying with eyes wide open but in reality were
sleeping!
cen^thaamaraik kaiyaal
? Her hands are naturally red like the lotus. By hitting the ball, they
had
become redder still.
? ?Tamaraikkai? also refers to several ?mudras?
- Jnaana mudra of Bhaashyakaarar
- Vyaakhyaa mudra of Hayagreevar and Swami Desikar
- Varadaana mudra of Kanchi Varadar
- Abhaya mudra of Srirangam Ranganaathar
- Paada mudra of Parthasarathi of TiruallikkEni and TiruvEnkaTam uDaiyaan
showing the feet
- Anjali mudra of Bhaktas showing their supplication
- It is said that coming together of thumb and pointer fingers signify
the
coming together of Paramaatma and Jeevaatma.
cIraar vaLai olippa *
? VaLai = Bangles
? When the husband of a Pativrata wife told her that he was leaving on a
long trip away, she became so famished with grief instantly that her bangles
dropped from her wrists; And, when he told her that he was taking her with
him, she was overwhelmed with joy so much that suddenly her frame assumed
more than her normal self with the result whatever bangles still remained
got crushed into pieces!
? Olippa: The jingling sound of the bangles in the arms matched the sound
of
the anklets.
? We have seen the Lord donning a woman?s garb.
Have you ever seen Thaayaar don a man?s garb and if not, do you know why
not?
? The reason is that if someone at that time were to fall at the feet of
Emperumaan, he being ?DaNDa dharan? may not forgive that someone and proceed
to award punishments for sins committed. So, she always remains in her
natural self as a compassionate mother- ?Nityam agjnaata nigrahaam?- as one
who does not know punishing!
van^thu thiRavaay
? Come and Open
? Don?t use ?remote control? as they do for operating TV, Fan etc!
makizhn^thu
? Bhaashyakaarar was a fan of Andal and her Tiruppaavai was always on his
lips. So, he was known as Tiruppaavai Jeeyar?
? Once as he was going around the streets of Srirangam for ?bikshai?.
Suddenly he found himself in front of the house of Periya Nambi, his
Achaaryan. At that very moment, as he was reciting this Paasuram and came to
the lines ?seeraar vaLai olippa vandu Tiravaai? , the doors of the home
flung open, and Athuzhaai, daughter of Periya Nambi appeared with her
jingling bangles and handful of ?Bikshai?. For a moment, Bhaashyakaarar
imagined as if it was Andal who herself had come in front of him!
ElOr empaavaay. (2) The usual refrain.
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? This is the 18th Paasuram. Number 18 is important.
? In Srimad Vaalmiki Ramayanam 18th Sargam in each KhaaNdam is said to
be
important
? 1+ 8= 9 which is an unchanging number
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To Continue
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2. TIRUPPAVAI PASURAM # 18
UN^THU MATHAKALIRRAN
ENGLISH VERSE TRANSLATION
(MS. SHOBA RAMASWAMY)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
?Daughter-in-law of
The Fearless NandagOpa,
Strong as the elephant enraged,
Oh! Nappinnai!
Of the sweet scented hair locks,
Open your doors!
The fowls all around call
And on the flower creeper
The Koels many times have cooed,
Shapely fingered one!
As we sing your husband?s name,
With bangles tinkling
Around your lotus wrists,
Come and open your gates
And grant us happiness,
Oh! My Maidens!?
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To Continue
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