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From the Bhakti List Archives

Vijay Triplicane • February 26, 1997 


Sri Srinivasan quoted a very nice vaarthai from vaarthmaalaa:
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The hunter replied, "NaayanRe!(1) I went to the jungle for the hunt. I
caught a baby hare. Its mother came running fast across an open field, and
fell in front of me as if to supplicate me (`kumbittukkondu kidanthathu'). I
felt profoundly sorry (`vyasanamaay`) for it and let the baby go free."

[..]

(1) This is a respectful or reverential term of address, sometimes spelt as
Naayanthe. If anyone reading this knows the exact meaning and etymology of
this word, please share it with us.

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This word n^aayanRE, i think, is expressed out of utmost humility, modesty and 
a show of subservience. n^aay means dog in thamizh. anRE can be loosely
 translated as "am I not?"(not necessarily in the interrogative sense, but more
of a statement!)

Our dearest thirumaN^gai aazhwaar, uses this at many places, One of which i have given below:

1028:
thaayEthanNdhaiyenRum thaaramEkiLaimakkaLenRum,
nNOyEpattozhinNdhEn unnaikkaaNbadhOraasaiyinaal,
vEyEypoombozhilsoozh viraiyaar thiruvEngkadavaa!,
nNaayEnvanNdhadainNdhEn nNalgiyaaLennaikkoNdaruLE.    1.9.1

thaayE thanNdhaiyE emRum - I was always caring about my mother and father 
(constantly worrying about them..)

thaaramE kiLai makkaL enRum - and my wife, relatives and children

nNOyE pattu ozhinNdhEn - and got very sick..
(Here he refers to his association with the samsaara as the sickness.)

unnaik kaaNbadhOr aasaiyinaal - With the craving to See you,

vEyEy poompozhil soozh viraiyar thiruvENGgadavaa - Oh! Lord, who is residing in this place with exquisite ponds...
(virayar? I am not sure, could somebody lend me a hand here...)

nNaayEn vanNdhu adainNdhEn - I, this doglike being (so lowly), have reached you.

nNalgi aaLennaik koNdaruLE - Take me over to you as your servant....

-Viji