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From: Mani Varadarajan (mani_at_best.com)
Date: Wed Jan 07 1998 - 12:14:56 PST
[ Today, January 7, is the 23nd day of maargazhi
(December-January). On each day of maargazhi,
one verse from Andal's divine poem ``thiruppaavai''
is savored. Today's verse is "maari malai muzhainchil".
What I have presented is the surface meaning.
Each verse can actually be understood in many
poetic and profoundly philosophical ways. Perhaps
others can offer further thoughts and reactions.
An introduction to Andal and the thiruppaavai
can be found on the Web:
http://www.best.com/~mani/new/andal-bio.html
http://www.best.com/~mani/andal.html
Pardon me for the delay. The last verse posted was
verse 22. Vacation and illness conspired against me,
and I hope to make up the missed posts in the meantime.
-- Mani ]
Recap
-----
In the first five songs, Andal described the sacred
vow (paavai nonbu) she and her friends will
undertake during the month of maargazhi to get
the "divine drum", which only the Lord of the
Universe, Narayana (Krishna), can give them.
In the next ten verses, she goes about waking up
her friends in the wee hours of the morning so they
can go perform this vow. In verses 16-22, Andal and
her friends gather at the doors of the household of
Krishna and ask that they rise and grace them. Her
appeals start first with his father Nandagopa and
end with Krishna himself and his wife Nappinnai.
Today's verse describes Krishna's awakening from
deep slumber.
-------------------------------------------------
thiruppaavai, verse 23 -- maari malai muzhainchil
-------------------------------------------------
maari malai muzhainchil mannik kidandhu uRangum *
seeriya singam aRivuRRuth thee vizhiththu *
vEri mayir ponga eppaadum pErndhu udhaRi *
moori nimirndhu muzhangip puRappattup *
pOdharumaa pOlE nee poovaippoo vaNNaa * un
kOyil ninRu iNGNGanE pOndharuLi * kOppudaiya
seeriya singaasanaththu irundhu * yaam vandha
kaariyam aaraayndhu aruLElOr embaavaay.
[ '*' indicates the end of a line, split
both for recitation as well as to help
with the meaning. ]
-----------
Translation
-----------
As a great lion in the rainy season
Lies asleep in a mountain cave
United with his mate
And then comes to his senses
Opening his fiery eyes
Shaking his bristling mane
on
all
sides
Stretching
He starts out with a great roar
So do you, your color like a poovai flower,
Come and graciously ascend your
Great, beautiful throne in your palace
And kindly ask us our reason for
coming here
---------------------
Word for Word meaning
---------------------
maari rainy season
malai mountain
muzhainchil in a cave
mannik kidandhu lying united with his wife
uRangum sleeping
seeriya great
singam lion
aRivuRRu comes to senses
thee fiery
vizhi open eyes
vEri mayir mane
ponga shaking
eppaadum on all sides
pErndhu to move
udhaRi shivering
moori nimirndhu stretching
muzhangi roaring
puRappattu starts out
pOdharum comes
pOle like all the above
nee you
poovai poo poovai flower
vaNNaa having the color of
un kOyil your palace
ninRu standing, from
iNGNGanE in this manner
pOndhu aruLi coming and gracing
kOppu udaiya decorated
seeriya great
singaasanaththu
irundhu from the throne
yaam our
vandha kaariyam purpose of coming
aaraayndhu examine
aruL grace us