| You are here: Sri Vaishnava Home Page : Bhakti List : Archives : January 1998 |
From: Mani Varadarajan (mani_at_be.com)
Date: Tue Jan 13 1998 - 12:44:37 PST
[ Today, January 13, is the 29th day of maargazhi
(December-January). On each day of maargazhi,
one verse from Andal's divine poem ``thiruppaavai''
is savored.
Today's verse, "siRRam sirukaalE", is the penultimate
verse of the poem and represents the essence of the
entire work.
What is presented below is the surface meaning.
Each verse can actually be understood in many
poetic and profoundly philosophical ways. I invite
others to 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 skipping some verses.
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.
Imagining herself to be a cowherd-girl in Brindavana,
the idyllic setting of Lord Krishna's youth, Andal
goes about waking up her friends in the wee hours
of the morning so they can go perform this vow (5-15).
In verses 16-22, Andal and her friends gather at the
doors of the household of Krishna and ask that those
inside rise and grace them. She finally takes her
appeal directly to Krishna and his wife Nappinnai
who are slumbering inside.
As the Lord and His consort awaken and cast their
glances on the girls who have gathered, Andal describes
their reason for coming and the girls' inherent
and unbreakable relationship to the Divine Couple.
In this verse, she declares that the drum she asked
for was just a pretext, an excuse to come worship
the Lord. All they desire is to be with the Lord
and serve Him at all times.
----------------------------------------------
thiruppaavai, verse 29 -- kaRavaigaL pin senRu
----------------------------------------------
siRRam siRu kaalE vandhu unnai sEviththu * un
poRRaamarai adiyE pORRum poruL kELaay *
peRRam mEyththu uNNum kulaththil piRandhu * nee
kuRREval engaLaik koLLaamal pOgaadhu *
iRRaip paRai koLvaan anRu kaaN gOvindhaa *
eRRaikkum Ezh Ezh piRavikkum * un thannOdu
uRROmE aavOm unakkE naam aatcheyvOm *
maRRai nam kaamangaL maaRRElOr embaavaay.
[ '*' indicates the end of a line, split
both for recitation as well as to help
with the meaning. ]
-----------
Translation
-----------
In the early hours of the morning
We came to lovingly serve you
Listen to why we praise
Those golden lotuses that are your feet
We are born in the clan of cowherds
Who subsist by tending cattle
You shouldn't reject our
loving, personal service
Look here, Govinda!
It's not that we just want to get
the drum today;
But for even and ever, seven times seven births
We will be bound to you in eternal relationship
And to you alone will we be slaves
Please, change whatever other desires we have!
---------------------
Word for Word meaning
---------------------
siRRam siRu kaalE in the early hours of the morning
vandhu having come here
unnai you
sEviththu worshipped, adored, served
un your
poRRaamarai
(pon + thaamarai) golden lotus
adiyE feet
pORRum to praise
poruL fruit, purpose
peRRam cattle
mEyththu rearing
uNNum eat by, subsist by
kulaththil in the clan (of cowherds)
piRandhu born
nee you
kuRREval selfless, loving, personal service
engaLai of ours
koLLaamal pogaadhu shouldn't reject
iRRai for today
paRai koLvaan to get the drum
anRu it is not
kaaN Look!
govindhaa Govinda! (a name of the Lord emphasizing
His simplicity and familiarity)
eRRaikkum for ever
Ezh Ezh seven upon seven (i.e., endless)
piRavikkum births
un thannOdu with you
uRROmE definitely related
avOm we will be
unakkE only to you
naam we
aatcheyvOm
(aaL + cheyvOm) will be your slaves (aaL = slave)
maRRai remaining
nam our
kaamangaL desires
maRRu change