Tiruppavai
Tiruppavai
Verse 4
What I have presented is the surface meaning.
Each verse can actually be understood in many
poetic and profoundly philosophical ways.
According to the Indian calendar December-January is the month
of maargazhi. On each day of maargazhi, one verse from
Andal's divine poem, the Tiruppavai.
is savored. Today's verse, "aazhi mazhai",
is the fourth one of the work.
aazhi mazhaik kaNNaa! onRu nee kai karavEl * aazhiyuL pukku mugandhu kodu aarththERi * oozhi mudhalvan uruvam pOl mey kaRuththup * paazhiyan^ thOLudaip paRpanaaban kaiyil * aazhi pOl minni valamburi pOl ninRadhirndhu * thaazhaadhE saarngam udhaiththa saramazhai pOl * vaazha ulaginil peydhidaay * naangaLum maargazhi neeraada magizhndhElOr embaavaay.
aazhi circular; ocean-like in expansiveness
mazhai rain
kaNNaa O dear god! (Andal addresses the presiding deity of rain here)
onRu(m) even a little bit
nee you
kai karavEl don't withhold
aazhiyuL into the deep oceans
pukku entering
mugandhu kodu fetch
aarththu thunder
ERi climb
oozhi primordial
mudhalvan First One
uruvam pOl like the form
mEy body
kaRuththu become black
paazhi great
am beautiful
thOL shoulders
udai with these
paRpanaaban the One who has a lotus navel, Lord Vishnu
(Sanskrit: padmanAbha)
kaiyil in that person's hand
aazhi pOl like the discus
minni shine
valamburi pOl like the conch
ninRu residing
adhirndhu resound (the sound of blowing a conch)
thaazhaadhE without tarrying, instantly
saarngam Lord Vishnu's bow
udhaiththa shoot forth (lit. kicked)
saramazhai pOl like the shower of arrows
vaazha flourish, prosper
ulaginil in this world
pEydhidaay rain!
naangaLum we too
maargazhi neeraada
bathing during margazhi
magizhndhu will be happy, exult
