From abhiraami antaadi

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Verse 46:

 

veRukkum thakaimaikaL cheyyinum, tham aDiyaarai mikkOr

poRukkum thakaimai pudhiyathu anRE,-pudhu nanchai uNDu

kaRukkum thirumiDaRRaan iDappaakam kalantha ponnE!-

maRukkum thakaimaikaL cheyyinum, yaanunnai vaazhththuvanE.

 

koDiya na~nchai uNDU than kazuththu kaRuththa iishanin iDap

paagaththilE kalandha ponnE! tamathu aDiyavar veRukkumbaDiyaana

cheyaLgaL purindhaalum, periyOr avargaLai poRuththu mannikkum paNbu

ivvulagaththiRku puththiyathalla! ithu thonRuthoTTu naDandhu varuM

pazakkam. nIyO yaavarkkum periyavaL, thiNNamaay en thavaRai poRuppai

ena uRuthi puuNDu unnai naan thozhuvEn.

 

O abhiraami, the golden one who has mingled with the left half of the

Lord whose neck is dark due to the poison! It is not new to this world

that the great ones forgive the misgivings of their followers. It is a

standard that is set for ages. You are the greatest of all, having

confidence that you will forgive my misgivings, I will not leave you in

fear or guilt, but come back to you again and gain praising your

glories.

 

 

As it is said, "To err is human and to forgive is divine", God will

forgive our mistakes. Due the strength of past bad habits, despite all

our noble intentions, we sin again and again. To overcome these

durvasana-s God' grace is required. That grace will impel us to try

harder. Often what happens is when we sin (against our weak will),

overcome by guilt, we may even feel ashamed of looking at even the

picture of God. It is like a child hiding from its mother after

committing a mischief. But will this help? SHE is our only support.

Without HER help how are we going to overcome our weaknesses? Hiding

away is not a solution. Here abhiraami bhaTTa steps in and offers his

counsel. Having confidence that SHE will forgive us, we should

repeatedly entreat HER and pray to HER. We should do this despite our

misgivings. That will open us to HER grace and save us.

 

How are we to be confident that SHE will forgive us? Here the poet

gives two examples.

 

1) The great ones of all ages have always forgiven the sins of their

devotees/disciples. Since, SHE is greatest, SHE will definitely do this

 

2) The second one is more subtle and brilliantly beautiful. Looks the

way ambaaL is addressed in this verse. SHE is called here as the one

who occupies the left half of the Lord. What has the Lord done? He has

consumed poison! Which wife will stand her husband drinking poison! SHE

does, more than that SHE stops the poison at the neck and saves HIM.

If SHE can tolerate such an act, will SHE not forgive us for our

misgivings! This subtle humor of the poet (which went unnoticed in the

two translations I read) is so beautiful.

 

In this context we must stop and appreciate what a great pativrata SHE

is. All deva-s, including brahma and hari who have consumed amrita

perish at the time praLaya. But our Lord, survives it and witness it,

despite drinking the deadliest poison! Stating this shankara wonders at

pAtivratyam of ambaaL in saundaryalaharI.

 

--

I dont follow any standard transliteration for Tamil.

 

 

=====

ambaaL daasan

Ravi

sharaNaagata raxakii nivEyani

sadaa ninnu nammiti miinaaxii

http://www.ambaa.org/

 

 

 

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