paasurappadi raamaayaNam

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I have fixed a few typos and broken the phrases into simple words.

 

maN ulakaththOr uyya, - For the upliftment of the earthly people,

(maN ulakam - earth, viN ulakam - heaven. ulakam - world.

uyya = uyarvu adaiya = to reach a higher state than what

one is currently in)

 

ayOdhdhi ennum aNi nagaraththu, - in a beautiful city called Ayodhya,

 

(aNi - as an adjective this word means 'enhanced'. Ayodhya which is

already a beautiful city is perhaps enhanced further by Rama's birth?)

 

venkathirOn - (vemmai + kathirOn) - unbearably hot sun

(vemmai = veppam = heat)

 

kulaththukku Or viLakkaay, - as a lamp for the sUrya vamsa

(notice the choice of the words here! a hot sun is by itself the

brightest thing that one can have. Sri Rama is seen as a lamp - that

is, someone who outshines everyone else, even the sun himself, in the

family - by the aazhvaars.)

 

kousalai than kula mathalaiyaay - as Kausalya's baby

thayarathan than makanaay thOnRi - as Dhasaratha's son

 

(note again the beatiful distinction here. Rama is described as the

"baby" of Kausalya but "son" of Dhasaratha! As long as one is a

helpless little kid, one is associated with the mother, because it is

the mother who looks after the baby. The father usually stays

away. Once the kid grows up, the father takes over, finds a right

teacher and gives his son a valuble education, and asks him to take

over his own responsibilities. Thus Rama is Kausalya's baby, but

Dhasaratha's son. Further, the word 'mathalai' (as in 'baby') is

gender neutral. For the mother, it doesn't matter if the baby is male

or female. She treats them the same way. Hence that gender neutral

word. However, the father will treat his sons and daughters in

different ways, as per the societal norms.

 

"kula mathalai" - The author could have simply used 'kausalai than

mathalaiyaay'. But instead he uses 'kula mathalai'. Rama is not merely

just a baby of Kausalya, but He is "The baby" of the entire family,

the entire dynasty. Hence "kula mathalai".)

 

kuNam thigazh koNdalaay - like a cloud filled with admirable

qualities.

 

Just as a cloud is pregnant with rain water, Rama is seen as the

embodiment of all the qualities that are virtuous. After all, didn't

this very question of whether there existed such a person, made

Valmiki search for the answer and write the original Ramayana?

 

(koNdal - clouds. as in thoNdar adippodi aazhvaar's `koNdal meedhu

aNavum sOlai'. As mentioned by Vaidehi, 'koNdal vaNNan' - the cloud

coloured Krishna)

 

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I am sure an acharya (such as sri azhagiya singar) can dig out a lot

more from the above lines (having listened to a few of sri azhagiya

singar's thiruppaavai upanyaasam, I am convinced of this). I hope to

get this book sometimes and read it with an acharya's commentary, if

one is available.

 

--badri