nNaayEn

[Guest guest]

Sri Srinivasan quoted a very nice vaarthai from vaarthmaalaa:

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The hunter replied, "NaayanRe!(1) I went to the jungle for the hunt. I

caught a baby hare. Its mother came running fast across an open field, and

fell in front of me as if to supplicate me (`kumbittukkondu kidanthathu'). I

felt profoundly sorry (`vyasanamaay`) for it and let the baby go free."

 

[..]

 

(1) This is a respectful or reverential term of address, sometimes spelt as

Naayanthe. If anyone reading this knows the exact meaning and etymology of

this word, please share it with us.

 

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This word n^aayanRE, i think, is expressed out of utmost humility, modesty and

a show of subservience. n^aay means dog in thamizh. anRE can be loosely

translated as "am I not?"(not necessarily in the interrogative sense, but more

of a statement!)

 

Our dearest thirumaN^gai aazhwaar, uses this at many places, One of which i have

given below:

 

1028:

thaayEthanNdhaiyenRum thaaramEkiLaimakkaLenRum,

nNOyEpattozhinNdhEn unnaikkaaNbadhOraasaiyinaal,

vEyEypoombozhilsoozh viraiyaar thiruvEngkadavaa!,

nNaayEnvanNdhadainNdhEn nNalgiyaaLennaikkoNdaruLE. 1.9.1

 

thaayE thanNdhaiyE emRum - I was always caring about my mother and father

(constantly worrying about them..)

 

thaaramE kiLai makkaL enRum - and my wife, relatives and children

 

nNOyE pattu ozhinNdhEn - and got very sick..

(Here he refers to his association with the samsaara as the sickness.)

 

unnaik kaaNbadhOr aasaiyinaal - With the craving to See you,

 

vEyEy poompozhil soozh viraiyar thiruvENGgadavaa - Oh! Lord, who is residing in

this place with exquisite ponds...

(virayar? I am not sure, could somebody lend me a hand here...)

 

nNaayEn vanNdhu adainNdhEn - I, this doglike being (so lowly), have reached you.

 

nNalgi aaLennaik koNdaruLE - Take me over to you as your servant....

 

-Viji