Guest guest Posted January 12, 1998 Report Share Posted January 12, 1998 [ Today, January 12, is the 28th day of maargazhi (December-January). On each day of maargazhi, one verse from Andal's divine poem ``thiruppaavai'' is savored. Today's verse is "kaRavaigaL pin senRu". 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. ------------- thiruppaavai, verse 25 -- kaRavaigaL pin senRu ------------- kaRavaigaL pin senRu kaanam sErndhu uNbOm * aRivu onRum illaadha aayk kulaththu * undhannaip piRavi peRum thanaip puNNiyam yaam udaiyOm * kuRai onRum illaadha gOvindhaa * undhannOdu uRavEl namakku ingu ozhikka ozhiyaadhu * aRiyaadha piLLaigaLOm anbinaal * undhannai siRu pEr azhaiththanavum seeRi aruLaadhE * iRaivaa! nee thaaraay paRaiyElOr embaavaay. [ '*' indicates the end of a line, split both for recitation as well as to help with the meaning. ] ----------- Translation ----------- We follow our cattle and eat in the woods Ignorant cowherd folk are we We have the great merit of having You born amidst us in our clan O Govinda without a single fault! No one neither you nor we Can break your kinship with us If through our love We innocent girls have called you with nicknames Please do not get angry And O Lord! Grant us the drum! --------------------- Word for Word meaning --------------------- kaRavaigaL cows pin cenRu following kaanam forest sErndhu having reached uNbOm we will eat aRivu knowledge onRum any illaadha without aay kulaththu cowherd community undhannai you piRavi birth peRum thanai to have you (in our community) puNNiyam good deeds yaam we udaiyOm have kuRai fault onRum any illaadha without govindhaa Govinda (a name of Krishna, one of whose meaning is "protector of cows") undhannOdu your uRavEl relation namakku to us ingu here ozhikka ozhiyaadhu cannot break, destroy (by *either* of us) aRiyaadha ignorant, innocent piLLaigaLOm children, girls anbinaal out of love undhannai you siRu pEr nicknames, pet names (literally small names) azhaiththanavum addressing seeRi aruLaadhE do not get angry iRaivaa O Lord! nee you thaaraay grant us paRai drum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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