govindhan gunam paadi aavi kaaththiruppen- post 1

[Guest guest]

Dear Srivaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

 

In the new year 2002 and in the holy month of maargazhi of the year vishu,

my well wishes for a happy new year and praNaamams to all gOvindha bhakthaas

of the list.

 

My sincere prayers to that "kuRai onRum illadha gOvindhan", "koodaarai

vellum seer gOvindhan' to protect us, take care of us, all, like how he did

with those blessed cows and revered gOpaas of brindhaavan.

 

I sing the gunams - qualities- characteristics of that gOvindhan and save my

life, wait for his arrival in my doorstep to receive him-

en gOvindhan guNam paadi aavi kaaththiruppEn

says aaNdaL in 8-3 naachchiyaar thirumozhi.

 

Is it not the practice usually to sing aaNdaal paasurams predominantly in

the month of maargazhi. KrishNa - is already a 'kuRai onRum illaadha

gOvindhan'- so naturally niRai only is available with gOvindhan. So there

will be a lot to sing about his multitude of guNams.

 

Why then guNam in singular? Answer lies in that gunam which is most dominant

than others. That guNam is of

* Saving the lives of his near and dear - dependents- which the most

predominant. Even at the risk of his own life - by taking up the risk of

entering the poisonous water to drive away the menacing snake kaaLiyan- thus

saving his bhakthaas, dhaasaas, nears, servants.

 

As a value addition [as these modern day business concepts put it across] we

get from this guNam are

* Of getting an un-paralleled aanandham - unique bliss of seeing him

do a wonderful dance on the hood of that very menacing snake- now a tamed

one.

* Of making the dhEvaas rishis and gOpaas to realise who is that

krishna- he is that supreme paramathaman- and then immediately put a veil

again to see him as their own child- the gOpaas child, yasodhaa's pet child.

 

Oh what a guNam - krishna - gOvindha- un guNam paadinaal en aavi vERu engE

pOgum- where my soul will go if I sing about you?

 

Now the full verse of aaNdaaL naachchiyaar

 

kuLir aruvi vEnkadaththu aLiyaththa mEgankaaL

oLi vaNNam vaLai sinthai uRakkaththOdu ivai ellaam

eLimaiyaal ittu ennai eedu azhiyap pOyinavaal engOvindhan

guNam paadi aavi kaaththiruppEnE .

 

meaning: oh black clouds of thiruvEnkadam hills, the place where chill water

flows as water falls, please tell that gOvindhan about my condition that I

lost

* My eyes lost the sight in absence of your light or seeing in the

light

* The power of distinguishing colours

* The faculty of thinking, that thinking which goes in curls and loops

unbroken

* The sleeping and others

Now I have in mind completely the qualities of gOvindhan and I sing these

and save my life.

 

Points:

1. See the description- seeing the light, distinguishing the colours,

the thinking, sleeping are all basic faculties functions and are natural of

a human being. These are so natural to a person even when he is not

physically all right, [means when he is sick] also these do not go away. May

be a little dull but will not leave.

 

2. If somebody says "These natural faculties are gone to me" means that

the mind has become "so fixed" in some other, particular, such a special

thing.

 

3. Because the Inner Light from that gOvindhan is so bright it faded

the outer light.

 

4. Similarly that gOvindhan guNams have so much power that these remove

all these faculties and make fixed in that gOvindhaanubhavam. That is so

rich that aaNdaaL says ivai ellaam- may be what ever list I have given is

only few - I am not able to count what else have gone, so I put it across as

all.

 

5. This singing gunam of the bhakthaa saves the life of the singer.

Aavi kaaththiruppEnE- soul is locked with that gOvindhan -this life has

become a cow saved by that gOvindhan. So once soul is there any time all

other faculties can be regained without much difficulty. So no worry for

such losing.

 

6. See the bliss in that kaaththiruppEnE- that Ekaaram- also the

positiveness in that assertion- no losses are realised simply.

 

7. Was there any suffering on this account of losing? Answer is No. The

losses are made in a simple way- no strains or sufferings- eLimaiyaal ittu

ennai eedu azhiyap pOyina-. Simply did.

 

8. See also what is lost- ennai eedu azhiya - I lost my balance- my

equanimity- my semblance gone - my ego - that "Imy"- possessiveness - all

gone, now became a servant to that gOvindhan - dhaasathvam- that also how

simply- eLimaiyaal- very easily and simply.

 

9. This verse is part of mEgha dhOOtham of aaNdaaL- is it a call or a

pleading through the clouds- no- it is an assertion to the lord - oh lord -

even if you do not turn up, my singing of your guNam will make you come-

that singing will save my life. Once my life is saved by your guNam what

else I need because you will be naturally be pulled by my singing.

 

Till next post on that kuRai illadha gOvindhan let us sing his guNam-and

pull him into the mind- what guNam - you can decide.

 

Dhasan

 

Vasudevan M.G.

 

Ps: this is the first post in singing that kaaliya narthana prabhaavam and

resulting guNaanubhavam of my krishNa.