thiruppavai day four song four

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THIRUPPAVAI – DAY FOUR – SONG FOUR

 

Transliteration

 

AzhimazaikkannA onru nI kai karavEl

AzhiyuL pukku mukanthu kotArththERi

Uzhi muthalvan uruvam pOl mey kaRuththu

pAzhiyam thOLutai pathmanApan kaiyil

Azhi pOl minni valampuri pOl ninrathirnthu

thAzhAthE cArnkam uthaitha caramazai pOl

vAzha ulakinil peythitAy nAnkaLum

mArkazhi nIrAta makiznthElOr empAvAy.

 

Translation

 

O lord cloud! Fail not in your munificence!

Enter the seas and soar up through the sky,

Having become dark in colour laden with water.

Then do you become as dark as the Lord, the Cause Primordial.

Then do you shine as bright as the discus

That Padmanaba of graceful and mighty shoulders holds on his right.

Then do you roar like the conch that He holds on his left.

Pour down like incessant arrows from the bow of Vishnu

To preserve the world.

Pour down without further delay

For us to bathe in pavai observance.

 

The fourth song of the Thiruppavai is in the form of an appeal to the cloud.

The cloud is implored to settle on the seas, take the waters as it ascends

up the sky. The dark cloud is said to be as dark in colour as the God. God

is held to be the origin of everything beginning with primordial time.

 

The brightness of discus, the weapon of God is ascribed to lightning. The

booming thunder is compared to the conch that Vishnu holds on his left hand.

What follows is very graphic. The showers are compared to a shower of arrows

from the bow of Vishnu. But then, the business of the arrows is not to

destroy but to preserve. One of the prayers of pavai observance is to bless

the world with rains. The cloud is invoked to bless the world with rains as

an answer to their prayer.

 

The fourth song is highly evocative. The movement, colour, sound, form,

brightness and effect of the cloud are evoked in quick succession

contributing to a total dynamic picture of the cloud —descent to the seas

and ascent to the sky; black hue of the rain clouds, the brightness of

lightning; the roar of thunder; the sharp showers; abundance and

preservation as the effect of rain.

 

One of the prayers of the maids observing the pavai is for the world to be

blessed with rains. Rains in effect become symbolic of God’s grace. God

recognises devotion as the cloud takes in the waters of the seas. He becomes

a dynamic force pervading everywhere. He manifests Himself in unmistakable

forms like the light of lightning and the sound of thunder. He showers His

grace on the whole world – devotees and others alike. The devotees then feel

the bliss of the benignity of God.

 

The fourth song is full of verbal felicity – the ascent to the sky is

described in the phrase mukantu kotArththERi. Arththu is a word which refers

to so obvious a happiness that it can best be described as growing in

happiness. Azhi pOl minni and valampuri pOl ninRathirnthu are graphic and

unmistakable in their effect just as lightning and thunder cannot escape

attention. Lest the association of showers with arrows should be taken to

indicate effect destructive, the word vAzha has been used. To enable

sustenance is the meaning of the word. Rains enable sustenance of

everything. Grace enables sustenance of the devotees.