thiruppavai day eight song eight

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TIRUPPAVAI - DAY EIGHT - SONG EIGHT

 

Transliteration

 

kIzvAnam veLLenru erumaic ciRuvItu

mEyvAn paranthana kAn mikkuLLa piLLaikaLum

pOvan pOkinRaraip pOkAmal kAththunnaik

kUvuvAn vantu ninROm kOthukalamutaiya

pAvAy ezhunthirAy pAtip paRai kontu

mAvAy piLanthAnai mallarai mAttiya

thEvAthi thEvanaic cenRu nAm cEviththAl

AvAvenru ArAynthu aruLElOr empAvAy.

 

 

Translation

 

See the line of dawn in the eastern sky!

See the buffaloes on their way to graze

For a short while in the morning!

See, we the maids on our way to observe the pavai

Have stopped at your doorstep to call you to join us!

Aren't you the dear maid to Kannan?

He tore the monster Kesi diagonally.

He vanquished the wrestlers monstrous.

When we sing in praise of Him

He will heed to our prayers and bestow His grace on us.

 

The eighth song, in continuation of the previous two songs, is also a call

to the maid who is yet to join the troop of maids on their way to take the

ritualistic bath and the other acts of the pavai observance. As in the

previous song, the maid yet to join the troop is identified as a special

person. She has the privilege of having had a higher degree of the

experience of the Divine. It is surprising that she, of all, is yet to join

the march to the pond to take bath to begin the pavai observance.

 

The song begins with an evocation of the arresting scene at dawn. The misty

line of dawn in the east is further complemented to by the reference to the

buffaloes. They are let off for a little while early in the morning to

graze. They nibble at the dew-topped grass rather than greedily graze.

 

The highly dramatic situation is accentuated by the claim that the troop as

a whole has stopped for the maid to join them. Perhaps the entire ritual

depends upon her participation. She does not only excel in her Divine

experience but also does she excel in inspiring the thirst for the Divine.

She is not only a devotee par excellence but also an inspiratorial guide

into the spiritual domain.

 

The annihilation of the monster Kesi in the form of a horse has already been

referred to. A special quality of the songs of the alwars in general is a

celebration of the deeds of the God in his various manifestations. Of all

such, the Krishna manifestation provides the alwars with many instances of

the valorous expression of God's grace. Naturally, Krishna remains the most

celebrated of God's manifestations in the alwar literature.

 

In the polytheistic Hindu context, it is natural to consider one's deity the

God of gods. Narayana in this song is termed the God of gods. But what is so

special about Narayana is that He is supposed to be the God of explicit

appreciation of the devotee and the humility with which He descends from his

exaltation (soulabhya) to bestow His grace on the devotee.