"tUya peru-neer": 3 Perspectives of Rain (Part 1 of 3)

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

 

The 3rd, 4th and 5th stanzas of the TirrupAvai evoke 3 different

perspectives of Rain.

 

The first perspective is ecological. In the 4th stanza AndAl mentions

Rain with the words "Azhi-mazhaik-annA... vAzha ulaginil

peyydhidaay!" AndAl entreats the Rain-god to be kind and generous to

the entire world. The Tamil word "ulagam" means "world" or "earth".

Hence, the phrase "vAzha ulaginil peyydhidaay" has a global, or what

we might call, an ecological context.

 

All Life on Planet Earth ("ulagam") is sustained by that most

precious of natural resources, Water ("peru-neer")... And Rain is the

sole source of it. The whole ecology of the world, its many flora and

teeming fauna, the diverse and complex environments in this planet

and everything that lives and thrives here draws sustenance

("vAzhvu"), whether directly or indirectly, only from Rain. No Rain,

no Water. And no Water, no Life... Period. This is the stark fact of

life on earth!

 

Over the ages, the ingenuity of Man may have invented many incredible

wonders of science and technology, but there is no hope, not even the

faintest one, that someday Man might succeed in mass-manufacturing

Water too and thereby rid Planet Earth, once and for all, of its

abject and absolute dependance on the Rain-gods. Until such a

discovery is made, if ever at all, the World (this vast "ulagam"),

the TiruppAvai reminds us, has simply no choice but to pray earnestly

and constantly ("vAzha-ulaganil pEyydhidaay") for the blessing of

God's showers upon earth! Rain is the sole source of Water... the

true elixir of Life upon earth... and there is really nothing else

known to Man, other than sincere prayer, that can fetch it.

 

This worldwide view of AndAl's phrase ("vAzha-ulaganil pEyydhidaay")

in which Rain and Water are seen as precious life-giving,

life-nurturing ecological agents, is actualy an echo of the

Upanishad.

 

The PrashnOpanishad (2-10) said:

 

"yadAtvam abhivarshasi atemAh prAnEt prajAh

AnandarUpas tishTavti kAmAyannam bhavishyatiti"

 

"When you pour down, O Rain, these creatures of the world begin to

breathe and go into a state of bliss! For they know then there is

hope of Food! And there is hope of all Desire being sated!"

 

Long before man and civilization appeared on earth, the timeless

"sruti" had also already recognized the essential fragility of Life

upon Earth. The Upanishad knew well enough, even without science or

technology to aid it, that all of the world's great eco- and

bio-systems hang together in a delicate but symbiotic balance between

Rain, Food and Life:

 

"... yABhirAditya-stapati rashmiBhis-tAbhi: -

parjanyE-nowshaDhi vanaspataya: prajAyanta-

OshaDhi-vanaspatiBhir-annam Bhavathyan-nEna prANA: ..."

 

("mahA-nArAyaNa-upanishad")

 

"From the rays of the Sun, Rain is born,

From the Rains, come herbs and trees,

From trees an' herbs, comes Food,

And thro' Food, verily, is all Life nourished ..."

 

At first glance, the Upanishad seems to be making more of a statement

of obvious fact above rather than one of any great insight or wisdom.

But any student of the Upanishads would know that they often embed

the subtle within the obvious. Here too, in the case of the above

verse, the Upanishad is stating what is apparently obvious only

because it wants us to deeply ponder upon the obvious so that we

grasp the subtle within:

 

If it is such an 'obvious' fact that Rain is the giver and sustainer

of all Life upon earth; and 'obvious', too, it is that Man will never

be able to make Rain by his own means; and, again, if it is 'obvious'

fact that Man shall forever remain dependent upon agents other than

human for the blessing of Rain upon earth... Now, if all these facts

are indeed so "obvious" then,

 

-- Why is it that mankind is unable to see Rain for what it truly

represents: the greatest Miracle of God upon earth! Why doesn't man

ever stop to reflect, "What have I done to deserve this miracle upon

earth called Rain? What good did I do that I should be rewarded with

the blessing of Rain?"

 

-- Why is Man skeptical of the fact that it is the power of Prayer

alone that fetches this world its greatest Reward of Rain? Why does

Man not heed AndAL's example, raise his hands to Providence in the

skies and utter those humble but most powerful words in the entire

TiruppAvai:

 

"Azhi-mazhai-kannA.... vAzha ulaginil pEyydhidaay!"

 

********* ******** *********

(to be continued)

 

regards,

 

dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

 

 

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