Guest guest Posted January 1, 2006 Report Share Posted January 1, 2006 SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha // SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha // SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/ SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya// KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: / SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm// ============================================================= SRI RANGA SRI VOL.07 / ISSUE # 23 dated 1st January 2006 ============================================================= IN THIS ISSUE: 1. TIRUPPAVAI PASURAM # 17 AMPARAME THANNIRE (ANBIL RAMASWAMY) 2. TIRUPPAVAI PASURAM # 17 AMPARAME THANNIRE ENGLISH VERSE TRANSLATION (MS. SHOBA RAMASWAMY) ============================================================ ISSUES RELEASED So far, 199 Regular issues of SRS have been released apart from Special Issues: 27 Issues of Vol. 1 15 Issues of Vol. 2 42 Issues of Vol. 3 35 Issues of Vol. 4 28 Issues of Vol. 5 30 Issues of Vol. 6 and 22 Issues of Vol. 7 ===================================================================== xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ===================================================================== 1. TIRUPPAVAI PASURAM # 17 AMPARAME THANNIRE (ANBIL RAMASWAMY) ---------------------- TIRUPPAVAI 17 AMPARAME THANNIRE amparamE thaNNIrE cORE aRaNYceyyum * emperumaan nan^thakOpaalaa ezhun^thiraay * kompanaarkku ellaam kozhun^thE kulaviLakkE * emperumaatti yacOthaay aRivuRaay * amparam UtaRuththu ONGki uLaku aLan^tha * umpar kOmaanE uRaNGkaathu ezhun^thiraay * cem poR kazhalatic celvaa palathEvaa * umpiyum nIyum uRaNGkEl Or empaavaay. 17. ============================================================= • In this Paasuram, from lines 1 through 8, they wake up Nanda (in 1-2), YasOda (in 3-4), KrishNa (in 5-6) and Balaraama (in 7-8) • This is the order in which they were lying. • Why Nanda first? • Lest someone should abduct KrishNa like ChitralEkha, friend of Bana’s daughter, Usha who abducted Aniruddha. -- amparamE • “am” means beautiful and “param” means “narayanan” • “amparam” also means “vastram” (clothing) • A slOkam says: vastrENa vapushaa vaachaa vidyayaa vinayEna cha/ vakaarE panchabhi : heenO narO na yaati gouravam// Meaning: “One who does not possess the following five attributes commencing with the letter “va” gets no respect” What are those five attributes? Vastram = Decent clothing Vapu: = Handsome physical features (Samudrikaa LakshaNam) Vaacha = Pleasing words vidyaa = Knowledge earned by learning and vinaya = Humility It will be seen that “vastram” is mentioned foremost. • The importance of dress in society is best illustrated by the following story. A person shabbily dressed went to a party only to be turned away because the hosts honored only those invitees who were decently dressed. The man went home and returned with decent apparel. He was heartily welcomed. He did not eat the delicacies placed before him but started feeding his clothing. When queried about his strange behavior, he described what happened and explained that the hosts were honoring only the dress and not the person! • “amparam” also means that which envelops the skies. thaNNIrE • The foremost “upachaarams” expected to be extended to guests is the offer of water: “arghyam” for washing hands, “Paadhyam” for washing feet, “aachamaneeyam” for sipping water and “snaaneeyam” for bathing. This is the order that we follow during Tiruvaradanai to PerumaaL. • Cleanliness is a built-in custom in Hinduism. We wash our hands (palms) before and after taking food. Feeding with spoons, forks and knives is not very hygienic, though practiced worldwide in the modern times (as a mark of appearing to be civilized!) • It may not be out of place to quote Ross Nancy Wilson, a foreign author in “Three ways of Asian wisdom” (p24), about this aspect of cleanliness: “Although he (a Hindu) may be seen with a green leaf as his plate, eating food with fingers, the rules about the uses to which the right and left hand may be put, and the washing of hands before and after meals are all prescribed with a strictness unknown to the ‘sanitary’ West. More than this, the daily care of the mouth, teeth and tongue usually with the help of twigs of the medicinal neem tree goes on long with such assiduity, that it might well shame any Television Toothpaste commercial” • We see the importance of offering water in Mahaabhaarata.. KrishNa did not consider it “infra dig” to wash the feet of guests by offering “paadhyam” during Dharmaputra’s Raajasooya yaagam. • During the KurukshEtra war, KrishNa pierced a rock with an arrow to retrieve water and gave showers (Snaaneeyam) and water to drink (paaneeyam) to the horses. • In Kerala, they would offer water (or watery tea?) first and then enquire if any snacks were needed (kaDitchukka)! cORE • After water, comes “sOru” or “annam”. • We know the story of how Sage Durvaasa and his huge retinue were made to feel “fed up” as if they had taken more than a “full meal” when Lord KrishNa ate just one leaf of spinach sticking to the cooking vessel even after its being washed! aRaNceyyum * • Nanda was renowned for giving water, food and clothing to the needy when they were scarce. Hence, he is called “aram seyyum nandagOpaala” • Any Daanam would be effective only if what is given matches what is needed by the recipient. • A person who had lost the train ticket would welcome an offer of a train ticket that he needs badly than any amount of food or water that he may not need! • Nanda gave everything out of compassion not expecting any return. • When a mother breastfeeds her child, does she expect any return from the baby? This is the spirit in which Nanda gave his subjects profusely what exactly they needed. • When the party is over and the guests leave, you might have noticed the hosts thanking them. The thanks uttered when the guests leave, would tantamount to thanking them for “leaving” (not for coming)! A lesson in “Athiti satkaaram”, this? emperumaan nan^thakOpaalaa • Because, he gave not only food etc but also gave off KrishNa, the Emperumaan himself, they call Nanda himself “Emperumaan” ezhun^thiraay * Get up kompanaarkku ellaam kozhun^thE Why kozhunthE? • kozhunthu is the tender shoot at the tip of the branches of creepers. • YasOda was like this for more than one reason • It is the tender shoot of a creeper that would get affected first, whenever any harm befalls the creeper itself. Even if one among the five lakhs of gOpis were to feel any discomfort, YasOda would feel empathy and sorry. • YasOda was like a creeper in the sense that she had a slim frame. “Samudrikaa lakshaNam’ is that ladies should have slender midriff (Like the hourglass) • RaavaNa describes Sri Sita as one without midriff. • Sri Rama while furnishing Sri Sita’s ID to Hanumaan says that one cannot see her midriff but can only imagine that it were there. kulaviLakkE * • The entire cowherd community brightened because of YasOda. • She is “aNi viLakku” because she brought forth KrishNa as her son. emperumaatti • If Nanda is “Emperumaan”, Can YasOda be described as anything other than “EmperumaaTTI”? yacOthaay • “yasas” is another name for Emperumaan. “tasya naama mahat yasa:” (Upanishad) “yasO Brahma” says Vedam Sri Mahaa Lakshmi shines with fame. “yasasaa jwalantee” YasOda is so called because she also shines with fame. What is the fame in her case? As explained already, she is quick to empathize with the grief of others like the gOpis of gOkulam. It is this that made her famous. aRivuRaay * Realize this! • What do they want YasOda to realize? • Mantram holds Emperumaan; YasOda bore KrishNa. They seem to remind her of this fact. amparam UtaRuththu ONGki uLaku aLan^tha * • Why reference to Trivikrama again? • Because, he blessed all without exception by offering his feet to one and all. “Why not us?’ they seem to ask. • What is the significance of reference to water “amparam” here again? • The Paadhyam of Brahma from his KamaNDalam was not enough to wash the ever growing feet of Trivikrama. So, he marshaled “Dharma devata” to flow like water. The feet pierced through “aNDa kaDaaham” (the shell enveloping space). Water flowing from there proved sufficient. • Ambu = water. “Aram” means “sluices”. It is these sluices or doors that prevent anDa kaDaaham waters from deluging the universe. • Oodu aruthu Ongi: This suggests a vivid description of the sudden and stunning growth of dwarf Vaamana into a colossal Trivikrama. When he started to grow, the galaxy of stars first appeared as gems decorating his crown; when he grew further, they appeared as pearl necklace around his neck; when he grew still further, they appeared as the “waist girdle” (ODDiyaaNam) around his waist and finally as anklet (silambu = noopuram) around his feet! • In Svapadesam, Vaamana represents PraNavam (short in stature) Trivikrama represents NaaraayaNa and Quelling Mahaabali represents nama: umpar kOmaanE • The one who made himself broad enough to give room for Trivikrama himself! Hence, Umbar kOmaan uRaNGkaathu ezhun^thiraay * “Don’t sleep” • “Can a protector fall asleep?” • “In the case of Draupati, because you did not rush succor to her in the fist place at her time of need, you regretted saying “RuNa pravriddam iva” that you were deeply burdened with an unbearable debt that grew day by day with usurious interest. Do you wish a repeat performance now with us?” they seem to remind him. • “You did so much for PaaNDavas without food or sleep. Why not for us?” • “Will you help only the ungrateful dEvas and not us?” cem poR kazhalatic • “Sempon kazhal aDI” Some say that Balaraama wore red and golden colored footwear. • “Kazhal” also means “Veera kaDagam” the band denoting valor. celvaa palathEvaa * • “selvam” means “wealth”. What is the wealth that they speak of with reference to Balaraama? • It is the wealth of service to the Lord - “Kainkarya Sri”. Did not Vaalmiki describe him as “LakshmaNO Lakshmi sampanna:’? • “It is because you cleaned up Devaki’s womb first that the fate of the six earlier children did not befall KrishNa. So, Your feet are indeed “Sempon kazhal aDI’ • Bala - dEva: has several interpretations. He was Bala-dEva- “strong dEva” because he drew River Yamuna and Hastinaapura with the tip of his plough. “Sa ajuhaava yamunaam jala kreeDaartham eeswara:” • In Tamil the letter “Pa” is pronounced as “Ba” and “Pa” “Pala dEva” Taking it as “Pa”, “Pala” means many. Some interpret this as his doing multi- tasks of service to the Lord as umbrella, as the royal throne, as footwear, as the soft mattress on the high seas, as the backrest pillow and what not. “senraal kuDaiyaam irunthaal singaasanamaam ninraal maravaDiyaam neeL kaDaluL enrum puNaiyaam maNi viLakkaam poom paTTaam pulgum aNaiyaam Tirumaarkku aravu" (1st Tiruvantadi 53) • “dEva” When a couple is childless or when they go through loss of children, they do “naaga pratishTai” to ward off the evil spell. DEvaki who lost six children probably installed Balaraama (AdisEsha) for this purpose! • Another interpretation of “dEva” is that he is the one who recommends us to the grace of the Lord. Whom did he recommend? He recommended Guhan, AnjanEya and later VibheeshaNa to the Lord in Raamavataara. umpiyum nIyum uRaNGkEl • After praising KrishNa, they say “You are superior to KrishNa. They seem to say “Trivikrama was a colossus; But you are elder to him” • Someone advertised that his shop was the biggest in the whole country. Another who opened a shop next to this advertised that his was the biggest in the whole town; another one opened his shop on the same street and claimed that his was the biggest shop in the whole street! • So, by hyperbole they tried to inspire Balaraama to do the needful. • Rama and LakshmaNa used to sleep together in the cradle. When they were separated, it forebode some misfortune: - Without LakshmaNa, Sri Sita got abducted - Without LakshmaNa, Rama’s sojourn on earth came to an end - Without Balaraama, KrishNa had to contend with KaaLiyan Or empaavaay. The usual refrain --- General • Ambaram = Nanda, the father and Achaarya Kozhundu: YasOda, the mother and Mantram • Achaarya secures for us ParipoorNa Brahma anubhavam and protects Veda mantras true to the saying: “Achaaryan kai puguntavaarE mantram kai pugum Mantram kai puguntavaarE Eeswaran kai pugum” • Ambaram: Atma swaroopam = PraNavam, ThaNNeer: mind that nourishes this = Nama: sOru: kainkaryams = NarayaNaaya --- To Continue =================================================================== xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx =================================================================== 2. TIRUPPAVAI PASURAM # 17 AMPARAME THANNIRE ENGLISH VERSE TRANSLATION (MS. SHOBA RAMASWAMY) ------------------------------- “Shelter, water, Sustenance, Doer of right, My Lord Nandagopala, arise! Flame of the cowherds, Light of their clan, My Lady Yasoda, awake! He who pierced the sky And measured the world, Our own king- Awake and arise! Dear BaladEva of the golden thongs, Are you and your younger brother Asleep still? Oh! My Maidens!” -- To Continue ==================================================================== xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ==================================================================== Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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