stamping - 1

[Guest guest]

Dear srivaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

Many a times while dealing with government departments, we are tossed up and

down the staircases of the buildings to get a 'stamp' affixed in our documents,

even after the concerned officers have signed the papers. Not only tossing, some

greasing must also be done to avoid further harassment at those hands which are

putting the stamp.

 

Since many of our readers have travelled to US and other places from India,

they, very well know, just to put a visa stamp, an immigration stamp, etc, how

many hours and money they have to spend. Without such stamps, they cannot just

get out of the airport where they landed. So that is the greatness of the

'stamp' affixed in their papers?

 

Even a simple letter written from father, at one place, to son, in a different

place, has to carry a stamp of the government, called postal 'stamp', then only

it will be carried and delivered to the son. Our respected Sri Sadagopan also

came out with a request for the 'stamp' to all fraternity of the lists recently,

the nature of his request being very very rare.

 

See here, in periyaazhvaar thirumozhi, this paasuram [or verse] talks about that

'stamp' ilachchinai. Hence I am sharing with you all.

 

oru kaalil sangu oru kaalil chakkaram uLLadi poRiththu amaintha

iru kaalum koNdu angu ezhudhinaarpOl ilachchinai pada nadanthu

perugaa ninRa inba veLLaththin mEl pinnaiyum peidhu peidhu

karu kaark kadal vaNNan kaamar thaadhai thaLar nadai nadavaanO

1-7 6 - periyaazhvaar thirumozhi - thodar sangilikai padhikam

 

meaning as given sri madhavak kaNNan swamy of simhapuri [singapore] [ref bhakthi

list archives - july 2002]

 

quote - kaNNan- who is of dark, blue hued, the ocean like colour; who is the

father of manmathan (Pradhyumnan); marks the places where He walks with sanghu

and chakkaram, which are there in His feet. Oru kaalil sanghu; oru kaalil

chakkaram. Thereby the entire place is full of sanghu and chakkaram marks on the

ground. May he walk faltering steps, further more, giving (us) lots of

aanandham! When KaNNan walks there is great amount of joy! When the marks of

sanghu, chakkaram are seen, wherever He walks, the joy is immeasurable! It is

rain of joy! Anandha varsham! He is dark coloured like the blue dark ocean and

hence gives rise to rains (of joy!). - unquote.

[small change made as chakkaram, which is my style than MKswamy's chakra]

 

Ok - a doubt comes now - please do not conclude immediately - 'hey these two

objects or things, the conch and the discus, are supposed to be in hands, how is

that, it is said now they are in feet, means not in hands, their original place?

Shifted for some reason?' - Dear fraternity - that is not my doubt no 1. But if

you take it that way, well. Ok.

 

In the first line, it is said 'oru kaali sangu, oru kaalil chakkaram uLLadi

poriththu amaintha iru kaalum koNdu' - the two feet -

one having sangu 'mark' - conch mark,

another feet has chakkaram 'mark'- discus mark

while my kutty child krishNa walks, these two marks are being stamped on the

ground and seen all over and along wherever he walks. That is the meaning given.

 

'oru kaali sangu, oru kaalil chakkaram amaintha iru kaalum koNdu' - it is clear

that the two legs have these marks - one has a conch mark and another discus

mark. Then what is all this 'uLLadi poriththu'. That is the real doubt no 2.

 

To clear this, now, we have to re-read the same verse slightly modified - is it

permitted?

Taking for granted the permission - Read on -

'oru kaali sangu, oru kaalil chakkaram uL adi poriththu amaintha iru kaalum

koNdu' -

oru kaali sangu, oru kaalil chakkaram - on these words not much to discuss, as

already seen. So proceed to next. 'uLLadi poriththu' amaintha -These must have

some significance? The answer is 'Yes'.

 

The feet generally have a little raised portion on the inner side and flat on

outer side. So when both feet are placed together, the inner side has a raised

portion and thus has a hollow space. As such when one foot is placed on ground,

the entire surface area of the foot is not coming in contact with ground but a

lesser area. That raised portion is uL adi - that uL adi has these marks of

conch and discuss on the two feet.

 

[and the balance portion coming in contact is veLi adi? - ok, not concerned

about that doubt no 3, now - if somebody clarifies - fine]

 

Those marks of conch and discus - which need not come in contact with the floor,

because they are at a raised level - those uL adi - are also coming in contact

with floor. Why? Doubt no 4. Answer is readily available in last line of verse -

for krishNa walks 'thaLar nadai'. That is why the conch and discus marks are

stamped on the floor - for krishNa walks 'thaLar nadai' - thaLarntha nadai -

thaththakka piththakka nadai - irregular steps - staggered steps - uneven steps

- for just he begins to walk - so that raised portion also comes into contact

with earth and thus the stamp mark is placed on floor [or earth].

 

Why this conclusion you may ask - it is from the presence of word adi

'poriththu' amaintha kaal koNdu' - poriththu - stamped - the legs already have

these marks stamped on the skin - so it becomes easy like putting a stamp on the

paper - floor paper - that conclusion is from the words - ilachchinai pada

nadanthu - that word pada - touching - those marks touching the floor -

ilachchinai - muththirai - stamp - available inside - hence come in contact

with ground - pada nadanthu.

 

Now is the major doubt no. 5. Or is it that bhoomi - that lady earth raised

herself at every opportunity to get that touch of the feet of the lord - as did

yamuna water to touch those feet which are described as oru kaalil sangu oru

kaalil chakkaram uLLadi poRiththu amaintha iru kaalum koNdu - while father

vasudhEvan was trying to cross yamuna, carrying child Krishna, just born, in the

dark of the night from the prison to nandhaa's place, even after very same

yamuna herself consented to stand separate, leaving a royal path to that

vaasudhEvan, her lord supreme.

 

Or is it that the husband Krishna loves touching her lover bhoomi dhEvi with the

full coverage of the feet - stamping with his unique marks - fully done in a

proper manner?

 

Is this THE doubt? Yes please - doubt no 5. if somebody can give an answer

welcome please.

 

Dhasan

Vasudevan m.g.

 

[PS: Some more points on this verse, we will see in next post. May be, while

reading, you find certain sentences or words are repeated, more than once - it

is intentional and not a drafting mistake]