Thiruppavai Pasuram28-karavaigal pin senru

[Guest guest]

Pasuram28-karavaigal pin senru

 

karvaigaL pin senru kanam mEithunbOm

arivonrum illAdha Aikkulatthundhannai

piravipperundhanai puNNiam yAmudaiyom

kuraivonrum illAdha gOvindhA unthannOdu

uravEl namakkinru ozikka oziyAdhu

ariyAdha piLLaigalOm anbinAl unthannai

sirupEr azaitthanavum Seeri aruLAdhE

iraivA nee tharAi paraiyElOrempAvai.

 

We are simple folks with not much wisdom and we follow the cattle and

eat in the forest but we have done a lot of punya to have you in our

midst. You have no faults and we have no other relation than with

you.We are ignorant youngsters and if we call you as though you are

one of us do not get angry but shower your grace on us.

 

This pasuram reflects the words of Arjuna in the Gita,'sakhEthimathvA

prasabham yadhuktham hE krishna hE yadhava hE sakhethi;ajAnathA

mahimanam thavEdham,mayA pramAdhAth pranayEna vapi,' (BG.11-41) There

Arjuna asks forgiveness of Krishna on seeing His visvaroopa, that he

had been calling Krishna with familiarity, treating Him like a friend,

by names such as Krishna, Yadhava, friend etc. Here too Abndal

assuming the role of a gopi, says that they were cowherd girls ,

without intelligence and knew no more than looking after the cattle

and going to the forest with them and eating there etc.

 

arivonrum illAdha Aikkula ----puNNiam yAmudaiyOm- This is said to

denote the souseelyam and soulabhyam of the Lord. Souseelyam is moving

with the ignorant folk wirhout discrimination, 'mahathah mandhaih saha

neeranDHra samslesha svabhAvah.' And the soulabhyam is 'labDHum

suSakathvam,' easy accessibility. By being born im the yadhavakula the

Lord has displayed both the qualities.

 

kuraivonrum illAdha govinda- The Lord is ananthakalyaNa guNa visishta,

endowed with infinite ausoicious qualities and without a blemish.

 

uravEl namakkingu ozikka oziyAdhu- denotes the awareness that the

permanent relationship is only with the Lord which is undeniable.

 

ariyAdha piLlaigaLOm-means that we do not know the proper way of

worshipping you as we do not have any learning.

 

anbinAl----seeri arulAdhe- Not knowing your greatness we may have

treated you as one among us. So do not get angry.This is similar to

the words of Arjuna, quoted above.

 

Iraiva----parai elorempavai-On the other hand you have to show your

grace because we surrender to you as our only refuge.

 

punniam yamudaiyOm- even though they are ignorant they had the result

of past good deeds to have Krishna among them. The Lord expects only

love which at its height becomes bhakthi more than learning or

austerities. Krishna Himself says, 'nAham vedhairh na thapasA na

DhAnEna na chejyayaa----bhakthyA thu ananyayA sakyah,' To understand

Him in reality is possible only through bhakthi and not by penance,

meritorious deeds or by performing sacrifices. Due to punya alone one

gets bhakthi, whiich is meant here.

 

The name Govinda has great implications.:

 

 

The word 'go' has several meanings in sanskrit such as earth,

indriya,svarga,or mokshaastra Cow, veda etc. Based on that the

scholars explain the name thus:

1.Gaam(second case singular of 'go') , svargam or moksham

vindhayathi,secures ithi govindhah. He is govindha because He bestows

mukthi.

 

2.Gaam, ishum, meaning astras vindhathi - He acquired the astras from

Visvamithra in Ramavathara.

 

3.Gaah(accusative plural of 'go', pasu.) vindhathi. He knew the cows,

that is, He knew them to be the rshis of dandakaaranya in His

krishnavathara.Balarama is also implied by the word cow as He went

with Krishna for gorakshaNa

 

4.Gobhih (instrumental plural of 'go'meanind veda.) vindhyathe. He is

known through the vedas.

 

5Gaam, vajram, vindhayathi. He made it possible for indra to get

vajrayudha by instructing him to approach Dhadheechi and beg him to

give his backbone.

 

6.Gavaa (instrumental singular of 'go'meaning dhrk, look) dhrsaa

vindhathi. He knows all by His dhrk or appropriate kataksha.He knows

how to look at every one and when.

 

7.Gaah nethraaNi vindhathi- He has thrinethra, three eyes as Nrsimha,

and also eyes everywhere, 'sahasraakshassahasrapath'

 

8. Gaah, jwaalaah, vindhathi, has fiery form, being Suryamandala

madhya varthi.Chandhogya upanishad describes Brahman as 'Ya

eshahantharaadhithye hiraNmayah purushah dhrsyathe hiranyasmasru

hiranya kesa aapraNakhaath sarva Eva suvarNah'. The purusha seen

inside the orb of the Sun with golden beard, golden hair an

exceedingly effulgent even to the very tips of His nails. The purusha

here is paramaathman or Narayana.This is the passage where the

famous'kapyaasam pundarikam' occurs referred to in the charitra of

Ramanuja.

9.Gaam ,bhoomim vindhathi, brought the earth from the depth of the

ocean, Vatrahavathara and also Parsurama as He wandered all over the

earth and Trivikrama as He measured the earth with His feet.

 

10. Gaam , jalam vindhathi. resorts to the waters, Mathsya and Koorma.

11. Gaam vedam vindhathi. He alone knows the real purport of the

vedas. Refers to Hayagrivaavathara.

12. Gaam ,indhriyam vindhathi .The Lord of the indhriyas, Hrishikesah.

Makes the indhriyas enter into appropriate vishaya.

 

There are even more meanings mentioned by the saintly commentators but

These are the generally quoted meanings. Andal was fond of this nama

is also shown by her mentioning it in the three of her main pasurams.

 

Srivilliputhur is referred to as Govindhan vaazumoor.Commentators say

that Andal being the avathara of Bhudevi had more love for govindha

nama as the Lord saved her in Varahavathara..

Govindha pattabhishekam is extolled as being even superior than that

of Rama because Valmiki says 'vasavo vaasavam yathaa', of the

coronation of Rama comparing it to that of Indra but here Indra

himself did the abhisheka of Krishna as Govinda.

When the Lord is called Govinda He feels indebted to the devotee as in

the case of Droupadi who screamed with grief calling Him Govinda when

He immediately came to the resque.

Lord Srinivasa of Thirupathi is known as Govinda and when the devotees

sing the glory ofthe Lord they say only Govindanamasankirthanam. In

VenkatesapuraNa , Lord Srinivasa is asked as to whom the preliminary

poojs to be done, because He Himself cannot worship Himself. He was

told, 'thvAmEva vEdmi Govinda,' meaning 'I know only you.' Then He

mentioned the Narasimha of Ahobilam.

There are three places where He is known as Govinda, namely,

Thirupathi, Chidambaram and srivilliputthur.

Kurai onrum illAdha govinda- the commentators say that this term is

appropriate only to Krishna because he rectified the three seemingly

defective acts of Rama in this avathara. Of course these reasons are

given in light vein.

1. He redressed the wrong done to Vali, the son of Indra, by killing

him and giving the kingdom to the son of Surya, Sugreeva , by doing

the reverse in this avathara. He caused the death of Karna, the

Suryaputhra and got the kingdom for Arjuna,son of Indra!

2.Hanuman said to Sita 'nahi prakrshtAh prEshyanthE preshyanthE hi

ithare janah,' to reassure her. Usually the mightiest are not sent as

messengers but only others and when he himself has been able to cross

the ocean others, all of whom are mightier than him will certainly do

so. Perhaps the Lord thought that Anjaneya might have such notions and

hence considered himself to be inferior and to show the greatness of

Maruti as a messenger, He Himself went as one in Krishnavathara!

3. the name Ramayana was not the one given by Valmiki who called his

composition as 'seethAyah charitham mahath,' the great story of

Seetha. In Tamil it is termed as 'siraiirundhaval Ettram' the glory of

one who was imprisoned. Perhaps the Lord also thought that it is due

to her exemplary character exhibited when she was a prisoner in Lanka

and was a bit jealous about it and in krishnavathara He was born in

Prison itself!