Thiruppavai - 19th verse- kutthu viLakkeriya

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all,

 

Today’s verse is the 19th verse. Let us continue to enjoy the wonderful

commentary of His Holiness Srimath Paravakkottai Andavan of Sri Poundarikapuram

Swami ashramam, Srirangam – translated into English by Sri CG Balaji Swami.

 

kuththu viLakkeriyak kOttuk kaal kattil mEl *

meththenRa paNYcacayanaththin mEl ERi *

koththalar pUNGkuzhal nappinai koNGkai mEl *

vaiththuk kitan^tha malarmaarpaa vaay thiRavaay *

maiththataNG kaNNinaay nI un maNaaLanai *

eththanai pOthum thuyilezha ottaay kaaN *

eththanaiyElum pirivu aaRRakillaayaal *

thaththuvam anRu thakavu ElOr empaavaay. 19.

 

When Nappinnai stood up to open the door, she was dragged

back by Kannan into a tight embrace. The ensemble therefore now

attempts to awaken Kannan. As Kannan was unwilling to speak,

the ensemble again uses Nappinnai as their intermediary. The

ensemble now tries to wake Nappinnai up again and reminds her to

wake up Kannan. On might learn the concern that the Lord and

His consort have for their subjects. Once, the divine mother

thought of testing the Lord’s compassion. She accused one of the

devotees of some wrongdoing. Immediately the Lord came back

saying that His devotees would never do any wrong, and if they

were to do it then it was for good. If the Lord were to embark on

punishing a devotee, then His consort would immediately come in

saying that there was nobody in this world, who did not commit a

sin. It may be learnt that both of them are equally and passionately

concerned about their subjects.

 

Kutthu viLakkeriya- The ensemble of Andal and her friends

entreat Kannan with the words “vaay thiRavaay†to open His mouth

and speak. They immersed themselves in the beauty of the

communion of the Lord and His consort and forgetting the purpose

of their visit, did not entreat Kannan to wakeup. The maids say

“Why is it necessary to stay on the couch, admiring the beautiful

visage of Kannan, in the shade of the brightly lit oil lamp, when it is

already daybreak? It is said “athivarAma SuSubhE aDhikA mayA – Sri Rama

shone forth with lustre amidst the brilliance of Sita’s divine beauty.

Similarly, where is the need for the oil lamp when you have the

glittering aura of Nappinnai’s beauty around?â€

 

KOttukkaal kattilmEl - It is indeed fortunate to recline in

company of a valiant consort, on a luxurious couch that is dressed

up with the fragrant tresses of seven yaks and has the ivory tusks

of Kuvalayapeeda for its stands.

 

metthenRa- The Gopis question “Is it correct on your part to

continue sleeping and appraising the luxurious couch without

speaking to us, when so many of us are waiting here for you.

 

Pancha sayanatthin mElERi – The couch bed has the five fold

characteristics of being beautiful, pleasant, soft, fragrant and

bright. Your couch is a soft cushion that has five layers. You are

reclining on one such. For us who are being tormented by your

separation, even a couch of lotus seems like a bed of thorns.

 

Kotthalar poonkuzhal nappinnai kongaimEl vaitthuk kidandha malarmaarbhA!

 

Nappinnai is now in the divine company of Kannan.

She has bedecked herself with a fine garland of fresh jasmine buds.

The buds in her tresses have blossomed and are spreading the

fragrant aroma everywhere.

 

Sita says to Hanuman – “I am very tired and shall find some

sleep on the lap of my dear beloved Sri Rama. He shall later rest on

my lap.†Likewise you are taking turns to rest on each other’s lap.

Seeing the divine couple together and enjoying the scene of their

communion who are both the object and the means of attainment

and being unable to force themselves as a disturbance, the maids

plead Kannan to open his mouth and speak to them using the

words “malar maarbhA vaay thiRavaay

 

“Sri Rama said to Sugriva that He shall protect those who

seek refuge in Him even at the cost of His own life. But you

Nappinnai, on the other hand are neither allowing Kannan to speak

out nor are you speaking to us. Is this correct? Even if Nappinnai

were to stop you from coming to us, you should have strengthened

our hopes assuring us protection and should have at least spoken

words of relief.†Having said so, Kannan gets ready to speak.

 

Immediately Nappinnai stopped Kannan and spoke to Him

with her eyes indicating that in her presence, there was no need for

Kannan to wake up and answer the call of Gopis. The Gopis having

realised this, addressed Nappinnai as “maitthadan kaNNinaayâ€.

 

You have captivated Him inside your beautiful eyes that have

blossomed like a beautiful lotus. He would come to us only if he

were to be freed from the confines of those beautiful eyes. Sri

Rama, who was separated from Sita spoke to Lakshmana that he

would not live for more than a month.

 

My plight is like “na jeevEyam kshaNamapi vinA thAm asithEkshaNam†–

Bereft of the beautiful Sita who had beautiful eyes of black, I shall not live

even for a single moment.

 

Maiyittu yezhudhOm malarittu naam mudiyOm – In presence of we, the devotees,

Oh Nappinnai, help us in completing our observances, make us adorn the streak of

collyrium and then should you adorn one for yourself.

Would a mother ever take to eating when her child is starving? We had assumed

that your beauty and your glories would help us in our observances. But it has

not happened so.

 

Is it correct on your part to be stopping Kannan from coming to us

when you should have actually helped us attain Him?

 

Un maNALanai yetthanai pOdhum thuyilezha ottAy kaaN – Sita said “kausalyA

lOka bharthAram suSuvE â€, Sir Rama is not only my master but the mater of the

entire world. But you on the other hand have made Kannan yours alone and have

not let him go even for a moment. Seems like you fear to leave him to us.

 

etthanaiyElum piRivaaRRagillayaal – You

would not even bear a moment of separation from Kannan. You are

like the saying “ahalagillEn iRayum â€. He also maintains an equal

disposition towards you. He believes that in your absence, he would

not be drawn towards any other damsel. It is due to this that we

came to you with the fond hope that you would bring us all close to

Kannan. But that has not happened at all. It is not righteous for

you to have ignored our pleadings.

 

The Lord bestows us with fruits that befit our past deeds. Our

preceptors impart us with artha panchakam - the five fold truths

and sacrament us with the rites of pancha samskaram. They make

us observe Prapatti the final means of deliverance that has five fold

tenets and make us attain the divine communion with the Lord in

His eternal servitude. Therefore Andal and her maids, chose

Nappinnai as their preceptor as well as go-between, and prayed to

her in order to win the communion of Kannan. It is as per the

Vaishnava tenets to chose the divine mother only as the

intermediary while both the Lord and His consort are to be chosen

together as the object and the means of attainment

 

Andal ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dAsan