Thiruppavai-21-Ettra kalangaL

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Pasuram-21-EttrakalangaL

 

EttrakalangaL edhirpongi meedhaLippa

mAttrAdhE pAlsoriyum vaLLal perum pasukkaL

AttrappadaitthAn maganE arivurAi

oottram udaiyAi periyAy ulagellAm

thOttramAi ninra sudarE thuyil eZai

MAttrAr unakkE vali tholaindhunvAsarj kaN

AttrAdhE vandhun adi paniyumAppolE

pOttriyAm vandhu ninrOm pugazndhElOrempAvai

 

 

The son of Nanda, who has abundant cows which give out milk in plenty making the pots overflow, awake.You are great, with valour, and you pervade the whole world as the supreme light, awake from your sleep.We have come to your doorstep like those whom you vanquish come and serve at your feet but we have come praising you with devotion.

 

After approaching the divine mother to show mercy and to recommend their case to the Lord, now they wake up the Lord Himself.

 

EttrakalngaL-------vaLLal perum pasukkal- When the cows are generous and give in plenty it is left to the one who milks them to take as much or as little he wants. Similarly the Lord is there to give all but we get only as much according to the vessel we take to Him. To ask for paltry things of the world when He is prepared to give the infinite bliss is like asking a millionaire for a few coins.

 

mAttrAdhe-without distinction the cows give milk to all like the Lord.

 

VaLLal is the one who gives what is needed without asking.

 

AttrappadaitthAn magan- The commentatators explain this as follows:

This epithet AttrappadaitthAn applies to Sri Ramanuja who had sishya paprampara like a large herd of cows who gave the milk of jnana and the Lord Himself is like the magan of the acharya who called Him selvappillai, on retrieving the idol from the princess of a muslim ruler and established it back in Melkote and the uthsavamurthi there is called sampatkumaran or selvappillai in Tamil. One may object to this by saying that Andal lived long before Ramanuja and would not have meant this by her words. It is true but the explanation is not irrelevant because the words of the saint composers have a foresight and also there can be no denying the fact that the words can be construed to mean someone or something in later period if it is suitable.

 

ootram udaiyAy -The Lord has both power to protect and also mercy which is a rare combination to find like fragrance in a gold flower.

 

periyAy- He is called so because He gives without expecting anything in return. He protects even those who abuse Him. 'vaidhAraiyum vAzavaikkum dheivam.'

oottram udaiyAi -----sudarE -the whole phrase denote that Krishna is none other than Brahman the primal cause of the universe from whom everything rise, by whom they are sustained and into whom they merge back. 'yathO vA imani bhoothAni jAynthE Ena jAthAni jeevanthi yasmin abhisamvisanthi.'

 

The upanishad declares that Brahman alone existed in the beginning, one only without a second. 'sadheva soumya idhamagra Aseeth, EkamEva adhvitheeyam.'

Then it willed to become many. 'Thadhaikshatha bahusyAm prajAyEya.' Thus the creation came about. This is the implication of ootram udaiyAy.

 

periyAy-refers to the creation of mahadhAdhi, that is the mahat or buddhi, ahamkara( not ego but he three kinds of ahamkara, sAtvik,rajasic and thamasic) and subtle elements, the thanmathras , subtle indhriyas, and manas.

 

ulagellAm thOtramAi ninra means the gross world all being the manifestations of the Lord.

 

sudarE-He is the life or light of all.

 

The vaishnava saints also see the reference to the five forms of Lord Narayana in this line, ootram udaiyai denoting the parathva or paravasudeva, periyai the vyuha rupa , ulagelam thOtramai referring to the incarnations or vibhavas, the word ninra denoting the archavathara and sudarE is the antharyami.Of these, paravasudeva is inaccessible like the avaranajala, cosmic waters as He is in vaikunta in that state, the vyuhas are like the milky ocean which can be made accessible through inspired meditation, as He has been seen by the devotees like akrura amd sages like visvamithra. The vibhavas or incarnation are like monsoon floods as they happen once in a while whereas the archavatharas, the idols worshipped in temples and other places are like reservoirs of water always available. Antharyami state of bhagavan is like water in the earth, ever existing but invisible found only through proper digging

 

mAttrar----vandhuninrom- As your opponents are vanquished by your valour we have been vanquished by your infinitely auspicious qualities and giving up all attachments ,valitholaindhu, we have come to your door step praising your gunas.