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.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/fjzmxj part2

http://www.sendspace.com/file/10ltae part1

 

 

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 and 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.