Guest guest Posted January 17, 2002 Report Share Posted January 17, 2002 Margazhi: Month Of Melody And Devotion( Dec 16th to Jan 14th)The last day of Margazhi is Pongal. The start of Thai month. Margasirsha is a hallowed month in the Hindu tradition. "Among the months I am Margasirsha," says Sri Krishna in the Geeta. The Tamil solar month of Margazhi roughly corresponds to the lunar Margasirsha, starting from mid-December and ending on the eve of Pongal, Makara Sankranti, in mid-January. The month has a special spiritual and sentimental resonance for the Tamils. In a way Margazhi is cathartic of the Tamil psyche; it oozes tenderness, beauty and felicity. Mango trees blossom and cuckoos feeding on tender mango shoots start cooing melodiously. In this coldest month of the year the Tamils make early birds of themselves and after a holy bath in the nearby pond or river, go round the streets hymning. Pavai Nonbu is a striking feature of Margazhi. Come Margazhi and the young Tamil maidens rise early in the morning braving the chilling cold, wake up the girls still asleep and all the maiden folk march to the nearest river or pond to take a pre-dawn cold bath, singing pavais, a mode of lyric poetry. The return trip from the river after the bath is also marked with spirited rendition of pavais, often meandering round the streets. The morning air resounds with the melody of Tiruppavai composed by Andal, a saint-poetess, and one of the 12 Alwar saints. Andal was a foundling of her father Periyalwar who lived in the 9th century in Sri Villuputhur, which then fell in the Pandyan kingdom. It is said he found the baby under a patulous basil plant in his garden. He fostered her with love and care and imbued her with devotion to Lord Vishnu who was worshipped in the shrine of Sri Villuputhur as Vatapatrashayin (one who sleeps on a banyan leaf). Andal took up her father's devotion, spiritualism and scholarship and grew into a great votary of Lord Krishna. Devotion grew into love and finally she wooed Krishna as her spouse. She even swore a stunning oath - manitharkenru pechupadil vazhagillen (death to me if I were engaged to a human). To win the heart of her lover she undertook the vow of Pavai Nonbu, which is reminiscent of Uma's penance to win Shiva. Finally the Lord fell for her love. One day Lord Ranganatha of Sri Rangam appeared in Periyalwar's dream and asked him to bring Andal to Sri Rangam. And the story goes that there at Sri Rangam, Andal was 'made one' with Lord Ranganatha. The Pavai Nonbu that Andal undertook in order to be espoused by the 'most eligible bridegroom' in the world was handed down to successive generations. Even today unmarried girls take to Pavai Nonbu to be espoused by worthy men. Starting from the Margazhi full moon day they keep to a strict and rigid vow and sing the pasurams (hymns) of Tiruppavai.Tiruppavai has 30 pavais. Pavais 1-15 make the 'Exhortation' half of Tiruppavai. Here the girls go about waking up the ones still asleep or lazing under sheets in the coldest season. To get the girls up and out they use all verbal means."Jupiter is down and Venus is up (Velli ezhundu viyazhan urangitru).The whole maiden folk have thronged to the river.Can't you hear the birds cheeping and chirping?Get out of your sleep or sleep feint (kallam thavindru kalandu el) ...You gave us word to wake up first and wake us allAnd now you are still asleep.Get up and look at your garden on the rear.The lotus is out and the night lilies have Folded up.Shame on you. Get up ..." The maiden army swells by waking up each and every girl in the padi (colony) and it marches to the river for the pre-dawn bath, singing Tiruppavai. Pavais 15-30 are the 'Enlightenment' half. Pavai Nonbu offers a strong and alluring allegory of the jivatmans waking up from the sleep of ignorance and lethargy and marching in procession to bathe in the Yamuna of self-knowledge and uniting with the Paramatman in the end. Andal's being made one with Lord Ranganatha at Sri Rangam is the ultimate union of individual life and the Cosmic Life. Andal wakes up humanity with her powerful call: "innum urungidiyo (still asleep)? Wake up - ezhundirai. And she calls upon the doorkeepers of the Lord's abode to throw open the doors for the jivatmans coming up in procession to be made one with the Paramatman - kadavai neekku." Rgds -Hema Send FREE video emails in Mail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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