Old Tamil Poetry

Thiruppavai – 6

Birds have started chirping; Don’t you hear the booming sound of conch
from the blessed Bird borne Lord’s* temple? Wake up my girl;
He sucked life out of the demoness
who tried to poison him with her breast milk;
He kicked the hexed wagon wheel with his infant feet
to destroy the demon sent to kill him;
He, the primordial seed,
reclines on the five headed snake in Milky Ocean;
Sages and Yogis hold him dear in their heart
and rise gently chanting Hari Hari;
Let that booming sound enter our heart and please us, my friend!

*Lord Vishnu seated on Garuda, the blessed Bird.

புள்ளும் சிலம்பினகாண் புள்ளரையன் கோயிலில்
வெள்ளை விளிசங்கின் பேரரவம் கேட்டிலையோ
பிள்ளாய் எழுந்திராய் பேய்முலை நஞ்சுண்டு
கள்ளச் சகடம் கலக்கழியக் காலோச்சி
வெள்ளத்தரவில் துயிலமர்ந்த வித்தினை
உள்ளத்துக் கொண்டு முனிவர்களும் யோகிகளும்
மெள்ள எழுந்தங் கரிஎன்ற பேரரவம்
உள்ளம் புகுந்து குளிர்ந்தேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

Andal calls out her friend who are still asleep to wake up. She says “My friends! The birds have started chirping.  Don’t you hear the booming sound of the white Conch calling us to the temple of Vishnu, seated on the blessed Garuda? Wake up!

When our lord was young, Kamsa sent a demoness Putana to kill him. She poisoned her nipples and gave milk to the infant Lord. He knew of her plan and sucked the life out of her when she tried to feed him. Similarly another demon Sakatasura is sent by Kamsa to kill infant Krishna. He takes the shape of the cart wheel in the cart where Krishna’s cradle is tied to. Infant Krishna kicks the wheel causing the cart to collapse and kills the demon.

Our Lord is the kernel seed of all in this world. He lies atop the five headed Snake in the milky ocean. Sages and Yogis hold him i n their heart and rise gently (in order not to disturb him) chanting his name ‘Hari, Hari’. Wake up and hear that booming sound. Let it enter our heart and please us, my friend!”

Thiruppavai – 5

The enchanter, son of blessed Northern Mathura,
Lord who rules the banks of pristine Yamuna,
Shining light of the cowherds’ clan,
Jewel of his mother’s womb, that Damodaran –
If we go with a pure heart, worship him with flowers,
Sing his praise with our lips, think of him in our mind,
He’ll forgive all our past mistakes; any lingering blunders too
Will turn to dust like cotton in fire; let’s chant his name, my friend!

மாயனை மன்னு வடமதுரை மைந்தனைத்
தூய பெருநீர் யமுனைத் துறைவனை
ஆயர் குலத்தினில் தோன்றும் அணிவிளக்கைத்
தாயைக் குடல்விளக்கம் செய்த தாமோதரனைத்
தூயோமாய் வந்துநாம் தூமலர்தூ வித்தொழுது
வாயினால் பாடி மனத்தினால் சிந்திக்கப்
போய பிழையும் புகுதருவான் நின்றனவும்
தீயினில் தூசாகும் செப்பேலோர் எம்பாவாய்

Krishna played many a trick when he was a child in the cowherds’ hamlet, so Andal calls him the enchanter or trickster. “He is the son of blessed Mathura. (Since it is North of Tamil Nadu, she calls is Northern Mathura.) He rules over the banks of pristine River Yamuna. He is the shining light that appeared in the cowherds’ clan. His birth blessed the womb of his mother Devaki. If we go to that Damodaran (another name of Lord Vishnu) with a pure heart, shower him with flowers, worship him, sing his praise with our lips and think of him in our mind, he will forgive all our past mistakes. Any inadvertent mistake that is still in us too will vanish like a ball of cotton thrown in fire. When we surrender to him, all our faults will be burnt to a cinder, like cotton in fire. Come. let’s chant his name, my friend.”

மாயன் – enchanter / trickster
மன்னு வடமதுரை – blessed northern city of Mathura
மைந்தன் – son
தூய – pure / pristine
பெருநீர் – river
துறைவன்  – ruler of shore / river bank
ஆயர் – cowherds
அணிவிளக்கு – shining light
குடல் விளக்கம் – make (her) womb glow
தூயோம் – of pure heart
தூமலர் – தூய மலர் – pure flowers
போய பிழை – past mistakes
புகு தருவான் –  will forgive
நின்றனவும் – inadvertent / unintentional
தூசு – cotton
செப்பு – tell / chant

Thiruppavai – 4

Oh’ God of the ocean and rains! Don’t hide any of your powers;
Enter the ocean, scoop up water and noisily ascend the skies;
Darken like the Lord of the Deluge, the Supreme Being;
Shine like the Chakra and roar like the conch
In the arms of the mighty shouldered Padhmanaban;
Like the rain of arrows shot from his bow,
pour down without delay for this earth to thrive;
So we too can bathe joyously in this month of Margazhi.

ஆழி மழைக்கண்ணா ஒன்றுநீ கைகரவேல்
ஆழிஉள் புக்கு முகந்துகொடு ஆர்த்துஏறி
ஊழி முதல்வன் உருவம்போல் மெய்கறுத்துப்
பாழிய்அம் தோளுடைப் பற்பனாபன் கையில்
ஆழி போல்மின்னி வலம்புரி போல் நின்று
அதிர்ந்து தாழாதே சார்ங்க முதைத்த சரமழைபோல்
வாழ உலகினில் பெய்திடாய் நாங்களும்
மார்கழி நீராட மகிழ்ந்தேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

Andal now tells Varuna, the God of Rains to pour down and let the world flourish. “God of the rains, don’t hide any of your powers from us. Bestow all you can on us. Enter the ocean, scoop up the water and ascend the skies noisily. Once you have taken water to the skies, become dark in colour just like the body of our Lord Vishnu, the Lord of the Deluge (Pralaya). His shoulders are majestic and beautiful. Shine like the Chakra in his right hand (lightning) and roar like the conch in his left hand (thunder) and pour down in copious quantities like the rain of arrows shot from his bow. Your rains will help this world to thrive and flourish. Do so without delay. As the rains pour down, we too will bathe joyously in this month of Margazhi”

Thiruppavai – 3

The Great one measured the whole universe in his stride;
As we chant his name and bathe in this month of vow –
The country will be bereft of evil; it will rain thrice a month;
Fish leap up in paddy fields amidst growing stalks of paddy;
Dotted bees fall asleep inside lily flower buds;
Benevolent cows that fill our pots with milk
as their bounteous udders are milched
will ensure lasting wealth for us, my friend!

ஓங்கி உலகளந்த உத்தமன் பேர்பாடி
நாங்கள்நம் பாவைக்குச் சாற்றிநீ ராடினால்
தீங்கின்றி நாடெல்லாம் திங்கள்மும் மாரிபெய்து
ஓங்கு பெறும்செந் நெல்ஊடு கயலுகளப்
பூங்குவளைப் போதில் பொறிவண்டு கண்படுப்பத்
தேங்காதே புக்கிருந்து சீர்த்த முலைபற்றி
வாங்க குடம் நிறைக்கும் வள்ளல் பெரும்பசுக்கள்
நீங்காத செல்வம் நிறைந்தேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

The girls pep themselves up by counting the benefits of chanting Narayanan’s name. “He grew up in size to measure all three worlds in just two strides. Chanting his name and bathing early during this month of vow will bring us numerous benefits. The country will be free of evil. It will rain thrice a month country wide and be beneficial for farming. Paddy fields will be filled with water so much that tiny fish will leap up amidst growing stalks. Lily flowers will bloom in these fields and dotted bees will fall asleep inside these flowers. Because of rains, meadows will be green and our cows will be well fed. The bounteous udders of cows are full of milk and they fill our pots till it overflows, thus ensuring lasting wealth for us. These are the benefits of chanting our Lord’s name, my friend!”

Thiruppavai – 2

Oh’ all those who live in this earth!
Hear the vows we undertake in this period of abstinence;
Singing the praise of our Lord
– asleep on the five headed snake in the milky ocean –
We will not partake milk and ghee; will bathe before day break;
Will not line our eyes or adorn our hair with flowers;
Will not do what’s not to be done; will not slander;
Will give offerings and alms as much as we can
And rejoice at our path to salvation, my friend.

வையத்து வாழ்வீர்காள் நாமும்நம் பாவைக்குச்
செய்யும் கிரிசைகள் கேளீரோ பாற்கடலுள்
பையத் துயின்ற பரம னடிபாடி
நெய்யுண்ணோம் பாலுண்ணோம் நாட்காலே நீராடி
மையிட்டு எழுதோம் மலரிட்டு நாம்முடியோம்
செய்யா தனசெய்யோம் தீக்குறளைச் சென்றோதோம்
ஐயமும் பிச்சையும் ஆந்தனையும் கைகாட்டி
உய்யுமாற் எண்ணி உகந்தேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

The girls are pepping themselves up telling about things they will do in this month of Margazhi when they undertake their vow. They will start their day singing the praise of the Supreme Lord, who reclines on the five headed snake Adi Seshan in the milky ocean. The girls will avoid drinking  milk and using ghee in their food. They will bathe before daybreak. They will not line their eyes. Nor will they adorn their hair with flowers. They will do only righteous things, avoid doing things that are forbidden. They will avoid talking bad about others. They will give offerings to their Gurus and alms to those who ask for it , as much as they can. Doing all these is their path to salvation, when they can discard this worldly life and become one with Him. They rejoice at this.

I wasn’t clear on the difference between ஐயம் & பிச்சை. I thought they both meant alms. But why does Andal use them both? Went with PBA commentary that ஐயம் – Offerings to Gurus ; பிச்சை – Alms to those who ask.

பாவை – நோன்பு – விரதம் – Period of abstinence
கிரிசை – acts / vows
பையத் துயின்ற – asleep on snake hood (Lord Vishnu is depicted as asleep on five headed snake Adi Seshan in the milky ocean)
குறளை – calumny / slander
ஐயம் – Offerings to Gurus
பிச்சை – Alms to those who ask
ஆந்தனை – ஆகுமளவு – as much as we can
உய்யுமாறு – உய்யும் ஆறு – salvation path
உகந்து – rejoice