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"kaRavaigaL" pAsuram - some thoughts

From the Bhakti List Archives

Vijay Triplicane • January 12, 1998 


Today's thiruppAvai pAsuram "kaRavaigaL..." is a very special one. It is
very dear to my heart. Subadra Vasudevan provided a very nice explanation. 
I wish to add my 2 cents worth. 

The choice of words in "arivu onRum illAdha Aykkulaththu" and "kuRai onRum
illAdha gOvin^dhA" are simply spectacular. She in an expression of self
abasement says, "we belong to such an ordinary lowly community of aayarpAdi
who are so ignorant. we don't have any knowledge. We know nothing. In
contrast, our Lord, you are the embodiment of knowledge. You lack nothing.
One can never find anything missing in you, gOvin^dhA". This establishes the
relationship between the jIvAthmA and the paramAthmA, the sEsha-sEshi
bhAvam. (Somebody who is well versed with the philosophical differences
between visishtAdvaitam and advaitam could explain this much better. I am a
'proud' member of the arivu onRum illAdha Aykkulam :) )

	The choice of the name gOvindhA here gains special significance. Our
AchAryAs clearly show the difference between the names gOvindhan and
n^ArAyaNan. gOvindhan is his name in vibhava form whereas n^ArAyaNan is his
name in para form. isn't His vibhava (and ofcourse archa) form much better
than his para form? (Ask sri thirumaN^gai AzhwAr. He won't consider this a
valid question worth answering :) - "ErAr muyal vittuk kAkkai pin pOvathEn?",
he asks in siRiya thirumadal. (Would a hunter chase a flying crow for its
(lowly) meat ignoring the rabbit on the ground?) )
So the name gOvin^dhan brings forth His sowlabhyam. It is a cowherd name,
just a kind of nick name. Thats why ANdAL says," siRu pEr azhaiththanavum
seeRi aruLAthE" (Please do no show your anger at us, for calling u by such
ordinary names). Once again look at the choice of words in "seeRi aruLAthE"
Even his seeRRam (anger) is expressed as an aruL (grace). 

"un thannOdu uRavEl n^amakku iN^gu ozhikka ozhiyAdhu" -
		    ^^^^^^^^^
Having established the relationship between the jIvAthmA and the paramAthma
before, she reinforces the relationship here. (We cannot break this
relationship between us.) The usage of the word "n^amakku" gains special
mention. It is impossible for us( You, the Lord and we the gOpikAs) to break 
this relationship. "iN^gu n^amakku ozhikka ozhiyAdhu". Even if HE thinks of
breaking the relationship he cannot.

This brings to mind an interesting issue that is brought up
at the end of the brahmasUtra. (Once again pardon my ignorance. There are
many people in this list who could explain this very well. )
Would the jIvAthmA that attains mOksham return back to earth? sri rAmAnujar in 
his sri bhAshyam poses a question "Do u say the jIvAthma would want to get
back to earth or would the paramAthmA push him back to earth? Experiencing
such an eternal bliss why would the jIvAthmA 'want' to get back to earth.
This sounds so logical. Likewise, the paramAthmA who is so happy on having
the jIvA with  him (He is the bhOghi.) isn't it equally logical that He
would never push the jIvAthmA down to earth? 

	This is exactly what ANdAL says. She didn't just say "un thannOdu
uRavu ozhikka ozhiyAdhu" she says"n^amakku ozhikka ozhiyAdhu". Neither of us
could break this relationship. She later stresses this in her next pAsuram 
"eRRaikkum EzhEzh piRavikkum un thannOdu uRROmE yAvOm unakkE n^Am aatcheyvOm"

sri ANdAL thiruvadigaLE saraNam
-Vijay Triplicane
(Viji)