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Re: chitranchiru kaale!!

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TCA Venkatesan • September 20, 2002 


Sri:
Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

Dear BhAgavatas,

I agree with Sri Hari Krishnan. If Sri Visu and others 
want to enjoy this pasuram while considering the divine 
kutti (small) leg of Sri Krishna, that's a good
anubhavam. I am reminded of the oft quoted episode of
a bhAgavata singing "mara prabhu:" instead of "amara
prabhu:" in Sahasranamam and Him enjoying that.

Having said that, however, it is also important to
recognize this as a new anubhavam but not in tune
with prior interpretations as well as not being 
gramattically correct.

I have already gone through once showing that the 
un and nee cannot go with the leg (kAl) and that
they would go with the true vocative in this 
pasuram which is Govinda. Also, Azhvars are not in
the habit of addressing His divine avayas as kAlE,
kaiyE, etc.

In this note I will address the new points raised by 
Sri Visu.

1. The context of early morning is important in a number 
of ways. The fact dawn is used is not just because it is
related to the month of mArgazhi. Chittramcirukale is
recited in Srivaishnava households every day of the 
year - not just mArgazhi. There is a very compelling 
reason behind this. Neither is the dawn restricted to 
a single month nor does it simply refer to the physical 
waking up alone. It refers to the spiritual awakening 
as well (agak kaN and puRak kaN). Andal's advise is 
that once you wake up physically and spiritually, do 
not waste much time after that; seek His lotus feet and
surrender immediately. Having walked us through 
multiple stages her final advice is just that. So, 
interpreting kAlE as dawn does not restrict it in any
way to margazhi month alone. However, that usage does 
flow with the context of the prior pasurams thus far 
in Thiruppavai.

Regarding the need for reference to His lotus feet in
the final pasurams (this is not proven as required), 
that is taken care of through the use of poRRAmaRai adi 
pORRum, therefore there is no need to search for it in 
kAlE.

2. Song #5 (mAyanai) is also an exception as well as
#30. Thanks for bringing up this point though - I had 
not noted this before in the pasurams. However, note 
even in the pasuram anRivvulagam, a case can be made 
that it is not necessarily in the vocative. Aside from 
that, the vocative is used in the first five lines as 
you mentioned and it is the same in pasuram 29 as well. 
It happens in the fifth line when she calls Govinda!

3. See above. Govinda is the vocative, so no need to
interpret kAlE as the vocative.

4. The use of kAlE instead of kAlai or kAlam has been
addressed by vyakhyadars. I will try to get the 
reference and post it later.

adiyEn madhurakavi dAsan
TCA Venkatesan

--- Visu9@aol.com wrote:
> 1. First context: The objection was that this /pAcuram
> being one sung in the month of /mArkaZi puts its weight
> in favor of the interpretation as "early morning". I beg
> to differ from this. This /pAcuram is in practice the
> last song of /tirup/pAvai. The next piece (# 30) is a
> concluding piece identifying the authoress. It is
> traditional in our culture to dedicate the lost song to
> the lotus feet of the Lord. Compare for example the last
> piece of the analogous poem: /tiru/vem/pAvai of Sri
> /MaNikka/vAcakar: /pORRI un ponnaTi pORRI, etc. 
> 
> Now, being the lost song, it needs an address. This
> address is also traditionally the first line. Thus the
> interpretation as leg is more in context than the other
> interpretation, which would limit the song to be sung
> ONLY during the month of /mArkaZi. That would be a pity,
> given the enormous weight of the prayer part, where
> /ANTAL is emphatic about her services and the services of
> her friends and followers being available only to the
> Lord [and hence His /aTiyArs]. 
> 
> 2. Examining more carefully one sees that the structure
> of /tirup/pAvai songs follows a general format: The first
> few lines (two to five lines) form a single sentence or
> address statement and  sing the glory of the Lord. These
> lines generally contain an address. The single exception
> is /pAcuram No. 22. 
> 
> 3.  An address generally contains a vocative exclamation.
> Thus, in the current song under discussion (/pAcuram
> #29), /poR/tAmarai aTI is not in vocative case.
> /ciRRaJ/ciRu/kAlE is in vocative case. This was Shri
> /maNi's point too. 
> 
> 4. If the phrase uses /kAlai and not /kAlE, there would
> be no dispute whatsoever. If /kAlE means morning, /ANTAL
> would be the first one to have used such an expression
> for the morning. 



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