Search:
Bhakti List Archives

thiruppavai day four song four

From the Bhakti List Archives

Ramani Naidu • December 18, 2002 


THIRUPPAVAI – DAY FOUR – SONG FOUR

Transliteration

AzhimazaikkannA onru nI kai karavEl
AzhiyuL pukku mukanthu kotArththERi
Uzhi muthalvan uruvam pOl mey kaRuththu
pAzhiyam thOLutai pathmanApan kaiyil
Azhi pOl minni valampuri pOl ninrathirnthu
thAzhAthE cArnkam uthaitha caramazai pOl
vAzha ulakinil peythitAy nAnkaLum
mArkazhi nIrAta makiznthElOr empAvAy.

Translation

O lord cloud! Fail not in your munificence!
Enter the seas and soar up through the sky,
Having become dark in colour laden with water.
Then do you become as dark as the Lord, the Cause Primordial.
Then do you shine as bright as the discus
That Padmanaba of graceful and mighty shoulders holds on his right.
Then do you roar like the conch that He holds on his left.
Pour down like incessant arrows from the bow of Vishnu
To preserve the world.
Pour down without further delay
For us to bathe in pavai observance.

The fourth song of the Thiruppavai is in the form of an appeal to the cloud.
The cloud is implored to settle on the seas, take the waters as it ascends
up the sky. The dark cloud is said to be as dark in colour as the God. God
is held to be the origin of everything beginning with primordial time.

The brightness of discus, the weapon of God is ascribed to lightning. The
booming thunder is compared to the conch that Vishnu holds on his left hand.
What follows is very graphic. The showers are compared to a shower of arrows
from the bow of Vishnu. But then, the business of the arrows is not to
destroy but to preserve. One of the prayers of pavai observance is to bless
the world with rains. The cloud is invoked to bless the world with rains as
an answer to their prayer.

The fourth song is highly evocative. The movement, colour, sound, form,
brightness and effect of the cloud are evoked in quick succession
contributing to a total dynamic picture of the cloud —descent to the seas
and ascent to the sky; black hue of the rain clouds, the brightness of
lightning; the roar of thunder; the sharp showers; abundance and
preservation as the effect of rain.

One of the prayers of the maids observing the pavai is for the world to be
blessed with rains. Rains in effect become symbolic of GodÂ’s grace. God
recognises devotion as the cloud takes in the waters of the seas. He becomes
a dynamic force pervading everywhere. He manifests Himself in unmistakable
forms like the light of lightning and the sound of thunder. He showers His
grace on the whole world – devotees and others alike. The devotees then feel
the bliss of the benignity of God.

The fourth song is full of verbal felicity – the ascent to the sky is
described in the phrase mukantu kotArththERi. Arththu is a word which refers
to so obvious a happiness that it can best be described as growing in
happiness. Azhi pOl minni and valampuri pOl ninRathirnthu are graphic and
unmistakable in their effect just as lightning and thunder cannot escape
attention. Lest the association of showers with arrows should be taken to
indicate effect destructive, the word vAzha has been used. To enable
sustenance is the meaning of the word. Rains enable sustenance of
everything. Grace enables sustenance of the devotees.









[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Group Home: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bhakti-list
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/