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thiruppavai day eight song eight

From the Bhakti List Archives

Ramani Naidu • December 22, 2002 


TIRUPPAVAI  - DAY EIGHT - SONG EIGHT

Transliteration

kIzvAnam veLLenru erumaic ciRuvItu
mEyvAn paranthana kAn mikkuLLa piLLaikaLum
pOvan pOkinRaraip pOkAmal kAththunnaik
kUvuvAn vantu ninROm kOthukalamutaiya
pAvAy ezhunthirAy pAtip paRai kontu
mAvAy piLanthAnai mallarai mAttiya
thEvAthi thEvanaic cenRu nAm cEviththAl
AvAvenru ArAynthu aruLElOr empAvAy.


Translation

See the line of dawn in the eastern sky!
See the buffaloes on their way to graze
For a short while in the morning!
See, we the maids on our way to observe the pavai
Have stopped at your doorstep to call you to join us!
Aren't you the dear maid to Kannan?
He tore the monster Kesi diagonally.
He vanquished the wrestlers monstrous.
When we sing in praise of Him
He will heed to our prayers and bestow His grace on us.

The eighth song, in continuation of the previous two songs, is also a call
to the maid who is yet to join the troop of maids on their way to take the
ritualistic bath and the other acts of the pavai observance. As in the
previous song, the maid yet to join the troop is identified as a special
person. She has the privilege of having had a higher degree of the
experience of the Divine. It is surprising that she, of all, is yet to join
the march to the pond to take bath to begin the pavai observance.

The song begins with an evocation of the arresting scene at dawn. The misty
line of dawn in the east is further complemented to by the reference to the
buffaloes. They are let off for a little while early in the morning to
graze. They nibble at the dew-topped grass rather than greedily graze.

The highly dramatic situation is accentuated by the claim that the troop as
a whole has stopped for the maid to join them. Perhaps the entire ritual
depends upon her participation. She does not only excel in her Divine
experience but also does she excel in inspiring the thirst for the Divine.
She is not only a devotee par excellence but also an inspiratorial guide
into the spiritual domain.

The annihilation of the monster Kesi in the form of a horse has already been
referred to. A special quality of the songs of the alwars in general is a
celebration of the deeds of the God in his various manifestations. Of all
such, the Krishna manifestation provides the alwars with many instances of
the valorous expression of God's grace. Naturally, Krishna remains the most
celebrated of God's manifestations in the alwar literature.

In the polytheistic Hindu context, it is natural to consider one's deity the
God of gods. Narayana in this song is termed the God of gods. But what is so
special about Narayana is that He is supposed to be the God of explicit
appreciation of the devotee and the humility with which He descends from his
exaltation (soulabhya) to bestow His grace on the devotee.



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



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