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thirup pAvai - part 66 - paRai tharuvAn, "em" pAvAi

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Sampath Rengarajan • February 13, 1999 


Sri ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam

pArOr pugazha padinthu El Or em pAvAi 

thirup pAvai - part 66 - paRai tharuvAn, "em" pAvAi 

Dear bAgawathAs,

	"em" means "engAL" or "our". This word indicates  the
"urimai" or the right Sri ANDAL has on her  associates.  This
word "em" also conveys  the  best  of  the  relationship  and 
"nerukkam" or closeness to Aaychiars. "em" also means a sense 
of responsibility over her associates who did the nOnbu. ie.,
When  a jivAtmA does this nOnbu, the AchAryA takes the entire
responsibility  of  attaining  the palan for  this nOnbu  and 
dialogue with the Lord during prapatthi.  

	The tamil word "em" also means a  pluralistic way  of 
saying one's own self. In this it  is  Sri ANDAL who is using  
this  pluralistic way. Earlier she was addressing "nArAyaNaNE" 
as a third perosn singular  form for the  Lord.  Now  she  is 
using "em" symbolising that she  along  with her  pathi  Lord 
Sri nArAyaNan are  together. Thus  by  saying "em"  they  are 
addressing these  Aaychiars  as  their  "udamai" or their own 
that they have recently taken possession  or   owned  lately. 
It  can  also  be  said  that  Sri  ANDAL  is addresssing her 
Aaychiars on the behalf of the Lord  as  similar  to  AchAryA 
will address the jivAtma on behalf of the Lord.

       "pAvAi" is word calling all the "pAvais" or Aaychiars.
We have seen at the beginning that those  who  are  doing the 
(pAvai)  nOnbu  are addressed as pAvaiyargaL or pAvais. Here, 
it may be taken that Sri ANDAL is addressing this entire line 
to those who are observing this nOnbu, ie., the "pAvais"   or  
the Aaychiars. Some also write this as  "ElOr  empAvAi  paRai 
tharuvAn namakkE", meaning listen our damsel  nArAyaNan  will
certainly bless us with mOksham and that we must now do  this
nOnbu with utmost sincerity such that all the folks  of  this
entire world will appreciate this.  pAVAi is  also  addressed 
to  call  the  brides to say that our  Lord  has  accepted to 
marry us. Let us continue this nOnbu  untill  we  attain HIM. 
There is a "kooRRu" or saying that this "pAvAi" is  addressed  
to "Sri Rathi" the wife  of Sri Manmathan.  However,  in view 
of our elaborate explanations earlier on pAvai we are  taking  
the patham that pAvai means those who  are   observing   this  
nOnbu. The last line of this pAsuram can also be seen with as 
an occurance of a special tamil grammar.   However since this 
usage  is  repeated many times in the last line of  the other 
pasurams as well, we will deal it in one of them later. 

Sri ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam
Sampath Rengarajan

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