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thiruppaavai -- verse 22

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • January 6, 1998 


[ Today, January 6, is the 22nd day of maargazhi
  (December-January).  On each day of maargazhi,
  one verse from Andal's divine poem ``thiruppaavai'' 
  is savored. Today's verse is "angaN maa NYaalaththu".

  What I have presented is the surface meaning.
  Each verse can actually be understood in many 
  poetic and profoundly philosophical ways. Perhaps
  others can offer further thoughts and reactions.

  An introduction to Andal and the thiruppaavai
  can be found on the Web:

  http://www.best.com/~mani/new/andal-bio.html
  http://www.best.com/~mani/andal.html 

  Pardon me for the delay. The last verse posted was
  verse 8. Vacation and illness conspired against me,
  and I hope to make up the missed posts in the meantime.

  -- Mani ]

-----------------------------------------------
thiruppaavai, verse 22 -- angaN maa NYaalaththu
-----------------------------------------------

angaN maa NYaalaththu arasar * abimaana
pangamaay vandhu nin paLLik kattiR keezhE *
sangam iruppaar pOl vandhu thalaippeydhOm *
kinkiNi vaaych cheydha thaamaraip poop pOlE *
sengaN chiRuch chiRidhE emmEl vizhiyaavO *
thingaLum aadhiththiyanum ezhundhaaR pOl *
angaN irandum kondu engaL mEl nOkkudhiyEl *
engaL mEl saabam izhindhElOr embaavaay


  [ '*' indicates the end of a line, split 
     both for recitation as well as to help
     with the meaning. ]


-----------
Translation
-----------

All the kings of this great,
    beautiful world
Their pride destroyed, have
Come near the bed where you rest

Just as they have gathered
So too have we approached you

O please look at us 
    a little tiny bit
With your red eyes
    like lotus flowers
        half bloomed like a small bell

    like the rising moon and sun

If you look at us
    with those two eyes

All curses will be removed


---------------------
Word for Word meaning
---------------------

angaN (am + kaN)	am = beautiful, kaN = in this
maa			big
NYaalaththu		of this world
arasar			kings

abimaana		pride
pangam			destroyed, lost
vandhu			having come
nin			your
paLLik kattiL		sleeping bed
keezhE			under, near

sangam iruppaar		they have gathered
pOl			just like
vandhu			we have come
thalaippeydhOm		approached

kinkiNi			small bell
vaay			mouth
cheyda			made of, looks like
thaamarai poo		lotus flower
pOlE			like

sengaN (sen + kaN)	red eyes
siRu siRidhE		a tiny bit
em mEl			at us
vizhiyaavO		please look

thingaL			moon
aadhiththiyan		sun
ezhundhaal pOl		as if rising

angaN (am + kaN)	am = those, kaN = eyes
irandum			two
kondu			with
engaL mEl		at us
nOkkudhiyEl		if you look

engaL mEl		on us
saabam			curses
izhindu			will be removed