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thirup pAvai - part 34 - "kathir"

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Sampath Rengarajan • January 13, 1999 


thirup pAvai - part 34 -  "kathir"

Sri ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam

Dear bAgawathAs,

	The kArmEni chengaN is so popular that Sri ThoNdar adip 
podi AzhwAr also saw  Sri  RanganAthar's  eye   as "pavaLa  vAy 
kamalach "chengaN", the red eye ! The tamil word "kathir" means 
"kiranangaL" or rays. The sanskrit word "kAnthi"also  mean  the 
same ie rays of bright light or "OLi". ie., The  word  "kathir" 
also means "OLi"  or light.  The  tamil  word for  "sooryan" is  
"kathiravan". That is the  one with the "kathirs"  or  rays  of 
"OLi"  or   light   and  energy.   "Kathir"  is  the  one  that 
clears our puRa "iruL"  or external  darkenss. The jivAtma  has  
been  living in a cloud of "annyAnam" or  "aha  iruL" ie.,  the 
"internal darkenss" for several births  and  deaths.  On  going 
through this "nOnbu"  (SaranAgathi)  after   receiving   mantra  
upadEsam  from an AcharyA, and  after doing the mantra japam as 
prescribed in the shAstras, the   Lord  clears  our "aha  iruL" 
*completely" with his   thEjomaya  swaroopam that  is  full  of 
radiance.  ie Centuries of iruL or darkeness will be cleared in 
a second. Such  radiance  comes  form HIS thiru muga mandaLam.

	It is said in vedam  that  When  Lord  Sriman  nArAyanA 
Wanted to start the "Shrusti" or creation, among  the  devAthAs 
"agni" incarnated from HIS face or  thiru  muga  mandaLam.  The  
birth  place  for  agni  being  the  thiru muga mandaLam, it is  
understood that, the Lord face has always been bright such that
it is often addressed as "sunny bright face". In sanskrit it is 
said as "thathra govinda mAseenam prasan Athithya varchasam" ie
Aaychiars prayed to the Lord gOvindhA  who  has  incarnated  in  
AaypAdi. Such Lord is the one has  the  thiru  muga maNdaLam or
face that  is  similar  to the Sun or Adityan who has the light 
that is soothing. In tamil other this face of Lord  Sri KrishnA
is also referred as "muLai kathirai" or the rising sun.

	It is said that this face is like a sun  that  provides
scorching heat sometimes to HIS virOdhi. ie., It  is also  said 
that   this  "kathir"  or  sooryan  like  face  was   so   much  
threatening to the men folks sent by HIS enemies such as KamsA.
In dridAshtra Rajya Sabha, when Duryodanan attempted to capture
the messenger Sri Krishna, HE had to show this viRat  swaroopam
such that the emerging heat andf radiance slienced all of those
including Sri Bhishma and Sri  drOnAchAryA who   were   present  
but  not  stopping duryodan's orders. This will be dealt in one 
of the coming pasurams as well.  

Sri ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam 
Sampath Rengarajan        




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