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kuzhal isai

From the Bhakti List Archives

M.G.Vasudevan • July 7, 2000 


Dear Srivaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

All these days, I was wondering how nadhopaasana (naadha means sound,
upaasana means service or worship) is the worship of god when so much is
talked very highly about the bhakthi yogam and the prapaththi maargam of
srivaishnavas in the list. 

In naadhOpaasana, the "mental thinking faculty" functions so concentrated
that the body becomes quiet. When the thinking is on God, the upaasana or
worship increases thereby the yoga saadhana (attainment) of bhakthi becomes
easier. Knowledge on different topics is easily obtained through this
concentration very easily and then the flow from such persons becomes
enjoyable. That is why all saahithya karthaas whose songs have become
immortal are called naadhOpaasakas. They also easily attain mukthi, the
liberation.

May be, at times, I felt this is also one of the methods of worship, but not
absolutely and fully convinced, till I came across a wonderful krithi from
Sri Ooththukkadu Venkatasubbu Iyer the staunch krishna bhaktha. 

Now the krithi in the raaga vaachaspathi
Pallavi:
Ennaththaich chonnaalum kannan sirupiLLaiththanam
Insuvai migavaaguthE maRRa ninaivellaam
EngEyO Odip pOguthE

Anupallavi:
AnnamE idhu evarum ariyaadha maayam en
Iyan koNdathu enRum azhiyaatha nEyam
VaNNak kuzhal oothiduvaan 
kuzhal aagi
Kuzhal isai vadivaagi
Isaip poruL aagi
(poruL) payan aagip
payan nugarvu aagi
(nugarvu) uNarvu aagi 
en eNNaththodu kalantha ezhilaan
kaNNaik kavar surunda kuzhalaan 
aanaal veNNaik kudam aLaintha viralaan thannaiyE (Ennaththai)

CharaNam:
niththam oru ezhil, nimisham oru vaNNam
aththanaiyum kaaNa pathinaayiram kaNgaL vENum
muththanna nagaiyaadum mugaththazhagaik kaNdu
piththam pidiththalaiyum en chiththamum kooda naaNum
vidhdhaigaL charaNaagum vENugaanaththaik kEttuththan
vEgam adangi nirkum yamunai nadhi thaanum
eththisaiyum pORRum kaaLinga nadam idhai
eththanaik kaN kondaalum aththanaiyum 
vaNNak kaNNan paRRi (Ennaththai)

See the "music" from his flute transforms - lines from anupallavi-
KaNNan vaNNak kuzhal oothiduvaan- Krishna blows the beautifully decorated
coloured flute
kuzhal aagi- he himself will become the flute- - KaNNan vaNNak kuzhal
oothiduvaan- he transforms himself as the flute and he himself will blow the
flute.
Kuzhal isai vadivaagi- the flute (kuzhal) becomes the form of or object for
the music (isai vadivu aagi)
Isaip poruL aagi (that flute form of) the  music become the subject - the
subject for meditation?- poruL aagi
(poruL) payan aagip- that subject (that meditation itself) also becomes the
fruit or result- payan
payan nugarvu aagi- the fruit / result then transforms itself into the
consumption object- nugarvu aagi
(nugarvu) uNarvu aagi en- this consumption becomes the feelings of me
eNNaththodu kalantha ezhilaan- those feelings got mixed (became?) my
thoughts and mixes into - into what? - mixes into myself through himself -
become unison- ezhilan- lives there in the form of beauty of that krishnan. 

Thus he changes from one into other and thus leading back to himself - HE to
flute- to music - to thoughts on him- finally himself- I is totally lost in
HIM.

Oh what a great composition. Enjoy how, he, Krishna transforms himself from
his transient omnipotent form into that small flute and then gives out his
own self in that form called music. Is any more description needed to
convince the greatness of naadhOpaasanai.

Daasan Vasudevan M.G.

PS: There are 2 requests:
[1. May be my translation is poor and does not do justice to the feelings
vibrations, reverberations, these lines create, while you hear the song by a
very good artiste, but in the light of the meaning conveyed, please roll it
in the mind and then you will feel the impact these lines].

[2. Please don't pickup threads for a possible discussion of advaitic points
of view, background of the composer etc. It is not my intention to give food
for such lines of thoughts/ discussion. My point is to highlight the
greatness of Kannan's music and thoughts on kannan and the lyrical beauty of
this song]. 





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