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RE-NACHIYAR THIRUMOZHI- KAARKKODAL POOKKAAL-MAZHAIYE

From the Bhakti List Archives

L&T-ECCG-Buildings & Factories • March 28, 2000 


 Dear Sri vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

Ms. Kalyani Krishnamachari has given a good account of this paasuram. Again
I have taken the liberty of adding few points to that beautiful account.
This is also in line with the request from Ms. Kalyani Krishnamachari.

In the book of 4000 prabhandham, I have, published by Varamangai naachchiyar
baktha jana sabha triplicane, the words "mezhuguooRRinaaRpol" is given as
"mezhugu kooRRinaaRpol" and that was the spark for me to add following
points.

1. In the viNNeela mElaappu group of paasurams, the cloud is sent to the
Lord of ThiruvEnkatam as the messenger of aaNdaaL to describe her plight.
The "name calling" of the cloud is so attractive and even though it is not
important to this context, I recollect the different names.
ViNNeela mElaappu viriththaaRpol mEgankaaL
Maamuththa nidhi soriyum maa mugilgaaL
ALiyaththa mEgangaaL
MinnagaththezhuginRa mEgangaaL
Vaan koNdu kiLarnthezhuntha maa mugilgaaL
ChalankoNdu kiLarnthezhuntha thaN mugilgaaL
Sangamaa kadal kadainthaan thaN mugilgaaL
Kaar kaalaththezhuginRa kaar mugilgaaL
Madha yaanai pOl ezhuntha maa mugilgaaL

The richness of imagination in addressing the clouds is so beautiful, and I
may say it is better than kaalidaasan in his megha sandhEsam. 

2. Since all these clouds appeared in the thiruvEnkatam and hovering there,
she was calling for help to go to the Lord of thiruvenkatam as her
ambassador. But by the time she finished her appeal to the clouds, they
moved over southwards to the thirumaal irum cholai- the azhagar koil near
Madurai. So she identifies them as "sindhurach chempodi pOl thirumaal irum
cholai engum indhra kobangalE ezhunthum paranthittana:" in the next group of
paasurams. As per books the indhra kobam is thambalap poochchi an insect
which flies at the time when rains are expected. But the previous words-
sindhurach chempodi pOl- the insects red in colour swamps the thirumaal irum
cholai. That means the rains are expected. 

When Indhran, the boss of the clouds is in anger- kobam, the servants- the
clouds, have no other option except to carry out his orders and then please
him. Or Is it that the anger itself is spread as clouds over thirumaal irum
cholai.  He is angry because the clouds have failed in fulfilling their
duty. Already Indhran is aware of the failure of clouds in the govardhana
giri episode. So it is natural for him to be angry at the clouds.

The clouds are desperate in pleasing the boss. They are also rich in water
content and about to rain. So they pour down and make the place wet, even
though the bhaktha has assigned them some ambassodorial job. So they started
raining in Srivilliputhoor. 

Now she appeals "oh mazhaiyE! mazhaiyE!". But she got the indication
earlier. That is why peacocks danced and she also addressed "mayilgaaL" in
the earlier paasuram.
 
4. Oh rain! Rain! why two times. Think of the nursery rhymes. "Rain rain go
away come again another day". Why two times here? - emphasis? childish
repetition? Rhythmic beauty? Tongue twister to train these young ones for
tougher words? Whatever it be, added taste is one single answer. Similarly
here also. We also invite people when they visit us and when they are at the
doorstep- "vaa vaa- come, come"- why? is not one vaa enough? It is the
expression of surprise and expression of the affection in welcoming.
Aathmaartha welcome.

5. Oh rains! You "maN puram poosi uLLaai". When the raindrops come down from
their high places of atmosphere, they get coated with the dust in the
atmosphere while travelling down. The  dust is nothing but particles of
earth. Hence you are coated with maN, puram- puraththE- outside,  poosi-
covered  uLLaai- exist or is there. So it is correct. A scientific truth and
a valid point is stated in such simple words. 

6. Further "Oh rains!" you are coated with dust- "puram maN poosi uLLaai"-
you have mud in your back- [mudhugil man ottuthal means a defeat, "pOril
puRa mudhugu kaatuthal pOl"- showing the back in the war means getting
defeated in the war]- this shows, Oh rains! I have understood that you have
failed in your mission - in that ambassadorial mission- of informing that
Lord of thruvEnkatam, the plight of this poor lady. Due to indhra kObam?
moved suddenly from thiruvenkatam to thirumaal irum cholai and then to
srivilliputhoor. So you are unable to bring my Lord. 

7. In your cloud form you have failed. But I know "Oh rains! you are
capable". When he comes and embraces me at that time you are capable to
disturb our embracing each other knowing fully well he may get angry or
bless you for enhancing that taste of embracing me. 

Is it aanDaaL's self motivation to hope still there is a chance of meeting
him and embracing him?

8. Subsequent words are "uLLaai ninRu ooRRu - how it is
"mezhuguooRRinaarpOl". uLLaai -uLLe is deformed as uLLaai- poetic license to
change words slightly- inside this cover of particles of earth, ninRu is or
standing, the ooRRu -the sweet spring water-ooRRu neer- pure water coming
out of a spring in the earth- similar to the clear melted wax in liquid form
kept in a mud pot.  

Oh rains! Like that ooRRu, you are also sweet in your heart -ooRRu uLLaai-
like that spring uLLaththin uLLE nalla eNNam uLLavaa- and with the good
intention of helping me, but you have failed -ok- I accept your failure. I
know your capacity.

9. "mezhugu kooRRinaaRpol"- for kooRRu one meaning is "yaman" another is "
sol- word". The yaman for Mezhugu is fire. I am like the wax soft and
longing for union with the lord. When you announce your failure by having
mud in your back, it is like fire for me.

10. But then also I know your capacity. The "nal venkataththuL ninRa azhagap
piraanaar thammai en nenjaththagappadath ooRRavum vallaiyE"- that
venkataththuL ninRavan- that Lord of thiru vEnkatam- that lord azhagar
piraan - that Lord of thirumaal irum chOlai- both are one and the same for
me - you are capable of bringing that person- vallaiyE- very positive on the
capacity of rains. 

For doing what- thammai en nenjaththagappadath thazhuvi ninRu- I will
embrace him -avar thammai- in such a way that he enters into my mind- en
nenjaththagappada- thazhuvi- embrace- ninRu- when I stand embracing my lord
you are capable of disturbing our stand- ennai thathaiththuk koNdu ooRRavum
vallaiyE. 

Another meaning also is possible- en nenjaththagappada - means when I want
to embrace he must cover my breasts and then embrace so that I enjoy the
taste of his physical contact as well mentally also. At that stage you are
capable of disturbing our embracing by entering in between us. 

In other  tamil literatures there are verses saying that the thalaivan and
thalaivi when they embrace each other, there should not be any air gap even
in between (kaaRRu kooda nuzhaiyathapadi thazhuvuthal). Then only it gives
the taste of embracing. I want such an embrace with the lord says aaNdaaL.
But then also she fears the embrace may be disturbed by rains. The rain is
capable of doing that is the expression here. 

11. "maN puram poosi uLLaai ninRu mezhuguooRRinaarpOl ooRRu nal
venkataththuL ninRa azhagap piraanaar"- That beautiful person azhagap
piraanaar who stands in that thiruvEnkatam venkataththuL ninRa -appears in
solid from outside - maN puram poosi- outside he appears a hard nut to
crack. But inside he is such a parama kaaruNikan- mezhuguooRRinaarpOl nal
ooRRu uLLaai ninRu - like wax his heart will also melt at his bhakthaas,
dhaasargaL- aNukkar. He is also like the hard earth outside with a spring
having good water inside- nal ooRRu. Oh what a words- tears flow from eyes
for such a description when I draft these lines. 

No wonder for thirumalai nambi's reactions described by Ms. Kalyani in her
description.

Enjoy the paasuram by reading it and contemplating on it.

Dasan Vasudevan M.G.

(P.S. if any of the points are not in line with the poorvaachaarya
vyakhyaanams, or contradicting them, please ignore them and enjoy only the
imagination and language richness.)


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