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Riot Of Colors: /maNi/vaNNan II: /cilapp/atikAram

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Visu9 • September 28, 2002 


/oM namO nArAyaNAya ||

NamskArams to all members. 

The expression /maNi/vaNNan seems to be as mysterious as the Lord Himself. 

Teachers have an interesting task, even in the face of mysteries. A word like that as part of vocabulary is always a challenge to teach especially to children. A teacher could try to explain a mystery like that in terms of what it is as well as what it is not. 

Poets have even a more challenging task. They must communicate with alll their readers of the present as well as those of the future. Since abstract meanings may change with course of time, the best approach is to use concrete examples and counterexamples. A poet has to come up with such examples. 

A teacher could begin by saying that the word /maNi/vaNNan seems mysterious and that they are going to try and find its meaning. He/she would ask: "What does the word /vaNNam mean?" The answer would come straight: It means "color". 

"What does /vaNNan mean?"

It means, "one who has color". 

"What does /maNi mean?". 

"It is a pretty glass decoration". "It is a kind of plastic tube". "It is a jewel". "/pAci/maNi". "kuntu/maNI". 

"Good. All that and more!"  "/maNI/vaNNan is a name for God and it means first a God who is sleeping."

That might disappoint a number of children. How can God be asleep? Then the teacher could ask, if it is possible to be asleep and yet fully conscious. That is likely to draw a blank. A mixture of opposites  confuses children, and makes them think. If the expression refers to a God, who is sleeping, and yet who is very much conscious, that would provoke some kind of curiosity. How is that possible? May be it is possible, because it is God. If it is an ordinary person, how  could that person be fast asleep and yet be very much conscious? Is that what God means in practice? Being asleep, yet solve problems? Children, who say that they do not like math,  do not feel comfortable with the idea of solving problems when asleep! That a God can do that does not make it easier for them to accept. 

This approach of the teacher does not seem promising. He or she must try something different. 

"What does sleep signify?" The teacher would by a questioning technique elicit the information that sleep signifies a kind of bliss: Freedom from worry, anxiety, freedom from problems to solve. And if a person is totally conscious that seems impossible. Consciousness is the very opposite of such freedom. Is the sleep meaningless? If one is busy solving problems, or studying even, what then is the purpose of sleeping?  It just does not make sense. 

The teacher moves on to remind the students that God is  Omniscient --- all knowing and that they should fit and factor God's Omniscience into the sleeping situation, and to reinterpret the situation to capture the meaning of the name /maNi/vaNNan. He/she  reminds them to think of alternatives to describe the states of sleep and of consciousness. 

Then to capture the meaning, the teacher could give a hint. "Let us think of an opposite situation. Can you think of a situation where you cannot sleep, even if you are sleepy other than my class! I mean where you yourself will not want to sleep, even if I permit you to sleep?" 

Children may think of a toy store, a game room etc. 

The teacher gives another hint: "How can you connect it to a serpent? Is it possible to connect the situation of not sleeping to a serpent?" Chidren are prone to react quickly to that. 

A teacher could ask more questions: 
"What does a serpent mean to you?" 
The answer would come straight: "Avoid it, run away from it, kill it." 
A certain excitement is likely to manifest itself as the feeling of fear is in the background. 

The reaction may be sumed up:

"Sure, the very sight of a serpent puts you to flight and even if you are sleeping and are sleepy the first thing you are going to do is to clutch your clothes and run. Sleep is the very last thing one would even think of!"

The teacher then could ask, what if the serpent is itself sleeping? Then there is likely to be some relief in the charged atmosphere. 

"I would kill it first" may be a reply. There is likely to be general agreement that this situation does not call for a flight in haste. In spite of the excitement, and fright, there is some time to think and act. 

"How do we know that the serpent is not sleeping?" 

Then the teacher could hint: "What about the hood of a serpent?"
. . .

Next: What if the serepent has its head and hood raised?" 

This is likely to bring instant reaction:
"Run holding your breath." Lest the serpent should hear the hiss of breathing! There can be no doubt in the mind of the children that the situation calls for immediate flight. One should take to one's heels instantly. 

"What if the God is precisely doing the very opposite? The unthinkable? What if he is sleeping on the serpent with its raised hood? 

Eventually one will get to: 

"Not only God does not run, but also He is fast asleep on top of the serpent and is also fully aware of every thing going on there and everywhere. How would you characterize such a situation? What is a quality that is possibly represented here --- by the image of a God fast asleep on top of a serpent with its hood raised? 

Well, that is homework! What is one quality, attribute --- that conveys the meaning of this situation? That quality may be a possible clue to the meaning of the word /maNi/vaNNan. That is what we will begin with tomorrow. You please, think about it and describe a quality that comes to your mind. 

Let us now look at what our poet says. In /cilapp/atikAram in /nATU/kAN kAtai, the poet describes the Lord as /maNI/vaNNan in these terms:

/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /AGku

/aNi/kiLar aravin aRi/tuyil amarnta

/maNI/vaNNan kOTTam valaJ/ceyAk kaZintu

Context: /kOvalan has lost all his wealth courting /mAtavi. All that is left is a pair of /cilampu (anklets) of /kaNNaki. The couple determine to start a new life in a new country and have departed from /pUM/pukAr in /cOZa/nATu and are on their way to /maturai in /pANTiya/nATu. Their last stop in /cOZa/nATu is /uRaiyUr. There they get up early morning /vaikaRai yAmattu and visit the temple of /maNI/vaNNan and leave the temple to continue in their journey.

Meaning: There [the couple] went around the temple praying for the accomplishment of their mission (circumambulated: /valaJ/ceyal), the temple being that of /maNi/vaNNan, Who was lying in /yOga/nidrA on the excited serpent with its hood  raised. Then the couple depart from the temple.


/aNi: Raised hood of a /nAgA serpent.

/kiLar: Excited and so raised. The hood is raised due to a state of  excitement.

/aravu: Serpent. 

/aRi/tuyil: /yOga/nidrA, where He is fully conscious of everything that is going on in the universe. 

/kOTTam: Temple. 

The teacher would finish by asking again: "Well, we saw: "what do the words /vaNNam and /vaNNan mean?" 

The answers would come fast just as before: "color" and "one who has color". 

"That is good. So here is a second question for you to think at home: What has all this to do with colors? Is there a color or a combination of colors which can be a substitute for the situation? That is an all-knowing God Who is lying fast asleep on a serpent with its hood raised in excitement? Think about it; think of natural scenes where you can imagine such a situation.  And we will continue tomorrow. You have two questions for homework! Good work today! Have a good day!"

/vantanam.

/nalan/tarum collai nAn kaNTu/koNtEn; nArAyaNA ennum nAmam.

Visu



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