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Re: chitranchiru kaale!!

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Visu9 • September 19, 2002 


/Om namO/nArAyaNAya:

Thanks. I can go farther and surmise as follows:

The /pAcuram /ciRRaJ ciRu/kAlE of /Sri ANTAL is set to the tune of /cinnJ ciRu/kiLiyE kaNNammA, celvak/kalaJciyamE of /mahA/kavi bhAratiyAr. And that would be more consonant  if the meaning of the opening pharse is set as "wee little leg". 

I would like to advance some arguments in favor of the interpretation as the little leg of the Lord.

1. First context: The objection was that this /pAcuram being one sung in the month of /mArkaZi puts its weight in favor of the interpretation as "early morning". I beg to differ from this. This /pAcuram is in practice the last song of /tirup/pAvai. The next piece (# 30) is a concluding piece identifying the authoress. It is traditional in our culture to dedicate the lost song to the lotus feet of the Lord. Compare for example the last piece of the analogous poem: /tiru/vem/pAvai of Sri /MaNikka/vAcakar: /pORRI un ponnaTi pORRI, etc. 

Now, being the lost song, it needs an address. This address is also traditionally the first line. Thus the interpretation as leg is more in context than the other interpretation, which would limit the song to be sung ONLY during the month of /mArkaZi. That would be a pity, given the enormous weight of the prayer part, where /ANTAL is emphatic about her services and the services of her friends and followers being available only to the Lord [and hence His /aTiyArs]. 

2. Examining more carefully one sees that the structure of /tirup/pAvai songs follows a general format: The first few lines (two to five lines) form a single sentence or address statement and  sing the glory of the Lord. These lines generally contain an address. The single exception is /pAcuram No. 22. 

3.  An address generally contains a vocative exclamation. Thus, in the current song under discussion (/pAcuram #29), /poR/tAmarai aTI is not in vocative case. /ciRRaJ/ciRu/kAlE is in vocative case. This was Shri /maNi's point too. 

4. If the phrase uses /kAlai and not /kAlE, there would be no dispute whatsoever. If /kAlE means morning, /ANTAL would be the first one to have used such an expression for the morning. 

5. Finally, /kuTTIk/kaNNan as /Alilaik/kaNNan is very appealing to all of us. In fact that is the only way I have seen pictures of /kuTTIk/kaNNan, lying with a smile upon a leaf of a banyan tree and trying to put his leg in His mouth! I do not know of any other image of baby krishNA. The other one is /bAla/krushNA dancing on the head of the serpent /kAliGkan. Of course, others are available in company of the gOpis when He is caught stealing butter etc. 

Child /krushNA being alone is a rare image. In /pAcuram 25, /ANTAL addresses the Lord a second time in the concluding line as /Alin ilaiyAy. This surely evokes the image of baby krushNA! The context of /mArkaZi is the first line of this /pAcuarm 25 with the resounding words: /mAlE! /maNI/vaNNA! /mArkaZi nIR ATUvAn. I do not think /ANTAL can herself improve upon that context. But up to and inclusive of /pACuarm # 25 she has not yet done full justice to the Lotus feet /poR/tAmari aTi. 

6. She begins the praise of His Feet in song No. 24: /anRu iv ulakam aLantAy! aTi pORRI. You measured the Earth that Day [by your step(referring to King /mahA/pali)]. May that foot be praised! She passes to give a brief summary of the Lord's incarnation, and ends with the praise of His Feet again in the final song No. 29.

I do not think that the interpretation as "leg" is out of place or takes away the beauty of the /pAcuram from its traditional interpretaion. And surely this is not the first time that such an interpretation is done. 

Finally, a tune similar to /bhAratiyAr's is suggested. Variations may be in order, but the /pcuarm to me carries not only the summary of /ANTAL's life, but also the memory of /mahA/kavi bhAratiyAr and his famous song! 

/vantanam.

/nalan taruJ collai nAn kaNtu/konTEn, nArAyaNa ennum nAmam.



Visu


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