From: selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (C.R.Selvakumar - Electrical Engineering)
Subject: Re: Thiruppaavai Verses 18-20
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1993 21:10:46 GMT

In article <1993Jan3.175227.16343@cs.cornell.edu> srin@cs.cornell.edu (Aravind Srinivasan) writes:
>
>I am posting this on behalf of 
>Dr. K. Srinivasan (srini@ireq-num.hydro.qc.ca).
>
>Regards,
>Aravind.
>
>===================================================================
>
>\height=660 \width=460 \leftmargin=10 \C
>\(TAMIL20) 18. raagam: kaapi
>\beginbox
>undhu madha kaLitran Odaadha thOL valiyan
>nandhagOpan marumagaLE nappinaay
>kandham kamazhum kuzhali kadai thiRavaay
>vandhu engum kOzhi azhaiththana kaaN maadhavi(p)
>pandhal mEl pala kaal kuyilinangaL koovina kaaN
>pandhu aar virali un maiththunan pEr paada(ch)
>chendhaamarai(k) kaiyaal seeraar vaLai olippa
>vandhu thiRavaay magizhndhElOr embaavaay.
>\endbox
>
>\c \J
>Hey lady, the daughter in law (marumagaL) of Nandagopan (nandhagOpan), who
>does not retreat (Odaadha), just like an elephant (kaLitran) showing off
>(undhu) his excitement (madham), who has powerful (valiyan) shoulders (thOl),
>You, who has a fragrant (kandham) smelling (kamazhum) head of hair (kuzhali),
>open (thiRavaay) the door (kadai). Look (kaaN)! The hens (kOzhi) are up
>(vandhu) and are calling (azhaiththana) everywhere (engum). Many sorts
>(inangaL) of cukkoo birds (kuyil) are singing (koovina) several (pala) times
>(kaal), on top of (mEl) the trellis (pandhal) of the 'kurukkaththi creeper'
>(maadhavi). Look! (kaaN). Will you please come (vandhu) cheerfully
>(magizhndhu) and open (thiRavaay) the door, with your red (sen) lotus
>(thaamarai) hands (kai), and jingling (olippa) of beautiful (seer) bangles
>(vaLai), so that we may sing (paada) the praise (pEr) of your (un) husband
>(maiththunan), who is holding a ball (pandhu) in his fingers (viral).
>\j

        These songs are extraordinarily beautiful !! 
        The main purpose of these songs is to awaken the
        inner self although outwardly it appears that 
        girls are waking up their friends from slumber
        etc. The depth of meaning can not be conveyed
        too easily, however I merely wish to point out
        that these songs are supreme 'silEdais' ( pun).
        The 'senthaamarai' refers to 'sahasradhalam';
        'seeraar vaLai olippa' refers to an inner 'naatham'
        and 'kadai thiRavaay' refers to opening of inner door.

        I wonder anyone out there has more philosophical
        'urai' for these songs..who can post some excerpts..
         
       
        
        
> 
>\height=660 \width=460 \leftmargin=10 \C
>\(TAMIL20) 19. raagam: ataaNaa
>\beginbox
>kuththu viLakkeriya kOttu(k) kaal kattilin mEl
>meththenRa pancha sayanaththin mEl ERi(k)
>loththalar poonguzhal nappinai kongai mEl
>vaiththu(k) kidandha malar maarbaa vaay thiRavaay
>mai(th) thadam kaNNinaay nee un maNaaLanai
>eththanai pOdhum thuyilezha ottaay kaaN
>eththanaiyElum pirivu aatragillaayaal
>thaththuvam anRu thagavElOr embaavaay
>\endbox
>
>\c \J
>Oh wide (malar) chested (maarbaa) Lord! You who are sleeping (kida) on a soft
>(meththenRa) cotton (panchu) mattress (sayanam), on (mEl) a bed (kattil) with
>legs (kaal) made of ivory (kOttu), keeping (vaiththu) your forehead  near the
>chest (kongai) of your consort (nappinai), who is wearing bunches (koththu) of
>flowers (alar) on her head (kuzhal), with 'kuththu vilakku' lamps lighted
>(eriya) all around; please open (thiRavaay) your mouth (vaay). Oh! you
>consort, your eyes (kaNNinaay) decorated (thadam) with 'mai', you (nee) do not
>seem to let us (ottaay) wake up (thuyil ezha) your (un) husband (maNaaLan),
>for such a (eththanai) long time (pOdhum). Look (kaaN)! You do not want
>(illaayaal) to be separated (pirivu aatra) even for little while
>(eththanaiyElum). This is not (anRu) good nature (thathuvam), nor is it fair
>(thagavEl).
>\j
> 
>\height=660 \width=460 \leftmargin=10 \C
>\(TAMIL20) 20. raagam: shaNmugapriyaa
>\beginbox
>muppaththu moovar amararkku mun senRu
>kappam thavirkkum kaliyE thuyil ezhaay
>seppam udaiyaay thiRal udaiyaay setraarkku
>veppam kodukkum vimalaa thuyil ezhaay
>seppenna men mulai(ch) chevvaay(ch) chiRu marungul
>nappinnai nangaay thiruvE thuyil ezhaay
>ukkamum thattoLiyum thandhu un maNaaLanai
>ippOdhE emmai neeraattElOr embaavaay
>\endbox
>
>\c \J
>Oh the heroic one (kaliyE), who goes to (mun senRu) the thirty (muppaththu)
>three (moover) devas (amarar) and removes (thavirkkum) their fears (kappam),
>please wake (thuyil) up (ezhaay)! Oh merciful (seppam) one (udaiyaay)! Oh
                                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    'seppam' means absolute perfection. Thus 'seppam udaiyaay' means
     'omni-perfection-potent' 
 
>competant (thiRal) one (udaiyaay)! Oh, the Lord (vimalaa) who burns up (veppam
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

     'thiRal udaiyaay' means 'omni-potent'. 'thiRal' means 'power'.

>kodukkum) the enemies (setraar)! Please wake (thuyil) up (ezhaay)! Oh
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    seRRaar means 'one who had killed'  ( seRRal means 'to kill')- thus
    seRRaar means enemy.

>beautiful (thiruvE) consort (nappinai) lady (nangaay), with red (chev) lips
>(vaay) and slender (siRu) waist (marungul) with soft (men) breasts (mulai)
>like a golden vessal (seppenna), please wake (thuyil) up (ezhaay)! Please
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    'seppenna' means 'like copper'.


>bring (thandhu) a fan (ukkam) and a mirror (thattoLi) and  wake your (un)
>husband (maNaaLan) up right now (ippOdhE), so that he can cleanse (neeraata)
>us (emmai).
>\j


     Great work, please keep it up. It would have been very interesting
     to compare 'thiruppaavai' and 'thiruvembavai'..

     anbudan
     Selva
Xref: sparky soc.culture.indian:42543 soc.culture.pakistan:19039 soc.culture.bangladesh:7239