From: selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (C.R.Selvakumar - Electrical Engineering)
Subject: Re: A ThEvaaram verse (translation)
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 16:15:00 GMT

In article <9301230015.AA19063@cec2.wustl.edu> sp2@cec2.wustl.edu (Sundara Pandian) writes:
>In a previous article mvishnu@bcr3.uwaterloo.ca (Meenan Vishnu) writes:
>
>> In a previous article sp2@cec2.wustl.edu (Sundara Pandian) writes:
>
>>>  `maasil veeNaiyum maalai madhiyamum
>>>   veesu  thenRalum veenkiLa vEnilum
>>>   moosu  vaNdaRai poykaiyum pOnRadhE
>>>   eesan  endhai  iNaiydai neezhalE. '
>>>
>>>     The poet ( Appar ? ) talks here about how pleasant
>          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>> is the shelter of the feet of Lord Shiva in Saiva
>>> Siddhantha. I have some questions about the meanings of
>>> some of the Tamil words in this `veNpaa'.
>
>   I am not sure this is from Appar ThEvaaram. When I read
> this verse again today, it looks as it was written by
> Maanikka Vaasakar.              


       The song 'maasil vINaiym..' is certainly by appar perumaan.

>
>>>   maasil veeNaiyum -  What does it mean here ? What is
>>>                       a `maasil veeNai' ? ( I know that
>>>                       Veena is a musical instrument.
>>>                       I don't understand this comparison
>>>                       here.. ) Does the poet mean that
>>>                       the shelter is pleasant like Carnatic
>>>                       music in Veena without `abaswaram' ?
>>>                       Was Carnatic music developed in the
>>>                       days of Appar and Sundarar.. ?
>
>>maasil = maasu + il  (flaw + not). 
>>veeNai == a South Indian musical instrument 
>>Hence it means flawless veeNai music.   
>
>   I also thought in these lines, but not sure of it. I think
> he means `flawless Carnatic music' here....

     Meenan's translation is quite correct. maasu + il means
     'kuRRam illaatha'. Please note the popular names
     'maasilaamaNi' ( meaning 'flawlwess gem'). My mother used to
     say that 'A.M. storil paruppu vaanginaa maasu maru irukkaathu'
     ( = if you buy 'paruppu' in A.M. Store, it will be without
      any adulteration and without stones etc..). 
     As Ramanan says in a post 'maasilaa nilavE..' is another
    popular song; 'maasaRu ponnE..' is a very popular thaalaattu vari.
    
    However, there is a hidden meaning for 'maasil vINai' which is
    'spine'.  
>
>    [ some deleted]

>>>   moosu vaNdaRaip poykai - I know that `poykai' means a `pond'.
>>>                            What is `moosu vaNdaRai' ? I was lost
>>>                            here...
>
>> moosu == cuNNaampu (?), lime
>> moosu vaNdaRai == lime room (?)  (see below for explanation)
>> poykai == pond
>
>  I differ from you here. I don't think this is a correct translation
> for `moosu vaNdaRai poykai..'. I see that you have tried to translate
> this part with Appar's history.. I thought in the lines, what if this
> was written by Maanikaa Vaasagar and I tried to translate it in that
> case and I have some ideas now..
>
>   I have not seen the meaning `chuNNaambu' for `moosu' and I do see
> the question mark you have put for this meaning.. This word `moosu'
> is from `moochchu' meaning `breath'. Hence a good meaning that one
> can get for `moosu' is `lively'. I think you have interpreted 
> `vaNdaRai' as `a lime room' [ with a question mark, meaning unsure]
> I think a good meaning for `vaNdaRai' is `vaNdu + thuRai' meaning
> the `place of bees'. Hence `moosu vaNdaRai poykai' may be translated 
> as
>
>  moosu vaNdaRai poykai == moosu (lively) + vaNdu(bees) + thuRai (place)
>                           + poykai (pond)
>                        == A pond, where lively bees wander in joy

       Sundara Pandian's meaning as above is not correct; see below.
>
>> pOnRathu == it is like, identical to, same as 
>
>> It means "The lime room is (cool) like a pond."

         Well, the words 'mUsu vaNdaRai poykaiyum pOnRathE' seems to
         have been the most difficult line. Let me explain a bit.
         The word 'mUsu' comes from the verb 'mUsal' or 'mUsuthal'.
         mUsal means 'saathal' (= to die), 'moyththal' ( = to surround
         like bees), 'Usi(p)pOthal' ( the snacks becoming unfit to
         eat ; remeber the vadai giving  rise to 'webs' after the 'due
         date'..).
         Thus I would say the prime meaning of 'mUsu' or 'moosu' is 
        'death-giving'. ( moosuthal for 'uruNdai or vadai' also means
         the stuff bhas become 'dead' and hence unfit to eat)

         vaNdaRai means 'chuNNambu aRai' because
         one of the meanings of 'vaNdu' is 'conch shell' ( = sangu).
         ( the semantic root for vaNdu = sangu appears to be the
         'hard' shell; 'vaN' means hard ). Other meanings such as
         'a death cell filled with posionous stinging 'vaNdu' is
         also possible. But the traditional meaning of 'chuNNaambu
         kaLavaai' can not be discounted.  
>
>
>>Like flaw-less veeNa (music)
>>And Like the (pleasant) evening moon
>>And Like flowing breeze
>>And Like  luxuriant and lively spring season 
>>And Even lime room is like a cool pond 
>>When I am at the shelter of my Lord's feet.
> 
> [ Meenan Vishnu's historical details on Appar deleted.. ]
>
>> Meenan Vishnu
>
>  [ revised meaning of SP deleted ]
>
 
      The translation given by Meenan Vishnu is quite accurate.

       anbudan
       -Selva

P.S. If we substitute 'God' for 'Isan' this song can be applicable to
     any religion. It is a very beautiful song ! This was a
     prayer song in Raja Muthiah high School in Raja Annamalai Puram
     near Adyar in Madras, when I studied there; I don't know whether it is
     still a prayer song there..