SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //
SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha //
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya//
KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /
SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//
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SRI RANGA SRI VOL.07 / ISSUE # 11 dated 20th December 2005
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IN THIS ISSUE:
1. TIRUPPAVAI PASURAM # 5:
MAAYANAI MANNU
(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
2. TIRUPPAVAI PASURAM # 5:
MAAYANAI MANNU
ENGLISH VERSE TRANSLATION
(MS. SHOBA RAMASWAMY)
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ISSUES RELEASED
So far, 187 Regular issues of SRS have been released apart from
Special Issues:
27 Issues of Vol. 1
15 Issues of Vol. 2
42 Issues of Vol. 3
35 Issues of Vol. 4
28 Issues of Vol. 5
30 Issues of Vol. 6 and
10 Issues of Vol. 7
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1. TIRUPPAVAI PASURAM # 5:
MAAYANAI MANNU
(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
Tiruppavai 05
maayanai mannu
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maayanai mannu vada madhurai maindhanaith *
thooya peru neer yamunaith thuRaivanai *
aayar kulaththinil thOnRum aNi viLakkaith *
thaayaik kudal viLakkam seydha dhaamOdharanaith *
thooyOmaay vandhu naam thoomalar thoovith thozhudhu *
vaayinaal paadi manaththinaal sindhikkap *
pOya pizhaiyum pugudharuvaan ninRanavum *
theeyinil thoosaagum ceppElOr embaavaay.
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It may be seen that -
? The first 4 lines refer to Tattvam (i.e) who is Paramaatma
? The next 2 lines to Hitam (i.e) the means for the Jeevan to attain Him
and
? The last 2 lines to Purushaartam (i.e) the ultimate achievement
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maayanai One of wondrous deeds; Mystic
What is Maaya?
It is not illusion or delusion, as Maayavaadis would have us believe.
The word means ?wonderful?
Who was this Maayan and what ?wonderful? deeds did this ?Maayan? perform to be
so called?
Ask Koorathaazhwaan.
He says that they are too numerous to be enumerated.
But, let us see a few examples:
? He was born with 4 hands holding His insignias like Sangu, Chakra etc.
? He contrived to shift the fetus of Balarama from the womb of Devaki to
that of RohiNI, another wife of VasudEva and commanded His ?Maaya Sakti? to
be born as the daughter of YasOda to be interchanged with Him self in the
prison cell where VasudEva and Devaki were languishing.
? He transformed by mere treading on the ground, the thorny Brindavanam
into
a worthy habitat.
? He drank the milk and life together of Pootana.
? He lifted the GOvardhan Mountain by His little finger and protected His
peers for a whole week from the raging rains unleashed by Indra.
? He danced on the hoods of the terrific poisonous snake, KaaLinga.
? He brought back to life the 4 dead children pf Saandeepani as Guru
Dakshina.
? He brought back to life the 4 dead children of the Brahmin, who
complained
to him about their untimely death.
? He made YasOda to witness in His mouth the entire world including her
self!
? He protected Pareekshit from harm when the fetus was turned into a
piece
of charcoal and brought it back to life as a full-blown baby.
? He defeated BaaNaasura and PoundraVasudEva who were in league with Lord
Siva and his retinue.
Who performed all these wonderful feats?
He is none other than our Lord KrishNa.
Swami Desika referred to the ?KaaLinga Narthana? incident and summed up the
rest in his ?Dasaavataara StOtram? as ?this and similar feats?- thus:
?dhuraa paryaaya charyaayatE?
mannu associated with
vada madhurai northern Mathura
? There are two Mathuras. Sri Satrugna established the northern Mathura.
? It is here that Dhruva is said to have performed penance.
maindhanai prince (lit. son)
The word carries several meanings like Child, King and one who is smart.
As baby boy, he was smart enough to break the chains that bound the feet of
VasudEva for ?baby changing? with YasOda?s baby girl?
thooya pure
peru great, deep
neer water(s)
? Unlike Samudra Raja who did not respond to Sri Rama?s call with
alacrity
and unlike Godavari River that out of fear of RavaNa did not reveal the
abduction of Sri Sita by the Raakshasa, River Yamuna parted to allow
VasudEva in his mission of interchanging baby KrishNa with the baby girl
born to YasOda.
? Yamuna was pure and unsullied in comparison to Ganga because He played
?Jala kreeDa? with Gopis in its waters.
yamunai the river Yamuna
thuraivanai one who has his abode on the banks
Lord KrishNa himself was a boat to carry Samsaaris across Samsaara Saagaram?
and take them to His Paramapadam. It is a subtle suggestion that VasudEva
carried on his head this boat of KrishNa!
aayar kulaththinil in the cowherd community
thOnRum appeared
Andal uses the word ?thOnrum? meaning ?appeared? deliberately because the
Lord was not ?born? (pirappu) as a result of Karma (Karma vasaath) like us
but took the Avatar out of His own free will ?Sankalpam? (aavirbhaavam)
aNi auspicious, sacred
viLakkai lamp
What is this lamp?
The lamp that sheds light in the form of compassion - a trait that has no
scope in Paramapadam. This light has value only on earth filled with sinners
who need it all the time to save them selves
thaayai mother
kudal womb
viLakkam seydha polish, brighten
On the face of it, it would appear that the reference is to YasOda. But, in
reality, it was NOT YasOda who gave birth to KrishNa but Devaki. So, it can
more appropriately apply to Devaki.
dhaamOdharanai Damodara, the one who's belly was tied with a string
(An epithet of Krishna)
Dhaama means rope. Udara means belly. Hence, he is known as DamOdaran
? By allowing Himself to be tied, he proved the adage ?patruDai
aDiyavarkku
yeLiyavan?- One who easily submits Himself to the dictates of and
punishments by His devotees, while being elusive to the intelligence of the
non-believers.
? Even today, we can see three welt marks on the belly of Periya
PerumaaL,
Lord Ranganatha indicative of this episode.
? We all know how Nammaazhwar swooned and how he was in a trance for 6
months when he mediated on the episode in which YasOda tied baby Krishna to
a mortar.
? It is said mere meditation on this episode of KrishNa being tied down,
will relieve us from another kind of tying up - the getting enmeshed in
Samsaara.
? The question arises how is this be possible when the scriptures declare
that only Bhakti and Prapatti are the only means for liberation. The answer
is that since we mediate on the Lord in this role, He would present His
Darsanam in the same role, if and when we reach moksham through Bhakti or
Prapatti.
thooyOm pure
aay becoming
This purity has been interpreted to mean ?without Devatantara Sambandam?
vandhu coming
naam we (includes gopas and gOpis)
thoo pure
malar flowers
What is ?thoo malar??
? Flowers that have no fragrance at all and flowers that smell too strong
should be avoided while offering to the Lord.
? Flowers grown in one?s own flower gardens and plucked with one?s own
hands
are best suited ?uthamam?; Flowers bought from the market are considered
only a poor substitute (Madhyamam); Flowers borrowed from others are deemed
the worst of all (adhamam)
? Once, when I took some TuLasi and flowers bought in the flower bazaar
for
submission to the Lord in the Ashramam, asmad Acharyan, H.H. Srimad Andavan
of Poundarikapuram Swami Asramam would not accept them because the flowers
strung with cotton thread were not acceptable and only those strung with
threads made out of plantain trunk barks were to be used. As for TuLasi, he
said only TuLasi from his backyard garden were to be used for PerumaaL in
the Asramam.
? It may be noted that careful nurturing of TuLasi plants is very
important.
No indiscriminate rearing of TuLasi plants is allowed. Only on certain days
could TuLasi leaves be plucked and even then with only appropriate mantras.
? Ladies going through their monthly periods should not go near ?TuLasi
MaaDam? and pollute the atmosphere. TuLasi is said to be so sensitive to
?TheeTTu? that it will wither if exposed to such pollution.
? Some years ago, TuLasi plants were being sold at Pittsburgh temple and
the
devotees were asked to bring them for TuLasi archana at the Temple. This
practice does not appear to be sanctioned in the Scriptures that lay down
strict norms for rearing TuLasi plants as mentioned above
thoovi offering (lit. sprinkling)
thozhudhu worshipping
vaayinaal with the mouth (verbally)
paadi singing
While ?PaaDi? is enough, why should she say ?vaayinaal?
Andal seems to emphasize the purpose ?prayOjanam? of having a mouth. In
other words, God has bestowed us with a mouth and we should put it to proper
use, namely, singing the glory of the Lord.
manaththinaal with the mind (mentally)
sindhikka thinking
Usually, we say ?Manasaa, Vaachaa, KaayEna? meaning ?Mind, word and deed?.
It is worth noting that Andal has reversed this order in this verse.
? First Thoovi thozhudu?- the deed;
? Next she mentions ?Vaayinaal PaaDi?- word and
? Last ?manathinaal sindikka?- mentally meditating.
pOya past
pizhaiyum sins
This refers to ?Sanchita Karma?, the Himalyan load of sins we have committed
over several lives
pugutharuvaan yet to come
ninRanavum are
This refers to those sins that have started to yield results, otherwise
known as ?Praarabda Karma?
theeyinil in fire
thoosu cotton
aagum will become
Both Sanchita Karma and Praarabda Karma up to the point of doing Prapatti
will be obviated like dirt consigned to fire.
The question arises:
What about the Post-Prapatti sins (i.e) sins committed after doing Prapatti?
Our Scriptures lay down that Post-Prapatti sins will be dealt with as
follows:
1. Those that were committed without intent or knowledge will not cling to
a
Prapanna like water drops not clinging to the Lotus leaf
2. Those that are done knowingly will be absolved either by ?NirvEdam?-
Repentance or by doing Parayaschittam? ? rituals of atonement
3. If one does not take recourse to either and is remorseless, one will be
awarded punishments like disease etc to be suffered in this life itself.
4. In any case, there is no denial of mOksham for a Prapanna since all his
karmas (both good and bad) will be obliterated before shedding the mortal
coil.
ceppu (therefore let us) say (his names)
This is like ?Sarva Praayschittam? ? ?sarvam Sri KrishNaarpaNam astu?
Special Points:
Acharyas say the expressions denote the 5 abodes of the Lord.
Maayan = Param;
Thuraivan = Vyuham;
Madurai maindan = Vibhavam;
ViLakku = Antaryaami and
DamOdaran = Archa
To Continue
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2. TIRUPPAVAI PASURAM # 5:
MAAYANAI MANNU
ENGLISH VERSE TRANSLATION
(MS. SHOBA RAMASWAMY)
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?If we stand cleansed
And worship Him
With fragrant flowers
The Mystic One,
The son of Immortal
Mathura of the North
Dweller of the banks
Of the pure wide Yamuna,
The lamp of cowherd clan,
Damodara, light and meaning
Of His mother?s womb,
With His thoughts in our hearts,
Our past sins
And those lying in wait,
Will they not be destroyed
As dust in fire!
Speak
Oh! My Maidens!?
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To Continue
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