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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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