Thursday, December 16, 2010

Thiruppavai - Day 01

Thiruppavai Day 01



Today is the first day of Margazhi. Margazhi is the most sacred month in the Tamizh calendar. Lord Krishna says that he is Margazhi among the months. One can imagine the sanctity of this month from his words!

The ritual of singing Thiruppavai - in praise of Mahavishnu and Thiruvempavai - in praise of Sivan during the month of Margazhi has been followed for a long long time.

This Margazhi, I am posting the 30 songs of Thiruppavai – one song per day on the 30 days of Margazhi. 

I dedicate this to Mr. K.Parthasarathi, who not only gave me the idea, but also helped me with a lot of inputs. Thank you Mr.Parthasarathi!

Thiruppavai was sung by Andal, one of the twelve Azhwars whose compositions on Mahavishnu form the Nalayira Divyaprabandam. A brief account on Andal is available on my earlier blog on Andal

In Thiruppavai, Andal shows us the way to reach the Lord by the simple but very effective way of Bhakti! She has shown the way of Vratham called paavai nombu with all its rules and regulations in her compositions and confirms that people who follow this paavai nombu are sure to reach the Lord’s feet!

All the 30 songs are composed as Andal waking her friends early in the morning of Margazhi to follow the Vratham to attain the Lord.

I give below the songs in Tamizh, one each day, with the gist of it in English as I feel that a word by word translation may not read well.

Here is the first song:

மார்கழித் திங்கள் மதிநிறைந்த நன்னாளால்
நீராடப் போதுவீர் போதுமினோ நேரிழையீர்
சீர்மல்கும் ஆய்ப்பாடிச் செல்வச் சிறுமீர்காள்
கூர்வேல் கொடுந்தொழிலன் நந்தகோபன் குமரன்
ஏரார்ந்த கண்ணி யசோதை இளஞ்சிங்கம்
கார்மேனிச் செங்கண் கதிர்மதியம் போல்முகத்தான்
நாரா யணனே நமக்கே பறைதருவான்
பாரோர் புகழப்  படிந்தேலோ ரெம்பாவாய்


Here Andal calls her friends, the beautiful girls of the prosperous Gokulam saying “this is the month of Margazhi where the moon shines brightly in the sky, come and have your bath. The dark skinned, lotus eyed, moon faced Krishna, son of the very tough Nandagopan and mother Yashoda’s lion cub will give us  his blessings and we can follow the nombu with all his blessings"

Nandagopan is said to be tough – koorvel kodunthozhilan – as he is very protective about his young son





10 comments:

  1. மார்கழி மாதம் ஒவ்வொரு நாளும் திருப்பாவையின் பாசுரங்களை விளக்கத்தோடு சொல்லி நமக்கு நல்லது செய்யவிருக்கும் லக்ஷ்மிக்கு மிக்க நன்றி

    Here is the English translatio from the net.
    It's Margali month, moon replete and the day is proper
    We shall bathe, girls of Ayarpadi prosperous
    Will you move out? You wealthy adorn'd fine jewels;
    Narayana, son of relentless Nandagopala,
    Whose job wielding a sharp spike ever alert and
    The lion cub of Yasoda with eye gracious
    And the lad with dark complexion, handsome eye
    And face sunny bright pleasant as moon
    Sure shall grant us the desire soon
    To the esteem of this earth as a boon;
    Oblige, involve, listen and consider, our damsel

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  2. This is excellent. In one of your earlier articles you had mentioned a Hanuman temple that you visited slightly away from Chennai. Can you kindly guide where exactly it is ?

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  3. @ Ramachandran - Kakalur Anjaneyar temple is about 3 km frm Thiruvallur and about 10 min ride from Putlur Angalaparameswari temple

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  4. Excellent! The write up and translation is just superb! I am glad that you have not got a word-to-word translation - it would have been so distorted. The gist is just perfect and one can understand what had happened in history. Wow!

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  5. Superb.! Thanks for your Markazhi Feast. It will be a sumptuous TREAT we are going to enjoy througout this month,.Wishing you all the best!

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  6. La
    Great as usual.
    I am really going to enjoy this
    God Bless you
    Keep it up.

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  7. It is a real treat Lakshmi to read your blogs on Thiruppavai! God bless you. keep up the good work.
    Chandra.

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  8. Beautiful, Thanks to you and Parthasarathyji

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  9. Excellent work Lakshmi! Nice to read one pasuram a day in Markazhi. Thanks to you for giving this opportunity.

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  10. HI all:

    Watch this cute video of a 3 year old reciting Thiruppavai.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE2zb1pbjJY

    Regards,

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