Thiruppavai - Pasuram10

nOtru(ch) chuvarkkam puguginRa ammanaay!

maatramum thaaraarO vaasal thiRavaadhaar

naatra(th) thuzhaay mudi naaraayaNan nammaal

pOtra(p) paRai tharum puNNiyanaal pandu oru naaL

kootraththin vaay veezhndha kumba karaNanum

thOtrum unakkE perunthuyil thaan thandhaanO

aatra anandhal udaiyaay arungalamE

thEtramaay vandhu thiRavElOr embaavaay

நோற்றுச் சுவர்க்கம் புகுகின்ற அம்மனாய்!

மாற்றமும் தாராரோ வாசல் திறவாதார்?

நாற்றத் துழாய்முடி நாரா யணன்நம்மால்

போற்றப் பறைதரும் புண்ணியனால் பண்டொருநாள்

கூற்றத்தின் வாய்வீழ்ந்த கும்ப கரணனும்

தோற்றம் உனக்கே பெருந்துயில்தான் தந்தானோ?

ஆற்ற அனந்தல் உடையாய்! அருங்கலமே!

தேற்றமாய் வந்து திறவேலா ரெம்பாவாய்

----- MEANING ----

Here a Gopi, who thinks of herself as one deeply immersed in Bhagavath Bhakthi is awakened.

Oh Dear girl, who is very much confident of practicing nonbhu and entering heaven (Svargam)! Is it your custom not to open the doors and not even respond to our calls ? (Without getting any reply from her, the Gopis assembled outside her door try to make her listen to their talk as follows): If we sing in praise of Lord NarAyaNA ( KrishNA, contextually) adorning the fragrant TuLasi garland on His head, He will surely bless us with the drum for our Vratham.

So, you also wake up and come with us. Is it that KumbhakarNan - who was, in days of yore, made to leap to his death by Lord RamachandrA, the embodiment of Dharamam--has ceded his long spell of sleep to you after he was defeated (by you in a sleeping contest)? O Girl overpowered by heavy dose of (spellbound by) sleep! You are however the precious jewel of our group. Hence, Kindly (get up) and come to the door with clear mind and open it.

Oh lady (amman), who is entering (puguginRa) the heaven (suvarkkam) through penance (nOtru)! those not opening (thiRavaadhaar) the doors (vaasal)! Won't you at least give (thaa) a reply (maatram)? Kumbakarnan (kumba karaNan), who one (oru) day (naaL) long ago (pandu) fell (veezhndha) prey to death (kootraththin vaay) due to benevolent (puNNiyan) Lord Narayanan (naraayaNan), who wears (mudi) the fragrant (naatram) garland of 'thulsi' (thuzhaay), who is praised (pOtra) by us (nammaal), who blesses (paRai tharum) us; Did he (kumbakaraNa) appear (thOtru) in your dreams and give (thandhaan) you (unakku) his grand (perum) sleep (thuyil). You utterly (aatra) lazy (anandhal) girl! yet a rare (arum) jewel (kalam), wake up and come (vandhu) without loosing balance (thEtram), and open (thiRa) the door.

Purport

Oh Dear! You? Striving to enter heaven through practicing austerities? If you can't open the door, can't you at least respond to our call? Have you, by any chance, taken on the habit of Kumbakarna, of virtually interminable slumber, the Rakashasa who was felled by Naarayaaa (in the incarnation of Sri Rama), the protector and the benefactor of all living beings, who is bedecked with fragrant tulasi leaves on His head? Come on, our precious gem! Shake off your inertia and come with a clear head! Do open the door!



More Insight

There are two addresses in the vocative case in this pasuram - NOTRU SUVARGAM PUKUKINRA AMMANOY! and ARUN KALAME! - both bring out the excellences of this gopi and thereby imply the excellent characteristics of good Sri Vaishnavas.

1. SUVARGAM here means only union with God. Sita says, while pressing Rama to take her with Him to the forest," If I am with you that is heaven for me. Separation from you means hell." The girl here has completed all her rites by surrendering to the Lord and hence is enjoying His company. So also for a Sri Vaishnava there remains nothing to be done by way of "Upaaya" after accepting Him as the sole refuge(SARANAGATI).

2. ARUNKALAME! "Kalam" has two meanings (a) vessel and (b) ornament; A Sri Vaishnava is the vessel to contain His Grace.A Sri Vaishnava possesses superior ornaments in the form of virtues;or he himself is the best ornament embellishing the gatherings of other Sri Vaishnavas. SUVARGA can also be broken up into SU+VARGA (SU=good VARGA = gathering).If a man possesses all good qualities he will be taken into the fold of Sri Vaishnavites.

Bhavam:

THULASI MAHATHMYAM

Salutation to Sriman NaarAyaNan and His glories are housed in the passage “NaaRat thuzhAi mudi NaarAyaNan” Here the Lord is invoked in the form of wearing the sacred ThuLasi on His Siras to assure us that His Vratham is to give the boon of Moksham for those, who perform SaraNAgathi at His feet (nammAl pORRa Parai tharum PuNNiyan).

ThuLasi's glory is also indicated in this Paasuram (nARRa ThuzhAi Mudi NaarAyanan). “nARRa Thuzhai” is fragrant ThuLasi adorning His Siras (over the Kiritam). It has been presented by Soodikkoduttha NaacchiyAr earlier. Lord KrishNA says in this context in MahA BhAratham: “Among Pushpams, ThuLasi flower is the most sacred”.

ThuLasi was born during the time of the churning of the milky ocean (amrutha Matanam) by the Lord. The Thulasi flower, leaves, kattai/log (Kaashtam) and root are all important in Bhagavath AarAdhanam, At SrivilliputthUr, ANDAL incarnated at the foot of a ThuLasi plant. During the month of Marghazhi, any one performing Pongal naivEdhyam for our Lord cooked in the fire made from ThuLasi Kaashtai obtains indescribable auspiciousness; so does one, who is cremated with Thulasi Kaashtai sambhandham. In Maasi Ratha Sapthami and EkAdasi, naivEdhyam for PerumAl with food cooked over ThuLasi Infinite indeed are the glories of TuLasi , the TuLasi Vana Sudari, SaakshAth KashamA (Godhai).