Thiruppavai - Pasuram13

puLLin vaay keendaanai(p) pollaa arakkanai(k)

kiLLi(k) kaLaindhaanai(k) keerththi mai paadi(p) pOy(p)

piLLaigaL ellaarum paavai(k) kaLambukkaar

veLLi ezhundhu viyaazham uRangitru

puLLum silambina kaaN pOdhari(k) kaNNinaay

kuLLa(k) kuLira(k) kudaindhu neeraadaadhE

paLLi(k) kidaththiyO! paavaay! nee nan naaLaal

kaLLam thavirndhu kalandhElOr embaavaay.

************************************************************************************************************
************************************************************************************************************

புள்ளின்வாய் கீண்டானை, பொல்லா அரக்கனைக்

கிள்ளிக் களைந்தானைக் கீர்த்திமை பாடிப்போய்,

பிள்ளைகள் எல்லாரும் பாவைக் களம்புக்கார்;

வெள்ளி எழுந்து, வியாழம் உறங்கிற்று;

புள்ளும் சிலம்பினகாண்; போதரிக் கண்ணினாய்!

குள்ளக் குளிரக் குடைந்து நீராடாதே,

பள்ளிக் கிடத்தியோ? பாவாய்! நீ நன்னாளால்

கள்ளம் தவிர்ந்து கலந்தேலோ ரெம்பாவாய்.

----- MEANING -----

It is portrayed here that the Gopis, performing Paavai nOnbhu awaken another girl, who has earlier had a glimpse of Godly bliss, and who generally keeps aloof, avoiding association with others). All our friends have now reached the designated place for assembly (Paavaik-KaLam pukkAr). They went there singing the praise of our KrishNan, who tore open the mouth of BakAsuran (the demon, who in the form of a crane, came to assault Him), and who, in His earlier avathAram as RaamA, chopped off the ten heads of the treacherous demon king (RaavaNA) and destroyed him. The Venus has now arisen and the Jupiter has already set. Harken, many birds (have gotten up) and are chirping. Oh Young and beautiful girl with charming eyes resembling a flower and that of a doe! all of us should go to the river and plunge deeply in the water that makes us shiver; instead you are wiling away the time lying on the bed, --is this proper? Oh dear girl! it is truly a great day for us. Kindly leave your restraint (and aloofness) and join us freely.

All (ellaam) the girls (piLLai) have reached (pukkaar) the place (kaLam) for 'paavai nOnbu', singing (paadi) the praise (keerththi) of the Lord, while going (pOy). The Lord, who split (keendaan) the mouth (vaay) of the bird (puL) shaped asura; who sniped (kiLLu) and disposed off (kaLaindhu) the heads of the naughty (polla) rakshasa (arakkan). Venus (veLLi) has risen (ezhundhu). Jupiter (viyaazhan) has gone to sleep (uRangu). Birds (puL) are chirping (silambina), See (kaaN)!. You have eyes (kaNNinaay) like the honey bee (ari) on a flower (pOdhu)! You (nee) are lying (kidaththiyO) in bed and sleeping (paLLi), without dipping in (kudaindhu) and bathing (neeraadaadhE) in the harsh (kuLLa) cold (kuLira) water. Oh girl (paavaay)! On this good (nan) day (naaL), leave (thavirndhu) your tricks (kaLLam) behind and join us (kalandhu).

Purport

You, dainty girl with that red lotus-like eyes! Don't you see? All the girls have arrived at the river bed for the worship (Paavai Nonbu), singing the glory of our Lord who killed the demon Bakaasura in disguise as a bird, by breaking up the mouth (in the incarnation of Krishna) and who just plucked away the ten heads of the wicked Raavana and slew him (in His avatar as Raama). It is time you got up. Venus has risen. Jupiter has gone to sleep. Can't you hear the chirping of the birds in flight? Don't you pretend to be asleep! Come, join us, get to the river for a refreshing bath on this auspicious day.



More Insight

A girl with bewitching eyes (PODARI KKANNINAAY) is woken up in this verse. She is of the view that Krishna will come to her fascinated by the beauty of her eyes. To add to this she is lying, brooding over Krishna's heroic exploits, in the bed formerly shared with Him and which still retains His fragrance.

The statement in the previous verse that Sri Rama scored over Krishna in being "MANATHUKKU INIYAAN" created a sort of mutiny among the girls, some of whom disputed this by saying, "how can Rama be said to be the receptacle of all the virtues? Did He, like Krishna who acted as Pandavaduta, go as messenger for anyone? Didn't Krishna's charms allure even the sages?

Even His mischievous pranks are meant for us only. Moreover Krishna is our husband and irrespective of how he treats us,it is not proper for us to praise another as being greater."

Some mediators intervened and pointed out that both are the same Sriman Narayana, and so where is the cause for dispute. Thus reconciled the girls split into two halves each praising the glory of Krishna and Rama. This is the excellence of this verse.

Bhavam:
 
 

 
This gopi is firm about her assessment that the Lord, has to come to her because of her most beautiful eyes. She does not think that she should go to Him.


“PuLLin Vaaik keenDAnai” is about KrishNa's valor. After He cleaved the beak of Bakaasuran and killed him, then, the young gOpAs plucked the feathers of the bird-shaped asuran and hung them (feahters) up like a thOraNam to remind all what would happen if some one commits unpardonable apachAram to the Lord.

“pollA arakkan” is Raavanan; saadhu arakkan is his saathvik brother, VibhishaNan. His saathvik tendency and gratefulness to Raamachandran for accepting his Prapathti is told by Kamban as: “panju yena sivakkum menkAl Deviyai pirittha paavi Vanchahanukku-ILaya yennai, varuha yenRu aruL seythAnE”.

“PaLLikkidatthiyO?”: The gOpi being awakened is really not sleeping. She is chewing in her mind over her blissful anubhavam of union earlier with the Lord on that bed. She had KrishNa sparsam before. The gopis say: “You are like a Paavai (Bhommai) and as such do not have the skills to understand that the MaayAvi has left and that he is no longer at your side.

Meaning of neerAttam: Thinking of the Lord is NeerAttam; ArchAvathAra sEvai is “kudainthu neerAttam”; Thinking of Vibhava avathAram RaamA and KrishNA is “KuLira NeerAttam”; the darsanam of Sri VaikuntanAthan is “KuLLak KuLira NeerAttam”, the ultimate bliss