Thiruppavai - Pasuram25

oruththi maganaay(p) piRandhu Or iravil

oruththi maganaay oLiththu vaLara(th)

tharikkilaan aagi(th) thaan theengu ninaindha

karuththai(p) pizhaippiththu(k) kanchan vayitril

neruppenna ninRa nedumaalE!, unnai

aruththiththu vandhOm paRai tharudhiyaagil

thiruththakka selvamum sEvagamum yaam paadi

varuththamum theerndhu magizhndhElOr embaavaay

 

ஒருத்தி மகனாய்ப் பிறந்து ஓரிரவில்

ஒருத்தி மகனாய் ஒளித்து வளர,

தரிக்கிலா னாகித் தான் தீங்கு நினைந்த

கருத்தைப் பிழைப்பித்துக் கஞ்சன் வயிற்றில்

நெருப்பென்ன நின்ற நெடுமாலே! உன்னை

அருத்தித்து வந்தோம்; பறைதருதி யாகில்

திருத்தக்க செல்வமும் சேவகமும் யாம்பாடி

வருத்தமுந் தீர்ந்து மகிழ்ந்தேலோ ரெம்பாவாய்.

-------Meaning-------

Lord KrishNA's avathAra rahasyam is being celebrated here. He is “ajAyamAno BahudhA vijAyathE” (He manifests Himself in many forms although He has no birth). “Devaki mahanAi piRanthu, YasOdhai mahanAi” vaLarnthAn. Swamy NammAzhwAr addresses Him as “piRantha MaayA” (A master-trickster taking birth in this world as one of us) in a ThiruvAimozhi paasuram.

Orutthi mahanAi piRanthu, Oriravil Orutthi mahanAi oLitthu vaLara”. By choosing the word, “Oriravil”, ANDAL reminds us that the dark night of His birth is the same rainy night, when the waters of YamunA receded to let Him enter Gokuam to take residence (“piRantha nadu nisiyum, puhuntha nadu nisiyum onRE”) in Gokulam.

AchAryAs are said to be born in Gayathri and to grow up in AshtAkshari; they are also said to be born in Thrumanthiram and grow up in Dhvayam. This AchAryan, who is JagadAchAryan revealing His avathAra rahasyam was born to One and grew up with another.

Oh Lord (nedumaal), who was born (piRandhu) one (Or) night (iravu) as a son (magan) of one lady (oruththi) and grew up (vaLara) hiding (oLiththu) as the son (magan) of one other lady (oruththi); You made the idea (karuththu) of Kamsa (kanchan), who could not withstand (tharikkilaan aagi) you and thought of (ninaindha) harming (theengu) you (thaam), useless (pizhaipiththu) and stood (ninRa) like a fire (neruppenna) in his belly (vayitril). We have come (vandhOm) with a vital desire (aruththi, arundhu = drink, absorb) towards you (unnai). If you emancipate us (paRai tharudhiyaagil), we will be free of (theerndhu) our sorrows (varuththam) and we (yaam) will happily (magizhndhu) sing (paadi) about your service (sEvagam) and about the beauty (selvam) of your suitable (thakka) match Lakshmi (thiru).

Purport

Oh Lord of the three worlds! Born of the matchless Queen Devaki, you were taken on the same night in concealment to Gokulam, to be brought up by another peerless noble woman, Yasodha. The evil King Kamsa who would not bear the thought of your growing up, tried many stratagems to harm you. But you foiled all his wily schemes virtually tormenting him like in his stomach. We have come to beseech you for favours. If only you could condescend to give us the drum, we would sing extolling your great prosperity befitting your consort, Mahaalakshmi and your valorous deeds. And then we will rejoice with all our pining coming to an end.





More Insight

Lord Krishna after hearing their mangalaasaasana said with a melting heart and an affectionate tone: "O girls! By your birth (as the daughter of Periyaazhwaar) you are ever interested in my welfare and pray for that. You have all come here braving the biting cold and unmindful of your health. Have you anything else on your mind except PARAI (accessories for the NONBU rite)?"

Gopis replied: "We have come under the pretext of petitioning you for the accessories, but actually our request is for your Service only."

Lord Krishna: "I may find it difficult to grant your request immediately. After all it is not all that simple. There may be so many impediments in the way."

Gopis: "You were born as the son of Devaki and on the same night you became the son of Yasoda. To the former you gave the pleasure of giving birth to you(avataara rasa), and to the latter the pleasure of enjoying your sport (leela-rasa).Having falsified Kamsa's evil intentions and you made them fall on his own head. All this you did because of your love for your votaries. So nothing is impossible for you. You can do away with all obstructions. The only thing needed is that you should have the mind to bless us with your Service."


Bhavam

As UttamAdhikAris, the Gopis knew of this Bhakthi/Prapatthi route to the Lord and declared in His presence “Unnai arutthitthu vanthOm, parai taruthiyAhil, Thiruttakka selvamum sEvakamum yaamm paadi, vaarutthamum theernthu MahizhvOm”

We have woken up all the gOpis and we have come in a state of great purity to You seeking the greatest of purushArthams. If You would grant us the boons sought by us, we will sing about the great and matching wealth of You and Your PirAtti and engage in sEvaka vruthti to You both and be rid of all of our dukkhams and attain bliss (BrahmAnandham).
“uRREn uhanthu paNi seythu unn paadham peRREn” is One AzhvAr's Sri Sookthi (adiyEn became dear to You and joyfully performed kaimkaryam for You and attained the parama bhAgyam of Your sacred feet). The Gopis say in this context: “Thirutthakka Selvamum, sEvakamum yaam paadi, varutthamum theernthu mahizhvOm”.
Lord KrishNa talks about those born to divine destiny (dhaivI sampadhi) and the others born to demonic destiny (aasuri bhUthA:). The Gopis are the dearest to Him since they have dhaivI sampadhi. The Lord resides in their Hrudh puNDarIkams with great vaathsalyam. Kamsan and his ilk are the aasuri (demonic) type and the lord stays inside their stomach as huge fire (Kanjan karutthai pizhaipitthu vayiRRil neruppu yenna ninRa NedumAlE) to destroy them.