Thiruppavai - Pasuram5

maayanai mannu vada madhurai maindhanai(th)

thooya peru neer yamunai(th) thuRaivanai

aayar kulaththinil thOnRum aNi viLakkai(th)

thaayai(k) kudal viLakkam seydha dhaamOdharanai(th)

thooyOmaay vandhu naam thoomalar thoovi(th) thozhudhu

vaayinaal paadi manaththinaal sindhikka(p)

pOya pizhaiyum pugudharuvaan ninRanavum

theeyinil thoosaagum cheppElOr embaavaay

மாயனை மன்னு வடமதுரை மைந்தனை,

தூய பெருநீர் யமுனைத் துறைவனை,

ஆயர் குலத்தினில் தோன்றும் அணிவிளக்கை,

தாயைக் குடல்விளக்கம் செய்த தாமோதரனை,

தூயோம்ஆய் வந்துநாம் தூமலர் தூவித்தொழுது

வாயினால் பாடி மனத்தினால் சிந்திக்கப்

போய பிழையும் புகுதருவான் நின்றனவும்

தீயினில் தூசுஆகும் செப்பேலோ ரெம்பாவாய்.

----- MEANING -----

Let us (naam) come (vandhu) with a clean (thooya) body and mind, spraying (thoovi) clean flowers (thoo malar), and worship (thozhudhu) the Lord Damodara (dhaamOdharan); who is a magician (maayan); who is the son (maindhan) of the northern (vada) madhurai; who is the hermit (thuRaivan) on the pure (thooya) and great (peru) river (neer) Yamuna (yamunai); who appeared (thOnRum) in the cowherd (aayar) community (kulam) as a sacred (aNi) light (viLakku); who brought maternal honour (kudal vilakkam sey) to his mother (thaay). Let us sing (paadi) orally (vaayinaal) and think (sindhikka) mentally (manaththinaal) about the Lord. Our past (pOya) sins (pizhai) and the the future unintentional sins (pugutharuvaan ninRanavum), will become (aagum) like sawdust (thoosu) on a flame (thee). Let us say (cheppu) his names.

All of our sins vanish like a blade of grass thrown into fire, when we sing in praise of KrishNan and worship Him. Him--the mysterious Lord; the young courageous Lord born at north MathurA, the One who sports in the pure waters of the great river, YamunA; the emerald-like shining Lamp that has risen from the race of cowherds; and the Lord DaamOdharA (the One bound by the rope around the waist) who has brought high esteem to His mother YasOdhA (literally, who illuminated the mother's womb)--Him let us approach with sincerity (purity-- physical and mental); let us worship Him with fresh and fragrant flowers; let us pay our obeisance to Him; let us sing in praise of Him, by words of mouth; let us think of Him in our mind; if we do so (approaching, worshipping, obeying, singing and thinking of Him alone), our sins of past, present and future will vanish like straw put into fire. Therefore let us sing His glory.

Purport


Our mysterious Lord, born at North Mathura, who sports in the pure deep waters of the great river Yamuna and who is the veritable jewel-light of the race of cowherds, gloried his mother Devaki by being born to her and transported his foster mother Yasoda into a world of joy by showing her his little belly with the imprint of the tiny ropes with which she bound him to put him out of mischief. If only we approached Him with pure mind and body and worship Him with fresh and fragrant flowers, singing His praise and meditating on Him, we can be certain that our sins of the past births and those which ensued without our intentions, will all be extinguished the way cotton is reduced to ashes in a fire.




More Insight



Among the assembled gopis, one expressed a doubt, "we are planning elaborately for getting the company of Krishna. But remember, we are sinners and our sins will throw obstacles in our path. It always happens when a good deed is contemplated. It is the way of the world. Take the case of Dasaratha who planned the coronation of Rama; the great omniscient sage Vasishta fixed the date; the citizens clamored for him and applauded the decision. But what happened? Rama went to the forest forsaking the city and it was His Paduka (holy sandals) which sat on the throne for fourteen years. So what is the surety that we will succeed?"
The answer is given in this verse: Recite the name of Krishna; think of him; offer flowers; and all obstacles will vanish. All sins committed before taking Refuge with Him, as well those unwittingly accruing after Surrender (Saranagati) will perish. The Purva Agha (earlier sins) will be burnt to ashes like cotton bales in a fire; and the Uttara Agha (Subsequent Sins) will not stick to the person like drops of water to a lotus leaf. Milk is both a pleasurable food as well as a medicine to cure bile. The same is the case with Him. (Maruttuvanai ninra mamanivanna)

Bhavam:

“MaayOnai”: Our Lord is a MaayAvi. ANDAL addresses Him next this MaayOn as “Mannu Vada Mathurai Mainthan”. Mannu stands for Vada Mathurai, where the Lord has blessed through His Bhagavath Saaniddhyam.

“Thooya peru neer Yamunai”: YamunA is most sacred and pure. YamunA cleaved and let VasudEvar walk across its sandy bed, on the dark rainy night of JanmAshtami. Yamunai had deha sambhandham with the Lord through His Jala kreedais there with Gopis.
“Aayar Kulatthinil thOnRum aNi viLakkai”: Our Lord was born in Raaja Kulam to VasudEvA and Devaki. He surfaced in the community of cowherds (AaypAdi). ANDAL saluted Him as “ThOnRum aNi ViLakkai” or the most beautiful, lustrous lamp that appeared amidst the aayar kulam.
“ThAyai Kudal Vilakkam seytha DhAmOdharanai” KaNNan was caught by YasOdhA while stealing butter and tied Him by to a mortar . YasOdhai was His mother and a Bhakthai. Hence, the Lord allowed Himself to be bound. Even today, One sees the three welt marks on the waist of Lord RanganAtha.
“ThUmalar thoovi thozhuthu, VaayinAL paadi, ManathinAl chinthikka”: Suddha pushpAnjali, TuLasi Pushpa samarpanam and manthra Pushpa samarpaNam are very dear to our Lord's heart. Hence ANDAL recommends them here.
“Cheppu”: The paasuram ends with the command, “cheppu” (say). “Sri KrishNAnu smaraNam Param” as saathvika Thyaagam (KrishNArpanam).