Today is the first day of Margazhi 2023. Reposting the blog posts that I had written last year. Will complete all the Paasurams this year :). Woke up in the morning and heard all the Paasurams being played in a nearby temple in Secunderabad. It’s truly magical.
Wishing everyone a happy Margazhi, the month of reflection and furthering our spiritual quest.
Margazhi 2022, the month of reflection and spiritual seeking starts on Dec 16. Since my beloved Bhagwan Krishna says, in months he is Margazhi, it ends up being a special month. For me this month is about listening to Thirupaavai Mani Smt M L Vasanthakumari, or MLV as she is known singing Vishnucittan Kodhai aka Andal’s paasurams.
The 30 paasurams known as Thirupaavai are written by Andal and are a part of the Naalayira Divyaprabhandams (4000 verses singing the praises of Bhagwan Vishnu). For Iyengars, it’s a lifelong mission to memorise the Naalayira Divyaprabhandams and understand their meaning. These songs are written by the 12 Azhwars (saints is the closest translation possible) of whom Andal is the only female.
Andal is in love with Bhagwan Krishna and decides to marry him. These 30 songs are dedicated to him.
The Paasurams are in Tamil and condense the meaning of the four Vedas. They were meant to help normal people to easily focus on the divine with “Bhakti”.
Click on this link to read the Paasurams and their meanings in Tamil – Thirupaavai Paadalkalum Villakamum.
Margazhi Thingal #1/30
மார்கழித் திங்கள் மதிநிறைந்த நன்னாளால் நீராடப் போதுவீர் போதுமினோ நேரிழையீர்! சீர்மல்கும் ஆய்ப்பாடி செல்வச்சிறுமீர்காள் கூர்வேல் கொடுந்தொழிலன் நந்தகோபன் குமரன் ஏரார்ந்த கண்ணி யசோதை இளஞ்சிங்கம் கார்மேனிச் செங்கண் கதிர்மதியம் போல் முகத்தான் நாராயணனே நமக்கே பறை தருவான் பாரோர் புகழப் படிந்தேலோர் எம்பாவாய்
Translation in Tamil
பொருள்: அழகிய அணிகலன்களை அணிந்த கன்னியரே! சிறப்பு மிக்க ஆயர்பாடியில் வசிக்கும் செல்வவளமிக்க சிறுமிகளே! மார்கழியில் முழுநிலா ஒளி வீசும் நல்ல நாள் இது. இன்று நாம் நீராடக் கிளம்புவோம். கூர்மையான வேலுடன் நம்மைப் பாதுகாத்து வரும் அரிய தொழிலைச் செய்யும் நந்தகோபன், அழகிய கண்களையுடைய யசோதாபிராட்டி ஆகியோரின் சிங்கம் போன்ற மகனும், கரிய நிறத்தவனும், சிவந்த கண்களை உடையவனும், சூரியனைப் போல் பிரகாசமான முகத்தையுடையவனும், நாராயணனின் அம்சமுமான கண்ணபிரான் நமக்கு அருள் தர காத்திருக்கிறான். அவனை நாம் பாடிப் புகழ்ந்தால் இந்த உலகமே நம்மை வாழ்த்தும்.
English Translation
The first song is about the start of the month of Margazhi. Andal sung the first song on a full moon day. She invites the young girls to bathe and join in the worship of Bhagwan Krishna. Several lines of praise follow. Krishna is referred to as Nandagopan and Yashoda’s son. the young Krishna resembles a Lion cub (இளஞ்சிங்கம்). Krishna’s colour is described as that of dark clouds with a face that is bright like the noon Sun. Andal says when we sing his praises, Narayanan will certainly bless us and accept us in his service (நாராயணனே, நமக்கே பறைதருவான்).
Now listen to this Paasuram being sung by Thirupaavai Mani MLV –
If YouTube doesn’t work then listen on Wynk – https://wynk.in/u/VKnuarg1h.
#ThiruPaavai #Margazhi
Thanks for spreading awareness of this Holy work
Bindu,
What a service you offer to all of us in Humanland, who would like to understand more about how life works. I don’t understand the words, the script, or the story, but for your translation, and the sound of the hymn itself, but now I have been exposed. I can relate to the symbolism of the full moon, the role of Andal as the sole woman, and of the lion cub with dark body and sun-white face. The rest is new to me.
The colors and the delicate, flowing structure of the words written in a script incomprehensible to me, show how much I don’t even begin to understand.
Am so glad that you read through the blog. These 30 songs ( Paasurams) are written by Andal for her beloved Krishna. So it starts with describing Krishna as a child (lion cub and face being bright like the noon Sun) and everyday a different song will describe Krishna’s character and all the qualities he possesses.
In Hinduism, the spiritual quest is to always about merging with the universal energy or Nirvana or Moksha. One of the paths towards that is called Bhakti – which loosely translates to devotion or prayer but doesn’t exactly mean that. It’s much deeper. Bhakti is total surrender to your God. For us it’s our personal God – it could be one of the many known Gods or I can develop Bhakti towards a Guru or a “thing” or a “service”. Since the whole universe and every atom in it is divine.
Andal’s songs show her Bhakti towards Krishna, who she chose as her personal God. She insists on marrying him and does marry him.
The marriage is another way of showing Moksha – the human Andal merging with the divine Krishna.
Bindu, you are simply great. what an evolution !!
🙏 thanks Mani.
Thanks