Thirupaavai Paasuram #4

The following paragraphs were written last year on day #4 of Margazhi. Nature is unpredictable only when she is setting herself right. This year too my birthplace Tirunelveli has been reeling under floods. Actually all of TamilNadu… only because we continue to assume (wrongly) like the West that we can overpower Nature. Get back to our roots, Sanatan Dharma says, we co-exist with Nature. Air, Water, Sky, Sun, Space and the Earth, every element is worshipped as a Deva. No wonder our ancestors lived sustainably.

New insight – At work and in life we need to learn to co-exist. Every single person we come across has been put on Earth for a purpose, and all kinds of people are required to make things work. We need the geniuses to discover and create new stuff to make life better, and we need the terrorists to show us what we need to fight for !! What we need to aim for is “balance” and the ability to focus on our end goal.

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What a beautiful way of teaching children how rains happen and the importance of conserving water. In Paasuram #4, Andal speaks about the sea water getting converted into moisture and then into dark clouds. She also speaks about the water bodies getting replenished when it rains copiously.

As I write this blog, Tirunelveli (my birthplace) and adjoining areas are under severe floods. In Paasuram #4 Andal prays for “copious” rains. But we all are praying for the rains to stop ! Why ? Because the wells, reservoirs and natural water channels have all disappeared. We talk of climate change and sustainability as buzz words, but forget to respect nature. We clog the drains with plastic bags and landfills are slowly getting bigger. When it rains, we have no way of conserving the water.

Government needs to mandate large scale rain water harvesting to resolve this issue and find ways to conserve rain water. Listening to Andal’s paasurams may be the way to remember our ancient sustainable ways. You can also sense a deep respect for the environment. Today the world needs to develop that respect. Man is on top of the food chain only because of his mental abilities…. otherwise we are physically powerless.

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Since Andal’s Paasurams flow into each other, it’s important to read Thirupaavai Paasuram #3 before reading Paasuram #4. They also build on each other so the context is understood when read in sequence.

Click on this link to read the Paasurams and their meanings in Tamil – Thirupaavai Paadalkalum Villakamum.

Aazhi Mazhai Kanna – Paasuram #4

ஆழி மழைக்கண்ணா! ஒன்று நீ கைகரவேல்
ஆழியுள் புக்கு முகந்துகொடு ஆர்த்தேறி
ஊழி முதல்வன் உருவம்போல் மெய்கறுத்து
பாழியந் தோளுடைப் பற்பநா பன்கையில்
ஆழிபோல் மின்னி வலம்புரிபோல் நின்றதிர்ந்து
தாழாதே சார்ங்கம் உதைத்த சரமழைபோல்
வாழ உலகினில் பெய்திடாய் நாங்களும்
மார்கழி நீராட மகிழ்ந்தேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

Tamil Translation

மேகத்திற்கு அதிபதியான பர்ஜந்யனே! நாங்கள் சொல்வதைக் கேள். உன்னிடம் ஒரு சொட்டு தண்ணீரைக் கூட வைத்துக் கொள்ளாதே. கடல் நீர் முழுவதையும் முகர்ந்து கொண்டு மேலே சென்று, உலகாளும் முதல்வனாகிய கண்ணனின் நிறம் போல் கருத்து, வலிமையான தோள்களையுடைய பத்மநாபனின் கையிலுள்ள பிரகாசமான சக்கரத்தைப் போல் மின்னலை வீசி, வலம்புரி சங்கு ஒலிப்பது போல் இடி ஒலியெழுப்பி, வெற்றியை மட்டுமே ஈட்டும் அவனது சார்ங்கம் என்னும் வில்லில் இருந்து புறப்படும் அம்புகளைப் போல் மழை பொழிவாயாக! அம்மழையால் நாங்கள் இவ்வுலகில் மகிழ்வுடன் வாழ்வோம். மார்கழி நீராடலுக்காக எல்லா நீர்நிலைகளையும் நிரப்பி எங்களை மகிழ்ச்சியடையச் செய்வாயாக.

English Translation

In this Paasuram Andal demands Parjanyan who is the Deva for clouds to rain copiously. She describes in simple words to her friends how the sea gets converted into moisture and then into dark clouds. She describes the dark clouds as Bhagwan Krishna’s colour, the lightning as Krishna’s Sudarshana Chakra whirring through the sky and the thunder as the sound of the Panchajanya conch. When there is a downpour, the whole world rejoices. Especially in the month of Margazhi, as we celebrate, let all the water bodies be full.

The whole idea is to make it easy for everyone to understand how Nature works and how to reach your Earthly goals through Bhakti. There is also a lesson of sustainability in all these Paasurams.

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MLV singing Thirupaavai Paasuram #4

Here’s the link to the Mp3 of Paasuram #4 on Wynk – https://wynk.in/u/MkzS2Prae.

These songs will bring a sense of reverence to nearly anyone irrespective of whether you understand Tamil or not. Mahaperiyava, the God who walked the Earth as the Sage of Kanchi, had given the name of Thirupaavai Mani to Smt. M L Vasanthakumari. She first sang these 30 songs in front of him before recording them. The Bhakti Marg is filled with beautiful music !!

Do listen and more importantly do contemplate on their meaning.

Note :

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.

#Thirupaavai #Margazhi