Today happens to be Vaikunta Ekadasi and Paasuram #7 alludes to the “Samudra Manthan” or churning of the ocean to extract the elixir of immortality. Vaikunta is Mahavishnu’s abode and Andal is teaching her friends the way to Bhagwan Krishna, an avatar of Mahavishnu. As Osho keeps saying, meditate and be aware while working, or doing simple chores like churning buttermilk. Andal seems to reach the same destination through Bhakti.
As you fast on Vaikunta Ekadasi, feast on Andal’s Thirupaavai 🙏🏿
In Paasuram #7 Andal moves to the next friend and tries to wake her up with a different set of examples. … She describes specific birds that make the “Keesu Keesu” sound. She also tries to ask if her friend is unable to hear the women churning buttermilk out of curds.
As always do read Thirupaavai Paasuram #6 before reading Paasuram #7.
Click on this link to read the Paasurams and their meanings in Tamil – Thirupaavai Paadalkalum Villakamum.
Keesu Keesu Endrengum – Paasuram #7
கீசுகீசு என்றெங்கும் ஆனைச்சாத்தன் கலந்து பேசின பேச்சரவம் கேட்டிலையோ? பேய்ப்பெண்ணே! காசும் பிறப்பும் கலகலப்பக் கைபேர்த்து வாச நறுங்குழல் ஆய்ச்சியர் மத்தினால் ஓசை படுத்த தயிர் அரவம் கேட்டிலையோ? நாயகப் பெண்பிள்ளாய்! நாராயணன் மூர்த்தி கேசவனைப் பாடவும் நீ கேட்டே கிடத்தியோ? தேசம் உடையாய்! திறவேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.
Tamil Translation
அறிவில்லாதவளே! ஆனைச்சாத்தன் என்றழைக்கப்படும் வலியன்குருவிகள் கீச்சிடும் குரலும், அவை தங்கள் துணையுடன் பேசும் ஒலியும் உனக்கு கேட்கவில்லையா? வாசனை மிக்க கூந்தலை உடைய ஆய்க்குலப் பெண்கள் மத்து கொண்டு தயிர் கடையும் ஓசையும், அப்போது அவர்களது கழுத்தில் அணிந்துள்ள அச்சுத்தாலியும், ஆமைத்தாலியும் இணைந்து ஒலியெழுப்புவது இன்னுமா கேட்கவில்லை? எல்லோருக்கும் தலைமையேற்று அழைத்துச் செல்வதாகச் சொன்ன பெண்ணே! நாங்கள் நாராயணான கேசவனைப் புகழ்ந்து பாடுவது உன் காதில் கேட்டும் உறங்கும் மர்மமென்ன? பிரகாசமான முகத்தைக் கொண்டவளே! உன் வீட்டுக்கதவைத் திற.
English Translation
Paasuram #7 is again a call to Awake and become Aware with a different set of examples ! Andal tries to motivate this particular friend by calling her a leader. She also describes this friend’s face as being bright hoping she will open the door and join Andal in the service of Bhagwan Krishna.
In this Paasuram there is a deeper meaning and an allusion to the “Samudra Manthan” or the churning of the ocean. Earlier women would wear lots of bangles and early in the morning they would take the cream from the curds set overnight, put it into pots and start churning. There would be a lovely sound coming from the movement of their hands as they used a rope and a wooden whisk to churn the butter.
Everyday when butter is churned, it’s a mini “Samudra Manthan”. The same way, we need to churn our thoughts using meditation as the whisk (bilona) and finally get the “butter”, which is a tranquil state of mind, unaffected by all that’s happening around us. Now, don’t ask me how we can do this when we use electric mixer-grinders.
Just bring meditation into your life and the churning thoughts will slowly disappear !
I found a young Dushyant Sridhar explaining Paasuram #7 ten years back in 2012 exactly on this date. Do watch this video if you understand Tamil. He is simply brilliant.
MLV singing Thirupaavai Paasuram #7
Here’s the link to the Mp3 of Paasuram #7 on Wynk – https://wynk.in/u/qCu2nL460.
Our ancestors had such interesting devices for everyday reflection and contemplation !
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
Bindu and Krishnan,
As usual, I only partly understand, but hope I get the gist of what you are saying, that is, appreciate what’s within your awareness, whatever you are doing. I appreciate your efforts to communicate Indian spiritual understanding to Westerners like me. The script, which I can’t read, is beautiful, with all its curliques. It looks so fluid. I also like the cheerful colors of the images you post.
I like Andal. She is significant, being the only woman in a group of masculine figures.
A practical question about milk and milk products, like butter and cheese. How is this reconciled with the spiritual connection of Hindus with cows? Hope my question does not offend.
The script that you like is the Tamil script which is probably the world’s oldest language and my mother tongue.
Katharine – your question is not offensive at all. The cow is considered sacred for thousands of years because it gives milk which is medicinal as well as nutritious. Also for a long time, cows represented wealth. In weddings, the bride would be given several cows as her dowry. We (India) were and still to a large extent are an agrarian economy – so cows and bulls are central to our life. Bulls are still used for preparing the land for sowing. We even have bull races that help the farmer identify the strongest bull etc etc.
In ancient times – deep philosophical concepts were shared using simple stories. The comparison of ocean churning to curds being churned is one such example.
I don’t find much reference to cheese (cottage cheese) in our scriptures because it’s made from split milk or milk that’s spoilt.
Butter is Krishna’s favorite – amongst his thousands of names, he is also called “Maakhan chor” or “butter thief”.
Home churned butter in those times was a balm for burns. Another favorite God of mine Hanuman’s tail was set on fire by the demon King Ravana. Butter was applied to it when he returned. So even today, he is covered in butter on many occasions.
So milk, curd and butter are important – today we struggle to get organic milk without the cow being injected with growth hormones !! It’s just sad.
Hopefully I have explained it in a coherent way. 🤣🤣. Please do ask any questions that come up. Hinduism is all about questioning and everything can be debated. Nothing (including scriptures) is accepted as it is.