Composition by Mari Muthu Pillai

Classical Dance forms & related music
Post Reply
laya2
Posts: 310
Joined: 05 Dec 2009, 03:39

Composition by Mari Muthu Pillai

Post by laya2 »

Hi

I know that this song was previously discussed. But I am sorry, I was not able to understand the part that I have mentioned below. Can somebody give me detailed information on this part please.

This is a song by MariMuthu Pillai. The song is "Eduku Ithanai Modi dhan"


pENNai = A woman (pArvati)
pAdi uDambAkki = making (Akki) (her) into one half (pAdi) of your body (uDambu)
kaLLum = alcohol (specifically, moonshine)
SumandiTTa = one who carried it/bore it on your back (a menial task)
paraiyan enrEnO = Did I call you a parayan (an individual from a low caste who performed menial tasks - dalit/harijan)


Did I call you a menial for carting caskets of moonshine on your back, with a woman in one half of your body?

thank you.

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Composition by Mari Muthu Pillai

Post by rshankar »

I do not understand your question very well, but here is my attempt....hope this is what you are looking for

I think you have extracted this from this page.

If we look at this in context, this is how it goes from the pallavi - anupallavi - first caraNam (from which this segment is extracted)...


pallavi
Edukkittanai mODi tAn umakku endan mIdayyA?

The pallavi starts with a question - mODi can mean arrogance, or discord, or a display of grandeur. Here I think it means unwarranted display of grandeur/arrogance/displeasure
The composer (or the nAyika) asks: "Why (Edukku) is there such (an excessive) amount (ittanai) grandeur/arrogance/displeasure (mODi tAn) (from) you (umakku) towards (mIdu) me (endan), my Lord (ayyA)?"

anupallavi
pAdip-piraiyai shaDaiyiTraritta paramE tillaip-pati naTEsarE

In the anupallavi, the identity of the Lord is revealed as: "Oh Supreme Lord (paramanE), Oh naTESarE/naTarAjA, of the city (pati) of cidambaram (tillai), bearing (dharitta) the crescent/half (pAdi) moon (piRaiyai) in your matted locks (SaDaiyil)!"

caraNam 1
jAdiyum tAyum tagappanum illAda taniyEnrEnO?
peNNAip-pAdi uDambAkkik-kaLLum shumandiTTa paraiyanenrEnO?
jAti bhEdamAip-piLLaikkuk-kuravar vITTirp-peN koNDIrenrEnO?
maraiyOdi vaNangum naTEsarE ummai nAn oppArumillAda tappiliyenrEnO?

In this caraNam, the composer (or the nAyikA) gives possibles reasons for the Lord to feel slighted OR be angry, and asks a series of questions: "Did I call you/say that you were (enREnO):
1) a loner/non-conformist (taniyan) without (illAda) a mother (tAyum) or a father (tagappanum), or even a clan/caste (jAdiyum) (to belong to)?
2) a low-caste person (paRaiyan) who made/converted (Akki) one half (pAdi) of his body (uDambu) into a woman (peNNAi) [1], and (like a beast) bore (SumandiTTa) burdens, including toddy (kaLLum) [2]?
3) a person who accepted (koNDIr) a girl (peN) from the home/dynasty (vITTir) of gypsies (kuRavar) for your son (piLLaikku) (as your daughter-in-law) with a difference (bhEdamAi) of caste (jAdi) [3]?
Oh naTarAja (naTESarE), who is declared as Supreme (Odi) and revered/worshiped (vaNangum) by the vEdas (maRai), did I (nAn) ever call (enREnO) you (ummai) a rogue (tappili) without (illAda) equal (oppAram)?

[1] Refers to Siva becoming ardhanAri
[2] Refers to the story of Siva, pArvati, and nandi taking the form of a low-caste laborer family - with Siva appearing to be drunk, and carrying a container with toddy, to test Adi Sankara
[3] Refers to the story of vaLLi kalyANam

laya2
Posts: 310
Joined: 05 Dec 2009, 03:39

Re: Composition by Mari Muthu Pillai

Post by laya2 »

Thank you very much.

Rajani
Posts: 1193
Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 19:52

Re: Composition by Mari Muthu Pillai

Post by Rajani »

I think the toddy-carrying refers to the incident in Somaasi-maara Naayanar. Please refer to the lives of the 63 Nayanmars for details.

Post Reply