Meaning for ayyE mettakaDinam

[Lakshman]

Someone has put in a request for this. Thanks.

ayyE mettakkaDinam. rAgA: punnAgavarALi. Adi tALA.

P: ayyE mettakkaDinam umakkaDimai ayyE mettakkaDinam
A: poyyAda ponnambalattaiyA-yirukkumiDam
naiyAda manidarkku uyyAdu kaNDu koLLum
C1: bAlakrSNan paNindiDum shIla guru cidambaram mElE
vaitta AshaiyAlE kAlanaTrup-pOvadenru sAttiram nalla
kShettiram sad-pAttiram jnAna nEttiram
koNDu vAshiyAlE mUlakkanal vIshiyE shuzhanru varap-pUjai paNNIp-paNindiDu
mAsharak-kuNDaliyai viTTu manamUTTumE mElOTTumE vazhi kATTumE inda
mAnAbhimAnam viTTu tAnAgi ninravarkku sEnAdhipati pOlE jnAnAdhipatiyuNDu
2: pArumE kaTTikkArumE uLLE sErumE adu pUrumE angE sangaiyaravE
ninru pongi varum pAluNDu angam iLaippArikkONDu tanga bommai pOlavE
nillumE Edum sollumE jnAnam sollumE yAdum vellumE inda
3: aTTAngam paNNinAlum neTTAngu paNNiyadu kiTTAdu kiTTI
varavoTTAdu muTTiyadu pAyumE munai tEyumE adu vOyumE uLLE tOyumE
vEda mantirttilE pOTTu yantirattilE pArkkum tantirattilEyum illai andarattilE
avadAnamE adu dAnamE balahInamE pEsA mOnamE anda
4: muppzhum tANDi vandu appAlE ninravarkku ipparvai kiDaiyAdu tiru
naTanam AduvAr tALam pODUvAr anbar kUDuvAr ishai pADuvAr idai
kaNDArum kiDaiyAdu viNDArum sonnadillai ANDANDa kOTiyellAm onrAi
samaindirukkum allavO paraiyan sollavO angE shellavO nEramAgudallavO

[smala]

Sounds beautiful - the translation below from old rasikas, courtesy mahakavi.

[GKB, with the Nandanar Charitram compositions, has an exclusive thread under Vaggeyakaras]



This song (ayyE mettak kaDinam) is constructed with so much alliteration and complex construction and it is very difficult to give ordinary meaning. Besides, there is so much philosophical overtone/undertone imbedded that it requires a vEdic scholar to interpret all the essence contained here. I am only giving some superficial gist and even that may be riddled with errors. So bear with me.

This song is the reply given by nandanAr to his landlord when the latter, recognizing the great devotion of nandanAr, asks him to teach the secret of attaining Godhead. nandanAr replies thus:

P: Oh, my master, it is very difficult. I am your slave, and it is very difficult for me to explain.
A: The presence of the all-pervasive, and unfailing Lord of the golden hall can be understood by ( and obvious to) those who have a strong devotion. (naiyAda manidar= those who are not weak)
C1: Balakrishnan (GKB's mudra) loves the supreme lord of Cidambaram. Because of that love there is no fear of death (kAlan=agent of death, yaman). That is the general dictum. Cidambaram is a great place and a fitting one at that. If one uses the eye of wisdom (jnAna nEtram) the image of the Lord with the scorching flame (around the arch; vAsi= ornamental arch over the idol) will manifest itself and if you worship Him, the kuNDali (the mystic circle in the interior of the underbelly??) will enhance your standing and show the path to salvation. When one renounces pride/dignity and material attachment to people and things (mAnAbhimAnam) then they will attain superior status.

C2: You please hold on to such truth. Then it will blend with you and that is enough. Then all your doubts/fears (sangai) will disappear. Consuming such milk (of worship) your bodily fatigue will disappear and the body will become like a golden doll (tanga bommai). That will confer you the required wisdom which can conquer everything.

C3: Even if one uses all his intelligence and resources at his disposal one may not attain godhead. All such efforts may only go to waste. One may not get it through recital of mandrams and the utilization of crafty strategies. Any achievement (avadAnam) is only abortive (not consummated). It is just a weakness. Even if one crossed all the three divisions (in life) of ethics, riches, and love one may not visualize the Lord. He dances, He keeps the rhythm, His devotees gather and sing. Nobody has seen such an occurrence (kaNDArum kiDiyAdu) and those who dissected (viNDAr) all this have not told others. It is all one enormous conglomerate. Should I, a lowly creature, explain this to you? Shall I go there (to Cidambaram), it is getting late.

That is the essence (perhaps vastly deficient in translation) of what nandan tells his landlord. Basically he tells the landlord it is difficult to explain devotion and one has to experience it internally. And then he seeks the permission of the vEdiyar to go to Cidambaram (which has been on his mind for a long time).

Last edited by mahakavi (2007-06-06 19:24)

[Lakshman]

It is one of the songs from Nandanar caritram by Gopalakrishna Bharati.

[smala]

Thanks, Lakshman-ji, I have edited the previous post and added the meaning.

[Lakshman]

Thanks shyama-priya for digging up the meaning.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

mahakavi! excellent!!