Meaning of nI manamirangi varNam of ANDavan pitchchai

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 01 Aug 2006, 03:55

Rasikapriya,
OK: this has officially become a treatise! But, you asked for it...so here goes........

padArtha, vAkyArtha and some legends for sanchArIs thrown in for good measure!

nI manamirangi (varNa). rAgA: latAngi. Adi tALA. Composer: ANDavan piccai.

P:
nI = you
maramirangi = taking pity on me
vandaruLvAi = (will come) and grance me
nIla = blue
mayil = peacock
vAhananE = one who's vehicle is

Oh murugA who rides a blue peacock! Will you not take pity on me and shower your grace on me?

A:
kAmanai = cupid/manmathan/madanan/anangan
eritta = (one who) burnt
shivanAr = shivA
muDal = this should either be mudal = first, or mUnrAm = third
kaNNil = (from) the eye
uditta = (one who) arose
shivasSaNmukhanE = six-faced murugA

Oh Six-faced god, you arose from the third eye of Shiva - the same eye that burnt Cupid to ashes.

C1:
ura = uram= valorous
mighum = full of
sUranai = the demon sUrapadman
irukkUrAkki = Arasi HELP
sEvalum = rooster
mayilumAi = and peacock
urumara = changing shape
vEl = spear
eDuttAi = (you) bore
surar = (of) God's - sp. indra
maghal = magaL = daughter
orupAl = on one side
kura = gypsy
magaL = daughter
orupAl = on the other side
maruviDum = Arasi, HELP
azhaganai = handsome one
malai = mountain
magaL = daughter
maganE = son (of)

You took/bore your weapon, the spear, to subdue the valorous demon sUrapadman, and splitting him into 2, you transformed the pieces into a rooster and a peacock respectively. Oh son of pArvatI (malai magaL)! You exist with dEvasEnA (surar magaL) and vaLLI (kura magaL) on either side of you.

The legend is that the gods and the 3 worlds were terrorized by sUrapadman, a very brave and valorous demon - SP, who imprisoned the gods. The gods sought the help of brahma, who advised them that the son born to Siva and pAravtI would be the one to kill the demon - indrA, who wanted immediate relief discovered that Siva was deep in penance after the self-immolation of satI/dAkshAyaNI. dAkshAyaNi was reborn to the king of mountains, himavAn and his wife, mEna as the beautiful umA/gaurI - drawn to Siva, she undertakes to serve him as he meditates in a grove near her father's palace - the impatient indrA, to hurry things along, asks manmatha - the god of love - to shoot his panchabANa [arrow with 5 flowers of spring and love] between them as umA is serving Siva...when manmatha does this, shiva opens his eyes and is tempted by the vision of beauty in front of him - but at the same time, he realizes the reason for this alteration in his state of consciousness, and burns manmatha to ashes by invoking the fire from his third eye - hence, Siva becomes kAmAri or panchabANAri - and disappears leaving behind a disappointed umA, and a disconsolate ratI - manmatha's wife. The latter is pacified by a heavenly voice which assures her that shiva will wed umA and, on that day, manmatha will come back to life. umA now performs arduous penance to win shivA's respect and love, and when she succeeds, the result is divine matrimony - umA pariNayam - on day of which manamatha is restored to ratI - but since his body was burnt, he was invisible to all but her - and therefore, because he has no body or limbs, he became 'ananga' and ratI became 'anangE' - and even as shivA and umA are united, indrA visits shivA and asks for his help with SP - shivA supposedly gives him his 'seed' from his third eye, which is so hot, that indrA drops it into the nearby gangA - as a result of which 6 baby boys appear - 6 kritika-damsels who were swimming/bathing in the gangA discover these babies and claim them as theirs (hence, muruga is aka kArtikEya) gangA claims that the children are hers, because they appeared on her waters. As gangA and the kritikA damsels argue over who the children belong to, along comes pArvatI - the mother of the entire universe, who embraces all of them and makes them into one little boy - her son - muruga - the handsome one, he with the 6 faces - SaNmukha. When muruga grows up, he is given the stewardship of the army of the gods - and he defeats SP - in that battle, he splits SP into 2, and converts the repentant SP into a rooster and a peacock and grants SP his last wish to keep him close - so he takes the rooster into his flag - hence, muruga is aka 'SEval koDiyAn' - one with a rooster in his flag/banner, and adopts the peacock as his vehicle - after this war, he accepts indrA's daughter's hand in marriage - dEvasEnA - so he becomes dEvasEnApatI because of this and the fact that he is chief of the army of the gods - dEva sEnA. Much later, after a dalliance with vaLLI, the adopted daughter of nambirAjan - a gypsy chieftan, he marries her.

C2:
pArvatikk-isaindu = appreciated/desired by pArvati
kAvaDigaL = kAvaDi
koDum = tough/hard/painful
kAvaDI = kAvaDi
ATTattil = the game of
nATTam = I think this means 'excel' - Arasi HELP!
koNDavA = one who holds
mUvaDi = 3 steps
maN = earth
kETTu = (having) asked for
mUvulagam = 3 worlds
aLanda = (one who) measured
mukundanin = mukundan's
maruganE = nephew
murugOnE = Oh Handsome one
sEvaDi = foot (usually the right)
tUkki = elevated/lifted off the ground
ninrADum = dancing
paramanukku = Shiva
guru = teacher
vaDivAi = (in the) form of
pOr = Arasi HELP - pOr AFAIK is war
poruL = essence of
uraittAr = one who enunciated
tiruvaDigaL = holy feet
kAnum = to see
vaghai = means
ariyAdu = unaware
pADi = singing
mayangi = intoxicated
tEDi = searching
alainda = wandering
en = me/I
mun = in front of
nIla = blue
mayil = peacock
vAhananE = one who'se vehicle is
muruganin (THIS HAS TO BE mukundanin = vishNu's)
marugOnE = nephew
(madhyamakAlam)
vElanE = the one who wields a spear
deivAnai = dEvasEna
maruvum = appreciates
guNashIlanE = of exemplary habits

Oh! Handsome one! the nephew of that vishNu (who as vAmanA asked bali chakravarti for land big enough to hold 3 of his foot-lengths, and assumed a gigantic form to cover the earth and the heavens with 2 foot-lengths, and placed the third of balI's head)! You excelled in dancing the kAvaDI that was appreciated by your mother pArvati. By enunciating the essence of the praNava to your father, you became his guru (the legend here is: brahma had forgotten the meaning of the praNava and murugan, annoyed with him, imprisons him...when shiva comes to intercede on brahmA's behalf, murugan asks shiva for the answer: when shiva pleads ignorance, the young muruga climbs up onto his dad's lap and whispers the answer into his ears - thereby assuming the form of swAminAthan in swAmimalai - one the 6 holy shrines for muruga). Now, please appear before me, riding your blue peacock, for while I sing and dance your praises in a trance, I am unaware on how to attain your feet....
Oh Wielder of the mighty spear, the one whom dEvasEna holds in such high regard....

Ravi

rasikapriya21 · Post by **rasikapriya21** » 01 Aug 2006, 05:18

[quote=""rshankar""]Rasikapriya,
OK: this has officially become a treatise! ..

It has indeed ! I am speechless, grateful beyond words for the
extensive translation you have kindly provided.
THANK YOU !!
rasikapriya21

kmrasika · Post by **kmrasika** » 01 Aug 2006, 07:45

Just decided to take a look at this section today and came across this post. I have to admit, rshankar Sir, your translations are eloquent and replete with b/g so even the uninitiated could grasp the background of the song. Keep up the good work and if you do come across the notation for this piece in the future, pls do email me a copy.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 01 Aug 2006, 08:27

Ravi, you deserve a medal of honor for your treatise. You sweat over this long piece, and here I am, lazily looking over it. Actually, I started on the translation myself, and got busy during the weekend. I had only half done it when you posted the treatise. I am not as good as you are in substantiating the translation with legends and such. You are a trooper.

corrections:

the title says manamirangi, but the pallavi says maramirangi--typo (not clmbing down a tree, if it were iRangi!)

iru+kUru (you have said it too, later)--rending him into two pieces
typos in kuRa and magaL
maruviDum--embracing or here, seated between
isaindu--having complied
nATTam--inclination koNDavA--one who has
poR poruL? then it is--golden meaning--or, pOr besides war is a hole or cave. You may have a legend ready which might explain to us as to how he came o be called Guha!
Once again, kudos, Ravi.

rasikapriya, you are lucky!

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 01 Aug 2006, 08:43

kmrasika: thanks...

arasi wrote:

the title says manamirangi, but the pallavi says maramirangi--typo (not clmbing down a tree, if it were iRangi!)

Arasi,
LOL!
maramiRangi vandu yamakku vAyu puttirar allavO aruLvAr?
avarum anda madiazhaganin amSam tAn allavO?

Maybe that was the connection between the mayilERum and maramERum perumAL!

BTW, that endorsement from you - vasiSTar vAyAla brahmariSi mAdiri! Thanks...

And since all of my knowledge of tamizh comes from 'kELvi gyAnam', I am clueless when the 'r' sound should be written as 'r' and when it should be 'R'. On the sangeetham BB mayilERum perumAn (you know who) would get very particular about that!

Ravi

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 01 Aug 2006, 09:05

Ravi, kavi,
Madi--madiyum kuralum enalAmO?

Now, before anyone calls my bluff,
ingEyum kELvi nyAnam thAn.
athilum purANakathaiyEthum
umaippOl kathaikkath theriyAthu...

rasikapriya21 · Post by **rasikapriya21** » 08 Aug 2006, 03:33

In the CD I have there are more charanas, which come right after the madhyamakala sahitya :

1: AdhAram enru unnai nambinEn

2: nI kaNava poruL nI jnAna pazham nI karuNai kaDal nI panniru kai

3: vElA vidhiyil nidhi aDuttu padam tA tA taNikai malai vAzhum
gurunAtha amarar tozhum kamala malar pAdA ADimaiyin mEl vAdA

4: sEyA shivan tanakku mEyA ninaippavarkku mAyA
gAna kura maghaL mun Una kizha vaDivaL tEnum tinai mAvum kAvenru vikki ninru
Anai mukhattan Vara ArumukhattuDanE vAnavargaL magizha vaLLiyin mEl
kAlam mighundu kamazh mOna tughil padindu kura maghaLai magizhndaNaittu maNam purinda

I was wondering whether PG has choreographed and perfomed all the charanas or if the dance
version only consists of the first half up to the madhyamakala sahitya ? Maybe Ravi could help ?

thank you
rasikapriya21

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 08 Aug 2006, 04:22

Rasikapriya,
I will check the DVD when I get a chance (it will later this week)...
Ravi

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 10 Aug 2006, 18:29

Rasikapriya,
I checked the DVD. The lines you posted are part of the uttarAnga of the varNam - starting from vElanE deivAnai maruvum lOlanE.
I will try to write down the words as I listen as soon as I can.
FYI: PG has used the bIjAkshara mantram 'Om sharavaNa bhava' to choreograph some of the jatIs - absolutely beautiful - using the mayura hasta - and so totally keeping with the mood.
In PGs intro, she mentions that the saint poetess ANDavan pitccai composed these verses in free flowing format and it was daughter who put them into the padavarNam format. Meena, any info on this mother daughter duo? (my rather rudimentary searching skills proved unequal to the task).
Ravi

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 10 Aug 2006, 21:18

Ravi,
ANDAvan picchi (one crazy about God) as I knew her in my younger days or ANDavan picchai (alms of God) as she is mentioned here is one of those unforgettable women I have known in my childhood and a little later in my youth for a short period in Madurai when she came to stay with one of her sons--a physician. Her daughter-in-law was a good friend and senior at school. I do not know about her daughter's contribution to her songs. I lost touch with the family when I moved to England in the early sixties. I am not surprised that her daughter has worked on her songs because AnDAvan Picchi's brothers were notable writers in tamizh. tA.nA. KumarasAmi and SenApathi. I have heard that her niece(?) in NJ is a singer and composer. I will try and locate her (I have been meaning to, for a while). Years ago I wrote a little piece on Ambujam KrishNA and ANDAvan picchi in the CMANA magazine...

meena · Post by **meena** » 10 Aug 2006, 23:21

shankar/arasi

andavan pichai granddaughter -Preeti Vinayak Shah is a dancer.(she runs a dance academy)
'Andavan Pichai Bhajana Mandali' in chennai is run by APichi daughter- one kamakshi

there is no info abt kamakshi or mom/daughter duo.

here is a article abt APichai/works:
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1 ... 5-04.shtml

arasi wrote:

Years ago I wrote a little piece on Ambujam KrishNA and ANDAvan picchi in the CMANA magazine..

can u direct us to ur articles link.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 10 Aug 2006, 23:31

arasi
Are you talking about 'kunkumapoTTu kumArasvAmy'? Is he alive?

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 11 Aug 2006, 00:39

meena wrote:here is a article abt APichai/works:
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1 ... 5-04.shtml

Thanks Meena: that brought goosebumps....
And I feel very humbled at our attempts to translate her offerings....

meena wrote:arasi wrote:
Years ago I wrote a little piece on Ambujam KrishNA and ANDAvan picchi in the CMANA magazine..
can u direct us to ur articles link.

I second that request, Arasi...and to think you knew her..wow!
Ravi

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 11 Aug 2006, 04:34

I read the article you have posted Meena, and you can imagine how I reacted. I only knew her in my very young days and she has remained unobliterated in my mind. In spite of the domestic surroundings I had seen her in, something about her touched me in a way that in one of my stories, she appeared as a character.
It is really like knowing Joan of Arc in her early days before she attained sainthood, I feel. She was very fond of me, always offered me a cup of coffee and something to eat, and that smile...
How many jigsaw pieces you need to make a life portrait! Mine are in no way as dramatic as I lost contact with the family after I went to live abroad. Still, I hope you find this humbler perspective worthy of your memory scrap book.
Meena, this dino is not a sophisticate when it comes to computerese--sometimes I feel like nandan singing 'varugalAmO, IT sthalangaLE'. I have not filed it away. I will type the little essay here...

rasikapriya21 · Post by **rasikapriya21** » 11 Aug 2006, 04:40

Thank you Ravi for checking out the DVD and bringing to our attention the relation between the composer and the daugther. I would like to thank everyone for the interesting contributions posted
It is nice to discover that there are people here who can provide us with direct accounts of their experience with artists of such calibre.
regards
r.

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 11 Aug 2006, 04:49

An awe-inspiring story of a blessed lady. What else can I say but quote tyAgrAja-

endarO mahAnubhAvulu andariki vandanamulu.

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 11 Aug 2006, 04:56

Has the composer herselff set the music for her kRtis? Can we get to hear some fo her composition? If anyone has, please post.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 11 Aug 2006, 05:01

One of the many pieces she is supposed to have composed (it has been also been used as a varNam(?) or padam) is along the lines of OVK's 'illai illai illai ammA' in mOhanam, where krishNA refutes the charges of the gOpIs who have accused him of all sorts of crimes...I remember asking Lji for it once, a long time ago. If anyone has this, PLEASE share!
Ravi

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 11 Aug 2006, 05:10

SANGEETHAM Vol. 13, No. 1 Spring 1995 CMANA

Divinity in Verse: A Gift or Talent?

By 'aruL pADi'

When the editor spoke to me on the theme of the present issue of Sangeetham, I was excited. Spiritual longing of creative souls is a recurring theme in literature,
music and the arts. It is a main feature of human expression through the ages.
Is divinity in verse a gift or talent? Is music inherited or is it nurtured? Or is it a combination of both? Uma Roy had some interesting thoughts on the subject and she went on to mention that she was featuring women composers in Sangeetham, including articles about Ambujam Krishna and Andavan Picchi. What a coincidence! I had known both these women.
I had met Andavan Picchi a few times in my younger days (her daughter-in-law was my schoolmate and friend). Our meetings were memorable. Her inner light shone on her face, defying her simple attire and unadorned self. Her few words were filled with kindness. I never forgot the story I heard of her while she stayed in Hrishikesh. She had gone on a pilgrimage (quest?) with just one set of extra clothes and while washing her sari in the river Ganga, she lost it to the flow.
She spent the rest of her sojourn bathing (and also washing the one sari she had on) letting the sun and wind dry it while she wore it. I have not forgotten her, though I have lost touch with her family.

The rest of it is about Ambujam Krishna.
There were typos in the original which I have corrected.

meena · Post by **meena** » 11 Aug 2006, 05:14

wow, touched/fed.

odd in this day and age, i could not find any pic of Apichai

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 11 Aug 2006, 05:21

In the same issue is an article by Padma Srinivasan and Gayatri Sriram. Is it possible for someone to bring it to the forum? If not, I will type it. According to the article, Padma Srinivasan has family connections.

meena · Post by **meena** » 11 Aug 2006, 05:26

here's a padam in begada composed by her:

http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/D4O ... As1NMvHdW/

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 11 Aug 2006, 05:30

cml,
Did he have a kumkuma poTTU? Mmm, don't remember it that much. Strangely, I hadn't connected them with her until the family told me, knowing my literary leanings. Kumarasami often wrote for kalaimagaL and didn't SenApathi write for children?

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 11 Aug 2006, 07:53

Rasikapriya,
Here is the uttarAnga of the treatise..oops, padavarNam...
The corrected lyrics...suggestions welcome....

vElanE deivAnai maruvum guNashIlanE

taruNam idu dayai puriya

AdhAram nI yenru unnai nambinEn, vElanE....

nI praNava poruL
nI gnyAna pazham
nI karuNai kaDal
nI pannirukkai, nI vElanE....

vEdA! vidhiyin midi aDittu padam tA tA
taNigai malai vAzhum gurunAthA
amarar tOzhum kamala malar pAdA
aDimai yen mEl vAdA? vElanE....

shEyA shivan tanakku
nEyA ninaippavarkku
mAyA gAna kura magaL mun
Una kizha vaDivAy
tEnum tiNaimAvum tA venru vikki ninru
Anai mug(kh)attAn vara Arumug(kh)attuDanE
vAnavargaL magizha, vaLLiyin mEl kAdal migundu
avaL mauna kuripparindu
kura magaLai magizhndu aNaittu maNam purinda vElanE....

Ravi

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 11 Aug 2006, 08:32

un kizha vadivAy?? un=your in your old man's guise

though ANaiththu and aNaindu mean the same,
kuRa magaLai 'magizhndu aNaindu' sounds better together...

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 11 Aug 2006, 09:09

Meaning:
vElanE = the god bearing the lance, murugA
deivAnai = dEvasEnA, indrA's daughter
maruvum = (one who is) embraced by
guNashIlanE = repository of all virtues
taruNam = apt time
idu = this (is)
dayai = (your) mercy
puriya = to shower (on)
AdhAram = basis
nI = you
yenru = are
unnai = you
nambinEn = (I) believed (in you) ll

Oh Lord that wields the lance, is the repository of all virtues, and is the one embraced by dEvasEna, it is time you showered your merciful blessings on me! I believe that you are the basis of everything in this world.

nI = you are
praNava poruL = the essence of the praNava (you are the OmkAra)
nI gnyAna pazham = the fruit of knowledge
nI karuNai kaDal = repository of compassion/mercy
nI pannirukkai, = one with 12 arms/hands nI vElanE....

Oh Muruga! you are the essence of the praNava (the OmkAra). Attaining you is like partaking of the fruit of knowledge. Oh Lord with the twelve arms, you are the ever merciful repository of compassion.

praNava poruL or essence of praNava is what muruga instructed his father on...
When pArvatI merged the six baby boys into one, he became murugA, he of the 6 faces (shaNmukhA = shaD = 6, and mukha = face), and 12 arms/hands/upper extremities.

vEdA! = I think this means the 'essence of the vedAs' (Arasi comments please

vidhiyin = fate
midi = steps (of)
aDittu = beat (them down)
padam = (your lotus like) feet
tA tA = please grant me
taNigai = tiruttaNi
malai = mount/hillock
vAzhum = residing
gurunAthA = supreme/leader among gurUs or instructors
amarar = gods
tOzhum = (one who they) pray to
kamala = lotus-like
malar = flower
pAdA = (one with) feet (like)
aDimai = slave
yen = me
mEl = on
vAdA? = a fight with me?/something against me? vElanE....

Oh murugA, even if I am not fated to be united with you, please squash that and grant me your feet. Oh Lord ot tiruttaNi, even the gods pray at your lotus-like feet. Why are you not granting me this favor? Do you have a fight with me, or do you have something against me?

tiruttaNi - one of the 6 holy temples for murugA - the place where he is supposed to have married vaLLI - a very big temple and a popular place for weddings to be conducted in TN. In contrast, the place where he's supposed to have married dEvasEnA is very small in comparison - in a place called pazham-udir-shOlai (a grove filled with trees bearing ripe fruits) and the temple itself is called shOlai malai maNDapam.

shEyA = son
shivan = shiva
tanakku = of (of him)
nEyA = loving friend
ninaippavarkku = (to) those who meditate on you
mAyA gAna = intoxicating songstress
kura = gypsy
magaL = daughter
mun = in front of
Una = bent
kizha = old man/mendicant
vaDivAy = in the form of
tEnum = honey
tiNaimAvum = a paste made from maize
tA = give (me) - asking for
venru = as if
vikki = hiccuping
ninru = (you) stood
Anai = elephant
mug(kh)attAn = faced person
vara = having come
Arumug(kh)attuDanE = with 6 faces
vAnavargaL = gods
magizha = (to their) enjoyment
vaLLiyin mEl = on vaLLI
kAdal = love
migundu = overflowing
avaL = her
mauna = silent/unexpressed by words
kuripparindu = kurippu + arindu = aim + haing understood
kura magaLai = daughter of the gypsy king
magizhndu = with happiness
aNaittu = having embraced
maNam purinda = (one who) married her vElanE....

You are a son to shivA, and a loving protector to your devotees. Assuming the form of a feeble, bent old mendicant, you stood before vaLLI (she of the honeyed speech) asking for some honey and maize paste. And when your brother, the elephant-faced one appeared on the scene, you assumed your original form with 6 faces (and 12 arms) and to the delight of the gods, embraced and married vaLLI realizing her (unexpressed) love and devotion for you.

In brief, the legend of vaLLi vivAham (I think the details are in the thread on the valachi padavarNam of subbudu - annamE) involves muruga presenting himself as an old man to the fearless vaLLI who is guarding her tribe's fields from birds. He asks for honey and maize paste, and starts to hiccup - when she gives him some water, he tries to grab her hand, and asks her is she'd marry him. vaLLi laughs at the proposal because of the implied may-december mismatch, as well as the fact that she has lost her heart to muruga. He threatens her with various fearsome beasts of the forrest, but she is unafraid. He then asks her what she'd do if there was an elephant nearby, and she starts to quake with fear...seeing a chink in her armor, he invokes his brother, the elephant-faced ganEsha, who comes as an elephant, and vaLLi flings herself into the old man's arms...who then reveals his real form, and marries her. That is why MD refers to gaNESa as 'vaLLI vivAha kAraNa'.

Ravi

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 11 Aug 2006, 17:06

You can hear some of her other compositions, sung by Sudha Raghunathan, at:
http://www.udbhava.com/udbhava/songs.jsp?id=300
The songs are: kAl mAri ADiya, kAkkavenrO kAlai tUkki and pittan enrAlum avan.

rasikapriya21 · Post by **rasikapriya21** » 11 Aug 2006, 20:53

Ravi: MANY THANKS for providing the corrected lyrics of the uttaranga.
Thanks also to Arasi for the corrections and Meena for the interesting links..
I shall look myself for compositions by ANDavan pitchchai and share them here
regards
rasikapriya

rasikapriya21 · Post by **rasikapriya21** » 11 Aug 2006, 21:05

Ravi: I had overlooked the second page of this thread and failed to notice that you had also posted the translation for the uttaranga... I am most grateful for all the help you have provided
MANY THANKS
rasikapriya

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 11 Aug 2006, 21:51

Rasikapriya, you are welcome!
But thanks as due to you for introducing all of us to this saint-poetess and her soul-stirring lyrics. It was nice to deal with a padavarNam suffused with such intense bhaktI for a change. It did become a labor of love.
Ravi

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 07 Jan 2007, 08:36

>>In contrast, the place where he's supposed to have married dEvasEnA is very small in comparison - in a place called pazham-udir-shOlai (a grove filled with trees bearing ripe fruits) and the temple itself is called shOlai malai maNDapam.<<

Well, pazhmudirccOlai is the place where Lord Murugan teased auvvaiyAr asking her whether she wants a "hot fruit or cold fruit" (suTTa pazham vENDumA, suDAta pazham vENDumA?). Even today there is a tree there with a tag saying that is where the encounter between Lord Murugan and auvvaiyAr took place.

The wedding between Lord Murugan and Devayanai took place in tirupparankunRam, in the suburbs of Madurai and not far from pazhamudirccOlai.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 07 Jan 2007, 10:02

Is that really you, sub--mayilERum perumAn? Welcome!

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 07 Jan 2007, 19:42

Yes, arasi. Glad to be here in the company of cherished old friends.
Nice epithet you are giving me!
Subramanian