Lyrics and meaning needed for 'piLLai prAyattilE'
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rshankar
- Posts: 13754
- Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26
Moving on to the malaimagaL - in another composition, he refers to her as 'malaiyilE tAn pirandAL, shankarai mAlai iTTAL, ulaiyilE Udi ulaga kanal vaLarppAL'. But here, this is what he says:
8: pinnOr = pin + oru = one/once (oru) a little while later (pin)
irAvinilE = in the night
karum = dark complexioned (a person with a dark complexion)
peNmai azhagonru = a (ondru) feminine (peNmai) beauty (azhagu) - essence of feminine beauty
vandadu kaN munbu = appeared (vandadu) before (munbu) my eyes (kaN)
kanni vaDivamenrE = in the form of (vaDivam) of a maiden (kanni) - while kanni means virginal maiden, I think it could probably mean 'pure and pristine' here.
kaLi kaNDu = seeing (kaNDu) her dance/play (kaLi) - the tendency to see the actions of the gods as 'divine games' - tiruviLaiyADal - seems to run through literature, and in this play, we are all but mere sUtradhArIs/pAtradhArIs - and even God is refered to as the (kapaTa) nATaka sUtradhArI in some instances.
shaTrE arugil shenru pArkkaiyil = Moving (shenru) a little (shatrE) closer (arugil), (as I) get a better look (pArkkaiyil)
annai vaDivamaDA ivaL Adi parAshakti dEviyaDA = (I realise) that she (ivaL) is none other than the manifestation (vaDivam) of the divine mother (annai), the all-powerful shakti (Adi parAshakti), the power behind/inherent in everything, from a tiny sub-atomic particle to the entire universe
ivaL innaruL vENDumaDA = (We) need (vENDum) her (ivaL) bountiful favor and grace (innaruL)
pinnar = after (obtaining) which (pinnar)
yAvumulagil = everything/anything (yAvum) in this world (ulagil)
vashappaTTu-pOmaDA = will come under (pOmaDA = pOgumaDA) our command (vashpaTTu)
In this verse and the next, the poet describes his encounters with the malaimagaL. He says: after meeting with the alaimagaL, and enjoying her kaTAkSam, however indirectly, he comes across a manifestation of pure, and pristine feminine beauty. Thinking that her antics were those of a beautiful maiden he approaches her. However, as he nears her, he realizes that this is no helpless beauty, but, the all-powerful kALI, the divine mother! He seeks her blessings, because he knows that with her by his side, everything the world offers will be his for the asking/taking.
To me, if the tone of first 4 verses (ode to saraswatI) had the brazen eagerness of a child/adolescent/nascent adult, and the next 3 (ode to lakshmI) were more like the dalliance of a young man that matures into friendship, the tone of the last 2 verses appears positively reverential.
It is very interesting to me to note that Bharati's mental image of parAshakti is not the 'ponnAr meniyan mEl anbu konDa maragadavallI (green hued)', but of the dark, brooding, and most importantly, powerful kALI - the force inherent in/behind everything: from the smallest sub-atomic partcile to the universe as a whole - this may be because of his ardent desire that mother India assume a more powerful form, and cease to be a powerless vassal nation. He could also be referring to the plight of women in India, and empowering/urging them to cast off the shackles of eons of oppression and assume the form of a potent womanhood.
Sub,
I have tried to address the seemingly paradoxical reference to a virginal beauty (kanni) and the mother immediately thereafter...but I find such refernces elsewhere too - Adi shankara in the mInAkshi panchakam refers to her as 'SrImad shaNmukha vighnarAja jananI, SrImad jaganmOhinI' - once again, the maternal manifestation juxtaposed with bedazzling beauty (associated with a young maiden, presumably, a kannika).
As always, comments/corrections/alternate interprettations welcome!
I plan on finishing the last verse tomorrow (friday).
Ravi
8: pinnOr = pin + oru = one/once (oru) a little while later (pin)
irAvinilE = in the night
karum = dark complexioned (a person with a dark complexion)
peNmai azhagonru = a (ondru) feminine (peNmai) beauty (azhagu) - essence of feminine beauty
vandadu kaN munbu = appeared (vandadu) before (munbu) my eyes (kaN)
kanni vaDivamenrE = in the form of (vaDivam) of a maiden (kanni) - while kanni means virginal maiden, I think it could probably mean 'pure and pristine' here.
kaLi kaNDu = seeing (kaNDu) her dance/play (kaLi) - the tendency to see the actions of the gods as 'divine games' - tiruviLaiyADal - seems to run through literature, and in this play, we are all but mere sUtradhArIs/pAtradhArIs - and even God is refered to as the (kapaTa) nATaka sUtradhArI in some instances.
shaTrE arugil shenru pArkkaiyil = Moving (shenru) a little (shatrE) closer (arugil), (as I) get a better look (pArkkaiyil)
annai vaDivamaDA ivaL Adi parAshakti dEviyaDA = (I realise) that she (ivaL) is none other than the manifestation (vaDivam) of the divine mother (annai), the all-powerful shakti (Adi parAshakti), the power behind/inherent in everything, from a tiny sub-atomic particle to the entire universe
ivaL innaruL vENDumaDA = (We) need (vENDum) her (ivaL) bountiful favor and grace (innaruL)
pinnar = after (obtaining) which (pinnar)
yAvumulagil = everything/anything (yAvum) in this world (ulagil)
vashappaTTu-pOmaDA = will come under (pOmaDA = pOgumaDA) our command (vashpaTTu)
In this verse and the next, the poet describes his encounters with the malaimagaL. He says: after meeting with the alaimagaL, and enjoying her kaTAkSam, however indirectly, he comes across a manifestation of pure, and pristine feminine beauty. Thinking that her antics were those of a beautiful maiden he approaches her. However, as he nears her, he realizes that this is no helpless beauty, but, the all-powerful kALI, the divine mother! He seeks her blessings, because he knows that with her by his side, everything the world offers will be his for the asking/taking.
To me, if the tone of first 4 verses (ode to saraswatI) had the brazen eagerness of a child/adolescent/nascent adult, and the next 3 (ode to lakshmI) were more like the dalliance of a young man that matures into friendship, the tone of the last 2 verses appears positively reverential.
It is very interesting to me to note that Bharati's mental image of parAshakti is not the 'ponnAr meniyan mEl anbu konDa maragadavallI (green hued)', but of the dark, brooding, and most importantly, powerful kALI - the force inherent in/behind everything: from the smallest sub-atomic partcile to the universe as a whole - this may be because of his ardent desire that mother India assume a more powerful form, and cease to be a powerless vassal nation. He could also be referring to the plight of women in India, and empowering/urging them to cast off the shackles of eons of oppression and assume the form of a potent womanhood.
Sub,
I have tried to address the seemingly paradoxical reference to a virginal beauty (kanni) and the mother immediately thereafter...but I find such refernces elsewhere too - Adi shankara in the mInAkshi panchakam refers to her as 'SrImad shaNmukha vighnarAja jananI, SrImad jaganmOhinI' - once again, the maternal manifestation juxtaposed with bedazzling beauty (associated with a young maiden, presumably, a kannika).
As always, comments/corrections/alternate interprettations welcome!
I plan on finishing the last verse tomorrow (friday).
Ravi
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vgvindan
- Posts: 1430
- Joined: 13 Aug 2006, 10:51
If seen in the light of Bharati's songs on 'kaNNan' as Friend, Mother, Father, Servant, King, Disciple, Preceptor, Child, Lover (Male), Lover (Female), Ruler and Family Deity, there is no paradox. Love is a single emotion for which we give different names and attach different values.seemingly paradoxical reference
எல்லா உணர்வுகளும் ஒன்றாதலுணர்க - வசனக் கவிதைகள் - முதற்கிளை - இன்பம் - 5.
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mahakavi
As I mentioned elsewhere in this forum, Bharathi can hold seemingly contradictory views simultaneously which can be justified from different angles. It is the mark of a seasoned intellectual.
Examples:
raudram pazhagu (cultivate anger) vesus sinam koLvAr tamaittAmE thIyArc cuTTuc cettiDuvAr oppAr (those who get angry are like those who immolate themselves to death). He means sensible anger in the first case and senseless anger in the second.
uyir nanRu (life is good) versus sAdal inidu (death is sweet)
Then he will go on to sing "sAgA varamaruLvAy rAmA.."
One can never stop admiring this great soul!
Examples:
raudram pazhagu (cultivate anger) vesus sinam koLvAr tamaittAmE thIyArc cuTTuc cettiDuvAr oppAr (those who get angry are like those who immolate themselves to death). He means sensible anger in the first case and senseless anger in the second.
uyir nanRu (life is good) versus sAdal inidu (death is sweet)
Then he will go on to sing "sAgA varamaruLvAy rAmA.."
One can never stop admiring this great soul!
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rshankar
- Posts: 13754
- Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26
So, here is the concluding verse:
Thanks to Arasi and Sub for corrections, encouragement and inspiration!
9: shelvangaL pongivarum = riches (shelvangaL) will pour forth (pongivarum)
nalla teLLaRiveydi = (you will be blessed with) clear and unclouded (nalla) intellect (teLLarivu)
nalam pala shArndiDum = many (pala) virtues/advantages/fortunes (nalam) will seek us/come to us (SArndiDum)
allum paghalum = day (pagalum) and night (allum)
ingE ivai attanai kOTip-poruLinuLLE ninru = Inside all of these (ivai) countless/crores of (kOTi) objects (poruLinullE) that exist here (ingE ninru)
villai ashaippavaLai = she who moves (aSaippavaLai) the bow (villai)
inda vElaiyanaittaiyum sheyyum vinaicciyai = the power/SaktI (vinaicci) that performs (Seyyum) all of these acts (vElai annaittayum)
tollai tavirppavaLai = (and she who) prevents (tavirppavaLai) minor and major irritations/nuisance (tollai)
nittam tOttiram pADit-tozhudiDuvOMaDA = Let us sing (pADi) her praises (tOttiram) and pray to her/serve her (tozhudiDuvOm) daily.
Bharati concludes these verses by urging his fellow men to join him and spend their lives singing the praises of the SaktI that makes everything possible in this universe - the power that moves every object, and indeed fate itself (niyati naTI). Because, once we immerse oursleves in Her, every wealth and virtue known to man will seek us, and become ours for the asking.
So I guess what the king of poets says is that one can flirt to one's heart's content with muses and wealth, and other ephemeral pleasures, but unless one surrenders oneself to the SaktI, one cannot hope to realize lasting wealth, splendour, name/fame, and happiness...or as they say, 'vidyAm, Sriyam, vimala soukhyam, ananta kIrtim'!
And as Kannadasan picturesquely said, if 'Sakti illAda Sivan sanyAsa kAvi', then the plight of us mere mortals and this universe without the blessings and grace of the supreme Adi parASakti would be pitiable indeed!
'nilaiyil uyarttiDuvAL, mElE avaL pAdam
talaiyilE tUkki, dharaNimiSai vAzhvOmE'
Ravi
Thanks to Arasi and Sub for corrections, encouragement and inspiration!
9: shelvangaL pongivarum = riches (shelvangaL) will pour forth (pongivarum)
nalla teLLaRiveydi = (you will be blessed with) clear and unclouded (nalla) intellect (teLLarivu)
nalam pala shArndiDum = many (pala) virtues/advantages/fortunes (nalam) will seek us/come to us (SArndiDum)
allum paghalum = day (pagalum) and night (allum)
ingE ivai attanai kOTip-poruLinuLLE ninru = Inside all of these (ivai) countless/crores of (kOTi) objects (poruLinullE) that exist here (ingE ninru)
villai ashaippavaLai = she who moves (aSaippavaLai) the bow (villai)
inda vElaiyanaittaiyum sheyyum vinaicciyai = the power/SaktI (vinaicci) that performs (Seyyum) all of these acts (vElai annaittayum)
tollai tavirppavaLai = (and she who) prevents (tavirppavaLai) minor and major irritations/nuisance (tollai)
nittam tOttiram pADit-tozhudiDuvOMaDA = Let us sing (pADi) her praises (tOttiram) and pray to her/serve her (tozhudiDuvOm) daily.
Bharati concludes these verses by urging his fellow men to join him and spend their lives singing the praises of the SaktI that makes everything possible in this universe - the power that moves every object, and indeed fate itself (niyati naTI). Because, once we immerse oursleves in Her, every wealth and virtue known to man will seek us, and become ours for the asking.
So I guess what the king of poets says is that one can flirt to one's heart's content with muses and wealth, and other ephemeral pleasures, but unless one surrenders oneself to the SaktI, one cannot hope to realize lasting wealth, splendour, name/fame, and happiness...or as they say, 'vidyAm, Sriyam, vimala soukhyam, ananta kIrtim'!
And as Kannadasan picturesquely said, if 'Sakti illAda Sivan sanyAsa kAvi', then the plight of us mere mortals and this universe without the blessings and grace of the supreme Adi parASakti would be pitiable indeed!
'nilaiyil uyarttiDuvAL, mElE avaL pAdam
talaiyilE tUkki, dharaNimiSai vAzhvOmE'
Ravi