Aandaal’s Tiruppaavai-III

AANDAAL’S TIRUPPAAVAI-III
(“The Resplendent Resolution”)

The Traditional Story of Godaa’s Life

Translated by
Prof. WILLIAM JACKSON
Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, U. S. A.
(Continued from the previous number)

[Readers, please note

“Aandaal’s Tiruppavai” by Prof. William Jackson is being published in Triveni in three parts beginning with Jan-March 1989 number. Part I contains the Introduction. Part II (April-June 1989) contains songs 1 to 14. Unfortunately the song numbers were not given by oversight. We, therefore, request our readers to note as follows in Part II – ­On page 18, song 1 begins with the first line. Song 2 from line 8, song 3 from 15; song 4 from 25; song 5 on page 19 from line 6; song 6 from 15; song 7 from 24; song 8 from 33; song 9 from 40; on page 20 song 10 begins from line 3; song 11 from 11; song 12 from 19; song 13 from 27; and song 14 from line 36.

We crave the indulgence of our readers for the inconvenience caused.
–EDITOR]

15
–You little parrot! I can’t believe you’re still dozing!
–Don’t be so rough; be nice to me, girl, I’m coming.
–Sure, we know all about your clever talk of waking us up first. How can you say such things? Is that your only line?
–If you say so. And if you think so, well, leave me be.
–No, come on out, why hang all by your lonesome?
–Well is everyone else there?
–That’s right, come on, count us yourself. We sing the glories of the conqueror of elephants, Kuvalaya, the brave
Lord who finishes off the foe. God is Mystery! Join the Ions, come along!

16
Dear gatekeeper of Nandagopalam, chief of leaders, Dear keeper of the gate where banners and leaf-wreathes wave! Unlock the jewel-inlaid door fixed with bells: Let us poor little milkmaidens receive the fine sounding drum from the Mysterious one. The Lord with the emerald body gave his word-just yesterday–that we could be with him. Heart-purely we have come and we sing these soothing songs to him–Dear Sir, don’t say no before we’ve even finished! Kindly unlock this gate–come on, sing along with this loving song!

17
Good day, Sri Nandagopala, generous giver of clothes, water and grain to the needy! Good day, mother Yasoda, lady tender as the leaf of fresh new vines, glowing light of the Yadava clan! Good day! O Vishnu, you grew so high you split the skies to measure the world! Rise, king of the angels! Arise, sleep no more, Baladeva, lord of abundance! Along with your brother, come on, get up, and join us in our song!

18
O daughter-in-law of Nandagopal who has the power to subdue unruly arrogant elephants, Lady named Napinnai, with flowing fragrant tresses, come, unlock the door for us. The roosters out here are cock-a-doodle-dooing everywhere, the cuckoos on the madhavi vines which climb the trees are koohooing ... You hold our world’s fate in the palm of your hand like a toy ball­–Come, sing your darling’s name and open up this door with your lotus hands with the bangles jingling away – join us in blissfulness, sing this hymn, come along and join our love song.

19
Lord, you’re rising from your slumber on the quintuple cushions of the ivory-legged couch, under the radiant lamp, rising from your rest on the breast of Napinnai, whose hair is blossom-fragrant. Broad-chested Lord, speak to us. Dark-eyed, wide-eyed lady, won’t you let your lover leave, embracing life to life with him even though it is so late .... you’re no credit to your gender acting this way; is it fair? Come along, sing this song of the love celebration.

20
Lord of play and good cheer, you go forth to calm the fear and trembling of the thirty-three kinds of godly beings; arise! O compassionate and valiant one, who plants fear of God in ignorant souls! Noble - minded one! rise from your bed! Napinnai, O Krishna’s wife, you are Lakshmi, all - knowing! With your soft golden swelling breasts and your red lips and your little belly, rise from sleep, give us the fan and the mirror – ­right now, here, come and join us and sing our song of love, come along.

21
Son of Nanda, with a treasure of cattle which gush forth milk incessantly, filling jugs to overflowing, Friendly Lord, Light which has dawned in this world, Arise from slumber. We’ve come to praise and worship you Creator, Protector. Unity behind the many, the Vedas fail to express you. As your foes on losing their powers in your presence fall before you, so we face you now, and fall at your feet. Here at your door we sing out this hymn of love in celebration.

22
We are like deposed rulers from vast lovely lands, having lost their place, approaching you and laying their once-proud heads at your feet. If you just open your eyelids a little – like the slit in the bells adorning ankles, like the newly opened lotuses–then as with the rising of the son and moon, all our dark errors will disappear dewlike as we sing this song of love together....

23
And as the majestic Lion of power, hiving slept in the cavern while it rained, arises and wide-eyed glances around sharply, his royal mane ruffled up, then shakes his body and stretches and then goes out – may you too come on out, with a resonant roar. You flower, with the color of a flower, come from your temple and sit on your glorious throne, and ask us why we’ve come to you, ah singing this long of love in celebration, and grant us our wish.

24
O so holy, this foot of yours which meted out the cosmos. O so holy, your arm which overpowered all Sri Lanka. O so holy, your fame in terminating the wheel demon with a mere kick! O so holy, the poise of the stance with which you slew two ogres by throwing one at the other! O so holy, your greatness which lifted the hill on your pinkie to stop the rains. O so holy the spear that downed the foes .... So we praise your valiant acts again and again, we’ve come to serve you, we’ve come for your grace, singing songs of love.

25
You were born to one woman, but that very same night you were brought to another, who took care of you. Unknown in that home you destroyed those who came to destroy you. O fire in the heart of ill-willed Kamsa, your uncle. O compas­sionate Lord! We have approached you to plead with you – if it pleases you give us what we need; we want to join Lakshmi, we want to serve her. So we sing your praises to ease this pain of coming to you to be joyous with you–sing along this celebra­tion song.

26
Sapphire-hued compassionate Lord, listen to our needs, which are traditional requirements: O Margali month bather, in your goodness give to us your Pancajanyamconch shell, milky colored and fine sounding, which lends shivers of thrill over the world, and scares foes and give other conches too, bestow nice clothes to wear and a good broad drums to thump; bless us with fancy lights, give us flapping banners and a canopy, O subtlest sleeper on the primeval banian leaf, kindly join us and sing this love hymn now.

27
Charming Govioda, winsome winner over foes, we go on singing to you, asking for gifts, gifts all the world would prize. Give us bangles, armlets, earrings and jingling ankle rings, lots of these jewels to wear as we praise you, and satinny silk to wear as well.

Then altogether we’ll delight in consecrated rice pudding with milk and abundant ghee, so much it will flow down our elbows as we eat, and we’ll all be in overflowing euphoria – come and sing my song of holy love!

28
Following to the forest the moseying cattle who graze as they go, we shall spend the day picnicking there. What stupendous grace–we’ve been born as simple cow-tenders the people among whom you have come and lived! O Lord, free from desires, our bonds of love can never be snipped, either by you or by us! We are unlearned country girls. We’ve called to you with the little name Govinda, full of love for you–don’t be put off by us. Master! Give us all the things we need for a life of love in you–a fine tambourine of song! and join in singing this sweet song.

29
Now that you know the reason we’ve come here in the early dawn to serve you and be at your feet now that you know of our hymns to you who have come among us as a cowherd lad of the clans that pasture grazing cattle, you have to accept our service which come straight from our hearts and minds. O Govinda! We are here with you not just for what we need (parai)but to taste your love forever and always, in all seven life forms (gods, men, beasts, birds, reptiles, waterlife, vegetables) you may in no way refuse our service (Kainkaryam) at your feet–it’s our only way to you, so join in our song of love come along!

30
Those Gopikas, adorned so prettily joined the party of devotees and sang out their hearts to Krishna and received what they needed for their rites, received from Madhava Keshava, who churned the ocean, whose face is like tile moon in radiance Jasmine-bosomed Andal. The daughter of Bhattar who fashioned the cool lotus garlands to ornament the Lord, has sung these thirty hymns with other devotees as a garland. Those who join and chant them all receive the grace of tile mountain-tall, great-­shouldered Lord of the worlds with his consort Lakshmi, and they shall abide blissfully in his presence.

FINISH