AYYE METHA KADINAM - NANDANAR

 PUNNAGAVARALI, NADHANAMAKRIYA, BRINDAVANA SARANGA, SENJURUTI.

Ayye metha kadinam

By

Gopalakrishna Bharathi

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

Ragam Punnagavarali

Thalam Aadhi

(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. It is extremely complex  and on my request  Sri Lakshman  Ragde  sent me its meaning. I tried to understand  it by reading what Sri Lakshman wrote and this is the result. I am also giving the meaning sent by sri Ragde  from rasikas.org below my translation. Millions of thanks to Sri Lakshman Ragde . May God bless him.)

Pallavi

Ayye metha   kadinam , umakku adimai , ayye metha kadinam

Anupallavi

Poyyatha Ponnambalthu ayya irukkumidam,

Naiyantha manitharkku  uyyathu kandu kollum

Charanam

1.Balakrishnan paninthidum seela guru Chidambaram,

Mele vaitha vasayale kalan athru povadendru,

Chathiram nalla kshethiram , sar pathiram,

Jnana nethiram kondu, vasiyale .

Moolakanal vazhiye chuzhandru vara

Pujai panni paninthuttu , Mashara kundaliyai vittu

Aattume, manam moottume  , melottume , vazhi kattume, indha,

Manabhimanam vittu  thanagi ninravarkku ,

Senathipathi pola jnanathipathiyundu

2.Parume, katti karume , ulle cherume, athu porume, ange,

Sangai arave nindru, pongi varum palundu,

Angam ilaipari kondu , thanga bommai polave,

Nillume , yethum chollume , jnanam chollume, yadhum vellume, indha,

3.Attangam panninalum , nettangu panniyathu ,

Kittathu, kitti vara ottathu , muttiyathu,

Payum munai theyume , athu oyume, ulle thoyume, veda,

Manthirathile pottu yendirathile parru nee,

Thanthirahileyum illai , anthathile  ava,

Daname  , athu daname , bala veename , pesaa moname,   antha

4.Muppazhum thandi vandhu , appale nindravarkk ,

Ipparvai kidayathu , appal thiru nadanam,

Aaduvaar, thalam poduvaar , anbar kooduvaar, isai paduvaar, ithaikk,

Kandarum kidayathu , vindarum chonnathillai ,

Andanda kodiyellam  monray chamainthirukkum ,

Allavo  parayan chollavo, ange chellavo. Neram aguthallavo

English translation

Pallavi

Sire , it is very difficult, I am but your slave,

It is very difficult for me to explain

Anupallavi

The place which the unfailing lord of the golden temple lives,

Can be easily  understood by those humans  who are strong.

Charanam

1.The religious books say  that the fear of God of death,

Is not there ,  due the salutation with devotion  that Balakrishnan does,

To  the  most holy  teacher of Chidambaram,

Due to the fact  that  it is a great  temple  and he being a good receiver.

If one sees Him  by his inner eye of wisdom  through the arch surrounding the God,

By the path of primeval fire which surrounds it,

And worship Him and bow to Him , and leaves away the baser instincts,

Which are in  his Kundali,  which will shake him and also surround him like a cloud,

He would leave his  pride and dignity  and stand  firmly,

And he would become a captain of wisdom like a commander in chief.

2.Understand this , protect this truth , assimilate it within yourself , that is all that is sufficient,

All your doubts will then vanish  and by drinking the ebbing milk of understanding,

All your  body and mind  would get relaxed and you would stand like a golden doll,

You will start understanding everything , become wise  and be  a victor over everything.

3.Even if  you undergo great strain by yogic methods , it would go away ,

It Would not be available , would not allow you near it,

And whatever little that touches you  would make the mind blunt,

It would get exhausted  and  would disappear within you,

You would neither get it by recitation of Vedic chants,

Nor would you be able to get it through  Yanthras,

Not even by thanthric practices and in the end ,

All achievements  would be of no use ,

And it Would become your weakness  and  be a useless silence.

4.To those who stand outside crossing the three useless divisions of life,

This vision is not there  for he would dance , keep rhythm by beats ,

Audiences will gather and would  sing songs ,

There are no one who have seen this, and those have felt  have not revealed it,

And there all  crores of universes would have joined together.

Should this be told to you by one belonging to a debased caste.

Sir, the time is getting late, shall I go there.

Meaning of the song as given in rasikas.org

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).