Melt me and fill me – Andal’s Nachiyar Thirumozhi 10.8

By far one of the best love and philosophical poem, I have read in Tamil. It is a surprise to me it matches Sangam love poems but surpasses them here by it deep philosophy. This poem took my 3 days after I had been done with my word to word translation. (It takes usually 5-10 mins to come up with final translation after I am done with my word to word translation). This poem has layers, each passing day I was realizing a new meaning to the poem. Plain vanilla translation would neither emphasize the philosophy of the poem nor the intended meaning of the poem.

Lets look at the poem from Naachiyar Thirumozhi first.

மழையே மழையே மண் புறம் பூசி உள்ளாய் நின்று

மெழுகு ஊற்றினாற் போல் ஊற்று நல் வேங்கடத்து உள் நின்ற

அழகப்பிரானார் தம்மை என் நெஞ்சத்து அகப்படத்

தழுவ நின்று என்னைத் ததைத்துக்கொண்டு ஊற்றவும் வல்லையே?

Plain translation without understanding the lost wax method would be as translated by Archana Venkatesan in her book Secret Garland

Rain, O rain! Rain down on Vēṅkaṭam

where my beautiful lord lives

like hot wax poured into a clay mold.

Show him how to enter my heart and melt me.

Make him caress me and hold me tight

so that my beautiful lord lodges in my heart.

Can you rain down in this way?

Here the translator has taken meaning of ‘ஊற்றினாற்’ as pouring in. Hence she has assumed the clay mould wax is poured to make final sculpture.

But when you assume the true meaning of ஊற்றினாற், which means to pour out. Wax pours out is what is written in the poem. This method is called the lost wax method.

As illustrated in the image above Lost wax method was made popular during Pallava , Chola age in Tamil Nadu and still the tradition continues. Now that we understand the lost wax method , the below translation would be more true to the essence of the poem.

Oh rain! You fall on Venkatam mountain

Where my handsome lord stands,

Can you make him

fill my heart while it melts away on

His touches and tight embraces

Like the wax which makes way for bronze

After its surface is covered with clay

Poet: Andal

Translated by Palaniappan Vairam Sarathy

Now lets jump into the philosophy of the poem:

There are two levels of philosophy in the poem

1. Physical
2. Spiritual

Physical Philosophy:

Touches, embraces and passion are compared to the mud layers on the wax. It is necessary for love but it doesn’t stop there, it is just arrangement to go into next step of filling the heart with love, affection and memories. Physical love is just a prelude to the emotional love. Once emotional love is set, you are liberated from physical love just like the mold which broken once the bronze cools to become a statue.

Spiritual philosophy:

Human self compared to Wax statue both are perishable and of lower value. All the rituals and religious ceremonies are the mold which help us lose our impure self and let the god flow through us. Once you have let the god reside in your, you are liberated from the mold namely rituals and ceremonies as the God lives inside you and has transformed you already like the transformation from Wax model to Bronze statue.

Note: It is pretty sad to know that Bronze Andal statue used in the image is auctioned oversees.

---

Reference:

The Secret Garland – Archana Venkatesan

Andal’s Thiruppavai and Nachiyar Thirumozhi – Salem B.Anbarasu

 

On Lost wax method – https://www.lotussculpture.com/bronze_sculpture_bronze_casting.html

 

---

மழையே மழையே மண் புறம் பூசி உள்ளாய் நின்று

Rain – Rain – sand – outside – spread – inside – stand

மெழுகு ஊற்றினாற் போல் ஊற்று நல் வேங்கடத்து உள் நின்ற

Wax – pour out – alike – pour out – good – Venkatam – inside – stand

அழகப்பிரானார் தம்மை என் நெஞ்சத்து அகப்படத்

Beautiful – lord – himself – my – heart –fill

தழுவ நின்று என்னைத் ததைத்துக்கொண்டு ஊற்றவும் வல்லையே?

Carass – stand – myself – embrace tight – pour – capable?