Tevaram readings (was Re: madhura subhASiNI of mAyUram)

[Jean-Luc CHEVILLARD]

On 26th january 1999, N. Ganesan wrote that:

>..........................
>Because of so many parallels, I submit that 'aJcolAL' is the
>old, original name of the Goddess at Maayuuram.
>Mistaking it as 'aJcalAL', it was translated as
>'abhayAmbA'. Note that Goddess is never described
>in Tevaram with the function of giving abhaya/anjal.
>
>In the French Institute of Pondichery, Tevaram edition
>T. V. Gopal Iyer has corrected this to be 'aJcalAL".
>But old Tevaram editions call this term 'aJcolAL'.
>May be the underlying assumption is Sanskrit name ought
>to be correct.

I have submitted Dr Ganesan's remark to TVG
(he is in Pondicherry and he is not online;
it takes time to correspond with him)
and he has made the following comment,
which I reproduce verbatim
(hopefully without typing mistake!)

-- Jean-Luc Chevillard (Paris)

P.S. I simply add as my comment that in Vol.3 of Tevaram
(French Institute of Pondicherry, 68.3, 1991)
the reading aJcolAL is mentionned by TVG
on page 490 (verse 5628).

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Patikams on MayilATutuRai: I-38, III-70, V-39 (Totally 3)

In every patikam, the goddess Umai finds place
in one stanza, with special reference.

I-38-7: aNaGkOTu orupAkam amarntu // iNaGki aruLceytavan2
 "Being united with Umai Civan showers grace on the devotees."

III-70-4: ... taTa mArpu atu iTamAka uRaikin2Ra perumAn2
 "Civan is residing in the chest (mind) of Umai."

V-39-4: veJcin2ak kaTuG kAlan2 viraikilAn2; //
 aJcu iRappum piRappum aRukkal Am //
 maJcan2, mA mayilATutuRai uRai //
 aJcalAL umaipaGkan2, aruLilE.
"By the grace of Civan
who has Umai giving shelter to devotees, as his half,
we can remove our fear about death and birth.
The god of death will not come fast to take away our lives."

aJcolAL is a common attribute to Umai. But in this holy place
she has the speciality of removing the fear of devotees.
So Dr. U.V. Swaminatha Iyer has written in his notes
that aJcalAL will give better meaning. We have taken
that reading. The goddess in MayilATutuRai is being called
as aJcalnAyaki even today.

T.V.Gopal Iyer

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