Analysing a Thiruvasagam Quote from OK Kanmani
Yeah, I actually spent 10 whole minutes translating the Thiruvasagam that's quoted in this random scene in OK Kanmani because I wanted a study break. Sue me.
So there's this scene in OK Kanmani where Tara calls Adi for the first time saying, "Tamil kaekkanam pola irundhuthu."
He says, "Uh huh," and she's like, "Avalavu thaan Tamil theriyuma?"
So he's like, "Illa, Thevaram, konjam Thiruvasagam kooda theriyum," and he quotes a hymn from Thiruvasagam:
மாசற்ற சோதி மலர்ந்த மலர்ச்சுடரே
தேசனே தேனா ரமுதே சிவபுரனே
பாசமாம் பற்றறுத்துப் பாரிக்கும் ஆரியனே நேச அருள்புரிந்து நெஞ்சில்வஞ் சங்கெடப்
பேராது நின்ற பெருங்கருணைப் பேராறே
ஆரா அமுதே அளவிலாப் பெம்மானே
ஓராதார் உள்ளத் தொளிக்கும் ஒளியானே
நீராய் உருக்கிஎன் ஆருயிராய் நின்றானே.
Thiruvasagam is basically a bunch of hymns composed in praise of Lord Shiva by Manikkavasagar. I knew Thiruvasagam existed right from when I was a kid who could understand what was going on around her, but I never really explored its verses until I watched this scene (and I'm not embarrassed about that at all, go figure). In case you don't know Tamil and you didn't get the context, the male lead Adi says, "I know a little bit of Thevaram and Thiruvasagam also," showing off his knowledge of the Tamil language (cuz that's hot, okay? Normalize showing off your Tamil knowledge before asking a Tamil girl out). And then he starts saying this.
Translation:
Like a flame flower blooming on a tree of unblemished fire,
The Guru Murti, the rare honey-like nectar, oh Shiva,
The guru who protects us by helping us detach from affection.
Blessing us with love to get rid of the bad qualities in my mind,
Standing anonymously, the one who is a river of kindness,
The nectar that never becomes too sweet, oh infinite Lord,
The light that shines in the mind of the ignorant,
The one who makes my heart melt like water and stands as my precious one.
Damnnnnnn. I've heard my mom say, "திருவாசகத்திற்கு உருகாதோர், ஒரு வாசகத்திற்கும் உருகார்," meaning the heart that doesn't melt for the Thiruvasagam won't melt for anything else. Now I get why. I know all this hyperbole sounds really weird in English, but in Tamil, and I think in most vernacular language, hyperbole of this kind is just absolutely beautiful. So if your heart doesn't melt for this, don't worry. It's probably because my translation skills are poor.
