Paati's Thaalaatu

When we were children (I wish I were remained a child! :D), we would fall asleep listening to the melodious voice of our Paati (grandma) and sometimes Amma. The song that is sure to make us drop into deep slumber was 'Mannu Puhazh Kausalai Than..' I miss those carefree days.

It was a lullaby(thaalatu) sung (in his PerumaaL thirumozhi) for Lord Sri Rama by Sri Kulasekara Alwar (more details here).

mannupukazh kowsalaithan maNivayiRu vaaytthavanE

thennilangai kOnmudikaL sinthuviththaai semponsEr

kanni nan maamadhiL pudaisoozh kaNapuraththen karumaNiyE

yennudaiya innamudhE iraaghavanE thaalElO

Oh Rama! The One who took birth as the darling son of eternally fortunate and famous Kowsalya! The one who shattered the heads of the strong king of lanka,

in the south! The One who shows Himself so gracefully in the divya desam of

ThirukkaNNapuram divya desam surrounded by tall, beautiful and strong

ramparts studded with gold! The apple of my eye! My sweetest nectar like

Lord! Sri Raamaa! Lullaby to You.

My Paati would often replace the word Raaghavane (in the last line of the verse above) with my name and sing it. It would feel so personal as though she is singing just for me. And she would be singing just for me! :D

I wish to record this song in her voice... I do not know when I will get to meet her. Sometimes life changes so much that you can't help being lonely and longing for our closed ones. Even a far-off friend can make us feel so warm and yet a person right next to us may make us feel very distant.

I would not want to continue in these lines else this post would lose its meaning.


Courtesy: http://ahobilavalli.org/perumal_thirumozhi.pdf