Thiruvempavai-16

முன் இக்கடலைச் சுருக்கி எழுந்து உடையாள்
என்னத் திகழ்ந்து எம்மை ஆளுடையாள் இட்டிடையின்
மின்னிப் பொலிந்து எம்பிராட்டி திருவடிமேல்
பொன்னஞ் சிலம்பில் சிலம்பித் திருப்புருவம்
என்னச் சிலை குலவி நந்தம்மை ஆளுடையாள்
தன்னிற் பிரிவிலா எங்கோமான் அன்பர்க்கு
முன்னி அவள் நமக்கு முன்சுரக்கும் இன்னருளே
என்னப் பொழியாய் மழையேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

munikkadalai curukki elundu udaiyāl

enna tigalntu emmai āludaiyāl iṭṭidaiyin

minni polindu empirāṭṭi tiruvadimel

ponnañ cilambil cilambi tiruppuruvam

enna cilai kulavi nandammai āludaiyāl

tannir pirivilā eṅkomān anbarkku

munni aval namakku muncurakkum innarule

enna poliyāi malaiyelor empāvāi.

"O cloud, drink water from the ocean and turn dark, dark-hued like our mother Umā. May the lightning shine like Her slender waist who rules us, may the thunder sound like the tinkling sound from Her golden anklets which adorns Her lotus feet, may there be a rainbow which seems as though Her curved eyebrows. Just as She showers Her grace on the lovers of our Lord before Him, who is inseparable from Her and has enchanted us, O Cloud, you too pour down like that."

Here is a comparison between cloud and mother Śakti. When the ladies bathing in the pond see the dark clouds, they think of goddess Pārvatī as she is Megha Śyāmā (Dark as rain bearing clouds). When Pārvatī was born in Auṣadhiprāsta, it rained because the clouds shed tears of joy on seeing the goddess with complexion of the clouds. The lightning resembles Her slim waist, the thunder soumds like Her tinkling anklets and the rainbow appears as Her curved eyebrows. The rain pours down like Devī showering her love on Śiva devotees even before the Lord does. When Kannapa Nayanār was about to pierce His other eye, a hand adorned with bangles emerged out of the Liṅga and stopped Kannapa Nayanār. Vallal Vāriyār Swāmigal says, "Śiva rose up at Kailāśa to stop Tinnanār but our mother Umā reached there before Śiva and caught hold of Tinnanār's hand and stopped Him.". That Śakti is inseparable from Him. Umā is also called as 'Piriyāvidai', which means one who is never separated from Śiva. In Mīnākśi Kalyānotsavam, goddess Mīnākśi comes alone to the manḍapa, whereas Sundareśvara is always accompanied by a goddess. She is Piriyāvidai. First Māngalya dhāranam is done to Her and then Mīnākśi. Mīnakśi is Piriyāvidai herself, no doubt in this. There is no difference in Avatāra and Avatāri. In incarnations like Mīnākśi, Pārvatī, Satī, goddess faced separation from Śiva, it was Her divine play. But she is always beside Him as Piriyāvidai. 

Hara! Hara!

Yours,

Śivapādahṛdaya.