thiruvAimozhi – 1.3.5 – piNakkaRa aRuvagai

srI:
srImathE satakOpAya nama:
srImathE rAmAnujAya nama:
srImath varavaramunayE nama:

Full series >> First Centum >> Third decad

Previous pAsuram

Introduction for this pAsuram

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction

When there is confusion about his existence, how to establish the truth about him?

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction

In this 5th pAsuram, considering that he is unreachable for the ones desiring to approach him (due to his supremacy), nammAzhwAr instructs everyone to approach emperumAn through bhakthi yOgam as presented by emperumAn himself in srI bhagavath gIthA.

Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction

Subsequently, AzhwAr explains that emperumAn should be approached through bhakthi as explained clearly in srI bhagavath gIthA which was blessed by himself.

Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction

Same as vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction

Highlights from nampiLLai‘s introduction as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai

5th pAsuram. AzhwAr! you said worship emperumAn many times, But what is the method of such worship? AzhwAr replies “Should I explain this separately? bhagavAn himself explained the path of bhakthi in srI bhagavath gIthA. You follow that and approach him”.

pAsuram

piNakkaRa aRuvagaich chamayamum neRi uLLi uraiththa
kaNakkaRu nalaththanan andhamil Adhi am pagavan
vaNakkudaith thavaneRi vazhi ninRu puRaneRi kaLai kattu
uNakkumin pasai aRa avanudai uNarvu koNdu uNarndhE

Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)

aRuvagaich chamayamum piNakku aRa – Removing the confusions which are in the six philosophical systems and eliminating the debate of such philosophers with vaidhikas (the followers of vEdham)
neRi – the path of vEdham
uLLi – analysed
uraiththa – mercifully spoken/explained
kaNakkaRu nalaththanan – unlimited auspicious qualities such as audhArya (generosity), Asritha vAthsalya (motherly forbearance towards the surrendered persons) etc
andhamil – endless
Adhi – eternal since he is the cause of everything
am – hEya prathibatan (rivalling all inauspicious aspects)
pagavan – bhagavAn who is the abode of auspicious qualities such as gyAnam, sakthi etc
vaNakku – nama: etc (worshipping)
udai – having
thava neRi vazhi – bhakthi mArgam (path of bhakthi)
ninRu – being stable
puRa neRi – giving up useless paths as explained in muNdaka upanishath “anyA vAchO vimunchatha” (give up talking about the other aspects)
kaLai – weed
kattu – removing
avanudai – in his matters
uNarvu koNdu – through bhakthi rUpa gyAnam (knowledge matured into devotion)
uNarndhu – having seen
pasai – attachment due to vAsanA (impressions)
aRa – to remove
uNakkumin – eliminate it

Simple transalation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)

bhagavAn who is eternal (being the cause), who is endless, who is filled with auspicious qualities such as audhAryam, Asritha-vAthsalyam etc., who is rivalling all inauspicious qualities, analysed the vEdham and compassionately eliminated the confusions which existed between avaidhikas (followers of six philosophical systems mainly) and vaidhikas.  Being situated in such bhakthi yOgam explained in srI bhagavath gIthA, understanding the glorious aspects of bhagavAn, giving up attachments to other paths which are like weeds, giving up focus on everything other than emperumAn, with the help of devotion towards him and seeing him, one should eliminate such attachments fully.

vyAkyAnams (commentaries)

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s vyAkyAnam

To eliminate the confusion between the unfavourable persons who follow the six philosophies and the favourable ones who follow vEdham, he [bhagavAn] himself who is omniscient naturally, yet analyzed thoroughly and presented in srI bhagavath gIthA that

• he (bhagavAn) is the object of all of vEdham
• the vEdham is blemishless due to its being not created by any one and
• these six philosophies which speak contrary to vEdham are not authoritative source of information

So, giving up attachments to worldly pleasures, through bhakthi yOgam, approach bhagavAn who compassionately revealed the important principles of vEdham. How to give up worldly pleasures? Contemplate on the most auspicious qualities of bhagavAn which are explained in gIthA and after understanding his glories, give up the attachment to worldly pleasures which are insignificant.

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s vyAkyAnam

Similar to nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam.

Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s vyAkyAnam

Similar to nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam.

Highlights from nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai

• piNakkaRa aRuvagaich chamayamum – In the arumpadham, the six systems are listed as sAkya (baudhdha), ulUkya (vaisEshika), akshapAdha (naiyyAyika), kshapaNaka (jaina), kapila (sAnkya), pathanjali (yOga)
• neRi uLLi uraiththa – Just like someone who does not have full understanding will analyse it thoroughly and explain, emperumAn too analysed the subject matter of vEdham deeply and then explained. Even though he can explain it instantaneously, out of great attachment towards the well-being of arjuna, if he says quickly, someone may complain that “krishNa explained the principles quickly without thinking through”. To avoid such fault-finding by others, he analysed it thoroughly and explained the same.
• kaNakkaRu nalaththanan – It can be said as – He has unlimited auspicious qualities or he has unlimited attachment towards arjuna (and his devotees). No one requested him to explain these principles – it was out of motherly affection that he revealed these important principles.
• andhamil – endless. When someone says something just out of love/attachment, would that be true/beneficial? He is endless. Only when there is binding of karmA through birth/death, there is expansion/contraction of gyAnam (knowledge). Since, he is endless, he is akarmavasyan (not controlled by karmA).
• am pagavan –  The word bhagavAn truly rests on srIman nArAyaNan only. It is attributed on persons who have some minor glories (brahmA, vyAsa bhagavAn, vAlmIki bhagavAn et al) – those are just for praising such qualities as explained in srI vishNu purANam 6.5.77 “anyathra hyupachAratha:” (In case of others such as dhEvas et al the term ‘bhagavAn‘ is used as ceremonial glorification).
• am pagavan vaNakkudaith thavaneRi vazhininRu – This bhakthi yOgam explained by bhagavAn in gIthA is most enjoyable since bhakthi is focussed on glorifying bhagavAn’s auspicious qualities. Just as how materialists [those who are not devoted to emperumAn] would enjoy embracing a woman (being fully immersed in it), devotees would enjoy glorifying bhagavAn’s qualities. Here, AzhwAr uses “vaNakkudai” since krishNa said in srI bhagavath gIthA 9.34 “mAm namaskuru” (offer obeisances to me). AzhwAr indicates bhakthi through the word “thava” (thapas) since
  • bhakthi is a special state of gyAnam.
  • It is also based on muNdaka upanishath 1.1.10 “yasya gyAnamayam thapa:” (brahmam’s thapas/sankalpam is filled with gyAnam) – gyAnam and thapas are thus related.
  • It is also based on bhagavAn considering such devotee’s prEma (devotion) itself as thapasya (austerity).
• puRa neRi kaLai kattu – Eliminating other aspects. In case of neRi being considered as bhakthi, one should eliminate all desires which are aimed at achieving something other than kainkaryam. In case of neRi being considered as prapaththi, all other upAyams should be eliminated.
• uNakkumin pasaiyaRa – give up such attachments with ruchi (taste) and vAsanA (impressions).
• avanudai uNarvu koNdu uNarndhu – How to give up such attachments?
  • Through gaining knowledge on him, or
  • Through knowledge explained by him, or
  • Through the path of devotion, or
  • Through holding on to the principle explained by him in charama slOkam.

In the next article we will the next pAsuram.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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