thiruvAimozhi – 1.4.11 – aLavu iyanRa

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

Full series >> First Centum >> Fourth decad

Introduction for this pAsuram

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction

No specific introduction.

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction

In the end, AzhwAr says those who learned this thiruvAimozhi (padhigam/decad) will get the unlimited wealth of the liberated souls in paramapadham.

Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction

Subsequently, AzhwAr says that the result of this thiruvAimozhi is the wealth and enjoyment of liberation.

Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction

Similar to nanjIyar‘s introduction.

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

In the end, AzhwAr says that just by reciting the pAsurams in this thiruvAimozhi (padhigam/decad), one will reach paramapadham.

pAsuram

அளவு இயன்ற ஏழுலகத்தவர் பெருமான் கண்ணனை
வள வயல் சூழ் வான் குருகுற்ச சடகோபன் வாய்ந்து உரைத்த
அளவு இயன்ற அந்தாதி ஆயிரத்துள் இப்பத்தின்
வள உரையால் பேரால் ஆகும் வான் ஓங்கு பெரு வளமே

aLavu iyanRa Ezhulagaththavar perumAn kaNNanai
vaLa vayal sUzh vaN kurugUrch chatakOpan vAyndhu uraiththa
aLavu iyanRa andhAdhi AyiraththuL ippaththin
vaLa vuraiyAl peRal Agum vAn Ongu peru vaLamE

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

aLavu – boundary
iyanRa – crossed/beyond
Ezhu – seven types of
ulagaththavar – chEthanas (sentients) who are residents of world
perumAn – one who is glorified as the master
kaNNanai – krishNa (who is easily approachable by his devotees)
vaLam – abundant/rich
vayal – fertile fields
sUzh – surrounded by
vaN – beautiful
kurugUr – controller of AzhwArthirunagari
satakOpan – nammAzhwAr
vAyndhu – approached (with gyAnam (knowledge) and prEmam (devotion))
uraiththa – mercifully spoken by
aLavu – in pramANams (which are decorated properly in poetic metrics)
iyanRa – being present
andhAdhi – in andhAdhi type of poem (last word/letter of one pAsuram remains consistent with the first word/letter of the next pAsuram)
Ayiraththu – in the thousand pAsurams
uL – those which reveal AzhwAr‘s bhAva (mood) and bandha (relationship)
ippaththin – of these 10 pAsurams
vaLam – sweet
uraiyAl – words alone
vAn – in paramapadham
Ongu – lofty
peru vaLam – kainkarya sAmrAjyam (the kingdom of servitude)
peRalAm – can be achieved

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

nammAzhwAr, who is the controller of beautiful AzhwArthirunagari which is surrounded with fertile fields, approached and mercifully spoke about kaNNan emperumAn who is the master of chEthanas who are the residents of the seven types of worlds in these 1000 pAsurams of thiruvAimozhi in andhAdhi style. For those who recite this padhigam (decad – 10 pAsurams) which reveals AzhwAr‘s devotional mood and relationship with emperumAn, lofty wealth of kainkaryam in parampadham is achievable.

“aLavu iyanRa” (crossing the boundaries) is attributed to kaNNan emperumAn who crossed the limits in mixing with his devotees. It can also be attributed to the thiruvAimozhi itself which has unlimited glories.

vyAkyAnams (commentaries)

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s vyAkyAnam

Similar to vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s translation.

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s vyAkyAnam

See nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam.

Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s vyAkyAnam

See nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam.

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

aLaviyanRa – “viyandha” has become “viyanRa”. viyaththal means kadaththal (crossing) which means beyond measurement. bhagavAn is “aparichchEdhya mahiman” (one with unlimited glories). This indicates that he is filled with auspicious qualities such as gyAnam etc to bless us.
Ezhulagaththavar perumAn – Being the master of everyone without giving up his nArAyaNathvam (being the protector of everyone). AzhwAr too is inside the 7 worlds – thus indicating his own dependence on him.
kaNNanai – One who freely mixed with his devotees – thus eliminating the defect of not showing mercy. As AzhwAr greatly desired to enjoy krishNa in “paththudai adiyavar“, he sends a messenger – so when emperumAn becomes visible to him now, he says its krishNa. From this, we can understand that emperumAn‘s mEnmai (greatness) and saulabhyam (easy approachability) got established after showing mercy to AzhwAr.
vaLAvayal – rich fields. Jut as it is said in srI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 127.17 and 127.18 “akAlapaliNO vrukshA:…” (srI rAma requests bharadhwAja rishi – Oh bharadhwAja bhagavAn! When we reach ayOdhya, on our way, let the trees blossom even during non-season and give us fruits and honey-giving-flowers).
vAyndhu uraiththa – Reciting in great suffering/pain in separation.
aLavu iyanRa andhAdhi – Since the pAsurams talk about emperumAn who has unlimited glories, the pAsurams too have unlimited glories.
vAnOngu peru vaLam peRalAm – Just like milk (which is tasty) itself is medicine for certain diseases, this pAsuram (which is sweet) leads to paramapadham. By reciting these pAsurams without any expectation, one can give up the limited state in this material realm, reach paramapadham, attain real inherent nature of jIvAthmA and enjoy endless pleasure of servitude to emperumAn.

Two summaries given by nampiLLai in the end.

First summary – explaining the message in each pAsuram:

In the first pAsuram, parAngusa nAyagi sends a nArai (crane) as messenger to emperumAn.
In the second pAsuram, she teaches to some cuckoos as to what to say when they go to him.
In the third pAsuram, she requests some swans to go and tell him “my sins are endless (may be that is holding you up)”.
In the fourth pAsuram, she asks some love birds, “would you go and inform him about my state or not?”.
In the fifth pAsuram, she tells some herons “Tell him to preserve his nArAyaNathvam (by protecting me also)”.
In the sixth pAsuram, she tells a bumble bee “you go and tell him to take a stroll in my street so we can sustain ourselves and his nArAyaNathvam can be preserved”.
In the seventh pAsuram, she speaks to a parrot “Ask him if he will just look only at my defects. Ask him to look at his aparAdha sahathvam (quality of forgiving defects) also”.
In the eighth pAsuram, she speaks to a pUvai which becomes exhausted seeing her exhaustion “I am going to die soon; you go and seek out someone who can protect you”
In the ninth pAsuram, she tells the cool wind “When you go and inform my suffering to him and if he rejects me, you return to put me to my end”.
In the tenth pAsuram, she sends her mind/heart to him telling “Don’t leave him until our desire is fulfilled”.
In the end, he declares the result for those who recited this padhigam and completes the padhigam.

Second summary – explaining the attributes of gataka (AchArya) as seen in the pAsurams:

In the first pAsuram, AzhwAr explains the greatness of AchArya’s knowledge.
In the second pAsuram, he explains that the AchArya speaks sweet language.
In the third pAsuram, he says AchArya is sAra asAra vivEkagya (one who can intelligently distinguish between essence and residue).
In the fourth pAsuram, he recollects AchArya’s beautiful form.
In the fifth pAsuram, he explains that AchArya is so pure that he will have patience to attain the desired goal.
In the sixth pAsuram, he explains that AchArya only enjoys bhagavAn; his form is beautiful, he is also merciful and grave.
In the seventh pAsuram, he explains that though the AchArya may be all-knowing, he would not say something which is not heard from his AchAryas. Thus AchArya’s trustworthiness is established.
In the eighth pAsuram, he says that taking care of AchArya’s bodily needs is the most important spiritual duty of the sishya.
In the ninth pAsuram, he explains that relationship with AchArya is the only thing that sustains the sishya.
In the tenth pAsuram, he explains that anything other than AchArya sambandham is an impediment for the sishya’s sustenance.
Thus, the sishya being situated in the manner explained in each pAsuram in relationship with AchArya and serving such AchArya, his desire in kainkaryam to bhagavAn becomes nurtured and will reach emperumAn in paramapadham.

Thus ends the English translation for thiruvAimozhi 1st centum 4th decad.

AzhwAr thiruvadigaLE charaNam
emperumAnAr thiruvadigaLE charaNam
piLLAn thiruvadigaLE charaNam
nanjIyar thiruvadigaLE charaNam
nampiLLai thiruvadigaLE charaNam
vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai thiruvadigaLE charaNam
periyavAchchAn piLLai thiruvadigaLE charaNam
vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar thiruvadigaLE charaNam
jIyar thiruvadigaLE charaNam

In the next article we will see the next padhigam (decad).

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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