thiruvAimozhi – 2.8.6 – thIrththan

SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Full series >> Second Centum >> Eighth decad

Introduction for this pAsuram

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction

No specific introduction.

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction

In the sixth pAsuram, AzhwAr asks “Is there a need to analyse the supremacy of bhagavAn by any more persons after having been analysed by arjuna?”

Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction

Subsequently, AzhwAr says “the supremacy in his incarnations is very famous”.

Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction

See nampiLLai‘s introduction.

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

Sixth pAsuram. When asked “Does the bhagavAn you speak about, have all these greatness?” AzhwAr replies “Already arjuna analysed and established this principle (supremacy of bhagavAn). Is there any doubt remaining in that which needs to be analysed by us?”.

pAsuram

thIrththan ulagaLandha sEvadi mEl pUndhAmam
sErththi avaiyE sivan mudimEl thAn kaNdu
pArththan theLindhu ozhindha paindhuzhAyAn perumai
pErththum oruvarAl pEsak kidandhadhE

Listen

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

thIrththan – In the previous incarnation of pure krishNa
ulagu – the three worlds
aLandha – measured
sE – having freshness
adimEl – on the divine feet
pUm – beautiful
dhAmam – garlands
sErththi – offered
avaiyE – the same garlands
sivan – Siva’s
mudimEl – on matted hair
thAn – he himself
kaNdu – seen
pArththan – arjuna
theLindhu ozhindha – established
paim – fresh/green
thuzhAyAn – of the one who is having thuLasi
perumai – supremacy
pErththum – other than arjuna
oruvarAl – anyone else
pEsa – to narrate
kidandhadhE – is there any aspect that remains to be clarified?

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

arjuna offered fresh garlands on the lotus feet of pure krishNa who measured the three worlds in his previous incarnation [as vAmana/thrivikrama]; he then saw the same flowers on the matted hair of Siva; this is the supremacy of the one who is having fresh/green thuLasi garlands on him that is established by arjuna; can anyone else other than arjuna narrate this supremacy and is there any aspect of this supremacy that remains to be clarified still? It implies that bhagavAn‘s supremacy is already well established.

vyAkyAnams (commentaries)

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s vyAkyAnam

See 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

thIrththan – As said in sthOthra rathnam 13 “… pAdhOdhakEna sa Siva: svaSirOdhrudhEna” (by beholding the water from whose feet, he became Siva (pure)?” and in ISwara samhithai “… pAvanArththam jatAmadhyE yOgyOsmIthyavadhAraNAth” (Siva, seeing the gangA water falling from the divine feet of SrIman nArAyaNan, knowing well that he is qualified, for his purification, held it in his matted locks), bhagavAn, through the connection with his divine feet, is able to purify even the impure ones.

When asked when did this incident happen?

ulagu aLandha sEvadi – AzhwAr reminds us that this incident happened during the time when emperumAn measured the worlds. nampiLLai explains this through nAnmugan thiruvanthAdhi 9th pAsuram beautifully. kuRai koNdu – with his Akinchanyam (unworthiness – having nothing). nAnmugan kuNdigai nIr peydhu – On brahmA’s desire, dharma thathvam (the deity for righteousness) assumes the form of water and enters brahmA’s kamaNdalam (water pot). maRai koNda mandhiraththAl vAzhththi – Praising him through SrI purusha sUktham etc. kaRai koNda kaNdaththAn senni mEl ERak kazhuvinAn – Thinking “without analysing the instructions, he (Siva) pursued unrighteousness (considering himself to be independent); that should be gone”, brahmA washes the lotus feet of emperumAn so that the water falls onto Siva’s matted locks, just like a father will sprinkle the SrIpAdha thIrththam (holy water) on the heads of evil children. While the current pAsuram is talking about krishNAvathAram, why is he suddenly citing an incident from vAmanAvathAram? Because both krishNa and vAmana mingled with everyone freely without discrimination, AzhwAr narrates an incident from vAmana’s charithram while explaining about krishNAvathAram.
pUndhAmam sErththi – Here AzhwAr is explaining the incident from mahAbhAratha yudhdham (battle). When arjuna once desired to acquire a weapon from a dhEvathA (Siva) and set out to ask for that, krishNa mercifully told him to reduce his troubles “You place those flowers at my lotus feet and you will succeed”. arjuna followed krishNa’s words and did the same. In the night, Siva appears in arjuna’s dream beholding those same flowers in his head and bestows the weapons to arjuna. pUndhAmam means both pUmAlai (flower garland) and azhagiya mAlai (beautiful garland).
avaiyE – they were not other flowers of the same kind [they were the same flowers].
sivan mudi mEl thAn kaNdu – Not on the side, but he saw them directly on Siva’s head.
thAn kaNdu – Not heard from some trustworthy person, not seen in some scriptures such as Sruthi or smruthi, he himself saw that. He saw it so that he can remember it clearly.
pArththan … – arjuna, who did not get confused about krishNa’s supremacy even though he assumed the role of the charioteer. As said in gIthA bhAshyam by emperumAnAr “sa thu pArthO mahAmanA:” (that most intelligent arjuna), the wisest arjuna analysed and established the supremacy of krishNa and worshiped him as in bhagavath gIthA 11.40 “nama: purasthAdhatha prushtathasthE” (I worship in front of you and behind you).
paim thuzhAyAn perumai – The supremacy of sarvESvara is highlighted by his wearing fresh/green thiruthuzhAy (thuLasi) garlands; is that needed to be analysed by any less-intelligent people now?

In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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