SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Full series >> Fourth Centum >> Fifth decad
Introduction for this pAsuram
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction
No specific introduction.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction
In first pAsuram – AzhwAr says “I have no worries ever, after singing praises of krishNa who being the sarvESvara, divinely and mercifully incarnated as a human being and mercifully protected his devotees”.
Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction
In first pAsuram, AzhwAr says “I who got to sing the praises and mangaLASAsanam [well-wishes] for sarvESvara who is the controller of all the worlds, have no worries ever”.
Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction
See nanjIyar‘s introduction.
Highlights from nampiLLai‘s introduction as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai
See nanjIyar‘s introduction.
pAsuram
vIRRirundhu Ezhulagum thanik kOl sella vIvil sIr
ARRal mikkALum ammAnai vemmA piLandhAn thannaip
pORRi enRE kaigaLArath thozhudhu sol mAlaigaL
ERRa nORRERku ini enna kuRai ezhumaiyumE?
Listen
Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
vIRRu – being distinct from every other entity (in being the substratum of all, controller of all, lord of all and pervading everywhere)
irundhu – seated (in the divine throne in the divine realm)
Ezhulagum – seven types of worlds (representing seven types of entities; four types of achEthana (matter) – vyaktha (manifested), avyaktha (unmanifested), kAla (time) and Sudhdha sathva (divine matter) and three types of chEthana (soul) – badhdha (bound souls in material realm), muktha (liberated souls in spiritual realm) and nithya (ever-free souls in spiritual realm))
thani – matchless (in the form of his divine will)
kOl – sceptre
sella – to conduct
vIvil – endless
sIr – being with groups of auspicious qualities (such as gyAna, Sakthi etc)
ARRal mikku – being with (natural) infinite SAnthi (peace)
ALum – conducting with great natural glories
ammAnai – lord of all
vem – naturally very cruel (which are hurdles for the protected ones as said in “mahAraudhra:‘ (very fierce))
mA – horse (named kESi, which is possessed by a demon)
piLandhAn thannai – sarvESvara who tore its mouth (as said in “nipapAthadhvidhAbhUtha:“)
pORRi enRE – performing mangaLASAsanam saying “pORRi, pORRi” [long live]
kaigaL – hands (which were as said in thiruvAimozhi 4.4.1 “viNNaith thozhudhu” (worshipping the sky))
Ara – to the full satisfaction
thozhudhu – performing anjali (joined palms)
sol – in the form of a collection strung with words
mAlaigaL – garlands [poems]
ERRa – to submit (so he can wear them on his head)
nORRERku – for me who has the puNya (virtue) of his (nirhEthuka (unconditional)) krupA (mercy) (as said in thiruvAimozhi 10.6.1 “vidhi vAykkinRu” (his mercy occurring))
ini – going forward
ezhumaiyum – (as said in “sapthasapthachasapthacha” (twenty one births)) even if I am to be born many more times
enna kuRai – what worries do I have? [implies – no worries]
Simple translation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
sarvESvaran, the lord of all, being distinct from every other entity, seated to conduct seven types of worlds with his matchless sceptre, being with groups of auspicious qualities, being with infinite peace, is conducting [all these] with great natural glories; such emperumAn tore the mouth of kESi, the very cruel horse; for me who has the virtue of his mercy to perform mangaLASAsanam to him saying “pORRi, pORRi“, to perform anjali to my full satisfaction and to submit collection of words as garlands, going forward, even if I am to be born many more times, what worries do I have? [implies – no worries]
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
- vIRRirundhu – vIRu – distinction/differentiation. Being present, manifesting all his distinctions. Being present, manifesting his difference from all other entities since he is the lord for all of them and they are all his dependents; each entity is different from others [but this distinction of his being the lord and others being dependents is special]. Though all AthmAs are equal with him when seen as “a product of gyAnam”, qualities such as vibhuthva (omnipresence), SEshithva (lordship) and niyanthruthva (control over all) are unique to bhagavAn. bhagavAn having everyone other than himself as his servitors, himself pervading everywhere as jAthi (the particular species) pervades throughout all vyakthis (entity of that species) and not like the pervading of AKASa (ether) [though it pervades everywhere, it does not control the objects it pervades], pervades to control [all entities]. Here it reveals emperumAn‘s blissful seated posture due to being the owner of all entities. vIRRirundhu implies his majestic seated posture on the divine throne which rules over the agyAna (ignorance) etc which frightens all the residents of this material realm.
- Ezhulagum thanik kOl sella – Instead of going around the worlds to rule over them, he rules them all with his sceptre from right where he is seated. When “Ezhulagu” indicates his spiritual and material realms, “vIvil sIr” (endless) is an adjective for his auspicious qualities; if “Ezhulagu” is taken as indicating the leelA vibhUthi (material realm) only, “vIvil sIr” will imply nithya vibhUthi (spiritual realm). When “Ezhulagu” indicates ubhaya vibhUthi (both spiritual and material realms), it includes the three types of chEthanas (souls) and four types of prakruthi (achEthana – matter). Four types of prakruthi are – kArya prakruthi (cause) and kAraNa prakruthi (effect) in both paramapadham (spiritual realm) and samsAram (material realm). When “Ezhulagu” only indicates leelA vibhUthi, from bhUmi down to pAthALa (lowest region) is considered as one layer, and including the 6 layers above bhUmi, totally seven layers of worlds in this (our) side (samsAram) is explained.
- vIvil sIr – This indicates both the eternal qualities and eternal vibhUthi (paramapadham).
Would he remain unattainable due to the pride of ruling over both realms?
- ARRal mikkALum – He rules with humility; as said in SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 1.97 “rAmO rAjyam upAsithvA” (SrI rAma rules the kingdom …); since SrI rAma ruled the kingdom with humility, the word “upAsithvA” is used. When some one earns wealth in illegal means, he would conduct himself in a careless manner; since this wealth is owned by him, its apt for him to rule over it carefully. Alternatively – ARRal indicates strength/ability, and some explain this as “emperumAn having the ability to support/rule over the wealth”.
- ammAnai – sarvESvaran who appears with the wealth acquired by his control [over everything].
- vem mA piLandhAn thannai – bhattar explains it as “sarvESvara who looks opulent due to having control over everything”. ammangi ammAL explains it as “When asked ‘who has the ability to rule this?’, at once, we will hear ‘it is emperumAn only'”. Since he is the owner of everything, instead of being seated in the throne and ruling them over by saying “dhaha pacha” (burn them, cook them), he takes birth as one among them, tolerates all the insults thrown at him, protects them by taking out the weeds. In the incidents such as “syamanthaka maNi getting stolen” etc., others insulting him are well-known; you yourself declared in mahAbhAratham “dhAsyamaiSvaryavAdhEna gyAthInAnchakarOmyaham” (I am serving them (pANdavas) in the name of protecting them) and in the same SlOkam “arthabhOkthAcha bhOgAnAm vAkdhurukthAnichakshamE” (For good enjoyments, I shared with them and I tolerated their insulting words).
- vem mA piLandhAn thannai – Though kESi [already] died, out of anger AzhwAr says “vemmA” (cruel horse). SrIvishNu purANam 5.16.7 “vyAdhithAsyO mahAraudhras sOsura:krishNabhAhunA | nipapAthadhvidhAbhUthO vaidhyuthEthAthruma: ||” (With widely opened mouth and very cruel looking asura named kESi, tore by krishNa’s hands like a tree hit by lightning, fell down); when kESi came targeting krishNa with open mouth, as small children would have tendency to pick in any hole, due to childish nature, krishNa placed his hand in it’s mouth. Due to the unseen animal, the child’s hand expanded in joy and that broke the horse into two and knocked it down.
- pORRi – AzhwAr’s care matches his svarUpam (true nature). Even after kESi’s death, AzhwAr thinks that it is happening right now and feels frightened.
- enRE – When some one says “pallANdu“, naturally it will be followed by “pallANdu pallANdu“. As said in “nama ithyEva vAdhina:” (they will always be saying “nama:“).
- kaigaLArath thozhudhu – The hands which worshipped the empty sky as in thiruvAimozhi 4.4.1 “vaikuntham enRu kai kAttum” (hand will point to SrIvaikuNtam), are now worshipping to the full satisfaction, after having been relieved from the sufferings.
- sol mAlaigaL – The [word] garlands which will never wither. Like the ever-fresh garland strung by anusUyA [the chaste wife of athri rishi].
- ERRa – The garlands which are to be worn on his divine head. As said in SrI sAthvatham “krishNAthi sirasAsvayam” (krishNa himself accepts them on his head).
- nORRERku – His efforts which are highlighted here are nothing but his craving / suffering in “maNNai irundhu thuzhAvi” or it can be said as bhagavAn‘s krupA; that which exists in the previous step is called the means [for accomplishing something].
- in enna kuRai – Even there [in paramapadham], one’s nature is to engage in small kainkaryams [services]; for me who has attained such kainkaryam right here, is there any worry?
How long will this remain?
- ezhumaiyumE – Whatever is eternal, they are generally explained in counts of sevens. bOdhAyana dharmam “dhaSapUrvAn dhaSAparAthmAnam cha” (10 generations before, self and 10 generations after) [will be purified]. mahAbhAratham – bhIshma saying to dharmaputhra (yudhishtra) – “EkAhamapi kaunthEya bhUmistham udhagam kuru | kulam thArayathE thAtha! saptha sapthacha saptha cha” (Oh yudhishtra, my dear child! at least one day offer water to earth; that will help uplift your 21 generations of family members). Do I have the worry of “not reaching paramapadham”, when I have enjoyed the same experience right here? Even after going there, “doesn’t one engage in singing pallANdu for him?”, as said in thiruppallANdu 12 “sUzhndhirundhu Eththuvar pallANdE“.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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