thiruvAimozhi – 5.4.5 – Ar ennai

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

Full series >> Fifth Centum >> Fourth decad

Previous pAsuram

Introduction for this pAsuram

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction

No specific introduction.

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction

In the fifth pAsuram, parAnguSa nAyaki says “The friends and mothers who help in difficult times, are not concerned about me and krishNa who helps even when they give up, has not come. Now, I exist only for name sake”.

Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction

Subsequently, parAnguSa nAyaki says “krishNa who has a form which manifests his helping tendency has not come; I exist only for name sake, who will protect me?”.

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

Ar ennai ArAyvAr annaiyarum thOzhiyarum
nIr ennE ennAdhE nILiravum thunjuvarAl
kAr anna mEni nam kaNNanum vArAnAl
pEr ennai mAyAdhAl val vinaiyEn pin ninRE

Listen

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

annaiyarum – mothers (who protect with affection)
thOzhiyarum – friends (who protect due to well-wishing heart)
nIr – her condition
ennE – how is it
ennAdhE – instead of determining
nIL – lengthy
iravum – the whole night
thunjuvar – are sleeping;

(one who protects even when those mothers and friends don’t protect)
kAr anna – like a dark cloud (which is having the quality to greatly help others)
mEni – having a divine form
nam – one who is obedient towards us
kaNNanum – krishNa too
vArAn – has not come to protect;
val vinaiyEn – for me who is having very strong sins (which stops even those who protect, not to protect)
pin – behind
ninRu – standing
pEr – for name sake
ennai – me
mAyAdhu – not allowing to die;

(this being the case)
ennai – me
ArAyvAr – one who protects
Ar – who?

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

the mothers and friends are sleeping through the whole lengthy night instead of determining her (my) condition; krishNa too, who is having a dark cloud like divine form and who is obedient towards us, has not come to protect; standing behind me, the very strong sins are not allowing me to die and making me exist only for name sake; this being the case, who will protect me? Implies – no one. Implies that – her state of just being present for name sake even in dire situations reveals just her eternal nature.

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

  • Ar ennai ArAyvAr – SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 116.40 “dhAsInAm rAvaNasyAham marshayAmIhadhurbalA” (I, the fearless, forgive the mistakes of rAvaNa’s servants) – when thiruvadi (hanuman) set out to harm the rAkshasis (demoniac maid-servants of rAvaNa), sIthAp pirAtti asked him “1) since these rAkshasis were fully dependent on rAvaNa and harmed me based on his orders, or 2) even if they harmed me out of their own will, but since I have said ‘I have forgiven you all’ and given them refuge, how can you harm them?”; hanuman asked “as rAvaNa is killed now [we need not fear anymore], why should these evil women who harmed you for so long, be forgiven now?”; [and sIthA said] dhurbalA – just because some one harmed us before, if we harm them back, what will those who see their pathetic state do? After rAvaNa’s death and perumAL (SrI rAma) becoming victorious , they have already become weakened (both physically and mentally). sIthAp pirAtti who gave refuge to even those who harmed her, as stated in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 58.90 “bavEyam SaraNam hiva:” (I will protect you all), is looking for a saviour and saying “who will protect me?” [Here, parAnguSa nAyaki is compared to sIthAp pirAtti – there pirAtti gave protection to others, here pirAtti is seeking protection from others].
  • annaiyarum thOzhiyarum – Both those who lost their sleep on seeing my state (friends) and those who condemn me saying “you cannot lose sleep over this” (mothers). Both of those who follow my thoughts (friends) and those who have their own ideas and hence ordering me (mothers) are not helping me.
  • annaiyarum thOzhiyarum nIr ennai ennAdhE nIL iravum thunjuvarAl -There are some who say that “thunjuvarAl” (sleeping) implies “thunjudhirAl” (sleeping, in a slightly different tone). [nIr is explained as “you”] They are not asking [with care] “ennE” (how is this?) or “en pattAy” (what happened to you?). Alternative explanation – [nIr is explained as nIrmai – svabhAvam – nature] Mothers and friends are not asking me “why are you like this?” [They should have asked]. Even after his leaving her and engaging in other activities and forgetting her, you are not engaging in anything other than him! How amazing! [When asked “Does nIr imply nIrmai?”, nampiLLai quotes kuRaL 782] “niRai nIra nIravar kENmai piRaimadhip pinnIra pEdhaiyAr natpu” (The friendship of the wise waxes like the full moon; (but) that of fools wanes like the new moon).
  • nIL iravum thunjuvarAl – Just as sleeplessness is my nature, sleeping the whole lengthy night is their nature.
  • kAr anna mEni – One who is having a cool form like a heavy rainfall on a drought-hit land, and one who has helped previously as said in SrI bhAgavatham “thAsAmAvirabhUth …” (he appeared amidst the gOpikAs), has not come. thAsAm (for those girls) is said based on their previous state [of longing for him].
  • nam kaNNanum vArAnAl – Even the one who always helped girls, has not come.
  • pEr ennai mAyAdhAl – My name does not match bhagavAn’s. He is not coming and my name is not going. Though I am finished, my name is making me still exist. Just as AzhwAr‘s divine name is that which sustains the SrIvaishNavas, he too is sustained by his name. Since the name has “adi” (bhagavAn’s divine feet, bhagavAn’s blessing), it will sustain everyone. Everyone accepts this [SatAri] on his head due to this reason.
  • pEr ennai mAyAdhAl – just living for name sake.
  • val vinaiyEn – I have committed great sins to have a name which does not let me die even after physically having died.
  • pin ninRu – Even while I die, this name remains after me and does not let me die fully. As they (name and form) come along during birth, should they not be finished at the time of death? They are recited together as in chAndhOgya upanishath 6.3 “nAma rUpE vyAkaravANi” (Let me create names and forms), SrIvishNu purANam 1.5.63 “nAma rUpam cha bhUthAnAm” (paramAthmA gave names and forms to the many creatures). Those who came first, should go first too, but why are they not going even later?

In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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