iraNdAm thiruvandhAdhi – 76 – varaich chandhana kuzhambum

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avathArikai

AzhwAr says that just as the song was sweet for him, collecting the materials for his worship and falling at the divine feet of emperumAn, who has taken residence near us and who is the ordained Lord for us, is the act which will bring benefit to the AthmA.

Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:

varaich chandhanak kuzhambum vAn kalanum pattum
viraippolindha veN malligaiyum niraiththukkoNdu
AdhikkaN ninRa aRivan adiyiNaiyE
Odhip paNivadhu uRum

Word by Word Meaning

varaich chandhanak kuzhambum – sandalwood paste made from sandalwood trees in mountains
vAn kalanum – great jewels
pattum – silken clothes
virai polindha – full of fragrance
veN malligaiyum – garlands of white jasmine flower
niraiththukkoNdu – gathering these materials
AdhikkaN ninRa aRivan – the omniscient emperumAn who has been there from time immemorial as the causative factor for the worlds
adi iNaiyE – the two divine feet
Odhi – praising him handsomely with the mouth
paNivadhu – bowing down to him with the head
uRum – will be apt (for the nature of chEthana, the sentient entity)

vyAkyAnam

varaich chandhanak kuzhambum – sandal paste taken from a good place (mountain). Sandal paste which has no shortage in fragrance. thirumangai AzhwAr, in his periya thirumadal, has mercifully stated “thennan podhiyil sezhum sandhanak kuzhambum” (the high quality sandal paste prepared from the sandalwood trees in the podhiyamalai range of mountains in the kingdom of pANdiyas).

vAn kalanum – highly valued, divine jewels which are apt for emperumAn. nammAzhwAr too has mercifully mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 4-3-2thEsamAna aNikalanum” (radiant jewels).

pattum – good silken clothes suitable for emperumAn’s divine waist and appropriate to his softness.

viraip polindha veN malligaiyum – jasmine flower, full of fragrance and being white in colour; being sweet to merely look at, not even needing to be worn.

niRaiththukkoNdu – all these materials [mentioned thus far] should be such that even as emperumAn sees them, they create an involvement for him towards us. periyAzhwAr, considering himself as yaSOdhAppirAtti, says in his periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 2-4-4 “anjanamum koNdu vaiththEn” (I kept the decorative black coloured pigment for applying to the eyes), with lot of affection. We should also exhibit similar affection for emperumAn when taking the materials [mentioned earlier for worshipping him]. Taking the materials in the order in which they should be taken, as mentioned by nammAzhwAr in thiruviruththam 21 “sUttu nanmAlaigaL thUyana Endhi” (carrying the beautiful, pure, garlands appropriate for emperumAn).

AdhikkaN ninRa – emperumAn who has been standing from time immemorial [waiting for the AthmAs to reach him]. emperumAn was existing even when the AthmAs did not have a physical form or sensory perceptions [during deluge]. Before that, being the causative factor for all these AthmAs. When asked which entity should be worshipped, upanishath said “kAraNam thu dhyEya:” (meditate on the that entity who is the cause for everything).

aRivan – the omniscient. If the chEthana does a favourable act towards emperumAn who is apt to be worshipped, he will always remember that, being the omniscient, as he himself mentioned in mahAbhAratham udhyOga parvam 47-22 “gOvindhEthi yadhAgrandhath krishNA mAm dhUravAsinam ruNam pravrudhdhamiva mE hrudhayAnnApasarpayathi” (when dhraupadhi called out to me from a far away distance, it did not leave my heart, similar to the interest on interest for a loan given). He will wonder whether the chEthana has to do anything more towards him.

adiyiNaiyE – his two divine feet which are comparable only to each other.

Odhip paNivadhu uRum – it is apt to praise and worship him. AzhwAr says that praising emperumAn with the mouth and bowing with the head would be apt for this AthmA.

uRum – this [praising and worshipping] would be of a very high order, be sweet at that moment and forever too. AzhwAr says that praising and worshipping emperumAn would be similar to being offered sugar candy as a wage for eating a piece of jaggery [adding sweet to sweetness]. He says that to worship emperumAn who is aprAkrutham (extraordinary; not related to materialistic world) one need not take aprAkrutha materials. Materials from this world such as sandal paste, jewels, silk cloth, jasmine etc are sufficient.

We shall take up the 77th pAsuram next.

adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan

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