SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Full series >> Sixth Centum >> Eighth decad
Introduction for this pAsuram
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction
No specific introduction.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction
In the second pAsuram, parAnguSa nAyaki prays to some parrots saying “You should acknowledge the joyful celebrations of my friends and me, after informing my state to emperumAn and returning to us”.
Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction
Subsequently, parAnguSa nAyaki says to some parrots “You should acknowledge my glorification of you in front of my friends after you inform my helplessness to emperumAn who has enjoyable symbols, and return to 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
mai amar vAL nedum kaN mangaimAr munbu en kaiyirundhu
ney amar in adisil nichchal pAlodu mEvIrO
kai amar chakkaraththu en kanivAyp perumAnaik kaNdu
mey amar kAdhal sollik kiLigAL! viraindhOdi vandhE
Listen
Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
kiLigAL – Oh parrots (who are enjoyable for both parAnguSa nAyaki and emperumAn due to their physical beauty and sweet talks)!
kai amar chakkaram – having the beautiful combination of his hand and the divine disc
kani – enjoyable like a ripened fruit
vAy – having beautiful lips
en perumAnai – the lord who has accepted me as his servitor
kaNdu – (you who are fortunate to see him before me,) on seeing
mey – with the divine form
amar – to enjoy in abundance
kAdhal – great desire
solli – telling
(instead of waiting and coming along with him due to his desire towards you)
viraindhu – in a speedy manner
Odi vandhu – arriving quickly
(seeing my newly acquired bliss since he will arrive as soon as you inform about his arrival, as you decorate yourself)
mai – black pigment
amar – aptly
vAL – radiant
nedu – expansive
kaN – having eyes
mangaimAr munbu – in the presence of the girl friends who are of the same age
(instead of seeing their favourable attitude towards her, and with her hand held by his hand)
en – my
kai – hand
(to be the seat for your divine feet)
irundhu – being present
ney – with ghee
amar – together
in – sweet
adisil – rice
pAlodu – with milk
nichchal – eternally
mEvIr – accept.
Simple translation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
Oh parrots! On seeing the lord who is having the beautiful combination of his hand and the disc, who has accepted me as his servitor, having beautiful lips which are enjoyable like a ripened fruit, telling him my great desire to enjoy in abundance with his divine form, and in a speedy manner, arriving quickly to me who is in the presence of the girl friends who are of the same age, having black pigment aptly anointed, radiant, expansive eyes, eternally accept the sweet rice which is with ghee and milk together in my hand.
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
- mai amar – In the first pAsuram, she offered [the birds] his wealth; in this pAsuram she is offering something which is greater than that. His wealth – ubhaya vibhUthi (spiritual and material realms); the wealth which is greater than that is herself who is dear to him. Even while offering herself, instead of doing it secretively, she is offering right on her own hand.
- mai amar vAL nedum kaN mangaimAr munbu en kai irundhu – Are those who are praised by her same as those who were praised by him [SrI rAma praised hanuman for being a messenger for him, here she is praising the parrots]! Those who reside in the inner-quarters have similar qualities; they all can be seen with the same vision. As said in periya thirumozhi 11.3.5 “thammaiyE nALum vaNangith thozhuvArkku thammaiyE okka aruL seyvar” (emperumAn will bless those who worship him to become similar to him), she too has given them her qualities.
- mai amar – They too have the greatness which is explained in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 16.5 “asithEkshaNA” (one who is having beautiful dark eyes), thiruvAimozhi 6.5.8 “karundhadangaNNi” (one with black, expansive eyes). It can be explained as parAnguSa nAyaki highlighting their natural darkness like her own eyes; alternatively, it can be highlighting about the black pigment which is applied for auspiciousness. When she is at loss [of emperumAn], they cannot be decorating their eyes with black pigment; when you arrive you see it in their eyes [i.e., they have decorated their eyes expecting his arrival]! vAL – radiance. Even that has disappeared. When her form has lost the radiance, their eyes cannot have it.
- nedum kaN – The whole expansive eyes become purposeful only when that happens [when emperumAn arrives]. Otherwise, its just a burden as said in periya thirumozhi 11.7.1 “kANAdhAr kaN enRum kaN alla” (the eyes which don’t see emperumAn are never considered as eyes).
- mai amar vAL nedum kaN – Implies “Seeing your arrival, I become happy and acknowledge that ‘his arrival is certain’, and decorate myself; seeing that, you have decorated yourself and are having radiant, expansive eyes”.
- mangaimAr – Just as he has his apt friends as said in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 3.1.1 “thannErAyiram piLLaigaL“, she is having apt friends.
- mangaimAr – Just as mukthAthmAs (liberated souls) will have an ever youthful form of twenty five years old.
- mangaimAr munbu – They won’t be behind her!
- mangaimAr – Not just one or two, but everyone will come into the forefront. As thiruvadi (hanuman) was praised by the monkeys as said in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 57.31 “hanUmantham mahAthmAnam parivAryOpathasthirE” (the best among the monkeys surrounded hanuman and praised him). mahAthmAnam – is four persons surrounding and praising a great thing? The monkey leaders offered fruits and roots and praised hanuman as said in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 57.33 “upAyanAni upAdhAya mUlA cha palAni cha” (monkeys presented fruits and roots as gifts to hanuman); similarly here too sweet rice with ghee and all are present. There people with well-rounded faces were present as said in “bEjirE vipulAnanA:“, and here everyone has “mai amar vAL nedum kaN“.
- en kai irundhu – Though they are said to be sharing the joys and sorrows as said in SrI rAmAyaNam kishkinthA kANdam 5.18 “Ekam dhu:kham sukham cha nau“, only one who is hungry needs to eat! So, this is their assembly; let my hand be their abode. I will make my hand which is a decoration to his crown, as your seat. As said in SrIvishNu purANam 5.13.54 “dhadhau bAhulathAm skandhE” (she placed her hand on krishNa’s shoulder like a creeper spreading on a supporting stick), the hand which is fully offered to him. His presence on her hand is not the same as being on his serpent bed which is explained in paryanga vidhyA. What is prayed in by her in “aNi migu thAmaraik kai” (Considering his lotus like hand as decoration on me), is applicable in his case too. She is saying “mey amar kAdhal solli kiLigAL! viraindhOdi vandhu, en kai irundhu ney amar in adisil nichchal pAlodu mEvIrO!“. Why shouldn’t she praise the birds while they are going? For that, she needs some ability; she remains as said in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 40.3 “gAthraiSSOkAbikarSithai:” (she is having very tired limbs) and thiruvAimozhi 7.2.4 “itta kAl itta kaiyaLAy irukkum” (unable to move her feet and hands); also, she needs her friends to praise them! But they too remain as said in thiruvAimozhi 9.9.5 “emmin mun avanukku mAyvarAlO” (they fall for him even before me).
- ney amar … – She has no ownership over her own body to offer it to them unlike emperumAn who embraced hanuman as said in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 1.13 “Esha sarvasva bhUthasthu“. As I give the sweet rice which is mixed with ghee and milk everyday, you should accept them and uplift me. She who remains as said in thiruvAimozhi 6.7.1 “uNNum sORu parugu nIr thinnum veRRilaiyum ellAm kaNNan” (sustaining food, nourishing water and pleasure-giving betel leaves are all krishNa), is seeking and offering what is dear to them! What is explained by this? For those who do favours in bhagavath vishayam [for the AchArya, SrIvaishNavas who nurture our knowledge, devotion etc], one should not be satisfied with just sharing a portion of whatever one has. One should seek out what is dear to them and offer those. In case of bhagavAn, it is said in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 103.30 “yadhanna:purushO bhavathi …” (whatever one partakes, it must be offered to his worshippable deities) [In case of bhagavAn, it is sufficient to offer whatever is fit to be consumed by us. But for AchAryas/SrIvaishNavas, we should seek out the materials which are desirable for them and offer them].
- nichchal – The connection happens once, but the enjoyment is eternal. As said in sthOthra rathnam 2 “athra parathra chApi nithyam yadhIya charaNau SaraNam madhIyam” (in this world and in the other world as well, always the divine feet of that SrIman nAthamunigaL are my refuge).
- kai amar chakkaraththu en kani vAyp perumAnaik kaNdu – She is trying to feed those who already consumed [on seeing emperumAn]. By this it is explained that – those who are related to AzhwAr, will attain the desires of AzhwAr even before AzhwAr attains them; nAnmugan thiruvandhAdhi 18 “vERAgavE EththiyiruppArai vellumE maRRavaraich chAththiyiruppar thavam” (the penance (means) of those who depend on the devotees of emperumAn‘s devotees is greater than that of emperumAn’s devotees).
- kai amar chakkaram – Being with the disc on his hand always.
- en kani vAy – Manifesting the divine beauty of his hand and the disc is equivalent to showing his smile. I was captured by his smile which he let out while separating from him thinking “let her sustain herself thinking about this smile”.
- en kani vAy – Hand is fully enjoyed by the divine disc; his lips are fully enjoyed by her. His (chakkaraththAzhwAr’s) life is eternally sustained [since he never separates from the hand]; but my sustenance is occasional only.
- kaNdu – Unlike me who has everything in the mind, you can see him. For her, she can only see through their eyes and see them; for her it is as said in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 5.6 “thAm sprushtvA” (I touch her through the wind which touched her) and “chandhrE dhrushti samAgama:” (I see her through the moon which was seen by her).
- mey amar kAdhal solli – She is saying “my love is such that I want to embrace your divine form”; or she is saying “my love is such that I want you to embrace my body”. SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 40.3 “gAthraiS SOkAbhikarSitha: samspruSEyam” (I should be blessed to touch SrI rAma with my weakened limbs). Tell him not to think “She will live when I live” or “She will sustain by thinking about my qualities” [ANdAL sustained herself by thinking about emperumAn’s qualities as said in nAchchiyAr thirumozhi 8.3 “en gOvindhan guNam pAdi … Avi kAththiruppEnE” (I will sing about my gOvindha’s qualities and sustain myself)]. There were others who sustained themselves like that. Even when shown the mAyA Siras (replica of SrI rAma’s head), sIthAp pirAtti cried like a materialistic person would do, yet sustained herself saying “I would have died the moment SrI rAma died. The fact that I am living implies that he is alive too”. SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 21.15 “ananyA rAghavENAham bhAskarENaprabhAyathA” (I am inseparable from SrI rAma like the rays are inseparable from the sun); unless there is sun, there cannot be any rays. There is contraction and expansion only due to certain reasons [such as sIthAp pirAtti crying or being joyful based on her situation in her avathAram]. While [AthmA] being a dhravya (entity), it can also be a prakAra (attribute) [of paramAthmA]. Here it is not like that; for those who separated after the embrace, they cannot sustain without embracing again.
- mey amar kAdhal – piLLAn explains this as “Don’t think our love is fake like yours” [mey is explained as truth]. Alternatively,
- mey amar kAdhal – Love attached to the AthmA [here mey is explained as AthmA], that is, love which is naturally fitting with AthmA. In thirumAlai 38 “meymmaiyE miga uNarndhu“, mey indicates AthmA only. True love.
- solli – When one does not know something oneself, one should hear it from others. If he had the same feeling, he would not have let me send a messenger. It appears that informing her state to him is more important than actually seeing him.
- kiLigAL! viraindhu Odi vandhE – You should come ahead like the monkey elders who returned with the joyful news to perumAL (SrI rAma) after seeing pirAtti and like hanuman who rushed ahead to bring joy to SrI bharathAzhwAn while SrI rAma was returning.
- kiLigAL! viraindhu Odi vandhE – After informing him, don’t wait to come along with him. hanuman, when went searching for pirAtti, spent a whole lot of time since he was given sufficient time, reached lankA, saw her and then returned on the same day saying “The purpose of seeing sIthAp pirAtti will be fulfilled only when we inform him when he is alive”; the reason for such thoughts – while leaving SrI rAma, he saw his great sorrow and thought “it is difficult to see him alive when we return”; perumAL too said “My dear! Don’t see my current sustaining state when you are present here and think that I will be the same later too; please act according to my situation”.
- viraindhu Odi vandhE – Only when the joy of your prior arrival settles, he should come. If you arrive with him, I cannot praise you freely [naturally, when bhagavAn is there, he is the center of attraction; even AchAryas will take the backseat]; hence, you arrive so that I can enjoy properly! Ensure that I first fall at the divine feet of you, the benefactors, before falling at his feet. This is why, our elders first recite guruparamparA [manthram] before reciting dhvaya mahA manthram! Now, only when the AchArya is present with a physical body in this material world, the Sishya can serve him affectionately [Refer upadhESa raththina mAlai 64]; subsequently, both will engage in bhagavath anubhavam together. Only when the AchArya remains “for me” [in this material world], the Sishya can serve him thinking “for you”.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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