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thiruvAimozhi thiruvAimozhi 7th centum

thiruvAimozhi – 7.7.3 – vAliyadhOr kanikol

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

Full series >> Seventh Centum >> Seventh decad

Previous pAsuram

Introduction for this pAsuram

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction

No specific introduction.

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction

In the third pAsuram, parAnguSa nAyaki speaks about how the beauty of his divine lips is tormenting her.

Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction

Subsequently, parAnguSa nAyaki says “His beautiful lips which remain a contrast for the complexion of his blackish form, is seen everywhere”.

Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction

See nanjIyar‘s introduction.

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

Third pAsuram. parAnguSa nAyaki mercifully speaks about how the beauty of his divine lips torment her thinking “if we keep quiet while the nose is showing its strength, others may scold us thinking if this is all the mouth is capable of”

pAsuram

vAliyadhOr kani kol? vinaiyAttiyEn valvinai kol?
kOlandhiraL pavaLak kozhundhuNdangolO aRiyEn
neela nedu mugil pOl thirumEni ammAn thoNdai vAy
ElundhisaiyuL ellAm vandhu thOnRrum en in uyirkkE

Listen

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

vAliyadhu – having goodness (of not taking to time fructify)
Or – distinguished (due to its tenderness, complexion and sweetness)
kanikol – is it like a fruit?
vinaiyAttiyEn – having sin (of not enjoying it at once), my
val – difficult to eliminate (by reaping the results)
vinaikol – has my sin assumed a form?
kOlam – beauty, easy approachability, tenderness, enjoyability etc
thiraL – together
pavaLam – coral
kozhum – pure
thuNdanm kolO – is it like a piece?
aRiyEn – unable to know (decisively);
neelam – blackish
nedu – huge
mugilpOl – like a cloud
thirumEni – having beautiful form
ammAn – lord’s
thoNdai – having complexion of thoNdai (a reddish) fruit
vAy – divine lips
Elum – wherever seen
thisai uL ellAm – in all directions
en – my
in – sweet
uyirkku – towards my soul
vandhu – arrive
thOnRum – appeared

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

Is it like a distinguished fruit having goodness? Has my sin which is difficult to eliminate, assumed a form? Is it like a piece of pure coral which is having beauty, easy approachability, tenderness, enjoyability etc? I am unable to know. In all directions, wherever I see, the divine lips (which are having thoNdai (a reddish) fruit like complexion) of my lord who is having a huge cloud like blackish form, are arriving towards my sweet soul and appear.

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

  • vAliyadhu Or kani kol – Some fruits first start out as buds, then fructify and finally become unusable; unlike that, is this a fruit which is always enjoyable? As his enjoyability is not a progressive one, the suffering here is also not progressive [it is always present in same form].
  • vinaiyAttiyEn valvinaikol – The enjoyable entity has become the tormentor due to the sins of those who are set out to enjoy it; I have performed sins which have turned even nectar into poison. Did the sins of mine, who is a sinner, assume a ripened form there? Being present there, it will make us reap the results. Being bhagavAn’s anger, it will make us suffer here. As the sins are based on actions, they will be gone once performed. For the sins committed by him [AthmA], they don’t have the independent ability to give the results.
  • val vinai kol – The sins which cannot be exhausted by enduring the results.
  • kOlam thiraL … – Is this a pure piece of pearl which has “accumulated beauty”? I don’t know. It is said as “piece” to highlight that there is no dirt; the broken piece will appear radiant and well shaped.
  • neelam … – while these (limbs) always existed, they were not tormenting previously; as they have teamed up, they have started tormenting. sarvESvara who is having a dark, enjoyable, infinite-sized cloud like form, his.
  • thoNdai vAy – thoNdai – kOvai fruit. The divine lips are ripened and well-shaped like kOvai fruit. They don’t see their internal differences [body and lips are contrasting in complexion], while tormenting her. There is no equal for both [when two independently strong persons have enmity against another person, they will gang up and attack this other person; similarly emperumAn‘s form and lips gang up and torment parAnguSa nAyaki].

When asked “when they appear to torment, can you try to escape?”, she responds “the strength of the lips is such that, we cannot escape”.

  • Elum thisaiyuL ellAm – I too tried to find the means to escape to a place where they cannot torment; but they (lips) appeared in every such place. Wherever I saw, the lips were present.

When asked “why are they appearing like that?”, she responds,

  • en in uyirkkE – To finish my good soul.

In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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iyaRpA periya thiruvandhAdhi

periya thiruvandhAdhi – 3 – ivaiyanRE nalla

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avathArikai

In the first pAsuram, AzhwAr started praising emperumAn after seeing the greatness of matters related to him. In the second pAsuram, seeing the inestimable nature of these matters, he stepped back from praising saying that he is not qualified to start praising such matters. Seeing the anger that this caused in emperumAn, he said that his acts of praising and stepping back from praising are due to his bewilderment. In the first pAsuram, he started to praise emperumAn after seeing his greatness and not because of any bewilderment. Shouldn’t he have stepped back from praising emperumAn at that time itself saying “It is not proper on my part, who is a lowly person, to praise such a great entity”? The response for this would be – since emperumAn has given me [reference here is to AzhwAr] the knowledge which the insentient do not possess and since I am capable of analysing virtues and vices, I know that “it is better for us, who are very lowly, not to praise emperumAn both in terms of mind and in terms of speech. Praising him would end up as insulting him and is bad”. However, since I [AzhwAr] have a connection with physical form, and taking or rejecting something is not under my control since I am totally subservient to emperumAn, since I cannot sustain without praising matters relating to emperumAn, I am incapable of remaining aloof from praising emperumAn. Thus, AzhwAr resumes praising emperumAn in this pAsuram.

Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:

ivaiyanRE nalla ivaiyanRE thIya
ivaiyenRu ivai aRiyanElum ivaiyellAm
ennAl adaippu nIkku oNNAdhu iRaiyavanE
ennAl seyaRpAladhu en

Word by Word Meanings

ivaiyanRE nalla – isn’t not thinking of emperumAn good?
ivaiyanRE thIya – isn’t thinking of emperumAn bad?
enRu – saying so
ivai ivai – these qualities
aRivanElum – even though I know
ivaiyellAm – all these entities which are bad and good
ennAl – by me
adaippu nIkku – to hold on to or to reject
oNNAdhu – is not possible
iRaiyavanE – Oh emperumAn!
ennAl – by me, this servitor
seyaRpAladhu en – what is there to carry out

vyAkyAnam

ivaiyanRE nalla – It is good not to praise through mind or speech as said in “pugazhOm pazhiyOm, madhiyOm igazhOm” (2nd pAsuram)

ivaiyanRE thIya – praising emperumAn wholeheartedly through mind or speech is bad, as said in the verse “pugazhvOm pazhippOm madhippOm igazhvOm” (2nd pAsuram)

ivai enRu ivai aRivanElum – even though I know that these are good and these are bad, by analysing.

ivai ellAm – all these, by which I give up praising and accept not praising

ennAl adaippu nIkku oNNAdhu – it is not possible for me to accept not praising which I know to be correct and to give up praising which I know to be bad.

iRaiyavanE – Do I have the independence to accept something and to give up something? Shouldn’t you, who are my lord, do this?

ennAl seyaRpAladhu en – Is it possible for me to give up praising you when you have mercifully said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 2-47 “karmaNyEvAdhikArasthE mA palEshu kadhAchana” (you, who are a mukukshu (one who is desirous of attaining mOksham) have a right over carrying out daily and ceremonial deeds and never over the results) and in SrI bhagavath gIthA 18-65 “manmanA bhava madhbhakthO madhyAjI mAm namaskuru I mAmEvaishyasi sathyam thE prathijAnEpriyO’si mE II” (you be one who keeps his mind on me, one who is my devotee and one who worships me; you offer your salutations to me; you will attain me; this is the truth; I make a vow to you; are you not dear to me!)

We will move on to the 4th pAsuram next.

adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan

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ஸ்ரீவிஷ்ணு புராணம் – பூ ஸ்துதி

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ஸ்ரீ:  ஸ்ரீமதே சடகோபாய நம:  ஸ்ரீமதே ராமாநுஜாய நம:  ஸ்ரீமத் வரவரமுநயே நம:

பூமி ஸ்துதி – அம்சம் 1, அத்யாயம் 4

எம்பெருமான் ஸ்ருஷ்டிக்கு ப்ரம்மனை ஸ்ருஷ்டித்தபின், பாத்ம கல்பம் முடியும் தறுவாயில் ப்ரம்மன் உறக்கம் நீங்கிக் கண் விழித்தபோது  பெரும் நீர்ப்பரப்பில் தான் தாமரையில் இருப்பதைக் கண்டார்.

ஆபோ நாரா இதி ப்ரோக்தா ஆபோ வை நர ஸூனவ:
அயனம் தஸ்ய தா:பூர்வம் தேன நாராயண: ஸ்ம்ருத:

அப்போது நீர்க்கடலில் எம்பெருமான் ஸயனத் திருக்கோலம் கண்டார். இவ்வாறு நீரில் இருந்த பிரபுவுக்கு நாராயணன் என்ற பெயர் வந்தது. அந்த நாரத்திலிருந்து ஸ்ருஷ்டிக்கப்பட்டவை நாரங்கள். அவற்றை உள்ளும் புறமும் இருந்து அவனே தாங்குகிறான்.  ஒரு மீன் அல்லது ஆமை அல்லது வராஹ வடிவெடுக்கிறான். இப்போது ப்ரம்மன் வேத கீதம் பாட, ஸநகாதிகள் பார்த்துக்கொண்டிருக்கும்போதே அவன் அந்நீரில் பாய்ந்து இறங்குவதை நோக்கிய பூமிப்  பிராட்டி சொன்னாள்:

 

பூமி ஸ்துதி

நமஸ்தே ஸர்வபூதாய துப்யம் சங்க கதாதர
மாம் உத்தாராஸ்மாதத்ய த்வம் த்வத்தோஹம் பூர்வமுத்திதா

த்வத்தோஹம் உத்திதா பூர்வம் த்வன் மாயாஹம் ஜனார்த்தன
ததான் யானி ச  பூதாநி ககநாதீன் யஸேஷத:

நமஸ்தே பரமாத்மாத்மன் புருஷாத்மன் நமோஸ்துதே
ப்ரதான வ்யக்த பூதாய கால பூதாய தே நம:

த்வம் கர்த்தா ஸர்வ பூதானாம் த்வம் பாதா த்வம் விநாச க்ருத்
ஸர்காதிஷு ப்ரபோ ப்ரஹ்ம விஷ்ணு ருத்ராத்ம ரூபத்ரூக்

சம்பக்ஷயித்வா சகலம் ஜகத் ஏகார்ணவீ க்ருதே
சேஷே த்வமேவ கோவிந்த! சிந்த்யமானோ மநீஷிபி:

பாவதோ யத்பாரம் தத்வம் தத்ர ஜானாதி கஸ்சன
அவதாரேஷு யத் ரூபம் ததர்ச்சந்தி திவௌகச:

த்வமாராத்ய பரம் ப்ரஹ்ம யாதா முக்திம் முமூக்ஷவ:
வாசுதேவமனாராத்ய கோ மோக்ஷம் ஸமவாப்ஸ்யதி

யத் கிஞ்சித் மனஸாக்ராஹ்யம் யத்க்ராஹ்யம் சக்ஷுராதிபி:
புத்தயா ச யத் பரிச்சேத்யம் தத்ரூபமகிலம் தவ

த்வன் மயாஹம் த்வதாதாரா த்வத் ஸ்ருஷ்டா த்வாமுபாச்ரிதா
மாதவீம் இதி  லோகோயம் அபிதத்தே ததோஹி மாம்

ஜயாகில ஞான மய ஜய ஸ்தூல மயாவ்யய
ஜயானந்த ஜயாவ்யக்த ஜய வ்யக்தமய ப்ரபோ

பராபராத்மன் விச்வாத்மன் ஜய யஞ பதேனக
த்வம் யஜ்ஞஸ்த்வம் வஷட்காரஸ்த்வ மோங்காரஸ் த்வம் அக்நய:

தவம் வேதாஸ்த்வம் ததங்கானித்வம் யஜ்ஞ புருஷோ  ஹரே!
ஸூர்யாதயோ க்ரஹாஸ்தாரா நக்ஷத்ராணி அகிலம் ஜகத்

மூர்த்ராமூர்த்தம் அத்ருஸ்யஞ்ச கடினம் புருஷோத்தம யதோக்தம் யஸ்ச நைவோக்தம் மயாத்ர பரமேச்வர!
தத் ஸர்வம் த்வம் நமஸ் துப்யம் பூயோ பூயோ நமோ நம:

அருளிச்செயலில் ஆழ்வார்கள் பூமியை எம்பெருமான் இடந்தும்  கிடந்தும் நடந்தும் கடந்தும் தோள்களால் ஆரத் தழுவியும் தன்னுடையதே  உலகென நின்றான் என்று பாடுவது இங்கு காணக் கிடைக்கிறது. இதன் திரண்ட பொருள்:  

“எல்லாப் பொருள்களாகவும், கதை, சக்ரம் ஏந்தியவனுமான ப்ரபுவே வணக்கம்! எப்போதும்போல் என்னை இவ்விடத்திலிருந்து தூக்கி நிறுத்துவீராக. ஆகாசமும், மற்றெல்லாப் பொருள்களும் போலே நானும் உம்மிடமிருந்தே தோன்றினேன், உம்மையே தொடர்கிறேன், உம்மிலேயே உள்ளேன். பரமாத்மனே! தெரிந்தும், தெரியாமலும் எல்லா பூதங்களுமாய் உள்ளீர், அவற்றின் ஆத்மாவாய் உள்ளீர்.(அவற்றுக்கு சத்தை/இருப்பு கொடுக்கிறீர்)

எல்லாவற்றையும் ப்ரஹ்மா, விஷ்ணு, ருத்ர ஸ்வரூபங்களில் ஸ்ருஷ்டி, ஸம்ரக்ஷண, ஸம்ஹார காலங்களில் ஸ்ருஷ்டிப்பவர் , ரக்ஷிப்பவர், ஸம்ஹரிப்பவர் நீரே. கோவிந்தா! எல்லாவற்றையும் விழுங்கியபின், உலகம்  முழுவதையும் வ்யாபித்துள்ள மஹா ஸமுத்ரத்தில், யோகிகளால் த்யானிக்கப்பட்டு தேவரீர் ஸயனித்துள்ளீர். எவரும் உமது உண்மை ஸ்வரூபம் அறிகிலர்; தேவர்கள் நீர் விரும்பிக் காட்டும் திவ்ய ஸ்வரூபத்தை விரும்பி தரிசிக்கிறார்கள். இறுதியில் மோக்ஷம் பெறவேண்டும் என விரும்புவோர், வாசுதேவனே! உம்மையே த்யானிக்கிறார்கள், உம்மை அன்றி வேறு எவரை த்யானிப்பர்? மனதால் அஞ்சப்படுபவையோ, புலன்களால் காணப்படுபவையோ, அரிவால் உணரப்படுபவையோ யாவும் உமது வடிவமே.

நான் உம்  உடைமை, நீரே என் ஸ்ருஷ்டி கர்த்தா, நான் உம்மையே சரணாகப் புகல் அடைகிறேன். ஆகவே இப்ரபஞ்சத்தில் எனக்கு மாதவி (மாதவன் எனும் விஷ்ணுவின் மஹிஷி) எனும் ஸ்தானம் கிடைக்கிறது. ஞான ஸாரத்திற்கு மங்களம், மாறாமல் அழியாமல் இருப்பதற்கு மங்களம், நித்யமானதற்கு மங்களம், தானே காரணமாயும் கார்யமாயும் இருப்பவருக்கு மங்களம்; வ்யக்தமாயும் அவ்யக்தமாயும் இருப்பவருக்கு, பிரபஞ்ச ஸ்வரூபிக்கு, அப்பழுக்கற்ற யஜ்ஞ ஸ்வாமிக்கு மங்களம்! தேவரீர் யஜ்யம், தேவரீரே அர்க்யம், தேவரீரே ஓங்காரம், தேவரீரே யாக அக்னி, தேவரீரே வேதங்கள், அவற்றைச் சார்ந்த விஞ்ஞானங்கள், தேவரீரே அனைவரும் தொழும் ஹரி. ஸூர்யன், க்ரஹங்கள், நக்ஷத்திரங்கள், முழு உலகம், வடிவுள்ளன, வடிவற்றன, காணப்படுவன, கண்ணுக்குப் புலனாகாதன, நான் சொன்னவை/சொல்லாமல் விட்டவை யாவுமே புருஷோத்தமனே! தேவரீர் ஆவீர். உமக்கு வணக்கம், வணக்கம், மீண்டும் மீண்டும் வணக்கம்.”

இவ்வாறு பூமி துதித்தவுடன், நீரிலிருந்து நீல மேகம் போல் ஒரு பெருங்கேழல் (வராஹ) வடிவில் மெலிதான ஸாம கானம்போல் முனகலோடு நீர் சொரிய எழுந்த எம்பெருமான் ஸநக ஸநந்தனாதிகள் பார்த்துக் கொண்டிருக்கும்போதே மாறாத அன்பு நோக்கோடு பூமியை நேராக ஏந்திக்கொண்டு, ரிஷிகள், தேவர்கள் ஸ்துதி செய்துகொண்டிருக்க அந்த பூகோளத்தை நீரில் மேற்பரப்பில் உறுதியாக வைத்தார்.

இந்தப் ப்ரபஞ்ச ஸ்ருஷ்டியில் ப்ரஹ்மா ஒரு கருவியாக மட்டுமே உள்ளார். “நிமித்த மாத்ரமேவாஸீத் ஸ்ருஜ்யதாம் ஸர்க கர்மணி” என்கிறார் பராசரர்.      

அடியேன் வங்கிபுரம் சடகோப ராமானுஜ தாசன்

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thiruvAimozhi thiruvAimozhi 7th centum

thiruvAimozhi – 7.7.2 – Attiyum thURRiyum

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Full series >> Seventh Centum >> Seventh decad

Previous pAsuram

Introduction for this pAsuram

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction

No specific introduction.

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction

In the second pAsuram, parAnguSa nAyaki speaks about how emperumAn‘s beautiful, divine nose is tormenting her.

Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction

Subsequently, parAnguSa nAyaki says “The nose of krishNa who became butter thief due to his desire for the belongings of devotees, is shining in my heart”.

Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction

In second pAsuram, as her friends are of the same age, knowing her suffering, they avoided scolding her; mothers, beyond scolding, set out to discuss about it in public as well; parAnguSa nAyaki says “the beauty of his nose, being close to the divine eyes, is tormenting me”.

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

Second pAsuram. The way the divine nose torments her is explained as “While I [the nose] am positioned in between the two eyes, why are they rushing? Is this what is our [nose’s] strength?”

pAsuram

Attiyum thURRiyum ninRu annaimIr ennai nIr nalindhen?
mAttuyar kaRpagaththin valliyO kozhundhO aRiyEn
Ittiya veNNey uNdAn thiru mUkku enadhAviyuLLE
mAttiya val viLakkin sudarAy niRkum vAliyadhE

Listen

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

annaimIr – mothers (who are focussed on pleasing me)
nIr – you
Attiyum – (advising and) not letting me remain where I am
thURRiyum – (outside) accusing me
ninRu – remain (firm)
ennai – me
nalindhu – due to tormenting
en – what is the benefit?

(your torment is not fructifying because)
mAttu – in close proximity
uyar – tall
kaRpagaththin – kalpa (celestial variety) tree’s
valliyO – creeper
kozhundhO – shoot
aRiyEn – I don’t know;
Ittiya – (churned and) gathered
veNNey – butter
uNdAn – one who mercifully ate (by stealing)
thiru mUkku – divine nose
enadhu – my
Avi uLLE – in the heart
mAttiya – raised
vAliyadhu – being big
val – firm
viLakkin sudarAy niRkum – shining like the flame of a lamp.

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

Oh mothers! You are not letting me remain where I am and you remain firm in accusing me. What is the benefit in doing so? I don’t know if it is tall kalpa tree’s creeper or shoot, in close proximity – the divine nose of the one who mercifully ate the gathered butter is shining like a raised, big, firm flame of a lamp in my heart.

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

  • Attiyum thURRiyum – Attugai means scolding with accusations. thURRugai means accusing in public. It is natural to try and withdraw someone by scaring him/her once; unlike that,
  • ninRu – continuously doing the same thing even when there is no success in previous attempts
  • annaimIr ennai nIr nalindhu en – Why are you who are focussed on pleasing me, now tormenting me like fathers who are focussed on advising me? How can you, who only look at my pleasure, torment me?
  • nalindhen – Are you trying to stop that visualisation or are you trying to withdraw me? Would you engage in something which has no benefit? What are you trying to do even after knowing the strength of his nose?

When asked “If there is no benefit for our advice, what will be beneficial?”, she responds

  • mAttu uyar … – If you are capable, please eliminate this doubt of mine. mAdu – near by, i.e. near one’s eyes. The way the divine eyes and the nose are positioned, it appears like a creeper which grows near an ocean, having the ocean spring as the sustenance.
  • uyar – As said in sthOthra rathnam 32 “unnasam” (great).
  • kaRpagaththin valliyO kozhundhO – Looking at its length, it can be termed as a creeper. Due to the consistent shape, it can be termed as a shoot. She is saying “aRiyEn“, since it is difficult to determine what exactly is it; and due to total equivalence [to both].
  • Ittiya … – When asked “would we know? You who enjoy it deeply, tell us”
  • Ittiya … – emperumAn, being unable to sustain without the object that was in contact with the favourable ones, engaged in stealing the butter and got caught, and to negate his stealing, he would apply the remaining butter on his face; for her, while visualising, she even smells the fragrance of butter. The visualisation was so realistic, the smell of the butter was experienced.

When said “whatever you are seeing, we are not seeing the same”, she responds,

  • enadhu Avi uLLE – this is inside my heart.
  • mAttiya – Implies radiant, lit.
  • val viLakkin sudarAy – The lamp which would not be put off by viraha (suffering in separation). They would mercifully explain saying “A thamizh scholar used to say ‘ERRiya peru viLakku‘ (huge lamp which was lit)”
  • niRkum vAliyadhE – Will remain firm and torment. dhIpa (lamp) is generally kshaNika (transient) and prAdhESika (limited); unlike that, this is permanent and omnipresent; this is word uttered after considering the extent of torment.

In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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iyaRpA periya thiruvandhAdhi

periya thiruvandhAdhi – 2 – pugazhvOm pazhippOm

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avathArikai

In the first pAsuram, AzhwAr said that he will speak about the auspicious qualities of emperumAn with the words “nAvIn thodaikkiLavi utpodhivOm”. However, just as vEdhas came back empty handed when they set out to measure the qualities of emperumAn as mentioned in the thaiththirIya upanishath SlOkam “yathO vAchO nivarthanthE …  ” AzhwAr too steps back saying that this is not a matter that he could speak about [describing the auspicious qualities of emperumAn]. This is similar to ALavandhAr (one of our principal preceptors) saying in his sthOthra rathnam 7 “thathvEna yasya mahimArNavaSIkarANu: SakyO na mAthumapi SarvapithAmahAdhyai: I karthum thadhIya mahimasthuthimudhyathAya mahyam namO’sthu kavayE nirapathrapAya II ” (I started praising about emperumAn, in whose ocean of greatness, even a drop could not be estimated by Siva, brahmA et al; I must salute myself, who am shameless and who earned the name of being a poet). The opinion indicated here for stepping back from praising emperumAn is – singing paeans about a matter is to mention about all the greatness regarding that matter and to further praise the matter with greatness which it does not possess. In the case of emperumAn, even listing out his greatness in the first place is an impossible task. This is why SrI ALavandhAr spoke disparagingly of himself when he started singing the greatness of emperumAn. What is the reason for nammAzhwAr to praise emperumAn in the first pAsuram and to step back in the second pAsuram by saying that praising emperumAn is similar to ridiculing him? Both acts (of praising and stepping back) are due to the greatness of matter related to emperumAn. When one sees something great, it is apt to enjoy it for himself. In the same way, when one starts praising emperumAn and finds that it impossible to do so as the greatness of emperumAn is beyond one’s faculties of mind and speech, it is apt to step back, thinking “my attempt to praise emperumAn and create a greatness for him is ending up as a ridicule for him”

Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:

pugazhvOm pazhippOm pugazhOm pazhiyOm
igazhvOm madhippOm igazhOm madhiyOm maRRu
engaNmAl sengaNmAl seeRal nee thIvinaiyOm
engaL mAl kaNdAy ivai

Word by Word Meanings

pugazhvOm – if we are to praise (you)
pazhippOm – (since it won’t be apt for your auspicious qualities) we will end up ridiculing you
pugazhOm – if we do not praise
pazhiyOm – we will refrain from ridiculing (since my faulty words will not come anywhere near your auspicious qualities)
maRRu – moreover
madhippOm – if we think (about you)
igazhvOm – we will end up insulting you
madhiyOm – if we do not think (of you)
igazhOm – we will not end up insulting you
engaL mAl – having affection towards us
sem kaN mAl – having reddish, divine eyes
nee – you (who cannot be estimated)
seeRal – do not be angry
ivai – engaging in praising you and refraining from praising you
thIvinaiyOm – horrible sinners
engaL – our
mAl kaNdAy – bewilderment, please see.

vyAkyAnam

pugazhvOm pazhippOm – If we praise matters related to emperumAn, we will actually end up ridiculing him.

pugazhOm pazhiyOm – If we refrain from praising him, that itself will be equivalent to not ridiculing  him. But will this meaning not be derived in the earlier verse itself (pugazhvOm pazhippOm)? It is more strongly emphasised in this negative assertion (vyathirEkam) than in the positive assertion (anvayam) there.  Thus, AzhwAr has shown that it is better not to indulge with the faculty of speech, in matter related to emperumAn. Next, he shows the same with the faculty of mind.

igazhvOm madhippOm – We should change the order of the verse to madhippOm igazhvOm. The opinion here is that if we think of emperumAn through our heart, we will end up insulting him. Just as it is mentioned in thaiththirIya samhithA 7-5-3 “mana: pUrvO vaguththara:” (it is the mind which precedes speech), we speak through our faculty of speech whatever the faculty of mind thinks. But, will it not be construed here that whatever has been mentioned in pugazhvOm pazhippOm is being repeated here? This is not correct since even though we have to carry out atonement for the sins committed through the faculty of thinking, AzhwAr is bringing this up here in order to show that we would have committed the sin of insulting matters relating to emperumAn even if we think of them.

madhiyOm igazhOm – If we do not think of matters relating to emperumAn we would not have insulted them.

maRRu – this shows that the activity of saying something through the faculty of speech is different from thinking of the same through the faculty of mind. Thus the word maRRu should be brought forward to get the verse maRRu igazhvOm madhippOm and the meaning should be taken accordingly. It is by combining the meanings in these two lines and the meaning in kEnOpanishath which starts with the verse yasyA matham that SrI parASara bhattar mercifully composed in his SrI rangarAja sthavam 1-13 the SlOkam “amatham matham mathamathAmatham sthutham parinindhitham bhavathi nindhitham sthutham I ithi rangarAjamudhajughushath thrayI sthumahE vayam nimithi tham na Saknuma: II ” (The thamizh and samskrutha vEdhas say “when it is thought that the supreme being cannot be known, it becomes known. And, if it is thought that the supreme being is known, it becomes unknown. When it is thought that the supreme being is praised, it becomes insulted. If it is thought that it cannot be praised, it becomes praised”. How are we, the ignorant people, engaging in praising that supreme being, SrI ranganAtha? We are not capable of praising him).

engaL mAl – emperumAn who is very affectionate towards us so that we do not ridicule him.

sengaN mAl engaL mAl – one who is proclaimed by vEdhas as the supreme being because he has eyes described as in chAndhOgya upanishath 1-6-7 “thasya yathA puNdarIkam EvamakshiNI ” (that supreme being (who is at the centre of the solar system) has two eyes which are like lotus blossomed by sun) and one who cannot be estimated by anyone, developed deep affection for me. The word mAl which occurs at the beginning denotes one who is a great person and the second mAl denotes one who has affection.

nee seeRal – do not get angry with us and shower your mercy on us.

sengaNmAl seeRal – thinking that emperumAn’s eyes have become reddish because he is angry on account of his praising him without knowing his greatness, AzhwAr tells emperumAn not to get angry. Alternatively, it can be construed that after hearing AzhwAr’s first pAsuram when he set out to praise emperumAn, like a famished person taking a large leaf to take the food offered which will satiate his hunger, emperumAn was very anxious to hear what AzhwAr had to say. When AzhwAr stepped back in the second pAsuram since he would end up ridiculing emperumAn if he set out to praise him, emperumAn might have become angry and hence AzhwAr is requesting him not to get angry.

thIvinaiyOm – While you are anxious to hear being praised, we are not fortunate to praise you due to our sins. This meaning would gel with the second meaning for the world seeRal (emperumAn was waiting to hear AzhwAr praise when he stated as much in the first pAsuram and became angry when AzhwAr stepped back since he would end up ridiculing him). Alternatively, this can be construed as referring to the sins due to which, without knowing emperumAn’s greatness, AzhwAr set out to start praising emperumAn.

engaL mAl kaNdAy ivai – setting out to praise you in the first place after seeing your greatness and stepping back from that as it would be inappropriate, are both borne out of our bewilderment. mAl here refers to bewilderment.

We will take up the 3rd pAsuram next.

adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan

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thiruvAimozhi thiruvAimozhi 7th centum

thiruvAimozhi – 7.7.1 – Ezhaiyar Avi

Published by:

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

Full series >> Seventh Centum >> Seventh decad

Introduction for this pAsuram

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction

No specific introduction.

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction

In the first pAsuram, parAnguSa nAyaki is speaking about how emperumAn‘s divine eyes oppress her.

Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction

See nanjIyar‘s introduction.

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

Ezhaiyar Avi uNNum iNaik kURRangolO aRiyEn
AzhiyangaNNa pirAn thirukkaNgaLkolO aRiyEn
sUzhavunthAmarai nANmalarpOl vandhu thOnRungaNdIr
thOzhiyargAL annaimIr! en seygEn thuyarAttiyEnE

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

Ezhaiyar – girls’ (who are desirous)
Avi – life
uNNum – consuming
iNai – pair (matching each other)
kURRam kolO – death personified?
aRiyEn – I am unable to determine (them as eyes due to their causing harm);

(unlike that)
Azhi – like ocean (which has hidden gems)
am – being distinguished (infinite)

(in the beginning, with me)
kaNNan – being obedient
pirAn – krishNa (who favoured by uniting)
thiru – distinguished
kaNgaL kolO – are they divine eyes?
aRiyEn – I am unable to determine (them as [agents of] death due to their attractive nature);
sUzhavum – surrounding (not to move away)
thAmarai – lotus’
nAL malar pOl – like fresh flower
vandhu – come
thOnRum – appeared;
kaNdIr – see;
thOzhiyargAL annaimIr – oh friends (who are close, but cannot see the internal anguish) and mothers (who gave birth to me, and raised me knowing my nature well), who are controlling me!
thuyarAttiyEn – I who am with anguish (which is only known to me)
en seygEn – what remedy will do (to eliminate the anguish)?

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

I am unable to determine if these are “a pair of death personified which consume the life of girls? or “the distinguished, divine eyes of obedient krishNa who resembles a distinguished ocean”. They came and appeared like fresh lotus flower which is surrounding everywhere; see them; oh friends and mothers who are controlling me! What remedy will I who am anguished, do? Implies, I will neither hide the divine eyes which appear in front of me, nor will I enjoy them by getting close.

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

  • Ezhaiyar Avi … – Are these two death personified which will finish the lives of those helpless girls who develop desire towards certain matters and are unable to sustain themselves? Will these death personified finish the helpless girls so that they can remain neither for emperumAn who caused the anguish by separating nor for the elderly mothers who try to redeem the girls by advising “this is not proper”? He is not aware of the beauty of his eyes! Would he not come, if they harmed him as well? Has he not seen them in the mirror?
  • Avi uNNum – Like SrI rAma’s arrows, while the decorations remain intact, they would take away the life.
  • iNaik kURRam kolO – The harm caused by the divine eyes is like two death personified which discussed between each other and arrived.
  • aRiyEn – Why is she saying arIyEn (I don’t know)? Even if two persons discuss between themselves and arrive, they need not kill helpless girls; she is doubting due to this reason.
  • Azhi am kaNNa pirAn thirukkaNgaL kolO aRiyEn – Alternatively – would they only torment the girls? One cannot escape thinking “only others (unfavourable ones) will torment”, were these divine eyes not the ones which established the initial relationship? This means – the ocean like eyes of krishNa, the benefactor; and also means – the divine eyes of krishNa, the benefactor who has ocean like invigorating form.
  • aRiyEn – Since she has not experienced separation previously, she does not realise that the eyes could torment. Have we not heard previously in periya thirumozhi 7.1.9 “uyirkkellAm thAyAy aLikkinRa thaN thAmaraik kaN” (the cool lotus eye which protects everyone like a mother)? The whole universe sustains by this merciful glance. Now, it is contrary to what we have heard.

When asked “but, is it possible to escape?”, parAnguSa nAyaki replies

  • sUzhavum … – On the final day when SrI rAma was fighting rAvaNa, just as wherever one saw, only SrI rAma was visible, it has become similar here; is it that only when rAkshasas could escape from SrI rAma’s arrow, could the helpless girls escape from the beauty of his eyes? It is said in thiruviruththam 39 “puNdarIka nedundhadangaLpOlap polindhemakkellA idaththavum” (for us, everywhere it appears that his expansive lotus ponds like eyes are shining). It is similar to one’s fear for snake. Wherever she tried to move away, there too she only saw his eyes. Why is she saying “thAmarai nAL malarpOl” (like fresh lotus flower)? She is talking about the freshness during the union. [Explains why they cannot be fresh, in separation] SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 35.44 “mahathAjvalathA nithyamagni nEvAgni parvatha:” (Oh sIthAp pirAtti! As SrI rAma has not seen you, he is burning like fire garland which is surrounded by great fire), SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 36.42 “naivathamSAn namaSakAn” – perumAL (SrI rAma) is not aware of what crawls over him and what bites him; when asked for the reason for that, it is said in same SlOkam “thvath gathEnAntharAthmanA” – as perumAL [his soul] has moved here [to lankA, near pirAtti], who will realise these there?  said hanumAn. His [emperumAn‘s] anguish in separation is not the same as her [AzhwAr as parAnguSa nAyaki] anguish. She is not realising that. She only knows how he fresh he was after having fully united with her and then separated; that is what is deep-rooted in her heart; she does not know how he felt afterwards; that is why she is saying “fresh flower like eyes”.
  • vandhu thOnRum – Just as in real, emperumAn will arrive on his own will, even in uruvu veLippAdu (visualisation), he appears on his own will.
  • kaNdIr – Are you not seeing this?
  • thOzhiyargAL annaimIr – Her state is not such that she can reveal this to some and hide it from others. She is not at the state where she can reveal it to her friends but cannot reveal it to mothers. That is the special state she was in.
  • en seygEn – Should I try to escape it or try to experience it – what shall I do?
  • thuyarAttiyEnE – While I should remain as said in thaiththirIya upanishath “Anandham brahmaNO vidhvAn nabhibhEthi kuthaSchana” (One who realised bhagavAn’s bliss, will not fear anything), I started going through previous state of sorrow as said in “avaSyam anubhOkthavyam” (must be experienced).

In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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iyaRpA periya thiruvandhAdhi

periya thiruvandhAdhi – 1 – muyaRRi sumandhu

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avathArikai

As soon as AzhwAr told his heart that one should carry out vAchika kainkaryam (carrying out service to emperumAn through the faculty of speech), the heart set out alone, in search of emperumAn, without taking AzhwAr with it. AzhwAr tells his heart to take him along.

Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:

muyaRRi sumandhu ezhundhu mundhuRRa nenjE
iyaRRuvAy emmodo nI kUdi nayappudaiya
nAvIn thodaikkiLavi utpodhivOm naRpUvaip
pUvInRa vaNNan pugazh

Word by Word Meanings

muyaRRi sumandhu – being involved enthusiastically (in carrying out service to emperumAn)
ezhundhu – rising up intensely
mudhuRRa nenjE – Oh heart who has gone ahead (of me)!
nal – superior
pUvaip pU InRa – in the flower kAyAmbU (a type of flower which has indigo like colour)
vaNNan – sarvESvaran, who has that colour, his
pugazh – auspicious qualities
nayappudaiya – having grace
nA In – being created by tongue
thodaikkiLaviyuL – words with beautiful sounds, strung beautifully
podhivOm – we will keep constantly
emmodu – along with me
nI kUdi – you too join
iyaRRuvAy – praise

vyAkyAnam

muyaRRi sumandhu – being involved enthusiastically in the kainkaryam to be carried out by the faculty of speech, which is being mentioned in the latter part of the pAsuram. The word muyaRRi indicates enthusiasm. The way AzhwAr’s heart is proceeding ahead of AzhwAr is analogous to the way iLaiya perumAL (lakshmaNa) proceeded ahead of perumAL (SrI rAma), as mentioned in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 33-28 “prAgEva thu mahAbAga: saumithrir mithra nandhana: I pUrvajasyAnuyAthrArthE dhrumasIrair alankrutha: II” (in order to go behind his elder brother, lakshmaNa, who is fortunate, who makes the favourable people happy and who is sumithrA’s son, dressed himself with the wooden barks, ahead of SrI rAma). Did not kaikEyi give the dress made of wooden bark to SrI rAma first and then only to lakshmaNa? How then can it be said that lakshmaNa wore the bark ahead of SrI rAma? SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 21-17 says “dhIpthamagnimaraNyam vA yadhi rAma: pravEkshayathi I pravishtam thathra mAm dhEvi thvam pUrvamadhAraya II” ((lakshmaNa tells his mother sumithrA) Oh mother! If SrI rAma enters a raging fire or a forest, know that I would have entered it ahead of him). Thus, knowing the basic nature of lakshmaNa, it is not a fault to say that lakshmaNa wore the dress made of wooden bark ahead of SrI rAma. The opinion here is that unlike SrI rAma, who was wearing the bark in order to fulfil the words of his father, lakshmaNa wore it because SrI rAma was going to wear it and hence this is more significant.

mundhuRRa nenjE – Just as lakshmaNa told SrI rAma as in the SrI rAmAyaNa SlOkam “yadhithvam prasthidhOdhurkam vanamadhyaiva rAghava I agrathasthE gamishyAmi mruthnathI kuSakaNtakAn II” (Oh rAghava! Even if you are proceeding to the difficult-to-go-to forest today itself, I will go ahead of you, stamping on the grass and thorns and destroying them [so that it will be easier for you to walk on the cleared path]), AzhwAr tells his heart “Oh heart, who is ahead of me!”

iyaRRuvAy emmodu nI kUdi – [AzhwAr tells his heart] Wasn’t it I who instructed you about service to emperumAn? Could you go, leaving me behind, forgetting that gratitude? It is indeed good that you are enthusiastic about carrying out service ahead of me. Take me too, along with you. What will the two of us do, together, asks the heart. AzhwAr states further “We are going to carry out kainkaryam to emperumAn, together”

nayappudaiya  – having superiority. Just as nammAzhwAr has mercifully mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 7-9-10 “ennAl thannaip padhaviya inkavi pAdiya” (he [emperumAn] composed beautiful songs on himself, using me as a tool), the poem will add superiority to the one about whom it speaks. Adding superiority to the lead character is creating greatness, which was not there earlier.

nAvIn – a poem created through the tongue. AzhwAr tells his heart “Oh heart! Neither you nor I would be needed to create this poem. Tongue itself is enough for this”. AzhwAr says that his heart and he are required only to retain this poem in the heart and to enjoy it. Is it possible to create a poem without the presence of heart? The meaning implied is that emperumAn will remain in the heart and make it to compose the poem. Didn’t AzhwAr say in thiruvAimozhi “ennAl thannaip pAdiya”! (emperumAn who sang about himself through me)

thodaikkiLavi – words which have been strung beautifully. The meaning implied here is that since the poem was not composed troubling the heart, there is no harshness in the words.

utpodhivOm – thaiththirIya upanishath Anandhavalli says “yathO vAchO nivarthanthE aprApya manasA saha I Anandham brahmaNO vidhvAn na bibhEthi kuthSchanEthi  II” (The heart, with the words, set out to measure the happiness of emperumAn and returned, being unable to accomplish the task. One who knows the happiness of emperumAn will not fear anything). vEdhAntha could not measure the happiness of emperumAn and returned empty handed. AzhwAr is full of zeal to contain the auspicious qualities of that emperumAn inside his words.

naRpUvai pUvInRa pugazh – AzhwAr says that the subject matter [emperumAn] cannot be contained inside words.

naRpUvai – While the colour of the flower pUvaippU (indigo coloured flower) may, to an extent, match the complexion of  emperumAn’s divine form, his fragrance and gentleness, the simile would end just there as the flower will wither away in a while. Since the normal pUvaippU will not match the perennial greatness of emperumAn, AzhwAr is qualifying the flower by calling it as narpUvai  (good flower).

pUvInRa vaNNan – it could be taken as either the flower which manifests the bluish colour of emperumAn or emperumAn who reveals the colour of the flower.  This is similar to the saying “gO sadhruSO gavaya:  gavaya sadhruSO gau:” (the animal gavaya is looking like cow and the cow is looking like the animal gavaya) in which both the simile and the object have got interchanged.

pugazh – the qualities of emperumAn’s divine form, not made of primordial matter, and qualities of emperumAn’s basic nature, full of knowledge and happiness.

We will move on to the 2nd pAsuram, next.

adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan

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thiruvAimozhi thiruvAimozhi 7th centum

thiruvAimozhi – 7.7 – Ezhaiyar

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Audio

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction

See nampiLLai’s introduction.

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction

See nampiLLai’s introduction.

Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction

In the seventh decad – AzhwAr who called out with sorrow in this manner, thought about emperumAn‘s physical beauty which came up as in “adi undhi kai mArbu kaN vAy“, emperumAn’s distinguished, top most limb and all other limbs shone brightly as if present directly, each limb individually and collectively; upon seeing them, AzhwAr highlights the following aspects:

  1. the divine eyes of krishNa who is having an unlimited nature
  2. the nostrils of such emperumAn who is attached to his devotees
  3. the beautiful reddish lips which contrast his dark complexion
  4. his eyebrows which make him so attractive, and to make him the father of manmadha (cupid)
  5. the gentle smile of the one who effortlessly lifted gOvardhana
  6. the nicely decorated ears of such ananthaSAyi (one who is reclining on serpent)
  7. the beautiful forehead of the one with strong shoulders
  8. the beautiful face of krishNa with such beautiful limbs
  9. the beautiful hair of such amazing emperumAn
  10. his beautiful crown which reveals his supremacy over everyone

AzhwAr meditated upon these aspects; but since it it did not end in union with emperumAn, he became greatly anguished; seeing that the noble ones and the caring ones became sorrowful and AzhwAr explains his emotions to them just as a nAyaki (consort of emperumAn) in separation from her consort krishNa, having visualized his divine limbs but could not physically experience him, became sorrowful and explained her emotions to her friends and mothers who set out to advice her.

Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction

See nampiLLai‘s introduction.

Highlights from nampiLLai‘s introduction

In the previous decad – AzhwAr meditated upon emperumAn‘s physical beauty as in “malgu neelach chudar thazhaippach chenjudarch chOdhigaL pUththu oru mANikkam sErvadhupOl – andhara mEl sempattOdi undhi kai mArbu kaN vAy – senjudarch chOdhi vida uRai en thirumArbanaiyE“; such beauty became well established in his heart and having enjoyed it thoroughly, due to that relishable mood, emperumAn was fully visualised where the visualisation matched physical presence, and AzhwAr stretched his hands thinking emperumAn is present in front of him only not to find him there; he became very sorrowful and started mercifully speaking in the mood of a pirAtti (consort) who united and separated from sarvESvaran, and is suffering due to uruveLippAdu (visualisation/hallucination).

A pirAtti [parAnguSa nAyaki] who is suffering in separation after union with sarvESvara; when a man unites with a woman, usually it starts with eye-contact and then extends to other interactions; hence – first parAnguSa nAyaki meditates upon the beauty of his divine eyes, and through that she meditates upon his face and subsequently desires for further interactions but becomes sorrowful since her desires did not materialise immediately; her friends and mothers observed her state and asked her “what is going on with you?” Her suffering became so great that it could no longer be revealed to some while hidden from others. Hence, she said to all of them “The beauty of his divine face both part by part and fully, is coming and tormenting me”; she heard from those who advice and despise saying “This way of speaking does not match your femininity; it does not match his supremacy too; it does not match your nature of caring for us as well; so, you give it up”; she replied “the way it torments is not a match for your angry words, to make me withdraw myself from it; now, I will just keep thinking about what I am impacted with; hence, you should just give up on me” highlighting that they should give up attachment towards her, and her helpless state. AzhwAr keeps going through the following emotions in thiruvAimozhi – desiring for sarvESvaran‘s qualities, that being an internal experience, desiring for the qualities other than those which were enjoyed, not being able to be patient in enjoying them, and that makes him forget his previous state. What is explained more in this decad which talks about the visualisation? While the previously acquired clarity was present, new desire dawned in him which turned out to be the visualisation. In other places, only after losing the previously acquired clarity, he will acquire new desire. Even in thiruvAimozhi 5.5 “enganEyO“, the same experience was undergone by AzhwAr. What is the difference between there and here? There – AzhwAr is having both joy and sorrow equally and here sorrow is more. [For example] The harm caused by emperumAn‘s divine eyes makes AzhwAr address them as “iNaikkURRam” (pair of death).

Each pAsuram is discussed subsequently.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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iyaRpA periya thiruvandhAdhi

periya thiruvandhAdhi – avathArikai (Introduction)

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When nammAzhwAr started composing thiruviruththam, his first dhivya prabandham (divine hymn) with the verse “imaiyOr thalaivA” (leader of nithyasUris, the permanent dwellers of SrIvaikuNtam), emperumAn, who is the repository of all auspicious qualities, through his causeless mercy, revealed to AzhwAr his svarUpam (basic natue), rUpam (divine form), guNam (auspicious qualities) and his wealth of nithya vibhUthi (spiritual realm, SrIvaikuNtam) and leelA vibhUthi (materialistic realm, samsAram). Seeing these, AzhwAr realised that while he has the same entitlement as the nithyasUris to enjoy the experience of emperumAn, he is not able to enjoy it as he was in samsAram, with hurdles such as knowledge [limited knowledge, due to being in samsAram], demeanour [shortcomings in his conduct], physical form [made of five elements which are perishable] etc.  He, therefore, appealed to emperumAn to sever his connection with the physical form which was a major hurdle in experiencing emperumAn. This meaning was mentioned in the first pAsuram (hymn) of thiruviruththam “poyninRa gyAnamum pollA ozhukkum azhukkudambum inninRa nIrmai iniyAm uRAmai” (I do not want to get any more of this false knowledge [that this body is Athma, the soul], bad conduct and the dirty body).  While AzhwAr had mentioned this in the first pAsuram, is this meaning expressed in all the 100 pAsurams of thiruviruththam? In the 100th pAsuram, which gives the benefits to those who learn this prabandham, AzhwAr had stated “azhundhAr piRappAm pollA aruvinai mAya van sERRaLLal poynnilaththE” ((those who learn this prabandham) will not drown in this samsAram which is the reason for accumulation of sins and virtues, is deceitful, and is like a quagmire). Since AzhwAr had started saying about the ills of samsAram in the first pAsuram and spoke of the same in the 100th pAsuram, and since he said in the first pAsuram that he was making an appeal to emperumAn (adiyEN seyyum viNNappamE) and said in the 100th pAsuram that this was his appeal (mARan viNNappam seydha), it is clear that this is the meaning for all 100 pAsurams. After he had made the appeal to emperumAn in the first pAsuram to sever his connection with his physical form, since emperumAn did not accede to his request, the pAsurams in between were all expression of his distress.

Why did emperumAn not accede to AzhwAr’s request in the first pAsuram? To know this, we should look at what he did when bhIshma (the grandfather of pANdavas and kauravas) was lying in the bed of arrows [in mahAbhAratha war]. In order to re-establish the righteousness which he had put in place on earth, emperumAn  had made bhIshma to pronounce the same to yudhishtra [the first son of kunthi] and other pANdavas. In the same way, emperumAn made AzhwAr to compose all the four prabandhams [thiruviruththam, thiruvAsiriyam, periya thiruvandhAdhi and thiruvAimozhi] so that the world, at large, would be benefitted and the people will get uplifted, by keeping AzhwAr for a long time, in leelA vibhUthi.

While emperumAn is the Lord and AzhwAr is the servitor, and it is emperumAn who can remove the hurdles of AzhwAr which prevented AzhwAr from attaining emperumAn, AzhwAr should have made emperumAn the main character in his first prabandham, thiruviruththam. Instead, he gave that honour to SrIvaishNavas. Why did he do like this? This was because, AzhwAr felt that only SrIvaishNavas can help him in uniting with emperumAn and because SrIvaishNavas only should be attained in both this realm and in the spiritual realm, as mentioned in periya thirumozhi 7-4-4 “pErALan pErOdhum periyOrai oru nALum pirigilEn” (I cannot sever myself from those great people who constantly recite the divine names of the emperumAn who is the head of nithyasUris). Also, just  as mentioned in SrI bhagavath gIthai 10-9 “machchiththA madhgathaprANA bhOdhayantha: parasparam I  kathayanthaScha mAm nithyam thushyanthi cha ramanthi cha  II” (keeping their minds firmly established in me, keeping their lives in me, constantly telling one another about my auspicious qualities, my devotees are always happy and enjoying), AzhwAr made the SrIvaishNavas, who help each other in experiencing emperumAn, as the main character in his first prabandham.

What did emperumAn do for AzhwAr in the second prabandham of thiruvAsiriyam? He knew that AzhwAr cannot sustain himself if emperumAn, even if he does not sever AzhwAr’s connection with his body, does not create any enhancement in his state compared to the earlier state. Hence, he brought about a clarity in AzhwAr’s knowledge so that AzhwAr could experience and enjoy emperumAn’s svarUpa, rUpa, guNa and vibhUthi  in samsAram itself, in the same way that nithyasUris enjoyed these in SrIvaikuNtam. Thus AzhwAr enjoyed these in thiruvAsiriyam.

What is it that AzhwAr mercifully declares in the third prabandham, periya thiruvandhAdhi? The worldly matters of Sabdham etc (five sensory perceptions), when experienced, will not be such that they could be termed as great when they are being experienced. The person who experiences these cannot state clearly as to what he had experienced (they will be so lowly). On the other hand, matters related to emperumAn will be such that what has been experienced will be beyond description and what is left to be experienced will be still huge [it is not possible to experience emperumAn completely]. Hence, just as he started the first pAsuram with the verse “muyaRRi sumandhu” (being involved enthusiastically), he sang the last verse “moy kazhalE Eththa muyal” (try and praise the divine feet of emperumAn), thus signifying that his enthusiasm for experiencing matters related to emperumAn increases proportionately to the greatness of emperumAn.

We will take up the 1st pAsuram of this prabandham, next.

adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan

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