thiruvAimozhi – Simple Explanation – 4.1 – orunAyagamAy

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

kOyil thiruvAymozhi

<< 3.3

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Among the three purushArththams (goals) namely aiSvaryam (worldly pleasures), kaivalyam (eternal self enjoyment) and bhagavath kainkaryam (eternal service to bhagavAn), AzhwAr highlights that aiSvaryam and kaivalyam do not match the true nature of the self and are also inferior. Out of his great mercy, he instructs the samsAris to pursue kainkaryam at the lotus feet of Sriya:pathi (SrIman nArAyaNa, the divine consort of SrI mahAlakshmi) who is sarvESvaran. emperumAnAr submitted this decad to thirunArAyaNapuram thirunAraNan emperumAn.

First pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Emperors will [one day] lose their kingdom and miserably live by begging. This being the case, approach the divine feet of thirunArAyaNan (SrIman nArAyaNan) who is eternally wealthy, and be uplifted”.

oru nAyagamAy Oda ulagudan ANdavar
karu nAy kavarndha kAlar sidhaigiya pAnaiyar
peru nAdu kANa immaiyilE pichchai thAm koLvar
thirunAraNan thAL kAlam peRach chindhiththuymminO

Those emperors who are conducting supremely independent empire, fitting firmly in the world and protecting their kingdom, (when their wealth gets destroyed, would beg in the night) have their leg bitten by black dog , having a broken and discarded pot (shell/skull) for begging, will accept alms themselves to be seen by the people of this great earth (which was once ruled by them). (Since aiSwaryam (worldly wealth) is temporary,) meditate upon the eternally wealthy lord nArAyaNan’s divine feet immediately, without wasting any time and be uplifted.

Second pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Since you may lose even your wife on top of losing your wealth, you take shelter of emperumAn, the lord of SrI mahAlakshmi, who is the supreme lord of all”.

uymmin thiRai koNarndhu enRulagANdavar immaiyE
thammin suvai madavAraip piRar koLLath thAm vittu
vemmin oLi veyil kAnagam pOyk kumai thinbargaL
semmin mudith thirumAlai viraindhadi sErminO

Those kings who rule over the world saying [to regional kings and others] “you survive by bringing along the tribute”, in the same life, would abandon their exclusive, dear, pleasure giving wives to be grabbed by others; unable to stay in their kingdom, they would go into the forest where there is very hot sunshine, only to be tortured (by other kings, there too). Thus, you quickly with goodness, surrender unto the divine feet of the divine husband of SrImahAlakshmi, who is having unstoppably radiant crown.

Third pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Those emperors who lived without caring for the other kings who surrendered to them, will lose their wealth and live without being respected by others. Thus surrender unto the divine feet of the enjoyable krishNa”.

adi sEr mudiyinarAgi arasargaL thAm thozha
idi sEr murasangaL muRRaththiyamba irundhavar
podi sEr thugaLAyp pOvargaL Adhalil nokkenak
kadi sEr thuzhAy mudik kaNNan kazhalgaL ninaiminO

Those (emperors) who have at their feet the other kings themselves worshipping, will stay (with least bother for those who surrendered) hearing the thunderous noise of drums [being played] outside; such emperors would become worthless to become a piece of dust in a small portion of an object. Thus, meditate upon the divine feet of krishNa who is adorning a crown which is decorated with fragrant thuLasi.

Fourth pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Since the life span is also short (temporary),you worship the divine feet of krishNa who is the eliminator of hurdles”.

ninaippAn pugil kadal ekkalin nuN maNalin palar
enaiththOrugangaLum ivvulagANdu kazhindhavar
manaippAl marungaRa mAydhal allAl maRRuk kaNdilam
panaiththAL madha kaLiRattavan pAdham paNiminO

If we set out to speak (about kings who died giving up bhagavath anubhavam), more than the very many tiny sand particles in the sand dunes in the ocean, there are many who passed away in the many yugas; they will be destroyed in a manner that there would be no distinction between their residence and the surroundings [everything would be flattened] and we have not seen any remainder of them; thus, you all worship the divine feet of the one [krishNa] who destroyed the mad elephant [kuvalayApIdam] which had well rounded palm tree like feet.

Fifth pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Like wealth, the pleasure of union with women also has the defects such as being temporary etc”.

paNimin thiruvaruL ennum am sIdhap paim pUm paLLi
aNi men kuzhalAr inbak kalavi amudhuNdAr
thuNi munbu nAlap pal Ezhaiyar thAmizhippach chelvar
maNi minnu mEni nam mAyavan pEr solli vAzhminO

Those [kings, wealthy folks] who enjoyed the nectar of blissful union of damsels who have tender tresses with decorations, lying in a beautiful cool huge flower bed to receive the divine grace, subsequently with their cloth hanging in the front side, will themselves go back to those damsels who were desirous previously, in spite of those girls speaking insulting words towards them; thus, you live happily by reciting the divine names of the amazing lord who is having a blue-gem like radiant divine form and who lets (us devotees) enjoy him.

Sixth pAsuram. AzhwAr says “From the time of srushti (creation) till date, I have not seen anyone who has survived being a wealthy person. Hence become a servitor of the lord of kshIrAbdhi”.

vAzhndhArgaL vAzhndhadhu mA mazhai mokkuLin mAyndhu mAyndhu
AzhndhAr enRallAl anRu mudhal inRaRudhiyA
vAzhndhArgaL vAzhndhE niRpar enbadhillai niRkuRil
AzhndhAr kadal paLLi aNNal adiyavarAminO

Those who think that they are living, are like a bubble in the heavy rain which gets crushed again and again and gets destroyed; other than this, the principle of any one who had lived in the same manner [forever] is not present from the time of creation until today; to have an eternal life, [you] become a devotee/servitor to the lord who is having the deep, abundant ocean as his bed. Ar also indicates vastness.

Seventh pAsuram. AzhwAr explains the temporary nature of food, beverages and similar pleasures.

Amin suvai avai AROdu adisil uNdArndha pin
thU men mozhi madavAr irakkap pinnum thuRRuvAr
Imin emakkoru thuRRenRu idaRuvar Adhalin
kOmin thuzhAy mudi Adhi am sOdhi guNangaLE

[The rich folks] after eating (distinguished) food which is matching the nature [of oneself], pleasing, world renowned and having six types of tastes, and feeling full, will again eat with difficulty, unable to refuse the desire of pure (due to the affectionate attitude) and soft-spoken, damsels; after losing such wealth, they will go to the places of those damsels asking “you too give us a handful of food” and knock around (their entrances); thus, together you enjoy the qualities of beautiful sarvESvaran who has radiant divine form, who is infinitely enjoyable lord due to having the divine crown which is decorated by thiruththuzhAy (thuLasi) and who is the cause of all.

Eighth pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Since these acquired kingdoms will not be long lasting without the grace of bhagavAn, you recite the divine names of ananthaSAyi (emperumAn reclining on AdhiSEsha)”.

guNam koL niRai pugazh mannar kodaik kadan pUNdirundhu
iNangi ulagudan Akkilum Angavanai illAr
maNam koNda bOgaththu manniyum mILvargaL mILvillai
paNam koL aravaNaiyAn thirunAmam padiminO

Those kings who are the abode of qualities such as seelam (simplicity) etc, who are having complete fame, who are crowned princes, who are well established having assumed the nature of magnanimity (of making their wealth available for the welfare of all); even if they are fitting well together with the world and protecting harmoniously, those who are not subservient to sarvESvara in matters relating to such wealth, though staying firm in this manner having freshness of daily celebrations and joy of wealth, they will become bankrupt; if you recite/practice the divine names of one who is inclined to be united with his devotees, since he is having AdhiSEsha with expanded hoods as bed, you will attain the goal from where there is no return.

Ninth pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Since the other-worldly joy in heaven etc are temporary, you take shelter of ISwara who will establish the goal which is ever-lasting”.

padi mannu palkalan paRROdaRuththu aimpulan venRu
sedi mannu kAyam seRRArgaLum Angavanai illAr
kudi mannum in suvargam eydhiyum mILvargaL mILvillai
kodi mannu puLLudai aNNal kazhalgaL kuRuguminO

Even if they attained the svarga which is having very enjoyable settlements and is [seemingly] permanent (due to its existence for a long time) by giving up lands/properties and the many types of ornaments which are always worn, by winning over the sensory organs and by troubling the bodies [in penance] and having bushes formed around them, if they don’t take shelter of bhagavAn while staying there, they will lose such heavenly life; to acquire ever-lasting result, you should try to reach out to the divine feet of sarvESvaran who has periya thiruvadi [garuda] staying eternally in his dhvaja (flag). “padi mannu” also indicates “Those [ornaments] which are well fitting with the body”.

Tenth pAsuram. AzhwAr says “kaivalyam though is not temporary [as in the case of worldly pleasures which are temporary], since it is not as enriching as parama purushArtham (the ultimate goal of serving bhagavAn eternally), attaining of bhagavAn who is the all controlling supreme lord, is the most wonderful purushArtham (goal)”.

kuRuga miga uNarvaththodu nOkki ellAm vitta
iRugal iRappennum gyAnikkum appayan illaiyEl
siRuga ninaivadhOr pAsam uNdAm pinnum vIdillai
maRugalil Isanaip paRRi vidA vidil vIdahdhE

The gyAni (wise) who has given up all goals (other than AthmA), meditating upon the AthmA intensely being in close proximity of the self who is identified by his gyAnam, is considering mOksha which ends in AthmA exclusively as the goal; for such gyAni, if accepting bhagavAn as the means is not present [in him], attachment to think about lowly goals will exist; further mOksham (in the form of attaining self-enjoyment) will also not be attained. This being the case, surrendering unto bhagavAn who is the opposite of all defects, who is the controller of all and the lord who is the abode of all auspicious qualities and not leaving him ever in itself is parama purushArtham (the ultimate goal).

Eleventh pAsuram. AzhwAr explains uplifting of AthmA after elimination of all sorrows as the result of this decad.

ahdhE uyyap pugumARenRu kaNNan kazhalgaL mEl
koy pUm pozhil sUzh kurugUrch chatakOpan kuRREval
sey kOlaththu Ayiram sIrth thodaip pAdal ivai paththum
ahkAmal kaRpavar Azh thuyar pOy uyyaRpAlarE

nammAzhwAr, the leader of AzhwArthirunagari ,which has gardens having abundance of pluckable flowers, sang thousand pAsurams having sIr and thodai in the form of confidential services performed to krishNa’s divine feet, firmly saying that those are the only means to be approached for AthmA‘s uplift. Those who learn this decad among those thousand pAsurams without losing [any part of them], will have their grief of being immersed in worldly wealth and self-enjoyment, eradicated and will be engaged in uplifting of self (leading to devotion towards bhagavAn).

Source: http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org/index.php/2020/05/thiruvaimozhi-4-1-tamil-simple/

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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