thiruvAimozhi nURRandhAdhi – 90 – mAlumadhu

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

Introduction

In this pAsuram, mAmunigaL is following AzhwAr’s pAsurams of instructing others after receiving the final date of his liberation and is mercifully explaining it.

How is that done? For AzhwAr who asked in thiruvAimozhi 9.8.4 ‘nALEl aRiyEn enakkuLLana’ (I don’t know the date fixed for me), emperumAn ear-marked a date saying “As per your urge, at the end of this life, we will carry you to paramapadham and engage you in service”. AzhwAr became blissful and due to the overwhelming bliss, instructed everyone to approach emperumAn, according to the individual’s qualification saying “Offer flowers etc at the divine feet of the one who is standing in thirukkaNNapuram and be devoted to him; for those who can’t do that, surrender unto him; for those who can’t do that, sing these ten pAsurams with love, worship his divine feet”. mAmunigaL mercifully explains this principle explained in “mAlai naNNi” starting with “mAl umadhu vAnjai muRRum“.

pAsuram

mAl umadhu vAnjai muRRum mannum udambin mudivil
sAla naNNich cheyvan enath thAn ugandhu mElavanaich
chIrAr kaNapuraththE sErum enum sIr mARan
thArAnO nandhamakku thAL

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word-by-word meanings

mAl – sarvESvaran
umadhu vAnjai muRRum – “All your wishes
mannum udambin mudivil – at the end of this body which is together with AthmA
sAla naNNich cheyvan ena – will fulfil with complete dedication” – said this;
thAn ugandhu – being blissful
mEl avanai – “that supreme lord
sIr Ar kaNapuraththE sErum enum – go to thirukkaNNapuram and surrender unto him” mercifully said this
sIr mARan – AzhwAr who has qualities such as gyAnam etc
nam thamakku – for us
thAL thArAnO – will he not bless with his divine feet?

Simple Translation

sarvESvaran said to AzhwAr “With complete dedication, I will fulfil all your wishes at the end of this body which is together with AthmA”; AzhwAr who has qualities such as gyAnam etc, being blissful “Go to thirukkaNNapuram and surrender unto the supreme lord there”; for us, will such AzhwAr not bless with his divine feet?

Highlights from vyAkyAnam

mAl umadhu vAnjai muRRum mannum udambin mudivil sAla naNNich cheyvan ena – sarvESvaran who is greatly affectionate towards his devotees will fulfil all your wishes at the end of this body which is together with the AthmA, in thirukkaNNapuram, being in close proximity there; alternatively – will come close to you and fulfil your desires perfectly; another explanation – will very eagerly do that task [of fulfilling your desires]; thirukkaNNapuram emperumAn mercifully said in this manner.
thAn ugandhu – AzhwAr being blissful having acquired the end of his existence in this world, from emperumAn.
mEl avanaich chIrAr kaNapuraththE sErumenum sIr mARan – Further to giving the final date, one who is present in thirukkaNNapuram in close proximity. mElavanai also implies the supreme one. Just as emperumAn gave the date for SrI bharathAzhwAn and waited for that date as said in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 127.1 “pUrNE chathurdhaSE varshE” (fourteen years fully), he stood in thirukkaNNapuram for AzhwAr.
sIrAr kaNapuraththE sErum sIr mARan – In thirukkaNNapuram where aiSwaryam etc and qualities such as Seelam (simplicity) etc are overflowing.
sErumenum sIr mARan – AzhwAr who is having qualities such as gyAnam, prEmam etc, who is telling everyone “Go and surrender”. That is, mercifully instructing everyone, to be pursued in any state, as said in,
- “mAlai naNNith thozhudhezhuminO vinai keda kAlai mAlai kamala malar ittu nIr vElai mOdhum madhiL sUzh thirukkaNNapuraththu Alin mElAl amarndhAn adi iNaigaLE” (emperumAn protecting the universe, being vatathaLaSAyi, with agadithagatanA sAmarthyam, is residing in thirukkaNNapuram which is surrounded by fort which is hit by the rising tides of the ocean. Acquiring great love for the divine feet of such emperumAn, offering distinguished lotus flowers without distinguishing between night and day, be relieved from your your sorrow which blocks the enjoyment and engage in acts which match the servitude and attain uplifting as said in “badhdhAnjaliputA:“) [1st pAsuram]
- “kaL avizhum malar ittu nIr iRainjumin naLLi sErum vayal sUzh kidangin pudai veLLi Eyndha madhiL sUzh thirukkaNNapuram uLLi nALum thozhudhezhuminO thONdarE!” (You who are having the desire to enjoy! Worship with flowers which are shedding honey; always thinking about thirukkaNNapuram which is surrounded by sliver fort which is in turn surrounded by moat which is in turn surrounded by fields where the female crabs are also residing. Worship him due to the love acquired by experiencing him and tumultuously pray to him) [2nd pAsuram]
- “thoNdar nundham thuyar pOga nIr EkamAy viNdu vAdA malar ittu nIr iRainjumin vaNdu pAdum pozhil sUzh thirukkaNNapuraththu aNda vANan amarar perumAnaiyE” (emperumAn, the resident of paramapadham who remained there being enjoyed by nithyasUris, is now in thirukkaNNapuram surrounded by garden which is having joyfully humming beetles. Oh you who are all desirous for all kainkaryams! To have your sorrow of not enjoying him eliminated, all of you, having a common focus, worship him matching your SEshathvam, offering fresh flowers which are set to blossom) [3rd pAsuram]
- “mAnai nOkki madap pinnai than kELvanai thEnai vAdA malar ittu nIr iRainjumin vAnai undhum madhiLsUzh thirukkaNNapuram thAn nayandha perumAn saraNAgumE” (All of you worship emperumAn who is the beloved lord of nappinnaip pirAtti, who is complete in all qualities and is having eyes which will make deer feel anguished, with fresh flowers; sarvESvaran in the form of being the refuge, will remain the recipient of your worship, is on his own desire in thirkkaNNapuram, which is surrounded by tall fort which is pushing the sky) [4th pAsuram]
- “saraNam Agum thana thAL adaindhArkkellAm maraNam AnAl vaigundham kodukkum pirAn araN amaindha madhiL sUzh thirukkaNNapurath tharaNiyALan thanadhanbarkku anbAgumE” (Being the means for all those who performed prapaththi (surrender) unto his divine feet, during their final moments, he will be the great benefactor, granting them the abode from where there is no return. Such emperumAn is standing in the well-protected, fortified thirukkaNNapuram to protect the earth. For those who are having love towards his divine feet, he will remain as an embodiment of love [towards them]) [5th pAsuram]
- “anbanAgum thana thAL adaindhArkkellAm sembon Agaththu avuNan udal kINdavan nanpon Eyndha madhiL sUzh thirukkaNNapuraththu anban nALum thana meyyarkku meyyanE” (emperumAn being with ultimate vAthsalyam for those who surrendered unto his divine feet, who effortlessly tore the body of hiraNya, the demon who was having reddish gold like form, is desirously residing in thirukkaNNapuram which is surrounded by fort made of pure gold. For those who consider emperumAn as the ultimate goal, he will always consider them as his ultimate goal) [6th pAsuram]
- “meyyan Agum virumbith thozhuvArkkellAm poyyan Agum puRamE thozhuvArkkellAm seyyil vALai ugaLum thirukkaNNapuraththu aiyan AgaththaNaippArgatku aNiyanE” (For those who desirously surrender unto him having him as the goal, he will shine manifesting his ultimate form of being the goal; for those who surrender unto him seeking other benefits, he will hide himself after granting those benefits; for those who consider him as the means, in their heart, being the natural relative for both categories of persons, he remains distinguished, being easily approachable in thirukkaNNapuram where the vALai fish are jumping around in the fields, which are their natural habitat) [7th pAsuram]
- “aNiyan Agum thana thAL adaindhArkkellAm piNiyum sArA piRavi keduththALum maNi pon Eyndha madhiL sUzh thirukkaNNapuram paNimin nALum paramEtti than pAdhamE” (To those who attained emperumAn’s ultimately enjoyable divine feet, he will remain close and enjoy them; your disease in the form of other benefits will disappear. He will eliminate your connection with birth so that there is no need to take birth, and will accept your service. See that you eternally worship the divine feet of emperumAn, who is present in thirukkaNNapuram which is surrounded by fort having precious gems and gold placed on it, just as he is present in parampadham, and enjoy them [emperumAn’s divine feet]) [8th pAsuram]
- “pAdham nALum paNiyath thaNiyum piNi Edham sArA enakkEl ini en kuRai? vEdha nAvar virumbum thirukkaNNapuraththu AdhiyAnai adaindhArkku allal illaiyE” (As his divine feet are enjoyed always, previous sorrows will go; further sorrows will not occur; hence, what worry do I have? For those who attained emperumAn, the primordial cause who is known only through vEdham, residing in thirukkaNNApuram which is desired by those for whom reciting vEdham is the hallmark of their tongues, there will not be any sorrow. piNi and Edham could also imply pUrvAgam (sins before SaraNAgathi) and uththarAgam (sins after SaraNAgathi)) [9th pAsuram]
- “illai allal enakkEl ini en kuRai? alli mAdhar amarum thirumArbinan kallil Eyndha madhiL sUzh thirukkaNNapuram
  solla nALum thuyar pAdu sArAvE” (lakshmi, who is the best among women and is having lotus as her abode, is eternally residing in the divine chest of emperumAn who is residing in thirukkaNNapuram which is surrounded by fort made of abundant rocks; as one says “thirukkaNNapuram”, sorrows will never come close. I will not have the sorrow of lacking enjoyment; now, what is there to worry?) [10th pAsuram]
- “pAdu sArA vinai paRRaRa vENduvIr! mAda nIdu kurugUrch chatakOpan sol pAdalAna thamizh AyiraththuL ippaththum pAdi Adip paNimin avan thALgaLE” (nammAzhwAr, the leader of AzhwArthirunagari which has tall mansions, mercifully spoke thousand pAsurams; if you desire to get rid of all worldly sorrows and not have them in your proximity, due to joy, sing this decad too which is among those thousand pAsurams, which is in musical form and in dhrAvida language. Dance due to the bliss, try to worship the divine feet of sarvESvaran who is easily approachable, and enjoy them. Implies that as one enjoys bhagavAn through this decad, one’s sorrows will be eliminated without a trace) [11th pAsuram]
- nAyanAr too mercifully said in AchArya hrudhayam 227 – “‘maRRonRu’, ‘kaNNalallAl’ engiRa vaigal vAzhdhalAna sidhdhOpAyam; adhil dhurbala budhdhigaLukku, mAlai naNNi – kAlai mAlai viNdu thEnai malarittu anbarAm sAngabhakthi; adhil aSaktharkku thALadaiyum prapaththi; adhil aSaktharkku uchchAraNa mAthram; sarvOpAya SUnyarkku, ippaththum pAdiyidum dheNdan enRu” gIthAchAryanaippOlE adhikAra anuguNam neRiyellAm uraikkiRAr (Just like gIthAchAryan (krishNa), AzhwAr is instructing all the possible means/paths to everyone according to his/her qualification by saying a) those who exist for emperumAn fully, he is the established means b) those who are incapable to do that can pursue bhakti yOgam with its limbs c) those who are incapable to do that can perform prapaththi (surrender) d) those who are incapable to do that can engage in reciting holding on to AzhwAr’s instructions about thirukkaNNapuram being the refuge e) those who are incapable even to do that (and are incapable to do anything) can recite this decad with love.

AzhwAr with such glories,

sIr mARan thArAnO nam thamakku thAL – Will AzhwAr who has such gyAnam and prEmam to instruct in this manner, not favour us with his divine feet matching our svarUpam (true nature [of being servant of bhagavAn’s devotees])?
nam thamakku – For us who lovingly pray saying as in kaNNinuN chiRuth thAmbu 10 “muyalginREn un than moykazhaRku anbaiyE” (I am trying to develop love and affection only to your divine feet) being born [acquiring knowledge] in his divine feet and having fully enjoyed them. Hence AzhwAr’s divine feet are to be desired forever.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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