SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> First centum >> First decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
In this pAsuram, AzhwAr is saying “Those who are ignorant may lose emperumAn, but how are you who are intelligent and poets like me, losing him?”
pAsuram
iRpiRappaRiyIr ivaravar ennIr
innadhOr thanmaiyenRu uNareer
kaRpagam pulavar kaLaikaN enRulagil
kaNdavA thoNdaraip pAdum
soRporuLALeer sollugEn vammin
sUzhpunal kudandhaiyE thozhumin
naRporuL kANmin pAdi nIr uymmin
nArAyaNA ennum nAmam
Word-by-Word meanings
ulagil – for the residents of this earth
thoNdarai – those who roam around doing menial services
il – greatness of (their) household life
piRappu – greatness of (their) birth
aRiyIr – not knowing
ivar – those who are wealthy now
avar – were previously in poverty
eNNIr – without knowing
thanmai – their nature
innadhu enRu – is in this particular manner
uNarIr – not knowing
kaRpagam! – Oh generous ones who resemble desire fulfilling kalpaka tree!
pulavar – for learned persons
kaLaigaN – Oh protector!
enRu – saying in this manner
kaNdavA – as thought in the heart
pAdum – praising
sol – for words
poruL – and meanings
ALIr – you who are experts
vammin – come over;
sollugEn – I am informing you (so that you don’t lose the apt goal);
nIr – you who are like me
punal – by water
sUzh – surrounded
kudandhai – ArAvamudhan emperumAn who is mercifully residing in thirukkudandhai
thozhumin – worship;
nArAyaNA ennum – the word which explains “I am all kinds of relationship”
nAmam – divine name
pAdi – speaking fully
uymmin – be uplifted;
nal poruL kANmin – see, this is the ultimate principle.
Simple translation
Oh poets who are experts in words and meanings, who roam around doing menial services to the residents of this world without knowing the greatness of their household life and birth, and without knowing that those who are wealthy now were in poverty previously, and without knowing that “their nature is in this particular manner”, who tell them “Oh generous ones who resemble desire fulfilling kalpaka tree! Oh protector of learned persons!” and praise them as thought in your hearts! Come over. I am informing you. You who are like me should worship ArAvamudhan emperumAn who is mercifully residing in thirukkudandhai which is surrounded by water; be uplifted by speaking the divine name which explains “I am all kinds of relationship”; see, this is the ultimate principle.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
- il piRappu aRiyIr – Know about how they are placed in their gArhasthyam (household life) and their birth.
- ivar avar ennIr – When a person who was previously suffering due to poverty become rich now, without knowing “This must not have been acquired by his ability; he must have been blessed by sarvESvaran”, you are thinking that such person is like Sriya:pathi (lord of SrI mahAlakshmi) who is wealthy from birth. Alternatively,
- ivaravarennIr – if seen as a single word, it means “you are unable to see the difference between any two persons”.
- innadhOr thanmai enRu uNarIr – You cannot know the knowledge/ability of such person.
- kaRpagam – You are saying “he will grant without thinking about any aspects”.
- pulavar kaLaigaN enRu – Such a person will hide when knowledgeable poets come to him seeking wealth. These poets will call such a person as “Our lord”.
- ulagil kaNdavA thoNdaraip pAdum – In this world, superficially praising those who are roaming around with lowly conduct.
- sol poruL ALIr – You who are experts in words and their meanings. There is none who can beat you in word-play and there is none who is as good as you in understanding the principles.
- sollugEn vammin – As I show you the entity which matches your expertise in words and meanings, you come over.
- sUzh punal kudandhaiyE thozhumin – You need a river and a capital city – for you to praise someone in your poems. When you praise someone, you need someone who owns rivers, mountains and cities.
- nal poruL kANmin – You realise this ultimate principle. That is, emperumAn is the goal as well as the means.
- pAdi nIr uymmin nArAyaNA ennum nAmam – I showed you the entity (bhagavAn) which is the best amongst the principles which are known by words. Now you sing the divine names of such entity and be uplifted – says AzhwAr. The short form of thirumanthram, that is akAram (syllable “a”), is explained in nArAyaNa anuvAkam “ya: parassa mahESvara:“ (nArAyaNa, the lord of lords). Among the words, akAram is the best. Among the principles which are explained through the words, ArAvamudhan emperumAn is the greatest.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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