SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> First centum >> Second decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
No specific introduction.
pAsuram
iravu kUrndhiruL perugiya varaimuzhai
irumbasi adhukUra
aravam Avikkum aganpozhil thazhuviya
aruvarai imayaththu
paramanAdhi em panimugil vaNNanenRu
eNNi ninRu imaiyOrgaL
piramanOdu senRu adithozhum perundhagaip
piridhi senRadai nenjE !
Word-by-Word meanings
iravu – night only
kUrndhu – being more
iruL perugiya – being dark only
varai muzhai – in the mountain caves
irum pasi adhu – great hunger
kUra – as increased
aravam – pythons
Avikkum – yawned
agan pozhil thazhuviya – having inner garden
aru – difficult to climb
varai – having slopes
imayaththu – in himavAn
paraman – oh greater than all!
Adhi – Oh cause of the universe!
em – for us
pani – cool
mugil – cloud like
vaNNan – oh one who is having a form
enRu eNNi ninRu – saying in this manner
imaiyOrgaL – dhEvathAs
piramanOdu – with brahmA
senRu – go
adithozhum – can approach
perum thagai – having great fame
piridhi – in thiruppiridhi
senRu – go
nenjE – oh mind!
adai – try to reach.
Simple translation
In himavAn which has inner garden and pythons which yawn due to their increasing, great hunger while staying in the mountain caves where there is darkness of the night only. thiruppiridhi is having great fame where dhEvathAs along with brahmA would call out “Oh one who is greater than all, who is residing in such himavAn! Oh cause of the universe! oh one who is having a cloud-like cool form for us!” and can approach emperumAn. Oh mind! Go and try to reach there.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
- iravu … – Due to the dense gardens, the place will always have abundance of night due to lack of sight of the daytime. There will only be night without the mix of day. As the cause (lack of light) does not change, the result also does not change. The day time when the sun is present will also appear like night due to the lack of penetration of sun’s rays.
- iruL perugiya varai muzhai – The mountain caves where there is darkness only. It is so densely dark, as strong as diamond. Just as someone who ruled a kingdom for a long time will be deep rooted, the darkness is deep rooted here. Thus, in the mountain caves which are being in night time always, and being dark due to that.
- irum pasi adhu kUra – As the pythons cannot step out and search for prey, its great hunger keeps increasing. AzhwAr is having the same desire towards the hunger of the snakes and the snakes themselves which are considered inferior even in animal species of this divine abode, just as he has desire towards nithyasUris’ sustenance without food and nithyasUris themselves. For AzhwAr to have attachment towards anything, the entity only needs to be living in that dhivyadhESam.
- aravam Avikkum – Avikkai – yawning due to hunger; alternatively – breathing. That is, they will inhale the air which is fragrant from the garden, and sustain themselves. They only consume air. Just as mukthAthmA would have sathyakAmathvam (ability to fulfil all desires) etc, the snakes there would remain in the same place due to lacking the ability to move around, and will sustain themselves with the fragrance. agan pozhil – garden inside. The himavAn which is difficult to climb where such garden is present.
- paraman … – “As this abode where sarvasamASrayaNIyan (one who is approachable by all), is our destination, oh mind! You go and try to reach there” says AzhwAr. This is the abode where the snakes and dhEvathAs starting with brahmA can approach emperumAn.
- paraman … – This is the way brahmA et al who approach him would say. Being sarvAdhika – not having anyone greater than him, i.e. sarvESvaran; though he is greater than all, he has the apt relationship, just as a mother cannot give up on her child; further, one likes a particular aspect/entity, not just because of the relationship – even if supremacy and relationship are absent, bhagavAn is having invigorating form which cannot be abandoned by anyone. Hence one who is greater than all, one who is the cause of the universe and one who has a beautiful form.
- enRu eNNi … – Saying in this manner, for dhEvathAs along with their guide/mentor brahmA to go and surrender unto emperumAn, he is present in the greatly famous thiruppiridhi! Oh mind! Go and reach such thiruppiridhi. This abode is the ultimate destination for both ordinary and great personalities. Ordinary entities – the snakes would remain wherever they are, acquire what they need and enjoy that; brahmA et al would surrender according to their position. Just as the surroundings would be dark due to abundantly dense gardens, the inside is dense with the dhEvathAs who would come and surrender; hence you (mind) also go and try to reach there – says AzhwAr. With this, the snakes which are present there will sustain themselves by consuming the fragrant air from the garden; brahmA et al will sustain by enjoying bhagavAn who is said in chAndhOgya upanishath as “sarvagandha:” (one who is the origin of all fragrance).
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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