SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> First centum >> Seventh decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
No specific introduction.
pAsuram
angaN gyAlam anja angu Or ALariyAy avuNan
ponga Agam vaLLugirAl pOzhndha punidhanidam
paingaN Anaik kombu koNdu paththimaiyAl adikkIzhch
chengaN ALi ittiRainjum singavEL kunRamE
Word-by-Word meanings
angu – In that place where prahlAdha vowed
am – beautiful
kaN – spacious
gyAlam – whole world
anja – to fear
Or – novel
AL ariyAy – in the form of narasimha (as he appeared, seeing that)
avuNan – hiraNya, the demon
ponga – to arouse
Agam – (his) body
vaL ugirAl – with sharp, divine nail
pOzhndha – split and thrown
punidhan – the pure sarvESvaran (residing)
idam – the abode is
sem kaN – having reddish eyes
ALi – lions
pai – greenish
kaN – having eyes
Anai – elephants’
kombu – tusks
koNdu – grabbing
paththimaiyAl – due to bhagavath bhakthi
adik kIzh – at the divine feet
ittu – offering
iRainjum – surrendering
singavEL kunRam – singavEL kunRam.
Simple translation
In that place itself where prahlAdha vowed, the pure sarvESvaran appeared in the novel form of narasimha to make the beautiful, spacious, whole world fear and to arouse hiraNya, the demon, and to split his body with his sharp, divine nail and throw it down; the divine abode of such sarvESvaran is singavEL kunRam where due to bhagavath bhakthi, lions, having reddish eyes, grab the tusks of the elephants, which are having greenish eyes, and offer those at the divine feet of sarvESvaran and surrender unto him.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
- angaN gyAlam anja – To make the whole world which has beautiful places, become fearful. Though narasimha avathAram is for the protection of the world, since the people were unable to comprehend the action of emperumAn, the whole world trembled. The world thought “How is this going to end?”
- angu – In the same place where prahlAdha vowed (the presence of bhagavAn).
- Or AL ariyAy – In the form of a narasimha which was never seen anywhere previously.
- avuNan ponga – The demoniac hiraNya became aroused in anger, on seeing narasimha. Since hiraNya has never seen anyone coming to him saying “I am your enemy”, he became aroused in anger just on seeing narasimha. emperumAn tore the body of such hiraNya to split into two parts, by his sharp, divine nail. Just as one will tear some insentient objects, emperumAn tore hiraNya.
- pOzhndha punidhanidam – For creation of the world etc, emperumAn will accomplish that through brahmA et al; unlike that, here the purity of killing hiraNya with his own hands is explained. In this manner, the divine abode where emperumAn is residing to help the people of subsequent times.
- paingaN … – Just as the anger of narasimha on seeing hiraNya will never diminish, the anger of the lions on seeing the elephants will remain the same.
- paingaN – The greenish eyes which are natural for the elephant species will be seen in these elephants.
- kombu koNdu – The lion will tear the head of the elephant and snatch the tusk and offer the same to bhagavAn out of devotion and surrender unto him. It is said in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 103.30 “yadhanna: purusha: bhavathi thadhannAs thasya dhEvathA:” (One should offer the food which is consumable by oneself, first to bhagavAn). The reddish-eyed lion will bring the tusk of the greenish-eyed elephant, offer it to bhagavAn with devotion and surrender unto him.
- sengaN ALi – Though the lions have anger on elephants, their devotion towards bhagavAn remains constant. Anger is incidental while their devotion is natural.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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