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pAr vaNNa mada mangai paththar, piththar panimalar mel pAvaikku – This is about – like how the pearl-divers would dive all the way down and bring the sand full of pearls, SrIdhEvi and BhUdhEvi are enjoying this ocean of beauty direct from the source. Reason for talking about this now is to show that the matter of interest (emperumAn) which these dhEvis cannot manage to enjoy fully, is the interest that this nAyaki intends to experience.
pAr vaNNa madamangai – BhUmi pirAtti who is having the ever-attached earth as Her body, having the celebrated qualities of women, and having age that is matching His as said in ‘thulya Seela vayOvRuththAm thulyABhijanalakShaNam | rAghavO(s)rhathi vaidhEheem tham chEyamasithEkShaNA || [SrI rAmAyaNam – sundhara kANdam – 16-5]” (For vaidhEhi who is having matching qualities, age, behaviour, and having equivalent greatness of family lineage, and defining characteristics, only rAghavan is the correct match; she who is having dark eyes is the match only for Him).
pAr vaNNam – Reason behind saying that She is having the BhUmi as Her Sareeram is to show the following – She is not only enjoyable to emperumAn, those who live in that BhUmi are also enjoyable to emperumAn.
As said in “adiyAradiyAr thammadiyAradiyAr thamakku adiyAradiyAr tham – adiyAradiyOngaLE [thiruvAimozhi 3.7.10]”, like how those who are related to Him are dear to Her, those who are related to Her would be dear to Him too.
mangai – Suitable for His young age as said in ‘yuvAkumAra: [Ruk – ash – 2-2-25]’ (vishNu is in the age of a youth, with a little of previous state, that is at the starting stage of youth), she is said as ‘yuvathiS cha kumAriNee’.
paththar – As said in “Bhaja sEvAyAm [DhAthu pAtam – BvAdhi 995]”, the verb-root “Bhaja” gives the meaning of serving. The samskRutha word “Bhaktha:” coming from this verb-root, becomes “paththar” in thamizh. He is being served by Her, and She being in the state of serving Him is the natural state. When He falls in love, Her sweetness is such that it is He who would serve Her.
As said in “aham SishyA cha dhAsee cha BhakthA cha purushOththama | mathkRuthE sarva BhUthAnAm laGhUpAyam vadha prabhO || [varAha purANam 114-64] (Oh SrImannArAyaNa my lord! (I who am the BhUmi) am being a student of You, also a servant, and devotee. For my sake please give a simple means of salvation for all the AthmAs (thus prayed BhUmi pirAtti to varAha perumAL), thinking about His natural manliness she would be His student, servant, and devotee. When He thinks about the greatness of Her womanliness and be under love towards Her, He would undergo all the effects of such love as said in “kidandhirundhu ninRaLandhu [thiruvAimozhi 2.8.7]”.
piththar pani malar mEl pAvaikku – That love (towards BhUmi pirAttiyAr) too is a normal one is what one would think when seeing His love towards periya piRattiyAr. He being in extreme love towards periya pirAttiyAr who appears as if it is the fragrance of lotus that removes tiredness. As said in “alli-malar-magaL BhOga-mayakkukkaLAgiyum niRkum [thiruvAimozhi 3.10.8]”, her sweetness is such that He would struggle trying to fully enjoy it.
pAvam seydhEn – The mother is showing her tears to those who came to inquire. (Her true feeling is positive regarding her daughter). She says – Like the pirAttis her daughter is also trying to experience Him on her won (whereas it is proper for Him to come to her). It is not possible to subdue His greatness, it is not possible to subdue her desperation of separation, so it is my sins that are the reason for her suffering.
As said in “math-pApamEvAthra-nimiththamAseeth [SrI rAmAyaNam (this SlOkam not found in (current) text], like how BharathAzhvAn said that it is the sin of him who was born from kaikEyi, mother is saying that it is the sin of her who gave birth to nAyaki.
pAvam seydhEn – I gave birth to such a girl child, that she is not helpful to me (because she is not listening to my words), and not helpful to herself (because she is suffering this much due to separation, and losing her nature of a woman by not waiting for Him to come to her).
Then she says that her daughter’s suffering is due to not understanding her own greatness.
Er vaNNa en pEdhai – If she had understood about herself, then the suffering she undergoes would be what He would have undergone. It is the suffering of Him based on her beauty, is what is turned around and she is undergoing that suffering.
Er vaNNa en pEdhai – His colour of dark clouds is not a match for her beautiful form. His form is such that an example (of a dark cloud) could be given. Her daughter’s beauty has no comparison, so other than saying beautiful form, there is no example for her beauty. All we can say is ‘vadivu iNai illA malar magaL [thiruvAimozhi 9.2.10]” (pirAtti not having an equal to Her beauty). emperumAn would be enjoyable to Her. She would be enjoyable to Him. Seeing that pair and enjoying it is the greatness of BhUmi pirAtti. Enjoying seeing them together is the greatness of her daughter. (So her daughter’s beaty is even more because), as the enjoyment increases, one’s beauty also would increase.
en pEdhai – my daughter. She who is born is having that additional greatness (of being born in my clan) (unlike the pirAttis who are ever-present). Such birth is of greatness can be seen in “thirumgaL kol nila mA magaL kol piRAndhittAL [thiruvAimozhi 6.5.10]”, where though AzhvAr is compared to pirAttis, it is her birth that gave its greatness).
If one were to ask – If she is your daughter, does she not have to be obedient to you. Do you have to say “pAvam seydhEn”? What is wrong in your instructing her? –
en sol kELAL – She has passed the stage of my instructing her, says the mother. If I told her that to wait is proper, so why be so anxious, then she does not heed to my words.
en sol kELAL – Since she has heard and follows His words, she would ignore my words. Since she has listened to His words “mAm Ekam SaraNam vraja [Bhagavadh geethA charama SlOkam 18-66]” (~surrender to Me as your only means), she has not accepted my words of saying that one should wait for Him to come. Daughter – If there were some things I had to do, then I could do those and wait for Him to come. Since His words (in charama SlOkam) has not demanded any action from me, there is nothing wrong of me in showing urgency in getting Him.
emperumAn thiruvarangam engE ennum – Is it just that she did not listen to my words? She is even trying to figure out how to go to His place (thiruvarangam). She would ask – what is the direction to go to Him who made it intolerable for me to live without Him?’.
engE ennum – Is it just that she did not listen to my words? She is asking for direction from me itself. Before He left, to make her stay calm, he highlighted to her that she is always His. But that itself has become the reason for her anxiety.
neer vaNNan neer malaikkE pOvEn ennum – Going to thiruvarangam is through the route of thiruneermalai, she says. This is the way of those who lost their greatness like sense, etc. From her birth-place of thirukkuRaiyalUr go north to thiruneermalai, and then go south to thiruvarangam periya kOyil, is her intent. This is her way of staying in a dhivya dhESam during the journey – it does not have to be one on the way to periya kOyil. As said in “pAdheyam puNdareekSha-nAma-sankeerthanAmRutham [gAruda purANam]” (Due to walking a very long distance (after dying), for the jeevan suffering from hunger and thirst, the divine names of the lotus-eyed is the food for the journey), like how for some the divine names of Him is the food during a journey, divine dhivya dhESams are the food she takes during her journey. She would not travel without staying in dhivya dhESams. Direction to go to kOyil is via thiruneermalai – she says due to her distress.
niRavu azhindhAr niRkum ARu – idhuvanRO – Isn’t this the way of those who do not see their true nature (of waiting for Him to come), but see the greatness of Him?
idhuvanRO – niRkumARu – Even though I do not know this state, it is her state. Going after the sweetness of enjoyment is the nature of those who have learned it. (Daughter thinks) – those who consider the greatness of Him who is the means and who is without any expectation from us and who is readily available – would be in this state only. But I, the mother, do not know about the greatness of Him, and also not know about Him, the means, readily waiting for us. Our true nature is to be complete subservience is what I have known – says the mother.
emperumAn thiruvarangam engE ennum – nampiLLai would divine – “This girl who lost a thing in the river, is searching for it in the tank; isn’t this the state of those who lost their sense (due to love)”. (thiruvarangam periya kOyil being in the middle of two rivers, and thiruneermalai being surrounded by water, she is getting confused with one for the other). The stance of Azhvars and of ANdAL is – one should consider the greatness of the enjoyment and then set their svarUpam accordingly. When considering krishNan mingling with cowherd girls, she also got the walk, talk and smell of such girls. When considering krishNan mingling with wives of rishis (in “kArththaN [nAchchiyAr thirumozhi – 12.6]”), ANdAL would behave with more proper conduct and wear madithARu (madisAr?) clothes, and wish to present food to krishnan.
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Translation by raghurAm SrInivAsa dhAsan.
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