SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
In the previous pAsuram, AzhwAr said that when it comes to protecting followers, emperumAn does not have any compulsion about the path in which he would protect them. In this pAsuram, he says that when it comes to attaining emperumAn, there is no rule that only those who are in a particular class could attain him.
minniRaththu eyiRRarakkan vIzha venjaram thurandhu
pinnavaRkaruL purindhu arasaLiththa peRRiyOy
nanniRaththor insolEzhai pinnai kELva mannusIrp
ponniRaththa vaNNanAya puNdarIgan allaiyE
Word-by-Word Meanings
min – like lightning
niRaththu – having radiance
eyiRu – having teeth
arakkan – rAvaNan
vIzha – to perish
vem – cruel
saram – arrows
thurandhu – shot
pinnavaRku – vibhIshaNAzhwAn, brother of that rAvaNan
aruL purindhu – showering mercy
arasu – kingdom
aLiththa– one who gave
peRRiyOy – one who has the nature!
nal – appearing nice
niRaththu – having complexion
or – being unique
in – sweet
sol – having words
Ezhai – one who is desirous (towards you)
pinnai – for nappinnaip pirAtti
kELva – one who is dear!
mannu – permanent
sIr – having qualities such as magnanimity
pon – desirable like gold
niRaththa – beauty of limbs
vaNNanAya – beauty of entire form
(one who has all these)
puNdarIgan – one with lotus like eyes
allaiyE – are you not?
Simple Translation
The demon rAvaNan had his teeth with the radiance of lightning. You destroyed such rAvaNan with your cruel arrows and gave the kingdom to his younger brother, vibhIshaNan. Oh one who has such a nature! nappinnaip pirAtti was unique, having a nice complexion, sweet words and was desirous of you. Oh one who was dear to her! Aren’t you the one with permanent qualities such as magnanimity etc, with beauty of limbs which are like gold and with beauty of entire form, having lotus like eyes?
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
minniRaththu eyiRRarakkan – rAvaNan who has teeth which are radiant like lightning. This implies that he has the pride of having power in his shoulders. The term arakkan refers to his being born in the clan [of demons] who use that power, only to harm others. Only the good people’s shoulder power would be a refuge for those who have noble qualities.
vIzha venjaram thuRandhu – shooting cruel arrows which are fiery in order to destroy that rAvaNan.
pinnavaRkaruL purindhu arasaLiththa peRRiyOy – Oh one who has the affable quality of showering your mercy on vibhIshaNan, brother of rAvaNan, and gave the kingdom to him! You considered only the surrendering act of vibhIshaNan and not that he was the younger brother of rAvaNan. vibhIshaNan, when he came to surrender to SrI rAma, said, as in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 17-16 “sOham parushithasthEna dhAsavachchAvamAnitha: l thyakthvA puthrAmScha dhArAmScha rAghavam SaraNam gatha: ll” (Reviled and humiliated by him (rAvaNa) like a slave, I, leaving my children and wife, have come to surrender to SrI rAma). He did not consider the words of sugrIva et al who said, as in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam “vadhyathAm badhyathAmapi” ((let this vibhIshaNan) be beaten up; be tied down), but showered his affection and mercy, just as it has been said in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 18-3 “mithrabhAvEna samprAptham na thyajEyam kathanchana l dhOshO yadhyapi thasya syAth sathAmEtha dhagarhitham ll” (By any means, I do not desert anyone who arrives with a friendly appearance, even if he has a defect. His acceptance is irreproachable, in the eyes of good men). Further, SrI rAma says in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 18-33 “sakruth Eva prapannAya thavAsmIthi cha yAchathE l abhayam sarvabhUthEbhyO dhadhAmyEthath vratham mama ll” (For one who surrenders to me once, with the pathos of a friend and says ‘I am your servitor’ I give the assurance of protection from all creations. This is my solemn pledge). Though vibhIshaNan was not interested in the kingdom, merely because of the reason for which vibhIshaNan came to him [just as mentioned in the first SlOkam under this sub-heading], SrI rAma gave the kingdom to vibhIshaNan. AzhwAr is amazed with this great quality. The word peRRi refers to quality.
nanniRathor insol Ezhai pinnai kELva – you are dear to nappinnaip pirAtti who has a good complexion and sweet words, and who is much engaged with you. In the first of the pAsuram, emperumAn’s involvement with vibhIshaNan was mentioned. In the third line, emperumAn’s involvement with nappinnaip pirAtti has been mentioned. Since both have been mentioned together, just as nappinnaip pirAtti’s rUpa guNam (qualities of her form) and Athma guNam (qualities of her AthmA) are dear to emperumAn, SrI vibhIshaNAzhwAn is also dear to emperumAn.
mannu sIr ponniRaththu vaNNanAya puNdarIgan allaiyE – aren’t you the one with permanent qualities such as magnanimity, with a beautiful divine form and with lotus-like divine eyes, just as it has been mentioned in chAndhOgya upanishath 1-6 and 1-7 “ya EshO’ntharAdhithyE hiraNmaya: purushO dhruSyathE hiraNyaSmaSrur hiraNya kESa ApraNakhAth sarva Eva suvarNa: l thasya yathA kapyAsam puNdarIkam EvamakshiNI ll” (This supreme entity who is seen amidst sUrya (solar galaxy) with a beautiful, golden hued form, has a beautiful, golden moustache and golden hair; he has two divine eyes which are like lotus, blossomed by sun), as well as it has been said in manu smruthi 12-122 “praSAsithAram sarvEshAmaNIyAmsamaNIyasAm l rukmAbham svapnadhIgamyam vidhyAththu purusham param ll” (It should be known that parama purushan (supreme entity) controls all entities, that he has radiance like melted gold and that he is apt to be known through knowledge similar to the (amazing) intelligence gathered in dreams). We should add the world “How amazing is this!” here. [Normally, the words niRam and vaNNam would refer to complexion]. Here, the word niRam would refer to form and the word vaNNam to complexion. The implied meaning is that emperumAn is with the complexion of a material in golden form. puNdarIgan refers to the beauty of his eyes and ponniRaththa vaNNan refers to the beauty of the divine form which is the beauty of his complexion.
Through this pAsuram, it has been mentioned that just as the rUpa guNam and Athma guNam of emperumAn, in his incarnation as sUryanArAyaNan, residing in the midst of the sUrya (sun) galaxy are enjoyable for his consorts such as nappinnaip pirAtti and others, SrI vibhIshaNAzhwAn was enjoyable for emperumAn.
Next, we will consider the 34th pAsuram of this prabandham.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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