SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
Just as emperumAn had said in bhagavath gIthA SlOkam 4-8 “parithrANAya sAdhUnAm vinASAya cha dhushkruthAm l
dharma samsthApanArthAya sambhavAmi yugE yugE ll” (I incarnate in every yugam (epoch) in order to protect the good people, to annihilate the bad ones and to establish righteous path), AzhwAr enjoys the divine activities of emperumAn which he had carried out during krishNAvathAram (incarnation as krishNa) when he had killed the unfavourable ones and made happy, the favourable ones.
kadam kalandha vankari marupposiththor poygai vAy
vidam kalandha pAmbin mEl nadam payinRa nAdhanE
kudam kalandha kUththanAya koNdal vaNNa thaN thuzhAy
vadam kalandha mAlai mArba kALanEmi kALanE
Word-by-Word Meanings
kadam – with the rutting water
kalandha – being together with
van – being strong
kari – [kamsan’s] elephant, kuvalayApeedam, its
maruppu – tusks
osiththu – broke it
or – unique
poygai vAy – in the middle of the deep point
vidam – with poison
kalandha – together with
pAmbin mEl – atop the hoods
nadam – dance
payinRa – one who carried out
nAdhanE – Oh swAmy (lord)!
kudam kalandha kUththanAya – one who was dancing, carrying pots (on the head)
koNdal vaNNa – Oh one who has the complexion of cloud!
thaN – cool
thuzhAy – thuLasi’s
vadam – with garland
kalandha – together with
mAlai – having vanamAlai (a divine garland)
mArba – one who has the divine chest!
kAla nEmi – for the monster kAlanEmi
kAlanE – oh one who became the yaman (lord of death)!
Simple Translation
Oh the lord who broke the tusks of the elephant, kuvalayApeedam, which was strong and which was rutting, and oh one who danced on the hoods of the poisonous snake kAliyan, in the deep point of river! Oh one who danced with pots on the head and who has the complexion of cloud! Oh one who has a divine chest, together with the cool, thuLasi garland and the divine vanamAlai! Oh one who became the lord of death for the monster, kAlanEmi!
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
kadam kalandha van kari maruppu osiththu – kamsan had made his elephant kuvalayApeedam to get into rut such that it had the waters of the rut all over its body. krishNa snapped the tusks of that elephant, which was very strong. Since several adjectives have been used for the elephant (rutting, strong) the meaning implied is that kaNNan casually destroyed that elephant which had strength by its nature complimented further by the strength it acquired since it was in rut. The word kadam refers to rutting. kadam kalandha refers to the elephant which had the rutting water all over its body.
Or poygai vAy vidam kalandha pambin mEl nadam payinRa nAdhanE – Or poygai vAy – SrI vishNu purANam describes the effect of the poison emitted by the snake kALiyan, in SlOkam 5-7-4 “vishAgninA prasarathA dhagdhAthIrmahIruham l vAthAhathAmbu vikshEpasparSa dhagdha vihangamam ll” (The trees on the banks of the river [inside which the snake kALiyan had taken residence) went up in flame due to the poisonous fire spreading everywhere; birds got burnt due to the moisture from the air around falling on them. (kaNNan saw that deep portion of the river where kALiyan had taken residence)). The deep portion of the river was unique because of the grave danger that it posed. Even the pond in which crocodile caught the leg of elephant gajEndhran was nothing compared to this place.
vidam kalanda pAmbin mEl nadam payinRa nAdhanE – kALiyan, the snake, was poisonous to such an extent that it appeared that poison was present all over his body [instead of only the sac where it is normally present]. You [kaNNan] stood on the hoods of that snake and danced on it like an expert in dancing, changing the positions of your divine feet on its hoods. Through that, you controlled him and drove him away from river yamunA such that everyone could resume using that river once again, without fear. Oh one who manifested your lordship through this act! Was this not mentioned in SrI vishNU purANam 5-7-82 too! “krishNam aklishta karmANam anyE vismithachEthasa: l thushtuvur mudhithA gOpA dhrushtvA SivajalAm nadhIm ll” (Cowherds became happy on seeing this, and with their hearts in amazement, seeing that river yamunA had become purified, praised kaNNan who casually carried out this act)
Thus, through the first part of the pAsuram, the way emperumAn controlled the cruel people was mentioned. In the latter part, it says about the way that good people were protected.
kudam kalandha kUththanAya koNdal vaNNa – Just as the divine disc was fitting well in your divine hand, the pot was also fitting well on your hand. Dancing with the pots, typical of the herd-people, oh one who manifested the beauty of your divine form which is like a bluish cloud! Alternatively, oh one who has the quality of the cloud which showers rain on land and water, without seeing any difference! Or, it could be considered that this is speaking of the bluish complexion of his divine form like a dark cloud, when he was dancing.
thaN thuzhAy vadam kalandha mAlai mArba – one who performed the dancing style of lowly cowherd is also the lord of all, who is complete in all aspects, just as it has been said in chAndhOgya upanishath 3-14-2 “avAkyanAdhara:” (paramAthmA (supreme entity) is one who does not speak to anyone, due to his majestic nature and who is without any regard (towards any entity)). AzhwAr is exclaiming that he is the lord of all since he is with the garland of thuLasi and the vanamAlai vaijayanthi, on his divine chest. vadam – garland which has been strung together. mAlai – the vanamAlai [divine garland] which is permanently seen on his divine chest.
kAlanEmi kALanE – Oh one who became yama (lord of death) by destroying kAlanEmi who troubled celestial entities, who fell at your feet! Through this, it is emphasised that while he is the lord for both celestial and demonic entities, he considers the enemies of those who fall at his feet, as his enemies.
We will take up the 39th pAsuram of this prabandham, next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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