SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
In the previous pAsuram, AzhwAr mentioned that there is no refuge (other than emperumAn) when we are in difficulties. In this pAsuram, by saying that even for brahmA, rudhra et al who are thought of as being complete in all respects, the refuge is emperumAn only, he emphasises the meaning mentioned in the previous pAsuram.
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
kuRai koNdu nAnmugan kuNdigai nIr peydhu
maRai koNda mandhiraththAl vAzhththi kaRaikoNda
kaNdaththAn senni mEl ERak kazhuvinAn
aNdaththAn sEvadiyai Angu
Word for Word Meanings
nAnmugan – brahmA
kuRai koNdu – reminiscing his shortcomings
kuNdigai nIr – the water in kamaNdalam [water pot used by ascetics]
peydhu – pouring
maRai koNda – present in the vEdhas [sacred texts]
mandhiraththAl – with hymns such as purusha sUKtham etc
vAzhththi – praising
Angu – during that time (when emperumAn measured the worlds)
aNdaththAn sEvadiyai – the divine feet of that supreme entity [emperumAn]
kaRai koNda kaNdaththAN senni mEl ERa – ensuring that (the divine water from emperumAn’s divine feet] fell on the head of rudhra who has poison in his throat
kazhuvinAn – cleansed
vyAkyAnam
kuRai koNdu – two meanings are given: 1. Reminiscing shortcomings; 2. Getting expectations fulfilled. When mahAbali took away the kingdom of indhra et al after troubling them, brahmA and the celestial entities went to emperumAn and pleaded with him to restore the kingdom that they had lost. emperumAn took the form of vAmana (dwarf) and took alms from mahAbali. Once his request (for three steps) was granted, he took the form of thrivikrama and measured all the worlds with his divine feet. AzhwAr reminisces this incident. In this context, the word kuRai refers to expectations. It can also refer to shortcomings in the person as seen in the explanatory notes of vyAkyAnam of appiLLai.
kuNdigai nIr peydhu – brahmA cleansed the divine feet of emperumAn with the water from his kamaNdalam (water pot) where deity for righteousness, looking at the divine feet of emperumAn reaching sathyalOka (the world of brahmA) melted and filled up brahmA’s kamaNdalam as water. brahmA cleansed out of his gratitude for seeing his expectation [of getting the kingdom back for indhra] fulfilled as well as out of his ordained duty in paying obeisance to emperumAn.
nAnmugan maRai koNda mandhiraththAl vAzhththi – praising the divine feet of emperumAn out of concern for their having gone over mounds and craters [while measuring the worlds] despite being so soft, by reciting hymns such as purusha sUktham etc from vEdhas. By reciting the hymns, brahmA also accrued benefit for his four faces.
kaRai koNda kaNdaththAn senni mEl ERak kazhuvinAn – brahmA cleansed he divine feet of emperumAn so that the divine water will fall on the head of his son, rudhra, who had incurred brahmahaththi dhOsham (a sin which results due to harming a brAhmaNa since he had severed one of brahmA’s heads).
kaRai koNda kaNdaththAn – rudhra with blue throat, who was vain after swallowing the poison hAlahAla since he saved the celestial entities by his act.
senni mEl ERak kazhuvinAn – brahmA cleansed emperumAn’s divine feet in such a way that the water would fall on rudhra’s head.
aNdaththAn sEvadiyai – emperumAn who grew in such a way that he filled the entire universe with his divine form. Alternatively, brahmA, who is the head of one universe, cleansed the divine feet of one who is the lord of all universes, in such a way that the divine water would fall on the head of his son (rudhra) who lives within one of the universes, so that his son’s sin would get removed. This act of brahmA is similar to that of a father who sprinkles his SrIpAdhathIrtham (water from cleaning his foot) on his habituated errant sons in order to correct them. It is pertinent here to recollect the sayings of brahmA to rishis on this incident when he cleansed the divine feet of emperumAn with the water generated by dharmadhEvathai (deity for righteousness) so that the divine water would fall on his son rudhra to cleanse him of his sins [rudhra was willing to take the water on his head and keep it within his head for thousands of years].
We will take up the 10th pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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