SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Full series >> Seventh Centum >> First decad
Introduction for this pAsuram
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction
No specific introduction.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction
In the sixth pAsuram, AzhwAr says “If you abandon me who is very weak, would the senses which can torture even the most knowledgeable, not lead me to total disaster?”.
Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction
See nanjIyar‘s introduction.
Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction
See nanjIyar‘s introduction.
Highlights from nampiLLai‘s introduction as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai
See nanjIyar‘s introduction.
pAsuram
viN uLAr perumARkadimai seyvAraiyum seRum aimpulan ivai
maN uL ennaip peRRAl en seyyA maRRu nIyum vittAl?
paN uLAy! kavi than uLAy! paththiyin uLLAy! param IsanE! vandhen
kaN uLAy! nenjuLAy! sol uLAy! onRu sollAyE
Listen
Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
viN uLAr – being residents of paramapadham
perumARku – to you who are greater than all
adimai seyvAraiyum – those who serve, like vainadhEya (garudAzhwAn)
maN uL – this world, which is a natural habitat [for the senses]
seRum – overcome and torment
ivai – these
aimpulan – five senses
ennai – me who lacks strength to overcome them
peRRAl – when they find
maRRum – further
nIyum – you (who are the controller)
vittAl – if abandon me
(they)
en – what
seyyA – will not do?
en – my (who is calling you with involvement)
paN – the tune of my wailing
uL Ay – being inside
kavi than – the poem which is the placeholder for the tune
uL Ay – being inside
paththiyin – of the desire (which is the cause for such poem)
uLLAy – being the object
(further)
param – being supreme (so that everything is at your disposal)
IsanE – being the controller (lord)
(as the individual ones which are controlled as said in “chakshushi thishtan manasi thishtan“)
kaN – eye
uLAy – being inside
nenju – heart
uLAy – being inside
sol – speech
uLAy – being present inside
vandhu – arriving here
(to remove my weakness)
onRu – a word
sollAy – mercifully speak.
Simple translation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
These five senses will overcome and torment in this world, which is a natural habitat [for the senses], even the residents of paramapadham like vainadhEya et al [when they descend here] who serve you who are greater than all; what will they not do when they find me who lacks strength to overcome them and if you abandon me too? Oh one who is inside the tune of my wailing, the poem which is the placeholder for the tune and is the object of my desire! Being inside my eyes, heart and speech, you arrive here [physically] and mercifully speak a word. “sollAyE” implies “why are you not speaking?” highlighting how emperumAn abandoned AzhwAr. “en seyyA” indicates “they will do anything, just as a leaderless country will be tormented by evil people”.
vyAkyAnams (commentaries)
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s vyAkyAnam
See vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s translation.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s vyAkyAnam
See nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam.
Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s vyAkyAnam
See nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam.
Highlights from nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai
- viN uLAr perumARku … – These senses will even torment those who serve the lord of nithyasUris.
- perumARku adimai seyvAraiyum seRum – There are those who are born along with emperumAn and serve him continuously like iLaiya perumAL (lakshmaNa). These senses made even thiruvadi (garuda) think “For me” [with ego]. When a snake named sumuka took refuge of emperumAn’s divine feet, periya thiruvadi (garuda) ran to emperumAn and said “Why are you protecting this snake which is my prey?” Feeling upset he further said “I carried your highness and your consorts for a long time and travelled around; what have I received in return?” This is the nature of this samsAram (material realm). Just as emperumAn incarnates and feels anguished, bewildered etc [i.e. pretending to be so], they [nithyasUris] too feel anguished, bewildered etc. Alternative explanation – These are the senses which can torment even the mumukshus (liberation seekers) in this samsAram who are fully engaged in service to the lord of nithyasUris. We have seen that in viSvAmithra, sugrIva et al. Even the very wise sage viSvAmithra had fallen in the trap of worldly pleasure for a long duration; sugrIva mahArAja who was caring towards perumAL (SrI rAma), captivated in sensual enjoyment and even forgetting the route to SrI rAma’s residence, let perumAL suffer in lightning and thunder during the four months of rainy season.
- maN uL … – Is AzhwAr not someone from the paramapadham? [No – it appears like that based on his glories] This is the natural habitat for the senses; I have placed myself in this trap and tightened the noose; when they catch me in this manner, what would they not do?
- maRRu nIyum vittAl – When everyone else abandons, one would fall upon you who will sustain; but if you too abandon there is no hope. Had you protected me, could I not have won over the senses as sugrIva won over vAli? arjuna too said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 6.34 “thasyAham nigraham manyE vAyOr iva sudhushkaram” (I think that it is very difficult to restrain it, like controlling a fierce storm). Only if we can bind wind in a particular place, could the mind be controlled. If you who said “If you say ‘it is difficult to control my senses’, then place your mind in me”, abandon me now?
emperumAn said “I have not abandoned you! How can I abandon you?”; AzhwAr says “am I losing you due to your absence or lack of ability?”
- paN uLAy – You are not deaf to the tune of my anguished wail!
- kavi than uLAy – You are not deaf to the words which are filled with my anguish.
- paththiyin uLLAy – You are not ignorant about the root cause of my anguish.
- param IsanE – There is nothing which is impossible for you. Is there any place where your lordship does not rule?
(You are also the lord of the senses) AzhwAr is saying “Aside, is there anything you have not done previously?” emperumAn says “but, there is nothing more to do”; AzhwAr says “I am not blaming you in what you have already done; but I am just highlighting what you have not done yet”.
- en kaN uLAy nenjuLAy sol uLAy – Is there any other target for my external and internal senses? They always remain as said in thiruvAimozhi 3.9.1 “nediyAnE” (Oh great lord!), thiruvAimozhi 3.8.4 “unnai mey koLLak kANa virumbum” (desire to see you in front of me), thiruvAimozhi 3.8.2 “vanjanE” (Oh mischievous one!) “kavi than uLAy” indicates the pAsuram (poem); “sol uLAy” indicates the sense of speech.
When emperumAn asked “what should I do?”,
- vandhu – onRu sollAyE – You take a few steps towards me, and drive away my fear saying as in SrI bhagavath gIthA 18.66 “mA Sucha:” (do not grieve). AzhwAr says “Is there any doubt in me about your existence? [No] My only desire is see you arriving in front of me and speaking to me”.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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