SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
In the earlier pAsurams, AzhwAr spoke extensively, for the all the world to know, about the supreme being’s basic nature, divine form, auspicious qualities and wealth. In this pAsuram he tells his divine mind “I had explained the presence of emperumAn even to those who denied his existence. You also meditate on this meaning”.
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meaning:
uLan kaNdAy nannenjE uththaman enRum
uLan kaNdAy uLLuvAr uLLaththu uLan kaNdAy
thannoppAn thAnAy uLan kAn thamiyERku
ennoppArkku Isan imai
Word for Word Meanings
nal nenjE – Oh heart who is apt for me!
uththaman – (one who protects without expecting anything in return) emperumAn who is the best among all purushas (souls)
uLan kaNdAy – see that he exists (to protect us)
enRum uLan kaNdAy – see that (at all places) at all times (in protecting us) he exists
uLLuvAr uLLaththu – in the minds of those who accept to think of him
uLan kaNdAy – see that he exists permanently
than oppAn Isan – (since there is none who equals him) that emperumAn who is his own equal
thamiyERku – for me, who is without any means
en oppARku – and for those who, like me, are without any means
thAn Ay uLan kAN – see that he himself exists as the protector
imai – know this
vyAkyAnam
uLan kaNdAy – AzhwAr is not instructing us regarding the existence of emperumAn. Then, what is he implying? He tells his heart to see emperumAn, who is there as the protector. He tells his heart to see that even if unavoidable problems crop up due to the heart or due to anyone else, he is there, capable of avoiding those problems.
nannenjE – Oh heart which has the capability to instruct others regarding this! Since it has the capability to instruct others, is it required to say that is has the capability to listen about this?
nannenjE – AzhwAr celebrates his heart just as nammAzhwAr did in his thiruvAimozhi 1-10-4 ”nenjamE! nallai nallai unnaip peRRAl en seyyOm ini enna kuRaivinam ” (Oh heart! What can I not do if I get such a good entity like you! What shortcoming will I have!)
When emperumAn becomes a protector, will he expect anything?
uLan kaNdAy nannenjE uththaman – AzhwAr says that emperumAn is the best among all, who does not expect anything when he protects. One who carries out a deed for his own benefit is called as adhaman (lowliest among all); one who carries out a deed for his as well as others’ benefit is called as madhyaman (in-between); one who carries out a deed for the benefit of only others is called as uththaman (best among all). Isn’t emperumAn Ongi ulagaLandha uththaman (the best entity who grew up and measured all the worlds, for the benefit of his followers)!
Being a totally independent entity, though he has been protecting so far without expecting anything, what will he do now?
uththaman enRum uLan kaNdAy – just as he had been protecting in samsAram all along without any reason, hereafter he will give himself to be enjoy in SrIvaikuNtam and protect.
For getting this, should the jIvAthmA have any qualification?
uLLuvAr uLLaththu uLan kaNdAy – AzhwAr says that emperumAn will reside in the heart of one who agrees to think of him instead of vowing ‘I will not think about you’. It is implied that the only quality required for the chEthana (sentient entity) to make emperumAn as a protector is to agree to think about emperumAn.
uLLuvAr uLLaththu uLan – periyAzhwAr and his divine daughter, ANdAL, mercifully mentioned respectively, in thiruppallANdu 4 “kUdumanam udaiyIrgaL varampozhi vandhollaik kUduminO” (if you have the desire to be with us, break out of the boundary of one enjoying himself/herself and join with us immediately) and in thiruppAvai 1 “pOdhuvIr pOdhuminO” (those who are desirous (of being together with us while taking bath), join us).
thannoppAn Isan – Just as SvethASvathara upanishath said “ na thathsamaSchAbhyadhigaScha dhruSyathE ” (there is none equalling you; we cannot see anyone superior to you) and thiruvAimozhi 2-3-2 “oththAr mikkAraiyilaiyAya mAmAyA” (Oh amazing entitiy who does not have anyone equal or superior!), sarvESvara is one who is his own equal. The opinion is that there is none to equal him in protecting others causelessly.
Isan – AzhwAr hints here that since emperumAn is the owner, he is bound to protect his possession.
thamiyERku ennoppArkkuth thAnAy uLan kAN – (AzhwAr tells his heart to see that) the supreme being is the protector for him as well as for those like him who are without any means.
thamiyERku – one who is secluded. Seclusion here refers to the quality of being without any means in protecting oneself just as it is mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 5-7-1 “nORRa nOnbilEn nuNNaRivilEn” (I am without karmayOga (path of attaining emperumAn through carrying out ordained deeds) or gyAna yOga (path of knowledge for attaining emperumAn))
thAnAyuLan – emperumAn is there as the protector. The quality of protection is emperumAn’s basic nature; it is the essential quality to identify him.
imai – [AzhwAr tells his heart] know this meaning .
We will take up the 87th pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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