SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Full series >> Seventh Centum >> Ninth decad
Introduction for this pAsuram
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction
No specific introduction.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction
In the second pAsuram, AzhwAr says “He himself sings his praise and makes it popularly known in the world that I sang them” and becomes blissful seeing emperumAn‘s amazing ability thinking “How amazing his quality is”.
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.
AzhwAr says “I have been totally lost, due to my ahankAram and mamakAram since time immemorial and was facing away from him; emperumAn pursued me without any reason and changed me to be favourable towards him; if I think about this act, how can I hold myself together?”
pAsuram
en solli niRpan? en in uyir inRonRAy
en sollAl yAn sonna in kavi enbiththuth
than sollAl thAn thannaik kIrththiththa mAyan en
mun sollum mU uruvAm mudhalvanE
Listen
Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
en – my
in – attached to worldly pleasures
uyir – AthmA (soul)
inRu – today
onRAy – as his belonging
‘en – my
sollAl – words
yAn – I, as the author
sonna – spoke
in kavi – sweet poem’
enbiththu – making it popular in the world
than – his
sollAl – words
thAn – being the author
thannai – having him as the object of the poem
kIrththiththa – one who sang praises
(to show that I sang)
en – being inside me
mun sollum – reciting pAsurams before me [so that I can repeat them]
mAyan – amazing lord
(as an example for this)
mU uruvAy – having three forms
mudhalvan – the causal lord who is present as one
en solli niRpan – what will I tell to hold myself together?
Simple translation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
Considering my AthmA which is attached to worldly pleasures as his belonging today, emperumAn made it popular in the world that this sweet poem has been spoken by me, and he himself, being the author, sang praises having him as the object of the poem; what will I tell about the causal lord who is present as one, having three forms, who is the amazing lord residing in me and reciting the pAsurams before me, to hold myself together? Implies that this pAsuram is no match for his favour.
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
- en solli niRpan – Should I say his pursuit of me to be nirhEthukam (without any reason) or sahEthukam (due to some reason [action from my side])? When AzhwAr analyses the self, he does not see any reason; when he analyses emperumAn, he does not see any reason; [that is] he does not see any reason for emperumAn to abandon him since time immemorial; he does not see any reason for emperumAn to suddenly accept him today. Now, what could be the reason? Shall we say “since he is the owner, he could accept his belonging [AthmA], when he chooses to do so”? That cannot be said; not only emperumAn thinks he merely accepted his own belonging, but he made AzhwAr sing his praises, and hearing that, he considers himself and his wealth to come into existence; due to this reason, AzhwAr is not able to hold himself together.
- in uyir – [AzhwAr is praising his own self] as per bhagavAn’s opinion ; he is saying in this manner due to being part of the cause to be accepted by bhagavAn; alternatively – he is condemning his own self using viparItha lakshaNA [using contradictory term to explain a principle].
- inRu onRAy – He did not consider his own self to exist before this day [inRu – the day when he got unblemished knowledge and devotion from bhagavAn]; only on this day, his ‘self’ came to be counted as an entity.
When asked “What did he do with you after accepting you?”, AzhwAr says,
- en sollAl … – He made it popular in the world that the words are mine, that I am the composer and that the poem is very sweet. Any word will only refer / belong to sarvESvara and not for the lowly samsAri (materialistic person). Now, a chEthana does not qualify to have his own independent action or inaction; since his true nature and existence are under the disposal of emperumAn. He made this thiruvAimozhi to be popular in the world as iniya kavi (sweet poem); as said in thiruvAimozhi 1.5.11 “pAlEy thamizhar isaikArar paththar paravum Ayiram” (sweet milk like pAsurams which are celebrated by those who are well-versed in thamizh, those who are well-versed in music and can sing this and those devotees who understand the meaning); just as krishNa won the war, but stood along with others and praised arjuna for the victory. periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 2.1.2 “malai purai thOL mannavarum …” (emperumAn stood in the chariot witnessing arjuna killing great warriors). sengaN alavalai (reddish eyed chattering krishNa) one who remains quiet and aloof in paramapadham as said in chAndhOgya upanishath “avAkyanAdhara:“, gave up such qualities and started praising arjuna continuously.
When asked “you said inkavi enbiththu, is it in this manner?”, AzhwAr says “No” and when asked “How”, he says,
- than sollAl … – Words are his, they are spoken by him and he spoke about himself. Only if I am the object of the praise, I could have sung it.
When asked “If he sang on himself, how did he make it popular in the world that you sang about him”, AzhwAr says,
- mAyan – Should I tell about it? Does he not have amazing abilities? He had me as a tool and sang himself.
When asked “How did he have you as a tool and sing?”, AzhwAr says,
- en mun sollum – As he first recites, I would recite after him. If he directly spoke, it will end up like SrI bhagavath gIthA which is difficult to understand. nambi thiruvazhudhi nAdu dhAsar would mercifully say “If an expert in SrI bhagavath gIthA arrives in an assembly, after the recital/explanation, he will be given some rice and sent off; he would not be invited inside; but if an expert in thiruvAimozhi recital/discourse arrives, sarvESvaran himself and the villagers will welcome him themselves, present their own residences for his use and honour him”.
When asked “how did he do that?”, AzhwAr says,
- mU uruvA mudhalvanE – Just as emperumAn created brahmA, taught him vEdham, and made him transfer the knowledge to dhEvas and would honour him saying “brahmA gave knowledge to dhEvas” and being antharAthmA (in-dwelling super soul) of rudhra, making him burn down the three towns and would honour him saying “rudhra is the thripurAnthaka”, emperumAn himself sang this prabandham, and then claimed that I did it and gave me the honour. Doing the work himself but honouring others is an ancient habit of his! svEthAsvathara upanishath “yO brahmANam vidhadhAthi pUrvam yO vai vEdhAmScha prahinOthi“ (emperumAn creates brahmA and imparts vEdham unto him initially) and mahAbhAratham karNa parvam “vishNurAthmA bhagavathO bhavasya amithathEjasa: thasmAth dhanurjyA samsparSam savishEhE mahESvara:” (The omnipresent vishNu is the antharyAmi for Siva who is infinitely valorous and worshippable; due to this fact, Siva was able to launch the arrow on the bow during the destruction of the three towns). When asked “Why did he himself do it?” AzhwAr says that just as he would directly engage in activities [as vishNu], he would also have brahmA, rudhra et al as his body and would engage in srushti (creation), samhAram (annihilation) etc and would give the honour to them. Similarly, he sang the prabandham himself and gave the authorship to me.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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