SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Essence of thiruvAimozhi 7.4
Introduction
In this pAsuram, mAmunigaL is following AzhwAr’s pAsurams of emperumAn’s series of victories and is mercifully explaining it.
How is that done? AzhwAr became sorrowful due to great devotion as said in thiruvAimozhi 7.3.8 “maN thiNi gyAlamum Ezh kadalum nIL visumbum kazhiyap peridhAl” (my love remains huge, beyond the earth which is abundant with land, seven oceans and ether, having consumed them all). emperumAn fully manifested his series of victories starting from measuring the worlds to lifting the gOvardhana hill, which were hinted in his incarnations in thiruvAimozhi 7.3.7 “pEreyil sUzh kadal then ilangai seRRa pirAn” (thenthiruppEreyil emperumAn, the benefactor, who destroyed the well organized lankA which is surrounded by the ocean), to change the mood of AzhwAr and sustain AzhwAr. AzhwAr enjoys that and becomes joyful. mAmunigaL mercifully explains this principle explained in “Azhiyezhach changum” starting with “AzhivaNNan“.
pAsuram
AzhivaNNan than visayam Anavai muRRum kAtti
vAzh idhanAl enRu magizhndhu niRka – Uzhil avai
thannai inRu pOl kaNdu thAn uraiththa mARan sol
pannuvarE nalladhu kaRpAr
Listen
word-by-word meanings
Azhi vaNNan – emperumAn who has the complexion of an ocean
than visayam Anavai muRRum kAtti – fully manifested his series of victories
idhanAl vAzh enRu – (said towards AzhwAr) sustain yourself with these
magizhndhu niRka – remained joyful
Uzhil avai thannai – the historical incidents
inRu pOl kaNdu – visualising as if they are happening now
thAn uraiththa – mercifully spoke as an outlet for such experience
mARan sol – AzhwAr’s divine words
pannuvarE – those who recite
nalladhu kaRpAr – are considered to have recited distinguished words.
Simple Translation
emperumAn who has the complexion of an ocean fully manifested his series of victories, saying to AzhwAr “sustain yourself with these” and remained joyful. AzhwAr, after visualising the historical incidents as if they are happening now, mercifully spoke as an outlet for such experience. Those who recite such AzhwAr’s divine words are considered to have recited distinguished words.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam
- Azhi vaNNan than visayam Anavai muRRum kAtti vAzhidhanAl enRu magizhndhu niRka – That is, as said in “Azhi nIr vaNNanai achchudhanai” (emperumAn who is having the complexion of ocean and who never abandons his devotees), sarvESvaran who is having invigorating form, manifested all his activities which represent his series of victories, to AzhwAr and told AzhwAr to sustain joyfully seeing those and showed those forms. That is, as said in SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 4.7 “chiranirvruththamapyEthath prathyakshamiva dharSitham” (Though this happened long ago, it appears as if it is happening now), finally sustained by joyfully saying in “kunRam eduththa pirAn adiyArodum onRi ninRa satakOpan” (SatakOpa who stood amidst the devotees of the benefactor who lifted the gOvardhana hill) [11th pAsuram]. It is said in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 12.104 “nandhAmi paSyannapi dharSanEva …” (If I see him in person, I feel like a youth, once again). AzhwAr saw the following incidents and sustained himself:
- Measuring the worlds – “Azhi ezhach changum villum ezhath thisai vAzhi ezhath thaNdum vALum ezha aNdam mOzhai ezha mudi pAdham ezha appan Uzhi ezha ulagam koNdavARE” (The divine chakra appears to rise to the front, along with the conch, the bow, the mace and the sword; the tumultuous sound of mangaLASAsanam was raised by those who are present in every direction; the divine crown and the divine feet rise together to break the top portion of the oval shaped universe and the bubbles [from the water] rose; this is how amazing, the method by which sarvESvaran, who is the lord of all measured and accepted the world, to commence the distinguished times!) [1st pAsuram]
- Amazing act of churning of the ocean – “ARu malaikku edhirndhOdum oli aravURusulAy malai thEykkum oli kadal mARu suzhanRu azhaikkinRa oli appan sARu pada amudham koNda nAnRE” (On that day when sarvESvara, the great benefactor, caused great festivity for the dhEvas and obtained the nectar, the following sounds occurred – a) the sound of rivers flowing in the opposite direction towards the mountain, b) the sound of the rubbing of the body of vAsuki, the serpent, which is coiled around the manthara mountain and c) the sound of the calling [noise] of the ocean turning around and whirling) [2nd pAsuram]
- The ability of lifting up the earth – “nAnRila Ezh maNNum thAnaththavE pinnum nAnRila Ezh malai thAnaththavE pinnum nAnRila Ezh kadal thAnaththavE appan UnRi idandhu eyiRRil koNda nALE” (At the time when earth was submerged in the deluge, emperumAn, the great benefactor, pushed it into the shell of universe, dug it out and kept it on his tusk; the different regions of land in the form of seven islands became established in their original locations, without slipping; further, the seven main mountains became rooted in their original locations, without shaking; further, the seven oceans became established in their original locations, without breaching their shores) [3rd pAsuram]
- Swallowing of the universe – “nALum ezha nila nIrum ezha viNNum kOLum ezha eri kAlum ezha malai thAnum ezhach chudar thAnum ezha appan ULi ezha ulagam uNda UNE” (How amazing the way emperumAn, the great benefactor, consumed the world as said in “He ate with great hunger” to subdue the division between day and night, land and water, sky and planets, mountain bases and shining objects such as stars!) [4th pAsuram]
- Conducting the amazing mahAbhAratha battle – “UNudai mallar thadharndha oli mannar ANudaich chEnai nadungum oli viNNuL ENudaith thEvar veLippatta oli appan kANudaip pAratham kaiyaRai pOzhdhE” (When krishNa who is partial towards his followers, joined his hands and clapped them to conduct the mahAbhAratha war, the following sounds were heard – a) the great wrestlers who have muscles, which give strength, banging each other and falling down, b) the trembling of the kings’ armies which are having great soldiers and c) the appearance and celebration of prime dhEvathAs per their respective position, on the sky) [5th pAsuram]
- Destroying hiraNya – “pOzhdhu melindha pun sekkaril vAn thisai sUzhum ezhundhu udhirap punalA malai kIzhdhu piLandha singam oththadhAl appan Azh thuyar seydhu asuraraik kollumARE” (When the day was ending, emperumAn rose in the form of narasimha, who helps his followers, to create a pool of blood in the youthfully reddish sky at dusk and the surrounding directions, and killed hiraNya, the demon; the method through which he killed the demon looked similar to a lion tearing down a mountain) [6th pAsuram]
- Eliminating rAvaNa – “mARu niraiththu iraikkum sarangaL ina nURu piNam malai pOl puraLa kadal ARu maduththu udhirap punalA appan nIRu pada ilangai seRRa nErE” (The groups of arrows which were shot, were making great sounds; they caused hundreds and hundreds of dead bodies of the rAkshasas to fall, like mountains falling down; the ocean became filled with a flood of blood through the rivers; this is how chakravarthith thirumagan, who is the benefactor to his followers, fought the war honestly, to bring lankA down to ashes) [7th pAsuram]
- Act of severing the many hands of bANa – “nEr sarindhAn kodik kOzhi koNdAn pinnum nEr sarindhAn eriyum analOn pinnum nEr sarindhAn mukkaN mUrththi kaNdIr appan nEr sari vANan thiN thOL koNda anRE” (On that day when krishNa who helped anirudhdha, won over the strong shoulders of bANa who sided [with rudhra et al], subrahmaNya, who has peacock flag, fell down, unable to resist; further, agni, with rising flame, fell down, unable to resist; further, rudhra, the chief among dhEvathAs, having great power due to having three eyes, ran away from the battlefield; aren’t these well known?) [8th pAsuram]
- The initial/direct creation of universe – “anRu maN nIr eri kAl viN malai mudhal anRu sudar iraNdu piRavum pinnum anRu mazhai uyir dhEvum maRRum appan anRu mudhal ulagam seydhadhumE” (During the initial creation, the great benefactor, who is the creator of the universe, created the universe; he created the five elements starting with earth etc which are the causes and the mountains etc which are worldly objects; he created both moon and sun and other radiant objects; further he created rain, creatures which depend on the rain, the dhEvas who grant the rain and other creatures. Implies that AzhwAr is talking about the initial creation after total deluge instead of subsequent creation) [9th pAsuram]
- skill of lifting the gOvardhana hill – “mEy nirai kIzh puga mA puraLach chunai vAy niRai nIr piLiRich choriya ina Anirai pAdi angE odunga appan thI mazhai kAththuk kunRam eduththAnE” (krishNa, who eliminates danger, lifted up the gOvardhana hill, stopped the disaster-causing rain, for the grazing cows to take shelter underneath it, to have the animals residing on the hill roll down and fall, to have the ponds which have water filled up to the top, pour down with a tumultuous sound, and to have the groups of cows and cowherds of thiruvAyppAdi take shelter there) [10th pAsuram]
- Uzhil avai thannai – The past, historical, victorious incidents.
- inRu pOl kaNdu – Seeing them now, as if they are happening in present.
- thAn uraiththa mARan sol – The divine words of AzhwAr who mercifully spoke them as an outlet for his experience.
- pannuvarE nalladhu kaRpAr – Only those who analyase and meditate upon those divine words, will be considered to practice the distinguished words which are meant for their happiness and well-being. Implies, only those who know and meditate upon AzhwAr’s divine feet as their refuge, are all-knowing and meditating upon the apt aspects.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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