SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> First centum >> First decad
pAsuram
sEmamE vENdith thIvinai perukkith
therivaimAr uruvamE maruvi
UmanAr kaNda kanavilum pazhudhAy
ozhindhana kazhindha annALgaL
kAmanAr thAdhai nammudai adigaL
thammadaindhAr manaththiruppAr
nAmam nAn uyya nAn kaNdu koNdEn
nArAyaNA ennum nAmam
Word-by-Word meanings
sEmamE – well-being only
vENdi – desiring (but without not performing virtuous duties which are required for that)
thIvinai – sins
perukki – increasing
therivaimAr – of women
uruvamE – physical beauty only
maruvi – thinking about
kazhindha – wasted
annALgaL – those times
UmanAr – mute persons
kaNda – saw
kanavilum – more than the dream
pazhudhAy – being useless
ozhindhana – lost; hence
kAmanAr – for cupid
thAdhai – being the father
nammudai – for all of us
adigaL – being the lord
tham – him
adaindhAr – for those who hold as refuge
manaththu – in the heart
iruppAr – sarvESvaran who firmly remains
nAmam – word
nArAyaNA ennum – nArAyaNa
nAmam – divine name
nAn – I who was running behind worldly pleasures
uyya – to be uplifted
nAn – who is too lost for redemption
kaNdu koNdEn – realised.
Simple translation
Desiring only for the well-being, but increasing the sins, only thinking about the physical beauty of women, all those times were wasted and were more useless than the dream seen by mute persons; hence, I who was running behind worldly pleasures, got the word nArAyaNa which is the divine name of sarvESvaran who is the father of cupid, who is the lord for all of us and who firmly remains in the heart of those who hold him as refuge; I who am too lost for redemption, realised such divine name for me to be uplifted.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
- sEmamE vENdi – One will be thinking in the heart “There should be no troubles from enemies, kings et al for us; we should be protected by all”.
- thIvinai perukki – When one looks out for the well-being, one should also engage in suitable righteous activities which lead to such well-being; but one will accumulate sins only.
- theirvaimAr uruvamE maruvi – One will only reap the results of the sinful activities, if one does not engage in righteous activities; the sins committed will lead to engagement in worldly pleasures.
- uruvamE maruvi – When one sees deep inside the hearts of such women, one can easily give them up. Their hearts will be poisonous with selfish motives; if one engages in the heart, one can see the ignoble qualities, one can retract; it will be easy to hide the defects in the form.
- maruvi – Such forms will be meditated upon as SubSrayam (auspicious abode).
- UmanAr kaNda kanavilum pazhudhAy – UmanAr – mute persons. A mute person won’t be able to reveal the dream he saw – he can only think about it; even unlike that, enjoying these worldly pleasures for a long time, one will not even be able to recollect what one enjoyed. Alternative explanation – while a mute person cannot speak about his dream, he can at least think about it; but the enjoyment of these worldly pleasures cannot even be thought about since that will only cause fear (for the repurcussions). There is nothing worthy to recollect and even if there is, that will only cause fear.
- ozhindhana kazhindha annALgaL – SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 5.5 “na mE dhukkam priyA dhUrE na mE dhukkam hruthEthi vA | EthadhEvAnusOchAmi vayOsyA hyathivarththathE ||” (I am not feeling distressed that the one who is dear to my heart is at a far away place or that she has been abducted. I am only feeling sad that she is ageing) – I am not upset that my dear wife is far away from me, that can be remedied by traveling there; I am not upset she was abducted by a powerful demon, that can be remedied by severing his head; my only sorrow is this – “vayOsyA hyathivarththathE” – I cannot get back the lost time with my arrow!
When asked “Are these defects not present in the entity (bhagavAn) you are holding on to?” AzhwAr says,
- kAmanAr thAdhai – His form itself is attractive; his physical beauty will add to the greatness. He is the creator of cupid who bewilders the world with his beautiful form. He goes through the same emotions on seeing emperumAn, which are observed by the world on seeing him. SrI bhAgavatham 10.32.2 “sAkshAn manmatha manmatha:” (For the cowherd girls, krishNa appeared like a cupid of cupids).
- nammudai adigaL – Not just that he is free from the defects which are present in worldly aspects, the worldly aspects are inapt while he is apt.
- nammudai adigaL – sarvasvAmi (lord of all).
- thammadaindhAr manaththiruppAr – Unlike those women who would showcase their forms and attract the men, take away everything possessed by the men, not presenting themselves to the men and driving the men away, emperumAn will firmly remain in the heart of those who have even the slightest attachment towards him. He will even abandon his grand assembly in paramapadham and have the hearts of such devotees as his abode.
- thammadaindhAr manaththiruppAr nAmam – The divine name which spells out all the aforementioned aspects. Having beautiful physical form, being the lord of all, easy approachability and motherly forbearance are revealed in this name.
- nAn uyya nAn kaNdu koNdEn – I, who was getting destroyed as said in thaiththirIya upanishath “asannEva” (as good as matter), realised him to be uplifted.
- nAn kaNdu koNdEn – I who had reached the stage to think “Is there no vision?” acquired the desired benefit. I who had thought as “I won’t exist anymore, there is no possibility of vision” got uplifted and also saw emperumAn’s divine name.
- nAn uyya nAn – “nAn” (I) is repeated twice as an outlet for the joy acquired.
- nArAyaNa ennum nAmam – I got to recite the divine name which is to be recited by those who have control over internal and external senses as said in bruhadhAraNyaka upanishath 6.4.23 “SAnthO dhAntha uparathas thithikshus samAhithO bhUthvA AthmanyEvAthmAnam paSyEth” (One who has control over internal and external senses, who has no attachment towards activities (in the context of getting the fruits), who has patience and who has undisturbed mind can see the bhagavAn who is present within the self). I who was having ignoble qualities as said in “sEmamE vENdith thIvinai perukkith therivaimAr uruvamE maruvi“, acquired the result which is acquired by those who are having noble qualities.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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