SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
All the materials in this world are present to remind us about emperumAn. But these thoughts are also hurtful. As said in chAndhOgya upanishath “na cha punarAvarthathe” (one does not return again), one can reach that land of no return only after getting rid of all the contractions to knowledge. It is only after reaching that place could one know about him and entities connected to him, fully. Wouldn’t those entities, which are connected to him, remind about him, only after that? How is it then that it was possible for AzhwAr to be reminded of these entities, even while he was living in this world? The knowledge which AzhwAr had, was not obtained due to his effort. That was granted to him by emperumAn through his causeless mercy. Since he was granted faultless knowledge and devotion by emperumAn, it was possible for him to attain the states of parabhakthi (knowledge about emperumAn), paragyAnam (inability to sustain self when separated from emperumAn) and paramabhakthi (attaining emperumAn) simultaneously, even while living here. Thus, the entities connected with emperumAn are capable of reminding him about emperumAn even when he is still here and they are capable of hurting him, too. This is the nature of his knowledge.
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
panippiyalvAga udaiya thaNvAdai ikkAlam ivvUrp
panippiyalvellAm thavirndhu erivIsum andhaNNandhuzhAy
panippuyal sOrum thadangaNNi mAmaith thiRaththuk kolAm
panippuyal vaNNan sengOl orunAnRu thadAviyadhE
Word-by-Word Meanings
panippu – creating chillness
iyalvAga udaiya – having as its nature
thaN – being cool
vAdai – northerly wind
ikkAlam – at the present time
ivvUril – in this place
panippu – making it cold
iyalvellAm – all its basic nature
thavirndhu – leaving aside
eri vIsum – started to emit fire
am – beautiful
thaNNam – having coolness
thuzhAy – for the sake of divine thuLasi
pani – cold
puyal – tears, like a rainfall
sOrum – shedding
thadam – expansive
kaNNi – this girl with eyes
mAmai thiRaththukkolAm – for the sake of beauty
pani – cool
puyal – like a cloud
vaNNan – sarvESvaran, who has such a complexion
sengOl – order
oru nAnRu – today
thadAviyadhu – became bent
Simple Translation
Making things cool is the nature of northerly wind. But even that wind, in this place and at this time, discarding its nature, is emitting fire everywhere. Why did the sceptre of sarvESvaran, who has the quality of a cool, rain-bearing cloud, bend like this? Was it to destroy the complexion of this lady, who desired his beautiful, cool thuLasi and who sheds tears like rain-bearing clouds?
vyAkhyAnam
panippu iyalvAga udaiya thaN vAdai – the northerly wind which has chillness alone as its basic nature.
ikkAlam ivvUr panippu iyalvu ellAm thavirndhu eri vIsum – Since it is emperumAn who changes the basic nature of the wind, at that place and during that time, the wind is bewildered because of him. Many entities stood there, determined to destroy her, by changing their form and nature. When the form and nature of sarvESvaran could change in her case, should one say anything about the entities which follow him! Protection is emperumAn’s basic form and mercy is his basic nature. He changed his basic form from being protective to causing harm and his basic nature from being merciful to being cruel. Thus the wind also sheds its basic nature of being cool and emits fire.
am thaNNandhuzhAy panippuyal sOrum thadam kaNNi – She stood there, shedding tears copiously, after desiring sarvESvaran’s cool and beautiful thuLasi. Is desiring his divine thuLasi a crime? Even if it were, should one, who has committed such a crime, suffer to this extent? Her eyes are pouring out tears, just like a rain-bearing cloud would let out water that it is bearing. If the tears in her eyes dry up, all the water in the ocean would not be sufficient to fill the eyes again.
mAmaith thiRaththuk kolAm – Was it not for changing her complexion that emperumAn and his entities changed their basic form and nature so arduously?
panippuyal . . . – there are two interpretations for these terms. pani would refer to coolness; puyal is cloud and vaNNan is one who has that complexion. Thus, this combination would refer to emperumAn who removes the three types of anguish (thApathrayam which would refer to anguish brought on by self (by indulging in forbidden activities); anguish brought on by nature (floods, cyclone, drought etc); anguish brought on by emperumAn based on our karma) that samsAris suffer from. Alternatively, the term vaNNan could be taken as referring to nature; then this would mean emperumAn who showers mercy without any reason, just like cloud showers rain without expecting anything in return.
sengOl – we suffer due to his orders. Let it be so. We may suffer, but nothing untoward should occur to his sceptre (his orders). In other words, even if the cool wind starts emitting fire, if it had been done under his orders, let me suffer because of that; however, his order should not be crossed.
oru nAnRu thadAviyadhE – to attain her, his sceptre bent a little, today. The lady’s mother laments that it should not bend any further.
svApadhEsam (distinguished meaning): While for all the people, in samsAram (materialistic realm), while outside entities (those which are not connected with emperumAn) are favourable, for AzhwAr who cannot sustain himself without emperumAn, even the entities which are close to emperumAn are creating trouble.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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