SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
In the previous pAsuram, AzhwAr felt saddened, looking at the ignorance of samsAris in not realising the benefits that they had. Thinking that “If they get a taste in this (involvement with emperumAn) they should not miss these benefits”, AzhwAr starts instructing the samsAris over seven pAsurams, starting with this. In this pAsuram he says “Oh those who intend to get the indestructible experience of brahmAnubhavam (enjoyment with emperumAn) by reaching through the path of archis (light)! Make sure that you attain emperumAn who is both the means for attaining him and the goal for enjoying him, get rid of your hurdles and uplift yourselves”
saNdamaNadalaththin Udu senRu vIdu peRRu mEl
kaNdu vIdilAdha kAdhal inbanALum eydhuvIr
puNdarIga pAdha puNya kIrththi num sevi maduth(thu)
uNdu num uRuvinaith thuyaruL nIngi uymminO
Word-by-Word Meanings
saNdamaNdalaththin – through the solar galaxy which is difficult to attain
Udu senRu – going amidst it
vIdu peRRu – attaining paramapadham
mEl – one which comes after that
vIdilAdha – being without any break
kAdhal inbam – the joy of carrying out service through devotion
kaNdu – seeing that
nALum eydhuvIr – Oh those who think constantly of attaining (that)
puNdarIga pAdha – having divine feet which are like lotus flower
puNya kIrththi – in the fame of means
num – your
sevi – ears
maduththu – engaging them
uNdu – enjoying (that)
num – created by you
uRu – that which remains with you (until you experience it)
vinaiththuyaruL – from the sorrow, which is the result of sins
nIngi – getting rid
uymminO – uplift yourselves
Simple Translation
Oh those who are constantly meditating upon reaching paramapadham by going through the solar galaxy, which is difficult to attain and who are thinking of carrying out eternal service through devotion, which results from reaching paramapadham! Uplift yourselves by engaging your ears with the fame of means represented by the divine feet [of emperumAn], which are like lotus flower, enjoy it and get rid of the sorrow, which is the result of the sins which remain with you.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
saNdamaNdalaththin Udu senRu – going through the path of solar galaxy which is difficult to attain. Just as it has been said in periya thirumadal 16 “mannum kadum kadhirOn maNdalaththin nannaduvuL” (right at the central region of sun whose rays are permanent and fiery), going through the path of solar galaxy which is difficult to attain for those who do not have desire in mOksham (SrI vaikuNtam). Just as princes of a kingdom have the freedom to roam all over the kingdom without any hurdle merely because they were born in the clan, those who have connection with bhagavAn too would go through the path [of solar galaxy] without any hurdle.
vIdu peRRu – attaining paramapadham.
mEl vIdilAdha kAdhal inbam – kaNdu – nALum eydhuvIr – the result of attaining emperumAn like this is to carry out service to emperumAn, which is indestructible, which is without any break and which is in line with the svarUpam (basic nature) of the AthmA. This service is the result of the desire arising out of enjoying emperumAn. Oh those who have seen all these and who desire to carry out this service to emperumAn until the AthmA exists {in other words permanently, since AthmA is indestructible).
puNdarIga pAdha puNya kIrththi – the divine feet of emperumAn are sweet like the fresh lotus flower. These divine feet have the fame of purifying the jIvAthmA and are the means for attaining mOksham. Several examples have been quoted from ithihAsams (epics) to substantiate that this is well known in SAsthrams. SrI rAmAyaNam uththara kANdam 82-9 says “pAvanas sarvalOkAnAm thvamEva raghunandhana” (Oh raghunandhana (SrI rAma)! You are the one who purifies all the worlds); mahAbhAratham vanaparvam 88-27 says “pavithrANAm hi gOvindha: pavithram paramuchayathE l puNyAnAmapi puNyO’sau mangaLAnAncha mangaLam ll” (Among all the sacred entities, gOvindhan (emperumAn) is said to be the most sacred entity; among the virtuous entities, he is the most virtuous; among the auspicious entities, he is the most auspicious). SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 120-15 says “lOkAnAm thvam parO dharmO vishvaksEnaS chathurbhuja: l SArngadhanvA hrushIkESa: purusha: purushOththama: ll” (You are the most righteous, among all the worlds; you have the army which spreads everywhere; you are together with four shoulders; you are the controller of the bow, SArngam; you are one controlling all the senses; you are praised as purusha and purushOththama). mahAbhAratham vana parvam 71-123 says “yE cha vEdha vidhO viprA yE chAdhyAthma vidhO janA: l thE vidhanthi mahAthmAnam krishNam dharmam sanAthanam ll” (brAhmaNas who know vEdhams and the elders who know the nature of AthmA know that krishNa symbolises the ancient righteousness).
num sevi maduththu – you have been such that even in your dreams you had not had any connection with bhagavAn; making your ears to listen to the instructions of an AchAryan. In order for emperumAn to take you under his wings, making you to listen to your AchAryan’s instructions is important.
uNdu – enjoying the auspicious qualities of emperumAn, which have been sweet from the time that one started to think and which do not expect anything else to be a means to attain him.
num uRuvinaith thuyaruL nIngi uymminO – sins are ones which you have created yourselves. Just as it has been said in brahmavaivartham prakruthi 26-90 “avaSyamanubhOkthavyam krutham karma SubhASubham l nAbhuktham kshIyathE karma kalpakOti Sathairapi ll”
(The results of deeds, both virtuous and sinful, which have been carried out by a person, have to be compulsorily experienced; unless experienced, karmas will not get destroyed, even after the lapse of a hundred crore kalpams [a kalpam is 4.32 billion years]) sorrows result from the collection of sins which are unavoidable. You, who are carrying out your lives under these sorrows, should get rid of such sorrows and attain the comfort of carrying out service to emperumAn. Just as it has been said in thiruvAimozhi 1-1-1 “thozhudhezhu“, you should uplift yourselves by bowing down to that emperumAn, carrying out service to him.
Next, we will take up the 68th pAsuram of this prabandham.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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