SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction) – she says that apart from her bangle, it appeared that he wanted to steal her physical form too.
pollAk kuRaLuruvAyp poRkaiyilnIrERRu
ellA ulagum aLandhu koNda emperumAn
nallArgaL vAzhum naLir aranga nAgaNaiyAn
illAdhOm kaipporuLum eydhuvAn oththuLanE
Word-by-Word Meanings
pollA kuRaL uru Ay – as distinguished form of vAmana
pon kaiyil – with beautiful hand
nIr ERRu – taking alms
ellA ulagum – all the worlds
aLandhu koNda – making it as his own
emperumAn – as swAmy (lord)
nallArgaL vAzhum – eminent people, who are residing
nAga aNaiyAn – periya perumAL who has thiruvananthAzhwAn as his mattress
illAdhOm – one without any means, my
kaipporuLum – entity which is the means (my physical form)
eydhuvAn oththu uLan – appeared as if he were going to steal
Simple Translation
My swAmy, with a distinguished form as vAmana, took alms in his beautiful hand, by which he made all the worlds as his own. He is reclining on the mattress of thiruvananthAzhwAn, at SrIrangam, where eminent people are residing. While we are without any means with us, it appeared that emperumAn was going to steal our physical form.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
pollAk kuRaL uruvAy – We could construe this as – AndAL saying pollA as an adjective for his form of vAmana, in order to ward off evil spirits. Alternatively, we could consider this as pollAkkuRaLuru – a form which is not at all seen in the world. Since azhagiya kuRaL uru could make one think of other beautiful entities in the world, she is saying pollAk kuRaL uru.
kuRaL uruvAy – Just as a huge quantity of milk is kept on heating in order to get a sweet concentrate which is very low in volume, the huge form of thrivikrama is condensed to a short, but very sweet, form of vAmana such that it would be enjoyable to those who experience him.
poRkaiyil nIrERRu – taking water on his beautiful hand [symbolic of accepting the alms]. While in the world, people give alms to those who hold pots made of clay, mahAbali had the fortune of giving alms to one who had golden pot!
ellA ulagum aLandhu koNda – The reason for accepting water on his golden hand, while he had the divine form of vAmana, is to take [three] steps to steal his land. Isn’t he the type who, when he accepts something from someone, will push the person to a deep place in the nether world! Did not periyAzhwAr too say, as in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 4-9-7 “iRaippozhudhil pAdhALam kalavirukkai koduththugandha emmAn” (in a moment, placing [mahAbali] in the nether world and feeling happy [that he had fulfilled the request of indhra])? Is he not one who feels happy in pushing those who give him alms, into deep crevices?
emperumAn – through that act, he made me exist only for him and for none else. This is the divine act of his, in which all the AzhwArs engage deeply, as mentioned in periya thirumozhi 9-4-2 “mUvadi maN koNdu aLandha mannan saridhaikkE mAlAgip pon payandhEn” (I lost my complexion, due to my bewilderment, after hearing the narrative about the lord of all who measured three steps of land). The meaning hinted is that instead of being cautious with someone who pushes those who give him alms into deep crevices, I reached the stage of losing whatever little I had on my hand, after engaging with that act.
nallArgaL vAzhum naLir arangam – this is the divine abode inhabited by those who do not expect any benefit other than himself. Did not periyAzhwAr too say in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 4-8-2 “maRaip perundhI vaLarththiruppAr varuvirundhai aLiththiruppAr siRappudaiya maRaiyavar vAzh thiruvarangam enbadhuvE” (thiruvarangam is the divine abode where those who nurture rituals as ordained in the vEdhams and who provide distinguished hospitality to SrIvaishNavas reside)?
vAzhum – merely living in that divine abode is getting uplifted. Did not nAchchiyAr too say in nAchchiyAr thirumozhi 8-9 “vEngadaththaip padhiyAga vAzhvIrgAL” (those who live considering thiruvEngadam as your dwelling place)?
naLir arangam – cool thiruvarangam. The term naLir would refer to coolness. It removes the ennui of those who reside in that place. It is the divine abode where three thApams (distress or anguish) of AdhyAthmikam (distress brought on by oneself), Adhibhaudhikam (distress brought on by the five elements) and Adhidhaivikam (distress brought on due to action of god) do not affect one.
nAgaNaiyAn – one who is reclining on thiruvananthAzhwAn. How he is fitting on the mattress, leaving me aside, his consort!
illAdhOm kaipporuLum – the material with me, who does not have the fortune to step on to that mattress. Or, the material with me who does not have the material which he desires. Or, one who does not have any one to assist other than oneself.
kaipporuLum – the trivial materials such as clay lid which those who seek alms have. She thinks of her physical form and entities which are together with it.
eydhuvAn oththuLanE – he appeared to steal those materials.
A few words from another explanation given by the commentator, periyavAchchAn piLLai:
naLir arangam – Isn’t the one who is residing in this cool, divine abode, carrying out the deed which is done by those who kill women?
nallArgaL vAzhum arangam – it is the place where all the fortunate people, who are living in various places come and remain forever. Isn’t it the abode where all the AzhwArs gather, as mentioned in thiruchchandha viruththam 52 “aRRapaRRar suRRi vAzhum andhaNIr arangam” (thiruvarangam is the huge temple, having beautiful, cool waterbodies, where ascetics, who have renounced everything, think of living forever)?
nallArgaL – instead of carrying out attempts on one’s own to attain emperumAn, this is the divine abode inhabited by people who enjoy the ultimate benefit. Since the supreme entity, who has to be attained after reaching paramapadham, resides in that place forever, easily accessible to all, for those who reside in that abode, bhagavath anubhavam (enjoying emperumAn) will be a regular pastime. For those who desire to reside in that divine place, is there anything other than bhagavath anubhavam? It is said that those who live there will be trembling “What will we do if have to lose this experience and are asked to go to parama padham?” Did not thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr, who knew none other than periya perumAL, mercifully say in thirumAlai 2 “ichchuvai thavira yAn pOy indhira lOgam ALum ahchuvai peRinum vENdEn arangamA nagaruLAnE” (Oh, emperumAn, who is permanently residing in SrIrangam! Even if I were given the opportunity to rule over SrIvaikuNtam, leaving the experience which I get here, I would not do that)?
When [parASara] bhattar was suffering due to discomfort in his back, periya perumAL, after honouring him with temple respects, asked him “Did you fear?” bhattar responded saying “Oh emperumAn! There is no eminence which you have not mercifully done for me. Even when I am here, you have assured me that you will grant me parama padham. There is no shortcoming for me in that. If I have to lose the fortune of seeing your cool, divine face and the scar of your divine thirumaN kAppu (divine mark on the forehead), will I not fear?”
Among the sons of ALavandhAr was sottai nambi. Since he used harsh words against thirukkOshtiyUr nambi, one of ALavandhAr’s main disciples, ALavandhAr told him “Do not come near me. Go far away”. He went to the capital of the chOzha king and was engaged in regal work, in laukikam [leading life in samsAram, carrying out deeds typical of samsAris]. In his final days, some people, desiring to check “Does he have firm belief in SrI vaishNavam, though he has gone into laukikam?” asked him “What are you thinking of?” He said “Since I have connection with ALavandhAr’s divine feet, I will certainly get paramapadham. When I go there, if the divine face of SrIvaikuNtanAthan [the lord of SrIvaikuNtam] is not as cool as the divine face of namperumAL (uthsavar at SrIrangam temple), I will break the wall of universe and return to SrIrangam itself”. He also said “The only deficiency in that is that I will be going against the saying of vEdham” referring to chAndhOgya upanishath 1-15-1 “sa ghalvEvam varthayan yAvadhAyusham brahmalOkamabhi sampadhyathE l na cha punarAvarthathE! na cha punarAvarthathE! ll” (that mumukshu [one who is desirous of attaining mOksham], lives like this until his lifetime is completed; once his lifetime is over, he attains the abode of brahmam. He does not return here ever).
naLir arangam – cool arangam. To get rid of the distress of AdhyAthmikam, Adhibhaudhikam and Adhidhaivikam, one need not go to paramapadham. This thiruvarangam alone is sufficient for that .
nAgaNaiyAn – when enjoying the supreme entity who is attained, instead of enjoying him in the sitting posture, like paramapadhanAthan’s, just as it has been said in thirumAlai 23 “kidandhadhOr kidakkai” (after seeing and enjoying the unparalleled lying posture), one can enjoy the reclining posture which is more beautiful than the sitting posture. Such a lying posture.
illAdhOm kaipporuLum – the material which is with us, who do not have anything with us. Since we and our materials are his, there is nothing that we have. Hence, whatever he takes, will be his possession only. When such is the case, why does he engage in an activity as if he is usurping our materials? When we have nothing with us, could we say kaipporuL (material in our hand)? ANdAL says that since emperumAn desires me and my possessions thinking that they are his, in his [emperumAn’s] thinking it is “kaipporuL”. Alternatively, for the term illAdhOm, the meaning could be construed as “Not having any refuge other than himself”. The term illAdhOm kaipporuL would refer to the physical form, which is tacking along with us. That is all, which remains.
eydhuvAn oththuLanE – Thinking that the physical body is the ultimate benefit, there are people who strive hard to affirm it. emperumAn thinks that my [ANdAL’s] physical form is his ultimate benefit and strives to attain that, thinking that he has got something which he does not have.
Next, we will consider the 6th pAsuram of this decad.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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