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periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> First Centum >> Seventh Decad
avathArikai (Introduction)
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says, in his svApadhESam, that AzhwAr compares krishNa’s tender steps to an elephant which is in rut.
thodar sangiligai salar bilAr ennath thUngu pon maNi olippap
padu mummadhap punal sOra vAraNam paiya ninRu Urvadhu pOl
udan kUdik kiNkiNi AravArippa udai maNi paRai kaRanga
thadam thALiNaik koNdu sArngapANi thaLar nadai nadavAnO
Word-by-Word Meanings
sArngapANi – one who has SrI SArngam (divine bow) in his divine hand
sangiligaith thudar – the series of chains
salAr bilAr enna – as it was making a noise “salAr bilAr”
pon thUngu – hanging from the golden cord
maNi – bell
olippa – as it makes a sound
padu – created
mum (mUnRu) – two cheeks and the reproductive organ, from these three places
madham punal – rutting fluid
sOra – to flow in abundance
vAraNam – elephant
paiya ninRu – standing slowly
Urvadhu pOl – just as it walks
kiNkiNi – anklets on the divine feet
udan kUdi – together
AravArippa – as it makes a noise
Udai maNi – bell adorned on the divine waist
paRai – like a drum
kaRanga – as it makes a noise
thada – stout
thAL iNai koNdu – with the two divine feet, which match each other
thaLar nadai nadavAnO – will he not take tender steps?
thaLar nadai indicates an unsteady way of walking [called as baby-steps], with the divine feet, unlike firm steps taken, due to the age of the child.
Simple Translation
An elephant, which has snapped from its chains, walks unsteadily, since it is in rut, with the chains making a noise as it walks, with the bell tied to a golden cord on its back making a noise, with the rutting fluid flowing copiously from its two cheeks and its reproductive organ. Similar to this, will one, whose anklets on the divine feet are making a noise, the bell from whose divine waist is making a noise like that of a drum, not take tender steps with his divine, stout legs?
vyAkhyAnam (Commentary)
thudar … – An elephant, since it is rutting, has snapped from its chains, with which it had been tied. As it walks, dragging the chain with it, the chain makes a noise salAr bilAr. thudar – shackles; for an elephant, the shackles are normally chain. The term salAr bilAr merely indicates the sound made by the chain and does not have any meaning.
thUngu … – the bell, hanging from a gold cord, from the elephant’s back, making a sound. The term pon in ponmaNi indicates golden cord.
padu … – the rutting fluid, created from three places, flowing down like a stream. The three places are: two cheeks on the face and the reproductive organ.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that the three regions from where the rutting fluid secretes are: the two ears and head.
vAraNam … – due to the burden of the rutting fluid, the elephant was walking, without being under its control, slowly. In a similar vein…
udan … – just as it has been mentioned in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 1.3.4 “sEvadik kiNkiNi” (anklets on the divine feet), the anklets adorning the divine feet were making a sound together. Alternatively, the waist cord with chain adorned on the divine waist, slipped from the waist, got caught in the feet and, being dragged [when krishNa walked unsteadily], the bells in that cord made a noise.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that in the case of krishNa too, fluid from his mouth, from his eyes and other limbs were flowing, just like the elephant.
udai … – the bell tied to the cord on the divine waist was making a noise like a drum.
thadam thAL … – with the divine feet, which had grown stout, matching his age and which were matching each other.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that since krishNa’s divine feet were such that they could bear his walking strides, they were stout. AzhwAr prays that he wishes to see krishNa walk with the two divine feet, which did not have any equivalent other than themselves, both with and without his control.
sArngapANi – one who has the divine bow, SrI SArngam. Reference to SArngam is symbolic of all the divine weapons, indicative of his being the supreme entity. Even as he incarnated, he had all the divine weapons on his divine form.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that since AzhwAr knows the avathAra rahasyam (secret behind krishNa’s incarnation – that he is SrIman nArAyaNa), he prays that just like SArngam, krishNa should also be capable of eliminating his enemies.
thaLar nadai nadavAnO – thaLar nadai indicates walking in a tottering manner with the divine feet, unlike the age when one walks with firm steps.
We shall next consider the 2nd pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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