SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: Sri varavaramunayE nama:
periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Second Centum >> Sixth decad
avathArikai (Introduction)
There is no specific avathArikai for this pAsuram.
pon thigazh chiththirakkUdap poruppinil
uRRa vadivil oru kaNNum koNda ak
kaRRaik kuzhalan kadiyan viraindhu unnai
maRRaikkaN koLLAmE kOl koNdu vA maNivaNNa nambikku Or kOl koNdu vA
Word-by-Word Meanings
pon – having the radiance due to the presence of orchards, streams etc
thigazh – being resplendent
chiththirakkUdam – known as “chithrakUtam”
poruppinil – on the mountain slopes
vadivil – in the divine form of pirAtti [sIthAp pirAtti]
uRRa – due to perverse knowledge, out of two eyes with which [you had] looked at
oru kaN – one eye
koNda – one who plucked
a – one who had such a nature
kaRRai – being dense
kuzhalan – having locks
kadiyan – this person, who has the cruelty of punishing, appropriate to the crime
unnai – you
maRRai kaN – the eye which remains
koLLAmE – without plucking
viraindhu – bring a stick, immediately
maNi vaNNan – one who has the form of a bluish gemstone
nambikku – bring a stick to one who is complete in all aspects
Simple Translation
On the slopes of the mountain in chithrakUtam, which is resplendent with orchards and ponds, due to a perverse knowledge, you [addressing the crow] had looked at the divine form of pirAtti. As a result, one of your eyes was plucked by one, who has dense locks and who has the cruel nature of punishing a person, appropriate to the fault committed. Bring a stick, immediately, so that your remaining eye too is not plucked. Bring a stick to the one who has the form of a bluish gemstone and who is complete in all aspects.
vyAkhyAnam (Commentary)
pon thigazh … – chithrakUtam was resplendent with orchards, ponds, rocks and streams, just as it has been mentioned in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 98-12 “subhagaSchithrakUtO’yam girirAja upamOgiri: l yasmin vasathi kAkuthstha: kubEra iva nandhanE ll” (This enchanting mountain of chithrakUtam resembles the king of mountains; SrI rAma is residing here, just as kubEra is living in the garden called as nandhana). SrI rAma was happier here than he would have been in SrI ayOdhyA. It was then that the crow came and committed an offence. After having their divine bath, SrI rAma and sIthAp pirAtti would take turns in sleeping on each other’s lap, just as it has been mentioned in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 38-21 “paryAyENa prasuptha:” (sleeping alternatively). After sIthAp pirAtti had taken her nap on SrI rAma’s lap, SrI rAma was napping on sIthAp pirAtti’s lap. jayantha, son of indhra, due to his nature of a monster, hid his form of celestial entity, and took the form of a crow. Without knowing that she is janani (mother of the entire universe), looking at the divine form of pirAtti, due to his perverse knowledge, he hurt her form. SrI rAma, with fury, shot off a grass as brahmAsthra (a divine and powerful weapon). That weapon followed the crow, wherever the crow went, seeking protection. With none offering it protection, just as it has been mentioned in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 38-34 “thamEva SaraNam gatha:” (He surrendered to that SrI rAma himself), it surrendered to the divine feet of SrI rAma, to protect its life. As a result, it had to lose one eye since brahmAsthra cannot remain without realising its purpose. This verse tells this narrative, briefly.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai, in his svApadhESam, says the following: Just as it has been mentioned in SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 1-32 “chithrakUtam gathE rAmE” (SrI rAma went to chithrakUtam), SrI rAma went with nAychchiyAr [sIthAp pirAtti] to the slopes of chithrakUtam mountain which was resplendent. jayanthan [son of indhra] had excess of rajO guNam [quality of passion and aggression]. Instead of carrying out ordained rituals and attaining the benefit of ahankAram [egoistic nature], due to the emergence of thAmasarAjO guNam [combination of passion along with ignorance, laziness etc], he wanted to engage in worldly pursuits. Without looking at the relationship of janya janaka [one who has given birth to and one who has been sired, mother and son], he indulged in wrongful deeds arising out of his form of crow, which he considered to be superior to his celestial form. SrI rAma, looking at that, shot an asthra [weapon] at him, in a delayed manner. It allowed him to go ahead, following him. Just as it has been mentioned in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 38-33 “thrIn lOkAn samparikramya” (going over all the paths in the three worlds), the crow went to all the places in the three worlds; not finding a place where he could take refuge, the crow, desiring his life, fell at the divine feet of SrI rAma, saying, as in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 38-34 “thamEva SaraNam gatha:” (surrendered to that SrI rAma himself). SrI rAma too, thinking that it is enough if he surrendered, let go of him, after removing one of the two eyes with which he had looked at pirAtti. He [such emperumAn] is one who has dense, divine locks and is also one who punishes for offences committed.
The asthram was such that it will not go waste. The asthram is known as dhEvEndhra thanayAkshihA [one which destroyed the eye of the son of indhra]. emperumAn is of the type as mentioned in thirumalai 15 “poyyarkkE poyyanAgum” (he is deceptive towards one who is deceptive) and thiruvAimozhi 4.8.6 “kodum kOLAl nilam koNda” (one who took the land in a deceptive manner). When both eyes had performed offence by looking at pirAtti in an offensive way, why was only one eye removed, when both should have been removed? It was to make the crow look at the one with dense locks, just as it has been mentioned in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 1.2.20 “kuzhalgaL irundhavA kANIrE” (look at the manner of his divine locks). For one who has surrendered, the punishment is light, just as it has been mentioned in “lagurdhaNda: prapannasya” [for one who has surrendered, the punishment is light]. AzhwAr further tells the crow “You know the suffering of rAvaNa et al at his hands. Before he takes your other eye, bring the stick quickly. When looking at the dense locks of emperumAn, since one eye will not be enough, he would grant the other eye too. Without losing that eye too, do not go against his orders. Bring the stick, which is his order, and give it to his divine hand. His [emperumAn’s] surrender [attaining his followers due to his affection] will not be half-hearted. This is the reason for which he called you to comb his locks [as in the previous decad]. There is very little difference between that crow and this”.
uRRa vadivil oru kaNNum koNda – due to his perverse knowledge, the crow [jayanthan, the son of indhra] went and looked at the divine form of sIthAp pirAtti with his two eyes. SrI rAma plucked out one of the two eyes.
akkaRRaik kuzhalan kadiyan – being of that nature, emperumAn has dense, divine locks. He also has the cruel nature of punishing, appropriate to the offence committed.
viraindhu … – to ensure that you do not lose out your other eye too, due to his fury of not having got a stick, get a stick for him as soon as you could.
maNivaNNa nambikku – one who has the form of a bluish gemstone; bring a stick for one who is complete on account of his svAthanthryam (total independence).
We shall next consider the 8th pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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