SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> Eighth centum >> First decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
No specific introduction.
pAsuram
seruvarai mun AsaRuththa silai anRO?
kaiththalaththadhu enginRALAl
poruvarai mun pOr tholaiththa
ponnAzhi maRRoru kai enginRALAl
oruvaraiyum ninnoppAr
oppilA ennappA! enginRALAl
karuvarai pOl ninRAnaik
kaNNapuraththu ammAnaik kaNdAL kolO?
Word-by-Word meanings
seruvarai – enemies who are set to fight
mun – in the past
AsaRuththa – destroyed
silai anRO – isn’t it this bow?
kaiththalaththadhu – present in the divine hand
enginRALAl – she is saying;
poru – fighting
varai – mountains
munbu – in the past
Or – at a time
thulaiththa – destroyed
pon – beautiful
Azhi – thiruvAzhi (divine chakra)
maRRu oru kai – present in the other hand
enginRALAl – she is saying;
oruvaraiyum – any one
nin – for you
oppAr – not a match (Hence)
oppilA – matchless
en appA – Oh my lord!
enginRALAl – she is saying;
karu – blackish
varaipOl – like a black mountain
ninRAnai – standing (to be easily visible to our eyes)
enginRALAl – she is saying;
kaNNa puraththu – mercifully present in thirukkaNNapuram
ammAnai – the lord, SaurirAjan
kaNdAL kolO – did she see to the satisfaction of her eyes and worship him?
Simple translation
My daughter, parakAla nAyaki is saying “Isn’t it this bow which is present in his divine hand which destroyed enemies who were set to fight, in the past? In his other divine hand, the divine chakra which destroyed the fighting mountains in the past at a particular time, is present. Since there is none who matches you, you are matchless, oh, my lord! Did she see to the satisfaction of her eyes and worship the lord, SaurirAjan who is mercifully present in thirukkaNNapuram?
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
seruvarai mun AsaRuththa silai anRO kaiththalaththadhu enginRALAl – Should you not give me, who has seen you once, the eternal experience? parakAla nAyaki is saying “Is the reason for not doing so, due to not having the weapon in your hand to eliminate the obstacles? [No – you have it] Aren’t you having SrI SArngam which was used to destroy rAvaNa et al, who were obstacles for your union with pirAtti? Will it not be a tool to accept me? Is that the obstacle for my goal? It is remaining without helping me in this manner”. seruvar – those who fight. SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 51.55 “thrAthum na SakthA yudhi rAma vadhyam” (If SrI rAma decides to kill someone, no one can save that person) – no one can fight him in a war and win over him – one can win over him only by atoning for the mistake and surrendering unto him. SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 36-11 “dhvidhA bhajyEyam apyEvam na namEyam . .” (Even if I am broken into two pieces, I will not bend before anyone) – those who remained fully in an inimical state. Those people.
AsaRuththa – Eliminated the wars. Those evil people who roamed around thinking “When will we have someone to fight with us?” were eliminated so that they cannot go anywhere and say “We are your enemies” – such bow was in his divine hand. Do I have to remain relaxed since he has placed it elsewhere and has to bring it over? While it is in his hand, why should I suffer in separation? Is he holding it in his hand for beauty? parakAla nAyaki asks “Should he not use it to destroy the enemies?” iLaiya perumAL (lakshmaNa) said in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 23.30 “na dhanur bhUshaNAya mE” (I am not having this bow as a decoration). lakshmaNa is asking “While it looks like it is present for decoration superficially, did you think that it will not be useful for my valour?” When the enemies were increasing and marching [towards the town/temple], piLLai thirukkaNNapuraththu araiyar pleaded in front of bhagavAn “seruvarai mun AsaRuththa silaiyanRO kaiththalaththadhu“, Saurip perumAL mercifully said that he will finish the enemies immediately.
poru varai … – parakAla nAyaki says – Should I remain relaxed thinking “If this hand is having bow, the other hand is free”? Or should I remain relaxed thinking “He will only eliminate the hurdles occurred for his beloved consorts”? Would he not eliminate my sorrows, while he eliminated the sorrows of the world? Is he not having the beautiful divine chakra in his other hand, which destroyed the mountains which would fly with wings, in the past?
It is said that in the past, all of the mountains would have wings and fly around and land in particular places causing destruction there. Just as iLaiya perumAL would eliminate perumAL’s obstacles, bhagavAn incarnated as upEndhra mUrthi, as the younger brother of indhra and used his divine chakra to sever their wings.
pon Azhi – That divine chakra, which was adding to his beauty, was used to sever the wings of the strong mountains. Alternatively, poruvarai indicates kuvalayApeedam. This could be talking about that incident where krishNa punched its cheeks with his hand decorated by ring [which is also known as thiruvAzhi]. It is said in thiruvAimozhi 8.10.6 “pugarch chem mugaththa kaLiRatta pon Azhik kai en ammAn” (my lord, is having divine hands with attractive divine ring, which was used to destroy the elephant having incomparable radiance and reddish face). Due to certain persons’ [his parents’] request, he hid the divine chakra, but usually he will never be without the divine chakra in his hand. Even in incarnations where he hid himself completely as said in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 120-11 “abravIth thridhaSaSrEshtAn rAmO dharmabhruthAm vara: l AthmAnam mAnusham manyE rAmam dhaSarathAthmajam ll” (SrI rAma, the most supreme among noble people, addressing the distinguished celestial entities said “I consider myself as rAma, a human entity, the son of dhaSaratha”), periya thiruvadi came and performed his duties [though the quote is from SrI rAmAyaNam, the incident of garudAzhwAr coming is in krishNAvathAram]. Though he tries to hide it, the divine chakra will automatically climb his hand as said in mahAbhAratham bhIshma parvam – “sudharSanam chithithamAthramASu thasyAgrahastham svayamArurOha” (As soon as he [krishNa] thought about him, sudharSana at once seated himself on the hand of krishNa).
oruvaraiyum … – Oh, one who has no match for your valour, even if there is a match for other qualities! When he holds SrI SArngam and thiruvAzhi, it will be visible that he is the superior lord. Since you have no match, oh, one who is incomparable!
en appA – Oh, one who is naturally related in all manners, so that we need not withdraw from you, thinking you are superior to all! These people would not like everyone in this world who holds onto weapons. She is saying “Oh, one who is naturally related to me!” With the divine weapons in his hand, are his favours limited? His acts reveal that he is our natural relative.
karu varai pOl ninRAnai – He came and stood here even before she called out. To bestow himself, he arrives first and waits for the opportunity.
karu varai – When he is seen, he appears [pleasant] like a black mountain.
ninRAnai – He will give himself fully – there will be shortcoming in those who come and accept him – that is how he is standing there.
kaNNapuraththu ammAnai – Being present like a black mountain is seen in SrIvaikuNtam also. Unlike there, here in thirukkaNNapuram, he is present as sarvESvaran, yet, in an easily attainable manner.
kaNdAL kolO – Not stopping with just hearing about him, it appears that she has seen him.
kaNdAL – Not only is he waiting for an opportunity to accept her, she also got to be favourable towards him. Looks like she has opened her eyes to see his physical beauty and the standing posture which reveals his generosity.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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