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periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Third Centum >> Sixth decad
avathArikai
There is no specific avathArikai for this pAsuram.
puviyuL nAn kaNdadhOr aRpudham kELeer pUNi mEykkum iLam kOvalar kUttaththu
avaiyuL nAgaththu aNaiyAn kuzhal Udha amara lOgaththaLavum senRu isaippa
avi uNA maRandhu vAnavar ellAm Ayar pAdi niRaiyap pugundhu INdi
sevi uNA insuvai koNdu magizhndhu gOvindhanaith thodarndhu enRum vidArE
Word-by-Word Meanings
puviyuL – on the earth
nAn kaNdadhu Or – that which I had seen as a unique
aRpudham – amazing event
kELeer – listen
pUNi mEykkum – those, who graze calves
iLa kOvalar – where herd-folk are present in large numbers
kUttaththu avaiyuL – in the assembly
nAgam aNaiyAn – sarvESvaran [lord of all], who is reclining on thiruvananthAzhwAn [AdhiSEshan]
kuzhal Udha – as he played on the divine flute
(the music from that)
amara lOgaththaLavum – till the celestial world
senRu – pervading
isaippa – as it made sound
vAnavar ellAm – all those in the species of celestial entities
avi – havis (offering in rituals) given by brAhmaNas
uNA maRandhu – forgetting to partake
Ayar pAdi – thiruvAyppAdi
niRaiya – to become full
pugundhu – came
INdi – coming in proximity
sevi uL nA – inner tongue of the ear
in suvai – sweet taste of music from [krishNa’s] flute
koNdu – imbibing
magizhndhu – feeling happy in their minds
gOvindhanai – kaNNan, who grazes cows
thodarndhu – following [him]
enRum – even for a moment
vidAr – they remained, without separating from him
Simple Translation
Listen to the amazing event which I saw on earth. In the assembly of cowherds, who graze calves, the lord of all, who reclines on AdhiSEshan, played on the flute. The music from that flute pervaded till the world of celestial entities. The celestial entities, forgetting to partake of the havis [proffering] made by brAhmaNas, came to thiruvAyppAdi such that it became full. They came in large numbers and imbibed the sweet taste of music, through the inner tongue of their ears. They kept following gOvindhan, who grazes cattle, never leaving him even for a moment.
vyAkhyAnam (Commentary)
puviyuL nAn kandadhu Or aRpudham kELeer – just as champaka flower blossoms in a fire place [an impossible event, taken here as a metaphor], earth is not the place appropriate for such an event [playing on flute] taking place. Listen to this amazing event which I saw myself, instead of listening to it from another person, knowing that “This is impossible”
thiruvAimozhip piLLai, in his svApadhESam, says that just as champaka flower blossoms in a fire place, in this world which does not know the “iyal, isai, paN” [natural flow, tune and songs respectively, of a language], periyAzhwAr says that he knows these, along with the ultimate entity in whom these are present [emperumAn]. These are not to be seen in any other repository. If they are seen in any other repository, their eminence will not be as bright as it is in krishNa. kaNdadhu – these are not hearsay; I have seen them, fitting aptly in krishNa.
pUNi mEykkum iLam kOvalar kUttaththu avaiyuL – in the huge assembly of young herd-people, who play on their flutes and graze calves and cows.
nAgaththaNaiyAn kuzhal Udha – being the one who reclines on AdhiSEshan, krishNa is the supreme entity. He played on the flute, as one belonging to the clan of herd-people.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that emperumAn, who reclines on thiruvananthAzhwAn [AdhiSEshan], who carries out servitude to him all the time, played on the flute.
amara lOgaththaLavum senRU isaippa – that music pervaded all the way to the celestial world.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that the music reached up to nithya vibhUthi (SrI vaikuNtam).
avi uNA maRandhu vAnavar ellAm – celestial entities forgot to partake of the havis, which is aligned to their dignity, offered by brAhmaNas, in rituals. While amrutham [nectar] is the sustenance for the celestial entities, instead of saying “they forgot that”, the reason for the pAsuram to say that they forgot to partake of havis is that this is an element of their dignity and that they desire to consume this.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that celestial entities, who are in this leelA vibhUthi [samsAram, materialistic realm, which comprises countless oval-shaped universes where each of them has 14 worlds in it] forgot to take the havis offered in yAgams. Instead of saying amrutham [nectar], which is nurturing material etc for them, the reason for referring to havis is due to the fact that it is only havis which honours their vanity as celestial entities. havis has to be consumed at the time when it is offered. If it is not taken then, nothing could be done at a later point of time.
AyarpAdi niRaiya pugundhu INdi – more than that, the celestial entities, who are those who detest to put their foot down on earth, being unable to tolerate the smell of humans, came in huge numbers to thiruvAyppAdi, since “This is the place where he incarnated and grew up”.
seviyuL nAvin suvai koNdu magizhndhu – through the tongue inside the ear, they imbibed the sweet taste of the music emanating from the flute, and enjoyed it. Does the ear have a tongue? It is possible, just as it has been said in “seviyuNA nItta” (thrusting out the tongue inside the ear); it says so because just as we have tongue, ear too, due to parity with jIvAthmAs, could be considered to have tongue; it says so because the ears imbibe the music which is food for the ears; it is also said in line with thirukkuRaL couplet “sevikkuNavu illAdhapOdhu” (during the time when there is no food for the ears).
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that through their ears and hearts, they enjoyed the taste which the tongue would enjoy and became joyful. Alternatively, they enjoyed through their ears, without bringing in their hearts. For some people, one sensory organ would enjoy the function of another sensory organ. For some people, through the knowledge which they have gathered through their already committed virtuous deeds, they would be able to enjoy it. Or, this music itself, without expecting whether we desired it or not, will come on its own and create the taste of tongue in the ears.
gOvindhanaith thodarndhu enRum vidArE – they will keep following krishNa, who is engaged with protecting the cows and calves, wherever he goes, without leaving him even for a moment. This pAsuram says “puviyuL nAn kaNdadhu Or aRpudham kELeer” because (1) krishNa, who is the lord of all, came amidst herd-people, standing with them as one among them, playing on the flute; (2) that music went all the way up to the world of celestials; (3) celestial entities, who heard that music, forgot their food of havis; (4) more than that, the celestial entities, who do not tolerate the scent of humans, came in large numbers to thiruvAyppAdi; (5) after enjoying the taste of the music from the flute, they became joyful and followed krishNa without leaving him for a moment. While all these are aghatithas [those, which are impossible to be bound together], since these have not been seen in this world before, AzhwAr has mercifully said “puviyuL nAn kaNdadhu Or aRpudham kELeer”.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that when cows and calves, which do not know the distinction of krishNa, follow him wherever he goes, will not the nithyasUris and celestial entities, who know about him, follow him without any hurdle, engaging with his auspicious qualities such as saulabhyam [easy to approach], sauSeelyam [looking at everyone with equanimity, without any distinction between the eminent and the lowly] etc, enjoying all his activities, since these are the elements for their happiness?
We shall next consider the 8th pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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