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periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Fourth Centum >> Fourth decad
avathArikai
thiruvAimozhip piLLai, in his svApadhESam, says that AzhwAr says in this pAsuram that the deprivation of not experiencing emperumAn would get removed by having dharSan [seeing] of SrI vaikuNtanAthan.
kombinAr pozhilvAyk kuyil inam gOvindhan guNam pAdu sIr
sembonAr madhiL sUzh sezhum kazhani udaith thirukkOttiyUr
nambanai narasinganai navinRu EththuvArgaLaik kaNdakkAl
empirAn thana chinnangaL ivar ivar enRu AsaigaL thIrvanE
Word-by-Word Meanings
kombu – with branches [of trees]
Ar – densely packed
pozhil vAy – in gardens
kuyil inam – birds of cuckoo species
gOvindhan – gOvindhan’s
guNam – auspicious qualities
pAdu – singing
sIr – distinguished
sem pon – with pure gold
Ar – made
madhiL – fortified walls
sUzh – surrounded by
sezhu – fertile
kazhani udaith thirukkOttiyUr – in thirukkOttiyUr, which has fields
nambanai – one, who is apt to be believed
narasinganai – one, who incarnated as narasimha [half-lion, half-human]
navinRu EththuvArgaLai – those who praise, as an outlet for their affection
kaNdakkAl – when seen
ivar ivar – these people are
empirAn thana – emperumAn’s
chinnangaL enRu – considering them as identifications
AsaigaL thIrvanE – I will fulfil my desires
Simple Translation
Inside the gardens, which have densely grown branches, cuckoo birds are singing the auspicious qualities of gOvindhan. thirukkOttiyUr has fertile fields, which are protected with fortified walls made with pure gold. emperumAn incarnated as narasimha, who is the most dependable. I will consider those, who recite the divine names of such narasimha, in thirukkOttiyUr, as an outlet for their affection, as various identifications for emperumAn and fulfil my desires.
vyAkhyAnam
kombinAr … – cuckoo birds, which reside inside gardens, which are with dense branches of trees. periya thirumozhi 3.6.8 says “kuyil Alum vaLar pozhil sUzh” (surrounded by tall gardens where cuckoos are singing)
gOvindhan guNam pAdu – cuckoos, recalling emperumAn’s saulabhyam [easy approachability] will be amazed that he had taken birth in the clan of herd-people and carried out activities, which are carried out by ordinary people. As an outlet of that amazement and affection, they will keep singing. Due to some people training them, parrots, sitting inside cages, will call out the name of gOvindhA. Unlike those parrots, these cuckoos will sing on their own. These birds are in such a position that if they recite the names other than nArAyaNa, they will be driven out, as mentioned in nAchchiyAr thirumozhi 5.10 “nArAyaNan varak kUvAyEl inguththai ninRum thurappan” (If you do not call out to SrIman nArAyaNan such that he comes here today, I will drive you away from this garden). There are some birds, which will sing only if they are paid hush-money, as mentioned in nAchchiyAr thirumozhi 5.5 “innadisilodu pAl amudhu Utti eduththa en kOlak kiLaiyai, unnodu thOzhamai koLLuvan kuyilE” ((If you call out such that emperumAn comes here) I will make my beautiful parrot, which I had nurtured with sweet rice and milk rice, to be friendly with you). These cuckoos are not like that.
sIrchchembonAr madhiL sUzh sezhum kazhani udaith thirukkOttiyUr – thirukkOttiyUr, which is surrounded by praiseworthy fields, which are protected with fortified walls, having pure gold covering on them. It is such a divine abode, with overflowing enjoyments, that one need not go in to enjoy, since it has gardens which are decorated with densely packed branches of trees, it also has cuckoo birds singing, has divine fortified walls which have been covered with pure gold and has praiseworthy fields.
nambanai – one, who is the most dependable.
narasinganai – The basis for such dependability is his divine activity, while incarnating as narasimha. It is pertinent to recall thiruvAimozhi 8.1.3 “aduththadhu Or uruvAy inRu nI vArAy enganE thERuvAr umarE” (you are not arriving today, with a matching form. How will your followers have faith in you?) Helping SrI prahlAdhan [son of hiraNyakashyap, and a great devotee of emperumAn] was to create faith in samsAris. The help that he rendered to AzhwArs is the faith which he created in SrIvaishNavas. It was to create faith in SrI prahlAdhAzhwAn that he incarnated [as narasimha], as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 2.8.9 “angu appozhudhE avan vIyath thOnRiya en singappirAn” (emperumAn, the benefactor, presented his form as half-human, half-lion, at that time and in that instant itself, to destroy hiraNyakashyap). Here, mAmunigaL gives a narrative regarding embAr [one of the disciples of rAmAnujar, rAmAnujar’s cousin, and who succeeded rAmAnujar to the seat of AchArya in SrIrangam]. embAr would mercifully say that “Three adversities came emperumAn’s way and were negated”. In other words, if emperumAn hadn’t helped dhraupadhi, SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn and SrI prahlAdhAzhwAn, samsAris would have signed declaration that there is none called as ISvaran as an entity. Even AzhwAr, as seen above in thiruvAimozhi 8.1.9 “enganE thERuvar umarE”, was fearful that SrIvaishNavas would lose their faith in emperumAn, even while expressing about his loss. In thiruvAimozhi 9.4.3 “pizhaikkinRadhu aruL enRu pEdhuRuvan” (I am worried that your boundless mercy is missing me), AzhwAr, while not suffering due to his loss, was suffering for emperumAn’s mercy.
navinREththuvArgaLaik kaNdakkAl – One could realise the benefit of having been provided with eyesight, if they could see those [who praise emperumAn] as an outlet for their affection. perumAL thirumozhi 2.1 “Ittam kaNdidak kUdumEl adhu kANum kaN payanAvadhu” (Is it not the benefit of having been provided with eyes if we are able to see the assemblies of emperumAn’s followers, who are praising emperumAn?)
embirAn thana chinnangaL ivar ivar enRu – the term chinnam refers to emperumAn’s identifications. When one sees the followers of emperumAn, who praise him, it would be clear that he is one, who is worshipped by sAthvikas [those, who are with noble qualities]. rudhran was not considered as ISvaran since his followers are without modesty [discipline] and would not listen to his instructions. When nammAzhwAr calls out to emperumAn, as in thiruvAimozhi 6.9.1 “kUrAr Azhi veNsangu Endhi …. vArAy” (You should come … holding the divine disc, which is sharp [to eliminate enemies] and SrI pAnchajanyam [divine conch] which is having pure white complexion [which is enjoyable for the devotees]) if emperumAn does not come, AzhwAr would have said “You may go”. It is pertinent to recall here thiruvAimozhi 2.5.1 “en AvisEr ammAnukku andhAma vAL mudi sangu Azhi nUl Aram uLa” (to the natural lord, who is well-placed in my heart, the beautiful garland, radiant crown, divine conch, divine disc, sacred thread and garland appear).
AsaigaL thIrvanE – the term AsaigaL [in plural count] refers to desire to see, desire to attain and desire to be together. When his divine abodes are enjoyed, the desire to see him would get fulfilled. The deprivation would cease when assemblies of SrIvaishNavas are seen, as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 2.3.10 “adiyArgaL kuzhAngaLai udan kUduvadhu enRU kolO” (When will I become a part of the assemblies of nithyasUris?) Desires would get fulfilled, when seeing, as mentioned in thiruviruththam 97 “kaNNArak kaNdu kazhivadhOr kAdhal” (For those, who desire to see emperumAn, to the satisfaction of their eyes, would hurdles such as closing the eyes occur?) But desires would not get fulfilled when emperumAn is seen. Desires would get fulfilled when his followers are seen. It was only after getting total satisfaction as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 2.3.9 “kadivAr thaNNam thuzhAyk kaNNan …. adiyEn vAy maduththup parugik kaLiththEnE” (krishNa is wearing thuLasi garland with overflowing fragrance… this servitor consumed with my mouth, like a thirsty person taking in water, and enjoyed emperumAn to my complete satisfaction) that AzhwAr prayed, as in thiruvAimozhi 2.3.10 “adiyAr kuzhAngaLai kUduvadhu enRu kolO” (when will I become a part of the assembly of nithyasUris?) Just as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 3.6.10 “thEr kadAviya perumAn kanai kazhal kANbadhu enRU kolO” (when will I get to see the divine feet of emperumAn, decorated with anklets, who rode the chariot?), it was after fulfilling his desire of seeing emperumAn that he mentioned in the next decad thiruvAimozhi 3.7.1 “payilum sudar oLi mUrthi” that his desire of seeing his followers got fulfilled. Just as it is mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 9.8.3 “thirunAvAy avaiyuL pugalAvadhOr nAL” (I do not know as to when I will enter the assembly [of eminent followers) of the defectless nArAyaNa in thirunAvAy), the desire is only to be in that assembly. nAnmugan thiruvandhAdhi 41 says “ONavizhavil oli adhirap pENi varu vEngadavA en uLLam pugundhAy” (Oh emperumAn, who is residing at thiruvEngadam! You entered my heart, along with the reverberating sounds from your followers, praising you) – when emperumAn comes, the followers too, carrying out mangaLASAsanam, will enter with him.
We shall next consider the 10th pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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