SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: Sri varavaramunayE nama:
periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Fourth Centum >> Ninth decad
avathArikai
AzhwAr says that SrIrangam is the divine abode where emperumAn, who annihilates his enemies, who takes his followers to paramapadham from where none returns, and who accepts servitude from them, dwells.
karuLudaiya pozhil marudhum kadhakkaLiRum pilambanaiyum kadiyamAvum
uruLudaiya sagadaraiyum mallaraiyum udaiya vittu Osai kEttAn
iruLagaRRum eRi kadhirOn maNdalaththUdu ERRi vaiththu ENi vAngi
aruL koduththittu adiyavarai AtkoLvAn amarum Ur aNi arangamE
Word-by-word meanings
karuL udaiya – having a fury in the mind “He should be harmed”
pozhil – (such that those who see, become enchanted) appearing like a garden, on the outside
marudhum – the twin marudha [arjuna] trees
kadham – opposing with a high level of anger
kaLiRum – kuvalayApeedam [elephant]
pilambanaiyum – the monster, pralambAsuran
kadiya – terribly cruel
mAvum – the monster, kEsi
uruL udaiya – one, who came rolling down
sagadaraiyum – the monster Sakata
mallaraiyum – the wrestlers chANUra and mushtika
udaiya vittu – blowing them to smithereens
Osai kEttAn – one who famously heard the manner in which he had killed them, through the
praises of knowledgeable people
adiyavarai – servitors
iruL – darkness
agaRRum – those which remove
eRi – striking
kadhirOn – Adhithyan [sun] who has rays
maNdalaththUdu – taking through the orbit
ERRi vaiththu – making them to be with nithyasUris
ENi vAngi – removing his stature of being the upAyam [the ‘means’ to attain him]
aruL koduththittu – (to facilitate not returning and to carry out servitude) showering them with
his grace
AtkoLvAn – one who accepts servitude
amarum – residing, firmly
Ur – SrIrangam is the divine abode
Simple Translation
emperumAn [as krishNa] blew to smithereens (1) the twin arjuna trees, who were furious in their mind that they should kill him but who put up an external appearance of a fertile garden, which was enchanting to the beholders, (2) the elephant kuvalayApeedam, which came opposing with humongous anger, (3) the monster pralambAsuran, (4) the most cruel monster, kEsi, (5) the monster Sakatan, who came rolling, (6) the wrestlers chANUra and mushtika. He famously heard from knowledgeable entities about the manner in which he annihilated these entities. He took his followers to paramapadham through the orbit of sun, whose striking rays remove darkness, and kept them together with nithyasUris. He shed his stature of being the means, once the followers were taken to paramapadham, and showered them with his mercy such that they could not return from that place and could carry out servitude to him. SrIrangam is the divine abode where such emperumAn, who accepts servitude, resides firmly.
vyAkhyAnam
karuLudaiya pozhil marudhum – the term ‘karuL’ refers to darkness, and through that, to fury. It is known that the colours black and red stand for anger. In their minds, [monsters who had pervaded] the arjuna trees thought “We should harm him” while outwardly, the trees were flourishing and enchanting.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says, in his svApadhESam, that while adjectives have been used for the arjuna trees and the elephant, no such word has been used for the monster, pralambAsuran, since he is that cruel.
kadhak kaLiRum – elephant kuvalayApeedam, which, having been fed with materials which made it exult, came opposing krishNa, with anger.
pilambanaiyum – the monster pralambAsuran, who came amidst krishNa and balarAma, as they were playing, with the intention of engaging with them in their play and hurting them.
kadiya mAvum – the monster kEsi, who stood on the way to SrI brindhAvan [in the form of a horse], with his mouth wide open in a cruel manner, in order to oppress krishNa, as mentioned in SrI vishNu purANam 5.16.14 “vyAthidhAsyO mahAraudhra:” (opening the mouth wide, to cause harm).
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that the horse [monster kEsi] came to kill krishNa, who is the life of all the worlds.
uruLudaiya sagadaraiyum – even as krishNa was sleeping, the monster, Sakata, pervaded a wheel nearby and came rolling to kill krishNa
mallaraiyum – the wrestlers chANUra and mushtika, who came opposing krishNa, being unable to tolerate krishNa’s pride/strength when he came into the arena, after snapping the tusk of the elephant kuvalayApeedam and killing it.
udaiyavittu – blowing them to smithereens. Even though there were variations in the manner in which each of these inimical entities was killed, since they were annihilated, all the same, AzhwAr mercifully says, with a single word udaiyavittu. This reflects the ease with which one would break a raw pot [which had not been heat treated to its final use].
Osai kEttAn – emperumAn heard with eminence, the manner in which he had killed these enemies, through the words of knowledgeable people, praising him.
Now, the pAsuram describes the manner in which emperumAn grants mOksham [SrI vaikuNtam]. This needs removal of enemies as the first part. Enemies are huge in number, such as avidhyA [ignorance], karma [deeds carried out, resulting in virtue or sin], vAsanA [imprints in the mind, owing to repeated births in samsAram], ruchi [taste developed after carrying out a deed for the first time, due to desire in repeating it], prakruthi sambandham [connection with samsAram, the materialistic realm]. emperumAn removes all these, in one stroke, just as he had said in bhagavath gIthA 18.66 “sarva pApEbhyO mOkshayishyAmi”[I release you from all your sins]. Thus, the killing of enemies, mentioned in the first part of the pAsuram is an indication of this.
iruL agaRRum eRi kadhirOn maNdalaththUdu ERRi – taking [the jIvAthmA, who has now been released from samsAram] through the orbit of Adhithyan [sun] who spreads his radiant rays to remove darkness. Mentioning the orbit of sun is representative of the path of archis [to reach SrI vaikuNtam, one has to go through the path of brightness, while for reaching the other worlds, one travels through the path of darkness]. This journey, through the path of brightness, would make the experience which one gets after reaching SrI vaikuNtam, appear to be limited, as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 3.9.3 “pOmvazhiyaith tharum” (bestowing the path of kainkaryam, servitude, without a break). This is the reason that emperumAn gives the taste of this experience, before lifting the jIvAthmA to paramapadham, which is the abode to attain.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that emperumAn uplifted those who were dependent on their AchAryas [spiritual teachers], who were mumukshus [desirous of attaining mOksham], who had the urge to attain mOksham, through the path of AchArya’s instructions. This negates the action of those who attempt to reach through their own strength, as mentioned in periya thirumadal 15 “annadhOr illiyin Udu pOy” (going through the path of that subtle hole [in the sun’s orbit] which cannot be described by words). Alternatively, those who do not have desire in receiving instruction from AchAryan, but who desire to listen to AzhwAr’s instructions [these pAsurams] and who take refuge under AzhwAr’s affection, will go through the path, where the twelve Adhithyars [suns] will stand on either side, cupping their hands in salutation, as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 10.9.5 “kadhiravar avaravar kainnirai kAttinar” (the twelve Adhithyars, in their respective location, gave their rays which are their hands, as the decorative rows), thus proving that emperumAn will grant to all those, who do not have any other refuge and who do not have any means with themselves.
vaiththu – keeping the jIvAthmA such that the AthmA is together with nithyasUris [permanent dwellers of SrI vaikuNtam], in the blissful thirumAmaNi maNdapam (the divine, huge court-hall, which is embellished with gemstones), with unlimited happiness.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that emperumAn will keep the AthmA in SrI vaikuNtam such that he could surround emperumAn and praise him, carrying out mangaLASAsanam, as mentioned in thiruppallANdu 12 “sUzhndhirundhEththuvar” (surrounding emperumAn and praising him), along with the other servitors, as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 10.9.11 “adiyarOdu irundhamai” (being together with nithyasUris and mukthAthmAs). Owing to the eminence of the place [SrI vaikuNtam], which he has reached, on account of upakAra smruthi [remembering the person who has granted him such a great benefit, viz. his AchAryan], the jIvAthmA will have a desire to see his AchAryan there. Since emperumAn is the primary entity who gave this benefit to the jIvAthmA, emperumAn will show himself to the jIvAthmA initially. Subsequently, as mentioned in the guru paramparai [the lineage of AchAryas], he will show all the AchAryas until paramaguru [the AchAryan of the jIvAthmA’s Acharyan]. It is only if emperumAn shows the jIvAthmA, his AchAryan, who is the ultimate AchAryan to guide the jIvAthmA to this place that the nithyasankalpam [permanent pledge] of emperumAn that SrI vaikuNtam is an abode from where one cannot return, will hold [if the jIvAthmA does not see his AchAryan there, he may ask emperumAn to take him back to samsAram, and leave him with his AchAryan]. Hence, emperumAn will have to get the ENi [ladder] which helped the jIvAthmA to climb to that abode, to that paramapadham [AchAryan is the ENi], and show the AchAryan to the jIvAthmA to make him happy. periyAzhwAr had said in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi “piNai kodukkilum pOgavottArE” (even if nithyasUris and mukthAthmAs are made as guarantors, they will not allow the person, who has reached paramapadham, to return to earth). It is pertinent to recall here ALavandhAr’s sthOthra rathnam 3 “athra parathra chApi” (AlavandhAr desires to see his AchAryan both here [in samsAram] and there [SrI vaikuNtam]).
ENi vAngi – ENi – the means to climb up to SrI vaikuNtam. ENi vAngudhal – removing his [emperumAn’s] stature of being the means to attain him [since he has been already attained, in SrI vaikuNtam] and to grant the benefit to jIvAthmA, as the upEyam [the ultimate benefit]
aruL koduththittu – giving his mercy, to prevent the jIvAthmA to return to samsAram and to enable the jIvAthmA to carry out nithya kainkaryam [permanent servitude].
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that emperumAn’s mercy is there for going to SrI vaikuNtam and to not return to samsAram. ittu – through his joyous countenance, he sustains the jIvAthmA.
adiyavarai – these people, for whom, SEshathvam [servitude] is the identification. Those identifications, which come about on account of taking a physical form will get removed once they leave samsAram. When the AthmA takes the natural form [without a physical form in samsAram], only SEshathvam is the identification.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here emperumAn will not think of all the benefits which he has given for the jIvAthmA but will only recall “How great that he has accepted to be servitor!” thus engaging the jIvAthmA in servitude, until the entity ‘time’ remains [forever].
AtkoLvAn – one who accepts the distinguished activity, which is in line with the basic nature of AthmA [SEshathvam]. Since the pAsuram says adiyavarai AtkoLvAn, it is clear that he will give his followers, who are his servitors, the kingdom of servitude, just as a prince gets the crown placed on his head. For emperumAn too, his basic nature gets fructified only if he accepts servitude. The AthmA will get his basic nature sustained by carrying out servitude while emperumAn will get his basic nature sustained, by accepting servitude. For the SEshabhUthan, the svarUpa sidhdhi [validation of basic nature] is through carrying out kainkaryam while for SEshi [emperumAn], svarUpa sidhdhi is by becoming the receptor of kainkaryam.
amaram Ur – for one, whose nature is like that, SrIrangam is the divine abode where he takes permanent residence, in order to correct chEthanars towards that end.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that emperumAn is reclining in SrIrangam, expecting to see if he would get more jIvAthmAs who are willing to accept servitude. It is our pUrvAchAryars, who have received knowledge through instructions [from their respective AchAryar] and who conduct themselves as per those instructions, who are the ornaments for that abode.
aNiyarangamE – The word aNi would refer to ornament; hence, SrIrangam [with emperumAn residing permanently] is an ornament for samsAram. Alternatively, aNi would refer to beautiful balconies, mansions, divine fortified walls, divine turrets, divine gardens etc. Thus, this would also refer to such beautiful structures, which are enchanting to the beholder. nanjIyar had told his disciple, nampiLLai, the following incident: “piLLai thirunaRaiyUr araiyar and [parASara] bhattar were circumambulating the big temple. I was going behind them, worshipping. Other devotees, who came to the temple, were coming as if they were horses [walking that fast], while these two people were admiring the divine turrets, the divine mansions etc, as if drinking these with their eyes, I was wondering ‘While the activity between the others and these two is identical [circumambulating], what a difference is there between them’!” For those with distinguished knowledge, everything about the divine abode, which is to be attained, is a matter of eminence.
We shall next consider the 4th pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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