SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: Sri varavaramunayE nama:
periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Fourth Centum >> Ninth decad
avathArikai
AzhwAr says in this pAsuram that SrIrangam is the divine abode, where emperumAn, who manifested splendorously his eminence to SrI nAradha bhagavAn [sage nAradha] such that nAradha could praise him and worship him, resides.
AmaiyAyk kangaiyAy AzhkadalAy avaniyAy aruvaraigaLAy
nAnmuganAy nAnmaRaiyAy vELviyAyth thakkaNaiyAyth thAnum AnAn
sEmamudai nAradhanAr senRu senRu thudhiththu iRainjak kidandhAn kOyil
pUmaruvip puLLinangaL puLLaraiyan pugazh kuzhaRum punal arangamE
Word-by-word meanings
puL inangaL – flocks of birds such as swan etc
pU – in water flowers
maruvi – settling aptly
puL araiyan – periya thiruvadi [garuda] who is the king of their species, his
pugazh – fame
kuzhaRum – speaking illegibly
punal – having fertile water bodies
arangam – SrIrangam
Amai Ay – as a tortoise, inside river gangA
gangai Ay – as gangA too, which is the residing place for entities such as tortoise
Azh – unfathomable
kadal Ay – as an ocean (which is the refuge for rivers such as gangA) too
avani Ay – as earth too
aru varaigal Ay – as huge mountains too
nAnmugan Ay – as brahmA too, with four faces
nAl maRai Ay – as four vEdhams too
vELvi Ay – as yagyams too (rituals with fire)
thakkaNai Ay – as dhakshiNA (fee for the ritual) (which gives energy to the ritual)
thAnum AnAn – as himself, with distinguished divine form, giving the desired objects prayed for
by those, who had offered that dhakshiNA
sEmam udai – having the protection of brahma bhAvanai [constantly focussed on
emperumAn)
nAradhanAr – SrI nAradha bhagavAn
senRu senRu – coming many times
thudhiththu – praising
iRainja – such that he worships
kidandhAn – one, who reclined
kOyil – it is the abode where he resides
Simple Translation
SrIrangam has fertile water bodies where flocks of birds such as swans etc settle on flowers in water, singing the praise of their king, garuda, in an illegible manner. It is also the abode where emperumAn reclines such that SrI nAradha bhagavAn, who has the protection of brahma bhAvanai, could come many times, praising and worshipping him. emperumAn manifests himself as tortoise inside the river gangA, as the river gangA, as the ocean, as the earth, as huge mountains, as brahmA with four faces, as the four vEdhams, as yagyams, as the dhakshiNA for the yagyams and as himself, with his distinguished divine form, who bestows the benefits desired by those who conduct the yagyams and pay the dhakshiNA.
vyAkhyAnam
thiruvAimozhip piLLai’s svApadhESam, which we have been enjoying until the previous pAsuram, is not available from this pAsuram onwards. Instead, a shortened svApadhESam, is available, whose authorship is not known. We shall enjoy from this shortened version, wherever the contents are different from mAmunigaL’s vyAkhyAnam.
[The first part of the vyAkhyAnam gives the narration of SrI nAradha bhagavAn, praising and worshipping krishNa in dhwArakA. The SlOkams quoted in this narrative are from SrI harivamSam chapter 139. The second part deals with the meanings of the pAsuram under 4.9.5]
[Part 1]
When dhuryOdhana conducted a yAgam [ritual with fire], kings who had come there, mentioned about the fort in the capital city of SrImadh dhwArakA, the prosperity in that place, the eminence with which krishNa had mercifully taken residence there etc. Deciding that they should establish relationship with krishNa, dhuryOdhana et al and pANdavas, along with their respective retinue, reached a mountainous place called as “raivatham” and sent a message to krishNa that they wished to see him. krishNa thought “What is the reason for them to come with their retinue?” Along with balarAma [his elder brother], sAthviki AzhwAn [his relative, sAthyaki, a yAdhava king], along with his retinue and weapons, he mercifully went to the place where dhuryOdhana et al and pANdavas were staying. He enquired them of their well-being, offered them seats, based on their age, their strengths and their eminence. He sat on a divine throne, which was apt for him. At that time, SrI nAradha bhagavAn came there, worshipped krishNa and told him “AScharya kalu: dhEvAnAm Ekasthvam purushOththama – dhanyaSchAsi mahAbAhO lOkE nAnyOsthi kaSchana” (Oh, one with valorous shoulders! You are the most eminent among all entities. You are the most amazing and who has everything. There is none like you, in all the worlds). krishNa responded to the sage, saying “Evamukthas smitham kruthvA prathyuvAcha munim prabhu: AScharyaSchaiva dhanyaScha dhakshiNApisshEritha:” (Hearing the sage speaking those words, with a smile, krishNa mercifully said ‘I have been mentioned as the one, along with dhakshiNA [fees paid during conducting of yagyam], who is the most amazing and most blessed’). Feeling happy, after hearing this, nAradha said “Evam ukthO muniSrEshta: prAhamadhyE mahIkshithAm – krishNa paryAptha vAkyOsmi gamishyAmi yathAgatham” (After hearing your words amidst these kings, I have become fulfilled. I shall now return in the way in which I had come) and set out to go. After seeing nAradha bhagavAn, who was about to go, since they did not know the secret that he had mentioned, they looked at the divine face of krishNa, and said “The sage told you that you are amazing and that you are blessed. You responded saying that you are like that, along with dhakshiNA. We are not able to comprehend the great secrets. You should mercifully reveal those to us”. krishNa told them “Ask the great sage. He will reveal these”. Looking at nAradha bhagavAn, he said “You should tell them”. nAradha bhagavAn said “Please listen”. Starting with aham kadhAchith gangAyAsdhIrE thrishavaNAdhibhi: [once, when I had completed the three activities of bath etc on the banks of river gangA], he told the following narrative:
When I was carrying out the activities, a night passed. When Adhithya [sun] rose in the sky, I saw a tortoise which was the distance of a calling out [distance over which a person would hear when called out] in its breadth, and twice that, in its length, immersed in water, with moss all over its form, and looking dear to the eyes. I told him “thvam Ascharya SarIrOsi kUrma dhanyOsi mE matha: – yasthvamEva mahOdhvApyAm kapAlAbhyAm smAvrutha: thOyE charasi niSchanga: kinchith anyatha chinthayan” (You, with this double cranium as protection, are moving about in the water, without worrying about anything, without any doubt; you, who are like this, have an amazing physical form and you are blessed. This is my opinion). That tortoise, looking at me, spoke, like a person “Oh, great sage! Welcome. What is anything amazing about me? Where am I blessed? Isn’t it river gangA, which holds more than tens of thousands of entities like me, who is indeed amazing and blessed?” Hearing this, I told gangA “You are amazing, you are blessed”. River gangA took a form and told me “I am neither amazing nor blessed. Isn’t it the ocean, where many rivers, like me, enter, which is amazing and blessed?” Then, I went to the ocean and told it “In the world, you are amazing and blessed!” The ocean told me “The amazement and blessedness which you are mentioning are not present in me. Isn’t it the earth, on which I reside, which has these two qualities?” Then, I looked at earth, praised it and said “You are amazing; you are blessed”. Feeling shy upon hearing my words of praise, earth, looking at me, told me “I am neither amazing nor blessed; Don’t the anchoring mountains, which support me, have the two qualities?” Then, I approached the anchoring mountains and told them “In the world, you are amazing and blessed” to which the mountains, looking at me, said “We are neither amazing nor blessed. It is prajApathi [one who creates], brahmA, who has these qualities”. Subsequently, I went to brahmA, followed the procedures to be followed, stating his eminences and told him “In terms of being amazing and blessed, there is none matching you”. That brahmA, who is the pithAmahan [grand-father] for all the worlds, said “Why are you praising me as an amazing and blessed person like this? Don’t the vEdhams, which have the form of rig, yajur, sAma and atharvaNa, which reveal all the truthful meanings, and which sustain the worlds and me, have these two qualities?” Subsequently, I approached the vEdhams, praising their eminences and told them “Aren’t you the amazing and blessed entities!” The vEdhams, looking at me said “We have been created for the yagyams [rituals]. Hence, isn’t it with the yagyams, which are our refuge, that these qualities are present?” Then, praising the yagyams, I told them “There is nothing in the world, which is more amazing and more blessed than you” The yagyams, looking at me, told me “Ascharya SabdhO nAsmAsu dhanyaSabdhOpivAmunE – AScharyam paramam vishNus sahya samAgam parAgathi l yathAgyam vayamaSnImO hutham agnishu pAlanam – thath sarvam puNdarIkAkshO lOka mUrthi: prayachchathi ll” (The meanings for amazement and blessedness are not present in us; it is vishNu, who is the most amazing. He is our ultimate refuge. Isn’t puNdarIkAkshan [one, who has lotus-like eyes] the one, who gives us the strength which we get and enjoy by consuming ghee which is offered as a sacrifice in yagyams?) Hearing this I came to earth, worshipped krishNa, who is amidst you all and told him “Your highness is the most amazing and the most blessed”. Hearing my words, the words which he said in response “dhakshiNApissayEthyEvam” (only I remain as amazing and blessed, along with the dhakshiNA offered during yagyams), have satisfied me. If you ask me as to how it is “yagyAnAm hi gathirvishNus sarvEshAncha sadhakshiNa: – dhakshiNApissahEthyEvam praSnO mama samApthavAn” (For all the yagyams, it is sarvESvaran, who is with dhakshiNA, who is the refuge. Hence, through the words, dhakshiNApi: sahEthyEvam, my question has been responded to my satisfaction). nAradha bhagavAn further said “kUrmENApihitham pUrvam pAramparyAdhihAgatham: l sa dhakshiNEsmin purushE thadh vAkyam prathipAthithamll” (The words spoken of earlier by the tortoise, having passed on from one entity to the next in a lineage, until now “you are amazing and you are blessed”, have been spoken of by me to this supreme entity, krishNa). He further said “yanmAmbhavantha: pruchchanthi vAkyAsyAsyacha nirNayam – thadhEthath sarvamAkyAtham sAdhayAmi yathAgatham” (The question in this sentence, which you asked, has been responded to, by me. Now, I shall go on my way). The narration, mentioned in SrI harivamSam chapter 159, has been mentioned briefly by AzhwAr.
[Part 2 – vyAkhyAnam for the pAsuram]
Amai … – In order to manifest his supreme nature to SrI nAradha bhagavAn, initially, emperumAn took the form of a huge, beautiful tortoise inside the waters of river gangA; then, he manifested himself as the eminent gangA, which offers habitat to that tortoise and thousands of other entities; then, as the ocean, which has the eminence of being unfathomable, and which is the refuge for gangA and many other rivers; then, as earth, which has the greatness of offering dwelling place for that ocean; then, as the anchoring mountains, which have the eminence of supporting earth; then, as brahmA, who has the distinction of being the creator of fourteen worlds; then as the four vEdhams, which gave that position to brahmA, and thus have that distinction; then, as yagyams, which were created to take refuge under the vEdhams, and which offer benefits to all as the means; subsequently, as dhakshiNA, the fee offered for conducting the yagyams, which give power to the yagyams and then, through that dhakshiNA, showering the people who conduct the yagyams, with whatever they had expected, as emperumAn with the eminence of granting these, and having a distinguished divine form. Among these [ten entities], tortoise, which was mentioned first, has the distinction of being his incarnation. Hence, it was mentioned as emperumAn himself. Subsequently, the entities, which were mentioned, one after another, with increasing level of greatness, came about due to emperumAn’s omniscience. With the relationship of sAmAnAdhikaraNyam of controller-controlled [all the entities have the same substrate, emperumAn], all the entities were mentioned as emperumAn himself.
sEmamudai nAradhanAr senRu senRu thudhiththu iRainja – this verse is linked to both the earlier verse and the next verse. sEmam – protection. nAradha bhagavAn having sEmam refers to being immersed only in brahma bhAvanai [always meditating on emperumAn], without any trace of karma bhAvanai [being constantly engaged with carrying out karma, deeds, due to birth in samsAram]. The word nAradhanAr [with an honorific suffix [Ar] at the end] has been used to show the reverence arising out of his knowledge “saravasamSaya nirmukthO nAradhassarva dharmavith” [entity, who has got rid of all his doubts and following all the righteousness], and coming to the proximity of emperumAn, singing and dancing [the eminence of emperumAn]. When combined with the earlier part of the pAsuram, the verse senRu senRu thudhiththu iRainja refers to his going to various entities, starting from tortoise individually, praising them for their amazing and blessed nature. When the verse is combined with the subsequent part of the pAsuram, the repetitive words senRu senRu refer to coming repeatedly to emperumAn, and worshipping him. Mentioning of nAradhar coming often to SrIrangam many times and worshipping emperumAn here, has been mentioned in perumAL thirumozhi 1.5 “inbath thumburuvum nAradhanum iRainjiyEththa” (celestial entities thumburu and nAradhar, who have attained happiness, praise periya perumAL, after falling at his divine feet) and in thiruppaLLiyezhuchchi 8 “thumburu nAradhar pugundhanar” (celestial musicians, thumburu and nAradhar, who constantly serve emperumAn, enter the big temple at SrIrangam). The term thudhiththu refers to SrI nAradha bhagavAn praising emperumAn, coming to perumAL’s proximity, singing through his stringed instrument, vINA. The term iRainja refers to falling at the divine feet of emperumAn, appropriate to his nature of being a servitor and worshipping him, and emperumAn’s nature of being the lord.
kidandhAn kOyil – it is the divine abode, where, emperumAn reclines such that SrI nAradha bhagavAn could worship him, in this manner, and all those, who have the desire, could attain him and enjoy him with their eyes, as mentioned in thirumAlai 23 “kidhandhadhOr kidakkai” (unparallelled reclining posture).
pUmaruvip piLLinangaL – Birds such as swans etc settle down on flowers in the water, as mentioned in thiruviruththam 55 “nIrppU nilappU marathil oN pU” (among the flowers in water, among the flowers on land and among the beautiful flowers on trees), unable to give up on the enjoyment arising out of the coolness, softness, fragrance and availability of honey in the flowers; they sing praises on the king of their species, garuda, incoherently. It is SrIrangam which has abundance of water bodies, which have those flowers, which are enjoyed by the swans. The pAsuram should be transposed to get the sequential meaning – in order to manifest the radiance of his supreme nature to SrI nAradha bhagavAn such that the sage comes, praises and worships entities, starting from tortoise, coming in a lineage up to himself, and subsequently for the sage to come on many occasions to come to worship him, SrIrangam is the divine abode where emperumAn has reclined.
We shall next consider the 6th pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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