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periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Fourth Centum >> Ninth decad
avathArikai
AzhwAr mentions the benefit which will accrue to those, who learn this decad, and brings the decad to its end.
kainnAgaththu idar kadindha kanal Azhip padai udaiyAn karudhum kOyil
thennAdum vadanAdum thozha ninRa thiruvarangam thiruppadhiyin mEl
meynnAvan meyyadiyAn vittuchiththan viriththa thamizh uraikka vallAr
engyAnRum emperumAn iNai adikkIzh iNai piriyAdhu iruppar thAmE
Word-by-word meanings
kai – having a huge trunk
nAgaththu – SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn’s
idar – sorrow
kadindha – as one, who removed
kanal – being effulgent
Azhi – divine disc
padai udaiyAn – one, who has as his weapon
karudhum – dwelling, desirously
kOyil – as the temple
thennAdum – those, in the southern parts of the country
vadanAdum – those, in the northern parts of the country
thozha – such that they could worship
ninRa – one, who mercifully remained
thiru arangam thiruppadhiyin mEl – regarding the divine abode, SrIrangam
mey nAvan – as one, who has tongue speaking only truth
mey adiyAn – who is engaged in servitude, without expecting any benefit [other than
emperumAn]
vittu chiththan – periyAzhwAr
viriththa – mercifully composed in a detailed manner
thamizh – this thirumozhi, which is like a garland of thamizh
uraikka vallAr thAm – those, who are capable of reciting
emperumAn – SrI vaikuNtanAthan’s
iNai – matching each other
adikkIzh – under the divine feet
engyAnRum – at all time
iNai piriyAdhu – without separating from the assemblies of emperumAn’s followersiruppar – will get to remain
Simple Translation
emperumAn removed the sorrow of the elephant, SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn, who had a long trunk. He has the effulgent divine disc. He dwells desirously in the temple, such that people in the southern parts as well as norther parts of the country could worship him. periyAzhwAr, who has a tongue which speaks only truth, and who is a servitor to emperumAn, without considering any other benefit, has composed in a detailed manner, as a garland of thamizh, regarding the divine abode of SrIrangam. Those, who are capable of reciting these pAsurams, will remain under the divine feet of SrI vaikuNtanAthan, never separating from the assemblies of emperumAn’s followers.
vyAkhyAnam
kainnAgaththidar kadindha – one who removed the sorrow of SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn. The weight of one’s sorrow is dependent on the weight of the entity; thus, the sorrow for the elephant was severe. periya thirumozhi 2.3.9 says “Anaiyin thuyaram” (to get rid of the sorrow of SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn). While there are several words to denote the elephant [in thamizh], the reason for choosing the word kainnAgaththu idar is to manifest the danger faced by the elephant, as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 2.9.1 “kaimmA thunbam” (the suffering of the elephant, who had drowned in the pond, along with the trunk) whose trunk alone was above water. In other words, due to absence of rain over a long time, the earth had dried up. Not a single flower could be seen anywhere. SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn was wondering “Will a flower be available anywhere?”, staggering. He saw at a distance, a cool garden, as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 3.5.1 “moymmAmbUm pozhil poygai” (a pond, having gardens, where flowers had blossomed, packed tightly), with blossomed flowers. He ran desirously, towards the pond, without realising that there was a “wicked entity inside”. After taking the flower in his trunk, as he started walking towards the bank of the pond, a crocodile grabbed his leg. He thought “For the sake of a worm in water, should we call ISvaran? We shall push him out ourselves”; as he attempted to move forward, since the crocodile was famous, it started pulling the elephant into water, as mentioned in SrI vishNu dharmam 9.6 “gaja AkarshathE thIrE grAham AkarshathE jalE” (elephant pulled the crocodile towards land while the crocodile pulled the elephant into water). This fight went on for a thousand years by the celestial count of year [one celestial year is the equivalent of 360 earth-years]. Since it was the natural habitat for the crocodile and since it was going to get its desire fulfilled [release from the curse of sage], its strength increased, as mentioned in periya thirumozhi 5.8.3 “muzhuvali mudhalai” (crocodile had complete strength). For the elephant, since it was not its natural habitat and since its desire [of proffering the flower to the divine feet of emperumAn] was not getting fulfilled, its strength started decreasing. At once stage, its trunk too started getting drowned. At this juncture, unable to act on its own, reminiscing on emperumAn as the protector, as mentioned in SrI vishNu dharmam 99.47 “manasA chinthayath harim” [thinking of emperumAn in his mind], the elephant cried out to emperumAn, as mentioned in siRiya thirumadal 50 “nArAyaNA! Oh maNivaNNA! nAgaNaiyAy! vArAy” (Oh, nArAyaNA! Oh, one with blue gemstone-like complexion! Oh, one who is reclining on AdhiSEshan! You should come and remove my sorrow). As soon as he heard this cry, emperumAn came to the bank of the pond, such that wise people would involve with his powerful act, as mentioned in SrI rangarAjasthavam, uththara Sathakam 57 “athanthritha chamUpathi prahitha hastham … bhagavathas thvarAyai nama:” (not acknowledging the hand offered by vishvaksEnar … we salute the anxiety of emperumAn). He took the elephant with one hand, the crocodile with another hand, split open the mouth of the crocodile such that the elephant was released. He rolled the divine uththarIyam [upper garment] which he had mercifully donned, kept it in his mouth, blew on it and gave fomentation to the elephant, at the injured place. He touched the elephant with his divine hand and looked at it with his cool eyes, such that the elephant felt relief from its sorrow of long years. He took the flower from its trunk, kept it on his divine foot and removed its sorrow. This narration is mentioned in the first line as idar kadindha.
kanal Azhip padai udaiyAn – one, who has the effulgent divine disc as his weapon. Since the pAsuram says idar kadindha kanal Azhip padai udaiyAn, emperumAn had appeared with the divine disc, killed the crocodile and protected the elephant. Wise people would engage with this divine activity of appearing before the elephant, as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 3.1.9 “thozhum kAdhal kaLiRu aLippAn – mazhungAdha vainnudhiya chakkara nal valaththaiyAy – thOnRinaiyE” (You appeared in front of the elephant, which has attachment [towards emperumAn] due to rendering servitude, to protect it with the divine disc, which has sharp mouth which will never get blunted).
karudhum kOyil – it is the divine abode where emperumAn dwells desirously, more than paramapadham, kshIrAbdhi [milky ocean] etc, in order to make the followers to enjoy him and in order to protect them.
thennAdum vadanAdum thozha ninRa – such that all the people in the southern parts of the country, where thamizh language is prominent, and in the northern parts of the country, where samskrutham is prominent, could worship him.
In the svApadhESam, it is mentioned that all the people, in all the worlds, having lost out to the divine qualities of periya perumAL, worship him, with the quality of nirmama [not possessing anything]. It is the divine abode which he desires, forever.
thiruvarangath thiruppadhiyin mEl – regarding the divine abode, which has he divine name of SrIrangam.
meynnAvan – one, who has tongue, which speaks only truth. It is the tongue which does not have anything to do with untruth. This is similar to saying as in periya thirumozhi 6.6.10 “poymmozhi onRillAdha meymmaiyALan” (not having even a little bit of untruthful words, having truthful speech). This ascertains that in the bhagavath vaibhavam [celebration of emperumAn] and dhESa vaibhavam [celebration of the land], mentioned in all the pAsurams, there is not even an iota of untruth.
In the svApadhESam, it is mentioned that AzhwAr does not confuse anyone. He says everything, mercifully, the way it is, without adding or subtracting anything, apt for being truthful.
meyyadiyAn – servitor, who does not have any desire in other benefits [emperumAn is the only benefit; the benefit is to carry out mangaLASAsanam]. Those, who call themselves as adiyAn and who seek other benefits are poyyadiArs [false servitors]. When SEshathvam [servitude] is the svarUpam [basic nature], nurturing athiSayam [activities which add eminence] to the SEshi [lord] is congruent; seeking anything for self is incongruent. Alternatively, since periyAzhwAr is of the nature where he carries out mangaLASAsanam [praying for well-being] to SEshi [lord], he refers to himself as meyyadiyAn. He has mercifully stated these two words [meynnAvan and meyyadiyAn] for the benefit of those who learn his pAsurams.
In the svApadhESam, it is mentioned that apart from ananyaprayOjanam [not desiring any other benefit], AzhwAr is also ananya sAdhanar [not following any other means to attain emperumAn], with carrying out mangaLASAsanam as his pastime, having completeness of being a servitor.
vittuchiththan – one, who keeps emperumAn in his divine mind, as mentioned in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 5.2.10 “aravaththu amaLiyinOdum” (emperumAn has taken residence forever, in the divine mind of periyAzhwAr, along with his mattress of AdhiSEshn et al].
In the svApadhESam, it is mentioned that AzhwAr keeps emperumAn inside his divine mind and protects him.
viriththa thamizh uraikka vallAr – those who are capable of reciting these pAsurams, which have been mercifully composed in thamizh, in a detailed manner.
In the svApadhESam, it is mentioned that those who are capable of reciting these pAsurams, which have been composed in a detailed manner, in thamizh, which could be learnt by anyone, such that mangaLASAsanam purushArtham [the ultimate benefit of carrying out mangaLASAsanam] has been explained, the most clearly.
engyAnRum … – they will get to stay at the two matching divine feet of my lord, SrI vaikuNtanAthan, without ever separating from the assemblies of emperumAn’s followers.
In the svApadhESam, it is additionally mentioned that they will be with single-focus, carrying out mangaLASAsanam to emperumAn, as mentioned in thiruppallANdu 12 “paramAthmanaich chUndhu iriundhu Eththuvar” (they will keep praising emperumAn, surrounding him].
This brings to an end, the fourth centum of periyAzhwAr thirumozhi.mn
We shall next consider the pravEsam of the next thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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