SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: Sri varavaramunayE nama:
periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Fourth Centum >> Tenth decad
avathArikai
The svApadhESam says that AzhwAr tells emperumAn “You, who are known only through vEdhams and who are the controller of all, should grant me refuge”
senjol maRaip poruLAgi ninRa dhEvargaL nAyaganE! emmAnE!
enjalil ennudai innamudhE! Ezhulagum udaiyAy! ennappA!
vanja uruvil naman thamargaL valindhu nalindhu ennaip paRRUmbOdhu
anjalam enRu ennaik kAkkavENdum arangaththu aravaNaip paLLiyAnE!
Word-by-Word Meanings
sem – excellent
sol – having words
maRai – for vEdham
poruL Agi ninRa – remaining as the explanation
dhEvargaL – for nithyasUris [permanent dwellers of SrI vaikuNtam]
nAyaganE – oh, one who is the head!
emmAnE – oh, one who is my lord!
enjal il – being without contraction
in – being the most enjoyable
ennudaiya amudhE – oh, one who is delicious for me, like nectar!
Ezh ulagum udaiyAy – oh, one who is the lord of the seven worlds
en – for me
appA – oh, one who is the benefactor!
arangaththu aravaNaip paLLiyAnE – oh, one who is mercifully reclining on AdhiSEshan in SrIrangam!
vanjam uruvil – having a form, which they hide such that none could see them
naman thamargaL – servitors of yama
valindhu – forcefully
nalindhu – torturing
ennai – me
paRRum pOdhu – when they grab me
anjalam enRu – you should protect me, saying “Do not fear”
Simple Translation
Oh, one, who is explained only by the vEdham, which has excellent words, who is he head of nithyasUris and who is my lord! Oh, one who is the most enjoyable for me, like nectar, without any contraction, who is the lord for the seven worlds and who is my benefactor! When the servitors of yama, hiding their forms such that none could see them, come and grab me forcefully, torturing me, you should mercifully protect me, saying “Do not fear”
vyAkhyAnam
senjol maRaip poruLAgi ninRa – one, who remains as the meanings of excellent words in vEdhams. Excellence for the words is to state the meanings, truthfully. Since the vEdhams hide the meanings for disbelievers, it is called as maRai [in thamizh, the word maRai refers to hiding, as well as to vEdham]. The vEdhams are composed of two parts, the pUrva bhAgam or earlier part, which deals with karma [carrying out of deeds] and the uththarA bhAgam or latter part, which deals with brahmam [supreme entity]. Since vEdhams mention the manner in which emperumAn is to be worshipped and also about emperumAn who is worshipped, as mentioned in bhagavath gIthA 15.15 “vEdhaiScha sarvair ahamEva vEdhya:” (only I am known through all the vEdhams), it is not inappropriate to say that only emperumAn is known through all the vEdhams. It is pertinent to recall here katOpanishadh 2.95 “sarvE vEdhA yathpadham Amanthi” (that entity which the vEdhams mention as being apt to be attained). In the pUrva bhAgam, the vEdhams will mention emperumAn as sadhwAraka [through other entities such as brahmA, rudhra et al as their antharyAmi]; in the uththarA bhAgam, they will mention emperumAn as adhwAraka [directly as nArAyaNan]. It is to reflect this that the mangaLa SlOkam of SrI bhAshyam mercifully says “Sruthi Sirasi vidhIpthE” (one who is resplendently revealed at the head of vEdhams, which is also referred to as vEdhAntham).
The svApadhESam mentions here that vEdhams reveal truth as it is, and do not reveal that to those who are Asura prakruthis [those who are like monsters in their nature], who do not believe in it or who misinterpret the meanings of vEdhams. emperumAn is explained clearly by such vEdhams.
dhEvargaL nAyaganE – Oh, one who is the controller of nithyasUris, who are referred to as sAdhyas in purushasUktham 1.18 “yathra pUrvE sAdhyA santhi dhEvA:” (in paramapadham, where dhEvas, called as sAdhyas have been present since time immemorial)! Being their controller refers to granting them, who are such that they could not sustain themselves without the servitude of enjoying emperumAn, and who carry out mangaLASAsanam to him, being with misplaced sense of fear, servitude, knowing their nature.
The svApadhESam says here that emperumAn is the lord of nithyasUris, as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 1.1.1 “ayarvaRum amarargaL adhipadhi” (emperumAn is the lord of nithyasUris, who do not have defects such as forgetfulness etc).
emmAnE – Oh, one who makes me also as being affectionate towards your divine feet, just like nithyasUris!
The svApadhESam says here that emperumAn manifested his being explained by the vEdhams and his controlling nature over all, to AzhwAr and made him as his servitor.
enjalil ennudai innamudhE – this mentions the distinction from the prAkrutha amrutham [nectar seen in leelA vibhUthi, the nectar which was given to celestial entities to make them live for a very long time]. enjal – contraction; il – being without it. In other words, being without any contraction which comes about due to location and time. The nectar seen in leelA vibhUthi, apart from being inconsumable in all places, will also be inconsumable at all times. Since the pAsuram says “ennudai amudhu”, unlike protecting the physical forms [as the nectar in leelA vibhUthi does to celestial entities], this nectar [emperumAn] protects the AthmA. Since the pAsuram says “innamudhu”, unlike the nectar in leelA vibhUthi which will make those who consume it, to feel satisfied, this nectar will create more and more desire in those who consume it, as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 2.5.4 “appozhudhaikku appozhudhu en ArAvamudhE” (emperumAn is the insatiable nectar, every moment when he is united with me). The nithyasUris, mentioned earlier, consume this insatiable nectar, as mentioned in thirunedunthANdakam 14 “appAl mudhalAy ninRa aLappariya Aramudhai” (one who is like a distinguished nectar, who cannot be estimated, and who is present in paramapadham as the leader of both leelA and nithya vibhUthi). That insatiable nectar became very close to AzhwAr [in terms of proximity], as mentioned in thirunedunthANdakam 14 “arangamEya andhaNanai” (one, who is of ultimate purity, dwelling in the distinguished abode of SrIrangam).
Ezhulagum udaiyAy – this refers to emperumAn’s control over leelA vibhUthi. Just as it has been mentioned in thaiththirIya upanishadh nArAyaNavalli 1.11 “pathim viSvasya” (being the lord of all the worlds), emperumAn is the lord of all the worlds.
ennappA – There is a connection here too, for AzhwAr. Since he is a mumukshu [one, who is desirous of reaching mOksham], he has connection with both leelA vibhUthi and nithya vibhUthi. emperumAn is one, who became the reason for the existence, as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 5.7.3 “poruL allAdha ennaip poruL” (emperumAn transformed me, who cannot be considered as an entity, to realise my nature and also accepted vAchika kainkaryam (carrying out servitude by composing pAsurams, and reciting them)).
The svApadhESam says here that AzhwAr tells emperumAn: Oh, one who instructed these meanings and their authenticity to me! It also refers to emperumAn being nirupAdhika bandhu [being a relative, without any cause].
vanja uruvil namanthamargaL – the servitors of yama, who come, hiding their physical forms such that none could see them.
valindhu nalindhu ennaip paRRumbOdhu – when they come to grab me forcefully, and harm me
anjalam enRu ennaik kAKka vENdum – you should mercifully tell me, with the sweet sound of your voice “Do not fear” and protect me, who cannot sustain without carrying out mangaLASAsanam for youe, by protecting me from the servitors of yama, whose nature is inimical to my carrying out mangaLASAsanam for you.
The svApadhESam says here: You should mercifully tell me mA sucha: [Do not grieve] and protect me.
arangaththu aravaNaip paLLiyAnE – Is it not for protecting that you have come to SrIrangam, which is distinct from the earlier mentioned leelA vibhUthi and nithya vibhUthi [SrIrangam is celebrated as the third vibhUthi], and reclined here?
We shall next consider the 8th pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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