SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Highlights from thirukkurugaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction
AzhwAr having desired to enjoy emperumAn in the company of nithyasUris, did not get to experience that immediately and became very exhausted and for a moment could not even sustain himself – he attained a state where everyone looks who at him will feel sorry for him; AzhwAr [in the mood of a mother] at that time meditates upon the situation where his relatives are watching her [daughter’s] state and explaining her [daughter’s] state on her behalf to emperumAn; This is mercifully explained by AzhwAr as a mother who watches her daughter who desires for emperumAn and feels sunken due to not attaining him and says to emperumAn “you should quickly come and accept her before she dies”.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction
Similar to piLLAn’s introduction. In addition, nanjIyar also highlights how AzhwAr thinks about emperumAn‘s incarnations such as rAma, krishNa et al which are mainly focussed on his quality of his protecting his devotees; AzhwAr‘s mother (AzhwAr himself assuming the mood of the mother of a girl who is in separation from emperumAn) says to emperumAn “To match your quality of eliminating the enemies of your devotees and protecting them, you have to come and accept her before she dies”.
Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction
In the fourth decad – AzhwAr became exhausted not having his desire (of being together with nithyasUris) fulfilled and vows “To remove my suffering, there is no one other than emperumAn who is the protector of all and most enjoyable person” and speaks in the mood of AzhwAr’s mother the following aspects:
- how emperumAn helped his devotee prahlAdha
- how he helped his grand-son anirudhdha
- how he helped his most dear consort sIthA pirAtti
- how he helped everyone in the world
- his pure nature
- unsurpassed sweetness
- the relationship towards those who are protected by him
- eliminating the enemies of those devotees
- that which is used by him [implements] to protect his devotees
- his valour which will destroy even if enemies are countless
Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction
See nampiLLai‘s introduction.
Highlights from nampiLLai‘s introduction
In the previous decad, AzhwAr became delighted saying “parugik kaLiththEnE” (I blissfully enjoyed) and desired to share such blissful experience with bhAgavathas and realised that there is none qualified in this world to share such experience and so desired to reach paramapadham and be in the assembly of nithaysUris (thiruvAimozhi 2.3.10). But his desire did not get fulfilled so he became very perplexed and explains his state as SrIvaishNavas explaining that to emperumAn.
In “anjiRaiya madhnArAy“, he sent a messenger; in “vAyum thiraiyugaLum“, he felt that all visible entities are suffering in separation from emperumAn, felt their sorrow; But now, overwhelmed by the suffering, he forgot his own self, assumed the form of a beloved, and further, unable to even express her situation and being dependent on those who are close to her to speak for her, having no order in her stature, walking, sleeping etc and suffered greatly. Observing her situation, her mother says to emperumAn “You incarnated as rAma, krishNa et al and eliminated the difficulties of your devotees, but why are you watching her suffer like this?” and since she belongs to the clan which fully depends on emperumAn only for everything, she placed her daughter at his divine feet and asked “What are you planning to do to her?” – AzhwAr reveals his state in these pAsurams in this manner.
The suffering of one who lost money, who lost gold and who lost precious gems will not be the same. In “anjiRaiya madhnArAy“, previously AzhwAr wanted to experience the lotus feet of thrivikrama (vibhava avathAram) as said in thiruvAimozhi 1.3.10 “perunilam kadandha nalladip pOdhu” (divine feet which measured the great earth) and could not experience it directly – so the suffering (this is like losing money). Next, AzhwAr desired to enjoy archAvathAra emperumAn (deity form) in thiruvAimozhi 1.10.9 “nambiyaith thenkuRungudi ninRa” (nambi who is in thirukkuRungudi) and could not experience it directly – so the suffering in “vAyum thiraiyugaLum” (this is like losing gold). Here, he desired to be in the assembly of nithyasUris who are like his life and since he did not attain that, his suffering is much more overwhelming (this is like losing precious gems) than previous two scenarios.
If he is suffering for not having reached the assembly of nithyasUris, instead of calling out for them, why is he calling out for emperumAn? That is because, when some one loses precious stones even in the forest, they will come to the kingdom, call out for the king and complain to him only. Since bhagavAn is the one who blesses us the association of bhAgavathas, AzhwAr calls out for him. Only in separation from bhagavAn, one will understand the separation from bhAgavathas.
This is seen in SrI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam16.10 “kadhAnvaham samEshyAmi bharathEna mahAthmanA | SathrugnEna cha vIrENa thvayA raghunandhana ||” (hE lakshmaNa! When will I be together with the great soul bharatha, the brave Sathrugna and yourself). Because of separation from bharathAzhwAn and SathrugnAzhwAn, SrI rAma did not feel he was with lakshmaNa too (though he was right there with him). SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam1.29 “guhEna sahithO rAmO lakshmaNEna cha sIthayA” (when SrI rAma met guha, he felt he was together with lakshmaNa and sIthA too) – perumAL (SrI rAma) felt the togetherness with iLaiya perumAL (lakhsmaNa) and (sIthA) pirAtti only after meeting SrI guhap perumAL. So, for bhagavAn too, togetherness and separation (with one devotee) is when he is with other devotees too. The desire to be with devotees and not getting that led to AzhwAr pleading for togetherness with bhagavAn himself which was lost too. Also, since the joy of uniting with emperumAn after the suffering in “vAyum thiraiyugaLum” is short-lived, this suffering is too overwhelming for AzhwAr.
Each pAsuram is discussed subsequently.
- pAsuram 1
- pAsuram 2
- pAsuram 3
- pAsuram 4
- pAsuram 5
- pAsuram 6
- pAsuram 7
- pAsuram 8
- pAsuram 9
- pAsuram 10
- pAsuram 11
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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