thiruppaLLiyezhuchchi – 1 – kathiravan

srI:
srImathE satakOpAya nama:
srImathE rAmAnujAya nama:
srImadh varavaramunayE nama:

Full Series

Introduction of this pAsuram:

• nanjIyar highlights that the worshippers (dhEvas) of emperumAn have arrived to worship him and thus AzhwAr requests emperumAn to wake up. Through this pAsuram, it is established that srIman nArAyaNan is the worshippable supreme being and all other dhEvathas are his worshippers.
• periyavAchchAn piLLai highlights that the sun can dispel the external darkness, but only srIman nArAyaNan can dispel the internal darkness (ignorance). AzhwAr requests that emperumAn wakes up to see that the ignorance is dispelled and also to bless the dhEvas, kings, etc., who have arrived to worship him.

கதிரவன் குணதிசைச் சிகரம் வந்தணைந்தான்
கனவிருளகன்றது காலையம் பொழுதாய்
மது விரிந் தொழுகின மாமல ரெல்லாம்
வானவரரசர்கள் வந்து வந்தீண்டி
எதிர் திசை நிறைந்தன ரிவரொடும் புகுந்த
இருங்களிற்றீட்டமும் பிடியொடு முரசும்
அதிர்தலிலலை கடல் போன்றுள தெங்கும்
அரங்கத்தம்மா பள்ளி யெழுந்தருளாயே.

kathiravan guNadhisaich chikaram vandhaNainthAn
kana iruL aganRathu kAlai am pozhuthAy
madhu virinthu ozhugina mAmalar ellAm
vanavar arasargaL vandhu vandhu INdi
ethirdhisai niRainthanar ivarodum pugundha
irungaLiRRu Ittamum pidiyodu murasum
adhithalil alaikadal pOnruLadhu engum
arangaththammA paLLi ezhundhu aruLAyE

padha padhArththam (word by word meaning)

arangaththammA – Oh lord/master who is lying down in srIragangam!
kathiravan – sun
guNadhisai – in the eastern side
chikaram – at the peak (on the udhayagiri)
vandhu aNainthAn – arrived and positioned himself
kana iruL – heavy darkness (of the night)
aganRathu – dispelled and driven out
am – beautiful
kAlai pozhuthu Ay – as the morning arrived
mA malar ellAm – all the best flowers
virinthu – blossomed
madhu ozhugina – lots of honey dripped
vAnavar – dhEvas
arasargaL – kings
vandhu vandhu – arriving quickly pushing each other
INdi – in groups
ethirdhisai – south side where bhagavAn‘s divine vision will reach
niRainthanar – stood there filling the entire place
ivarodum pugundha – arrived along with them
iru kaLiRu Ittamum – Big groups of male elephants (which are the vehicles for some the dhEvas, kings, etc)
pidiyodu – (Big groups of) female elephants
murasum – musical bands
adhirthalil – when this crowd makes noise (happily)
engum – in all directions
alai kadal pOnRu uLathu – alai (waves). resembles the sound of ocean with fierce waves
(AdhalAl) paLLi ezhundhu aruLAyE – (Thus,) you kindly wake up and give your blessings

Simple Translation:
Oh lord/master who is lying down in srIragangam! The sun has arrived at the peak of the eastern side dispelling the heavy darkness of the night. As the beautiful morning time has arrived, honey is oozing out of the best of the flowers. The dhEvas and kings are arriving quickly in groups pushing each other to the south side of the sannidhi (temple) where your divine vision will reach. They stand there filling the entire place. Along with them, big groups of male and female elephants (which are the vehicles of the dhEvas, kings, etc) and persons playing musical instruments have arrived. Their sounds and noises that reaches all directions in eager anticipation of your waking up resembles the great sound of an ocean with fierce waves. Thus, you kindly wake up now and give your blessings to all who have assembled here.

Highlights from the nanjIyar‘s vyAkyAnam:

• periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 4.1.1 “kathirAyiramiravi kalandheriththAl oththa nIL mudiyan”  – bhagavAn‘s divine head itself shines radiantly with the brightness of 1000 suns. The Sun arises from the eastern side where srIranganAthan‘s lotus feet are.  So, in both sides, bhagavAn‘s radiance is glowing brilliantly.
• Early morning time is highlighted as auspicious time to meditate on emperumAn.
• dhEvas and kings (who are filled with pride) arrive at emperumAn‘s sannidhi hurriedly to have their desires fulfilled.
• srIranganAthan is glorified as ubhaya vibhUthi nAthan (one who rules both spiritual and material worlds) independently. AzhwAr identifying himself as ananya gathi:, meaning one who does not have any other refuge than bhagavAn himself.

Highlights from the periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s vyAkyAnam:

• Just like when some one wakes up, an assistant/servitor may bring a lamp to light their day, when you wake up, sun himself lights the world with his rays. It is Sun’s small kainkaryam (service) for you. He also arrived in the eastern side to have your divine dharsan and the blessings. As quoted in thaithriya upanishadh “bishOdhEthi sUrya:“, he appears on time and performs his duty as a fearful servant of you.
• parAsara smruthi “brAhmE muhurththam cha uththAya chinthayEth AthamanO hitham | harir harir haririthi vyAharEdh vaishNava: pumAn ||” – (A vaishNava will wake up early in the morning (around 4am) and will meditate upon the well-being of the AthmA (self). He will recite the name of hari at that time 3 times) and in thiruppAvai 29 “chiRRam chirukAlE vandhunnaich chEviththu” (arriving in the early morning to worship you).
• Since the dhivya dhEsam is srIrangam which is the dwelling place of srIranganAthan who never gets separated from his divine consort srIranganAyaki thAyAr, the male elephants also arrived with their counterparts (female elephants) to serve the divine couple.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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