thiruppaLLiyezhuchchi – 4 – mEttiLa

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

Full Series

Introduction of this pAsuram:

• nanjIyar highlights that thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr is praying to emperumAn to wake up and help remove the hurdles that stop him from experiencing/enjoying emperumAn just like he helped his devotees as srI rAma by destroying their enemies.
• periyavAchchAn piLLai highlights that the cowherd boys are taking the cattle for grazing (their free roaming and feeding on grass). The sounds of the bells from the cattle and the humming of the bees are heard identifying the dawn. Thus AzhwAr requests  emperumAn who is the destroyer of enemies and protector of everyone to wake up and bless him.

மேட்டிள மேதிகள் தளைவிடு மாயர்கள்
வேய்ங்குழ லோசையும் விடை மணிக் குரலும்
ஈட்டிய இசை திசை பரந்தன வயலுள்
இருந்தின சுரும்பினம் இலங்கையர் குலத்தை
வாட்டிய வரிசிலை வானவ ரேறே
மாமுனி வேள்வியைக் காத்து அவபிரதம்
ஆட்டிய அடு திறல் அயோத்தி யெம்மரசே
அரங்கத்தம்மா பள்ளி யெழுந்தரு ளாயே.

mEttiLa mEdhigaL thaLai vidum AyargaL
vEynguzhal Osaiyum vidaimaNik kuralum
Ittiya visaidhisai parandhana vayaluL
irinthana surumbinam ilangaiyar kulaththai
vAttiya varisilai vanavarERE!
mAmuni vELviyaik kaththu
avabiratham Attiya adu thiRal ayOththi emmarasE!
arangaththammA paLLi ezhundhu aruLAyE

padha padhArththam (word by word meaning)

mEdu iLa mEdhigaL – tall and young buffaloes
thaLai vidum – letting them (buffaloes) loose (for grazing)
AyargaL – cowherds (who are blowing)
vEynguzhal Osaiyum – the sound/music from the flute
maNi – (of the) bells
kuralum – sound
Ittiya isai – the sound of the two (cowherds’ flutes and bells tied on the buffaloes)
dhisai paranthana – spread in all directions
vayaluL – in the green-fields
surumbu inam – group of beetles
irinthana – started with cheerful sound
ilangiyar kulaththai – rAkshasa clan
vAttiya – destroyed
vari silai – (one who holds) Beautiful bow named sArngam
vAnavar ERE! – dhEvAdhi dhEva! God of gods!
mAmuni – visvAmithra maharishi’s
vELviyai – yAga – fire sacrifice
kAththu – protected
avabiratham Attiya – facilitated the holy dip/bathing after successful completion of the yAgam
adu thiRal – one who has great valour which can destroy enemies
ayOththi emmarasE – My lord! due to you are being the ruler of ayOdhyA
arangaththammA – Oh lord/master who is lying down in srIragangam!
paLLi ezhundhu aruLAyE – (Thus,) you kindly wake up and give your blessings

Simple Translation:
The sound/music from the flutes of the cowherds who have let loose their buffaloes for grazing is spread in all directions. The beetles in the green-fields have started their day with cheerful sounds. Oh srI rAma! you destroyed the rAkshsas and protected the yAgam of sage viswAmithra and helped him complete his yAgam and undergo the avabrutha snAnam (holy bathing done after successful completion of yAgam). You are our lord for being the king of ayOdhyA and you have great valour that will easily destroy your enemies. Oh lord/master who is lying down in srIragangam! please wake up now to bless us.

Highlights from the nanjIyar‘s vyAkyAnam:

• srI rAma felt great satisfaction after killing rAvaNa with his bow named sArngam since that was the desire of the dhEvas (starting with brahmA) who were being greatly troubled by rAvaNa. Here emperumAn‘s quality of being happy when his devotees are protected is highlighted.
• The glories of archAvathAra emperumAn is highlighted. While srI rAma in ayOdhyA was only visible during his life time, as srIranganAthan (in archAvathAram), he is visible for many many generations (who are well after the time of srI rAma’s vibhavAvathAram). Such is his saulabhyam (easy approachability) in archAvathAram that he is waiting for everyone to approach him.

Highlights from the periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s vyAkyAnam:

• Beautiful sense of humour from periyavAchchAn piLLai. He says AzhwAr highlighting that the cows and cattles have woken up is to indicate to emperumAn that “even beings of lower intelligence have woken up. You are the supreme being with supreme intelligence and should you not have woken up yet?”. narasimha purANa slOkam 16.13 “AhAra nidhrA bhaya maithunAni thulyAni kalvathra samasthajanthO: | gyAnAth visishtO hi nara: parEbhyO gyAnEna hIna: pasubis samAna: ||” is quoted. This says: AhAram (eating), nidhrA (sleeping), bhayam (out of fear, living together in a community) , maithuna (mating and progeny) is common for all beings. But human form is more intelligent than other forms. If such intelligence is not manifested/used, he is as good as cows (other animals).
• Reason for hailing viswAmithra as “mAmuni” (great sage) is explained beautifully. muni means who is in constant meditation – through their intense power they can accomplish any goal just by desiring for such things. Here, viswAmithra, instead of using his own svAthanthriyam (independence) and power to protect his yAgam, he fully submitted to srI rAma and fulfilled his task. This total dependence on emperumAn gained him the fame of “mAmuni” from AzhwAr‘s words.
• As said in srI rAmAyaNam bAlakANdam 1.97 “dhasavarsha saharANi dhasa varsha sathAni cha | rAmO rAjyam upAsithvA brahmalOkam gamishyathi” – srI rAma will rule his kingdom for 11000 years and will return his own divine abode, srI rAma lived only for 11000 years. But srIranganAthan is here for many many milleniums to help everyone. So, to have the fully accomplished, please wake up and bless us.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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