srI:
srImathE satakOpAya nama:
srImathE rAmAnujAya nama:
srImadh varavaramunayE nama:
As krishNan realized that these gOpikAs woke up so early in the morning, and they made all the gOpikAs who were still sleeping – to get up and join them, and they pleaded with the guards of His house to permit them in, and through nandhagOpar, yasOdhai, nappinnai, nambimUththapirAn (balarAmar), they have come to Him. krishNan thought that if he had gone to them as per norm, then these little gOpikAs would not have had to go through all these in the cold early morning;
so he calms them down with sweet words (madhura bhAshaNam) like he committed mistake (like how he felt he committed mistake of delaying due to having to convince sugrIvan to accept vibishaNan, spoke to vibIshaNan with sweet words) ; {so their assertion of ‘AvA enRu Arayndhu aruL‘ (will happily inquire us ) became true }; he gives his blessing to them by listening to their request of opening his eyes and looking at them.
At this, the gopikAs request krishNan to listen to their requirements.
மாரி மலை முழைஞ்சில் மன்னிக் கிடந்து உறங்கும்
சீரிய சிங்கம் அறிவுற்றுத் தீவிழித்து வேரி
மயிர் பொங்க எப்பாடும் பேர்ந்து உதறி
மூரி நிமிர்ந்து முழங்கிப் புறப்பட்டுப்
போதருமா போலேநீ பூவைப்பூ வண்ணா உன்
கோயில் நின்று இங்ஙனே போந்தருளிக் கோப்புடைய
சீரிய சிங்காசனத்து இருந்து யாம் வந்த
காரியம் ஆராய்ந்து அருளேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.
mAri malai muzhainjil mannik kidandhu uRangum
sIriya singam aRivuRRuth thI vizhiththu
vEri mayir ponga eppAdum pErndhu udhari
mUri nimirndhu muzhangip puRappattup
pOdharuma pOlE nI pUvaippU vaNNA
un kOyil ninRu inganE pOndhu aruLik
kOppudaiya sIriya singasanaththu irundhu
yAm vandha kAriyam ArAyndhu aruL ElOrempAvAi
Word by Word Meaning
mAri – During the rainy season
malai muzhainjil – in a mountain cave
sIriya singam – majestic/angry lion
mannk kidandhu – which is deeply set (together with the lioness) and,
uRangum – sleeping,
aRivuRRu – (would) get up after waking up (after that season),
thI vizhiththu – open the flaming fiery eyes
pErndhu – and move
eppAdum – on all sides
udhaRi – and shake (its body)
vEri mayir – (such that its) fragrant mane (hair)
ponga – (would) rise around,
mUri nimirndhu – (then it would) stand erect and straighten up its body, and
muzhangi – roar, and
puRappattu – exit (the den)
pOdharum A pOlE – and come out;
pUvaip pU vaNNA – (likewise,) Oh you who is of the color like kAyAmpU (flower)
nI – you
un koyil ninRu – (exit) from your temple (bed room)
inganE pOndharuLi – and come to this place
irundhu – and be seated
sIriya singAsanaththu – on the majestic throne
kOppu udaiya – that is having nice shape and set up,
ArAyndhu aruL – (and then) inquire about and fulfill
yAm vandha kAriyam – the requirements for which we have come.
Simple Translation
mAri malai muzhainjil
Like the kings who stay in a place and not go for wars during rainy season, the lion would stay in the caves and not go out during that time.
Like how perumAL (srI rAman) stayed in the cave of mAlyavAn during rainy season while sugrIvan stayed with his family, such rainy season is for the lovers to meet, and for the ones who have met to enjoy their time together; this time is also such, but we are at your door with the longing; you are wasting the minutes instead of to us and helping us join you.
mannik kidandhu uRangum
Since you don’t have to be afraid of anyone, you are deeply set in your bed, like the peak is well set on the mountain.
You are set in your bed together with your wife nappinnai pirAtti (like how they said earlier ‘nappinnai kongai mEl vaiththu kidandha malar mArbhA‘), as if there is only one thing together, or, like you are an ornament on nappinnai pirAtti.
uRangum – unlike samsAris who really sleep, you are just closing your eyes deeply thinking about ways of helping the samsAris. They are reminded of such a sleep here.
AchAryas and srIvaishNavas study vEdhas, upanishadhs, dhivya prabandhams, granthams all their life, dwelling in their meanings.
sIriya singam
Lion having the greatness of valor, such that it is feared by other animals even when it is sleeping. (as enjoyed by pirAtti), perumAL (srI rAman) is majestic even while sleeping. They are reminded of such a sleep here.
aRivuRRu
samsAris wake up when realizing it is time; you wake up to accept adiyArs’ kainkaryam.
thI vizhiththu
When the lion first opens its flaming eyes it is scary even for the lioness to look at it. They imply that in front of the thEjas of Iswaran the enemies cannot stand in front of Him.
vEri mayir ponga
vEri mayir – fragrance (from your hair, smell that is present in lions)
ponga – shaking your hair;
They are reminded about emperumAn who is described as sarva gandha: (his body contains all types of fragrances).
eppAdum pErndhu udhari
Since you don’t have to put any effort for doing anything, leisurely you shake your head (and get rid of sleepiness).
udhari- shaking various parts of your body.
mUri nimirndhu
Straightening out all parts of your body together
muzhangi
Hearing your roar all other animals (enemies) would fear for their life.
Please get up and come with all your power in front of us little girls, and ask us ‘Oh have you girls come here?’ (“பெண்காள்! வந்திகோளா“)
“Like a lion that would straighten up its body and start its day afresh, krishNA! you come with full energy/enthusiasm and open your door for us”;
“Is lion the right comparison for me?”;
nI pUvaippU vaNNA
We compared it to you for its majesty, but, it does not match your beauty and color – those qualities of yours are like the flower (called pUvaippU – blackish/bluish colored flower). Isn’t only when the flower’s color would be an exact match to you, then the lion also would be an exact match to you?
un kOilninru inganE pOndhu aruLi
please walk from your bed room (from antha:puram) (to your throne)
we want to see the four great types of your walk – your walk that is like a Bull’s pride, an Elephant’s respect, Tiger’s anger, and Lion’s charisma. We can see these in the beauty of namperumAL’s walk / நமக்கு இவையெல்லாம் நம்பெருமாள் நடையழகிலே காணலாம்.
ingane pOndhu aruLi – not become the words told from the bed – which can be lies; we want the words from your majestic throne in your big reception.
kOppudaiya
the seat that you use for taking care of both the worlds, and for all beings.
Or, having the eight legs of dharmam, gyAnam, vairAgyam, aiswaryam (of directing everything), (and their opposites) adharmam, agyAnam, avairAgyam, anaiswaryam.
sIriya singAsanaththu
Any decisions made from your throne will be final and good – like your words in the sea shore (chakravarthy thirumagan’s words during vibIshaNa saraNAgathy that he would protect (give mOksham) for all the related people of the one who does saraNAgathy once), and from the charioteer’s seat (sarva dharmAn… by krishNan to arjunan). — Words from your throne would be wonderful / effective even with just krishNan and all the gOpikAs too.
sIriya – even if it is for someone very small the size of an atom, this throne would give then equal greatness of krishNan. even krishNan cannot tell lies when seated on this.
For AchAryas, the singAsanam (simhAsanam) is the wooden seat they use when giving blessings to their sishyas; emperumAnAr establshed 74 ‘simhAsanAdhipathis’ (AchAryas). emperumAnAr is like a lion to those opposed to srIvaishNavam / visishtAdhvaitham;
irundhu
In addition to enjoying the beauty of your walk, we want to see the beauty of your sitting in your royal throne. To relax ourselves from our angst we want to see you sitting and giving your word. In thirukurunkudi perumAn is in standing position, but nammAzhwAr sings ‘kaNNiNai kuLirap pudhu malar Agaththaip paruga – irundhidAi‘ (thiruvAimozhi 9-2-9), referring to sitting position.
yAm vandha kAriyam ArAyndhu aruL
Hear about the reasons for our coming here – reasons that are not for our own material benefits; and bless for our success in attaining what we wanted.
chakravarthy thirumagan felt bad for not helping the rishis even earlier; krishNan too feels bad that he did not quickly help these gOpikAs; From his bed, he asks them “what do I need to do for you gOpikAs?”
“We cannot tell you while you are lying in your bed – because one could lie when they are lying in their bed. We don’t have anybody else to go to. So you please come and sit relaxed in your wonderful throne and hear us out”.
“When there is nappinnai pirAtti for you, you say that you don’t have any other place to go to”, he feels bad that he did not hear them out early.
[We go to AchAryan for what kAriyam – for getting gyAnam; for bhagavath samAshrayaNam (surrender)].
[emperumAnAr‘s sishya kidAmbi AchchAn went to thirumAlirunchOlai to do mangalAsAsanam to azhagar perumAn. azhagar asked him to recite a slOkam – kidAmbi AchchAn recited a slOkam from ALavandhAr‘s sthOthra rathnam – when he recited the word ‘refugee’ in that sthOthram, azhagar objected to it and said that when there is rAmAnujAr for all of you {us?!}, one should not use that word anymore. “நம் இராமாநுசனை ஆசார்யராக உடையாரில் ஒருவரும் அகதியில்லை காணும்”, “நம்மிராமாநுசனையுடையாயிருந்துவைத்து நம்முன்னே இப்படி சொல்லப்பெறாய்” / nam irAmanusanai AchAryarAga udaiyAril oruvarum agadhi illai kANum”, “nam irAmAnusanai udaiyarAi irundhu vaiththu nam munnE ippadi sollap peRAi”.
There is another aithIhyam where a sishyan himself did not want to use similar words after getting his AchAryan’s gatAksham (blessing): In ALavandhAr‘s sthOthram, AlavandhAr had said very low of himself as part of being a sEshan to perumAn; But ananthAzhwAn did not wish to recite that sthOthram to imply the same about himself because he thought that as a sishyan, with his AchArya sambhandham, those things would not be applicable to a sishyan!)]
In this pAsuram ANdAL does not give krishNan the details of their kAriyam (their requirements). “She has kept that for chiRRam siRu kAlE (29) pAsuram” (வந்த காரியத்தை சிற்றஞ்சிறு காலைக்கு வைக்கிறார்).
Why are they not talking about it immediately but are keeping it for later? bharathAzhvAn along with all the people of ayOdhyA went to chakravarthy thirumagan thinking that if we all went to him and fell on his feet then He would be kind and accept his request to go back to ayOdhyA; but since perumAL wanted to fulfill his father’s words / busy, this request was not fulfilled immediately – He gave them His pAdhukas only. So ANdAL thinks that she would not hurry but use appropriate time and make sure that krishNan’s disposition is suitable for her to place her request.
ArAyndhu aruL – krishNan should ask “Oh how much you suffered, what all have you done!! You woke up so early in this cold morning, argued with all the gOpikAs and woke them all up, woke up nandhagOpar, yasOdhai, elder brother, nappinnai and me!? your going through all this trouble is not fair on my part, I should have been the first to come and help you”. எதிர் சூழல் புக்குத் திரியுமவனுக்கு, இவையெல்லாம் தன் குறையாகத் தோற்றுமிறே / edhi sUzhal pukkuth thiriyumavanukku ivaiyellAm than kuRaiyAgath thORRumiRE – For him who always plans to surround us and make us (accept that we are) His, and who has come from paramapadham to here looking for acceptance of Him from us, it would feel like a big mistake to have let gOpikas make all these efforts.
More then his providing what they require, they enjoy krishNan inquiring them like this.
“You and nappinnai pirAtti please go and be seated in the throne and listen to the reason of our visit and hear our requirements”.
ElOrempAvAi – commit and follow our ways.
In this pAsuram, ANdAL and other gOpikAs finally see krishNan who has slowly opened his eyes and seen them. He wants to know what they wanted, but they request him and pirAtti to go and be seated in the throne and listen to their requirements. She describes how he should get up and walk – the walk that would be so enjoyable to see (we can see that walk even today in thiruvarangam – namperumAL)
This pAsuram advises us too to go to our AchAryan who is deeply knowledgeable about vEdhas, upanishads, prabhandhams, etc., and to request him to give us gyAnam which he will do sitting in his Asanam (seat).
English translation raghurAm srInivAsa dhAsan
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dhanyosmi swami! Nice read…