rAmAnusa nURRanthAdhi – 1

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pAsuram 1

pU mannu mAdhu porundhiya mArban * pugazh malindha
pA mannu mARan adi paNindhu uynthavan * pal kalaiyOr
thAm manna vandha irAmAnusan charaNAravindham
nAm manni vAzha * nenjE! solluvOm avan nAmangaLE.             1.
 

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maNavALA mAmunigaL’s vyAkyAnam is short and has provided word by word meanings for the pAsurams. piLLai lOkam jIyar has provided detailed vyAkyAnam.

amudhanAr is talking to his heart that we shall say the divine names of emperumAnAr such that we live permanently under the divine feet of emperumAnAr.

Word by word meaning

(Like said in ‘padhmEsthithAm’,)
pU – lotus flower
mannu – is the place of
mAdhu – periya pirAttiAr (srI mahAlakshmi),
(but she ignored that place after seeing the joy (of emperumAn’s divine chest, and as said in ‘iRaiyum – agalgillEn’ (would not leave even for a moment) [thiruvAimozhi – 6.10.10])),
porundhiya mArban – emperumAn having such a divine chest where pirAttiar stays every moment
pugazh – (whose) auspicious qualities
malindha – are filled in the
pA – thiruvAimozhi,
mannu – which is filled in the mind of
mARan – (nam)AzhwAr, (like he said in [thiruvAimozhi 8-10-5] kavi amudham nugarchchi uRumO muzhudhum)
adi paNindhu uyndhavan – (rAmAnujar) lived by surrendering to (such AzhwAr’s) divine feet
palkalaiyOr thAm – even though they learned many sAsthras, they could not understand its inner meanings; and so after understanding it (from emperumAnAr)
manna – (they) surrendered to and stayed with (emperumAnAr)
vandha – (such) avathAram (of)
irAmAnusan – emperumAnAr,
charaNa aravindham – (his) divine lotus feet
nAm – we (amudhanAr and his heart) who know that this (divine lotus feet) is the goal/destiny for us,
manni vAzha – to live under it,
nenjE! – oh mind/heart!
solluvOm – we shall recite
avan – his (emperumAnAr’s)
nAmangaLE – divine names (only)

Also:

thAm manna – the pundits themselves came and surrendered to emperumAnAr.
nAm manna – we who had been under the feet of other insignificant matters all those countless lives, shall surrender to him.

vyAkyAnam (provided by piLLai lOkam jIyar)

avathArikai (Introduction to pAsuram 1)

piLLai amudhanAr, by the grace of his AchAryan (kUraththAzhvAn), got the inner meanings of the two kaNdam (parts) of manthra rathnam (dhvayam), which are learned in protected ways (parama rahasyam – even the sound for dhvayam is not recited loudly; – change nArAyaNa to rAmAnuja and you get the inner meaning; and prApakam (destiny) is AchAryan’s divine feet; and we can survive only based on AchAryan’s loving acceptance of us (Acharya abhimanamE uththArakam [srIvachana bhUshaNam])), and as he wanted to share the experience of its meanings with others, like said in ‘Eka: svAthu na bhunjItha’ (do not eat alone (share with others)), and like how one would want others to go with them when trying to cross a river having floods, as amudhanAr was immersed in the flood that is the experience of emperumAnAr’s auspicious qualities he wanted some company to enjoy that; ANdAL also wanted adiyArs (nIrAdap pOdhuvIr pOdhuminO [thiruppAvai 1]) for sharing her divine experience;

as he searched for such a company in both this world and the other world, the nithyasUris and mukthars, are, like said in ‘sadhA pashyanthi’, they were fully immersed in the enjoyment of parathvam (emperumAn in srIvaikuNtam), happily singing sAma gAnam, and as said in ‘na uba janam smaran idham sarIram’ (when an AthmA leaves, it sets sight only on the other world, and would not even see its own sarIram – body – and definitely not look at the relatives), the nithyasUris and mukthars are not paying any attention to leelA vibUthi (where amudhanAr was present);

in leelA vibhUthi, the samsAris were ignorant, and as said in ‘nandhanthi udhitha AdhithyE, nandhanthi asthamithEravau’ (sun rises –> happiness because we are going to go out and enjoy the world; sun sets -> happiness because going to enjoy with family at home; enjoying this world); and as said in ‘uNdiyE udaiyE ugandhu Odum im maNdalam’ [perumAL thirumozhi 3-4 of kulasEkara AzhwAr] they were just happily involved in eating, dressing, etc., and as said in ‘puRamE puRamE Adi’ [thiruvAimozhi 5.1.1] were focusing their mind on the hair of women and were not focused on the truth, and were deep in material aspects;

{What about emperumAnAr’s adiyArs (disciples) who were living at that time with emperumAnAr? Would even they have ignored amudhanAr’s call for enjoyment?} –

Those with deep knowledge of the truth as having connection with emperumAnAr, were, like said in ‘pAlE pOl seer’ [periya thiruvanthAdhi 58], finding joy in auspicious qualities of emperumAnAr, and like ‘kAl Azhum nenju azhiyum’ [periya thiruvandhAdhi-34] , were deeply immersed in it;

So none of these four were giving company to amudhanAr, and so he is calling his mind which is always commonly available during good and bad times, to give him company.

vyAkyAnam

There is a considerable parallel between this pAsuram and yathirAja vimsathi. (Also, yathirAja vimsathi is pUrva kAndam for ramAnuja dhvayam; and Arthi prabandham is uththara kAndam (srImathE rAmAnujAya nama:)  vEdhAnthAchAryar’s yathirAja sapthathi includes both kAndams about rAmAnujar😉

pU mannu mAdhu – pU -> lotus; pU mannu -> padhmE sthithAm -> pirAtti well set in the lotus flower. (This is in the last part of pAcha rAthram, lakshmi thanthram where periya pirAttiyAr talks to indhran about her vaibhavam – that is srI suktham). malar mEl mangai – also means the same.

It was as if the fragrance and beauty of the lotus flower was in the form of periya pirAttiAr.

It was as if the definition of pirAtti was to be on the lotus flower.

 mAdhu porundhiya mArban (one having lakshmi in his divine chest)

(mAdhu) porundhiya mArban – but once emperumAn took her to be her consort, and as she enjoyed the divinity of his chest (mArbu), she forgot all about the lotus flower, and is always staying in his divine chest – agalagillEn iRaiyum (would never leave (his divine chest)) [thiruvAimozhi 6-10-10] –

sarvEshwaran who has got such a divine chest – mArban.

amudhanAr does not directly specify the name of emperumAn, but says the one having the chest in which pirAtti is always residing;

mArban-> mAdhu (pirAtti) is nirUpaka dharam (one who is the identifier) for emperumAn.

visEshya bhUthan -> based on mAdhu porundhiya mArbu (he is being identified based on pirAtti).

This sort is common like in ‘mAmAn magaLE [thiruppAvai 9] (Oh (maternal) uncle’s daughter);

Similarly, ennuL kalandhAn [thiruvAimozhi 2-5-2] is a name for emperumAn as given by AzhwAr – emperumAn getting immersed in AzhwAr is the identifying factor of emperumAn!

shradhdhaya dhEva: dhEvathvam ashnuthE-  because of periya pirAtti, dhEvan gets referred to by the name of dhEvan.

In srI rAmAyaNam, mArIchan says ‘apramyEam hi thaththEjA’ => his valor is beyond the comprehension of mind. Whose valor?, He says ‘yasyasA janakAthmaja’ – the one who is the husband of sItha.

Similarly,
‘pithus satha guNam mAthA’ – a mother possesses 100 times more qualities than a father; gowravENa athirichyathE – such is the greatness of the mother by her own qualities.
Similarly, because of pirAttiyAr, emperumAn gets his greatness.

mArban pugazh malindha pA (whose vyAkyAnam was propagated by mAmunigaL)

(mArban) pugazh malindha pA – pA: poetry/pAsurams.

The auspicious qualities and greatness of emperumAn are spread (malindha) throughout the pAsurams (of nammAzhwAr).

Following are from the beginning, middle, and end of thiruvAimozhi of nammAzhwAr where the qualities of emperumAn are described.

uyarvara uyar nalam [thiruvAimozhi 1-1-1] -> against adhvaitham -> guNa visishta brahmam is parAthpara thathavam (brahmam with qualities/characteristics is the truth about creator of all).

ayaRvaRum amarargaL adhipathi-> Controller/owner of both the worlds

udal misai uyir enak karandhengum parandhuLan [thiruvAimozhi 1-1-7]-> vyApthi -> He is there everywhere.

sudar migu surudhiyul uLan  [thiruvAimozhi 1-1-7] -> emperumAn is known from the vEdhas. (not fully just by sight (prathyaksham),  or knowledgeable guess (anumAnam);

emperumAnAr uses the deep meanings of this pAsuram as the guiding lamp in his srI bAshyam -> as azhagiya maNavALap perumAL nAyanAr also said in AchArya hrudhayam: idhu koNdu sUthra vAkyangaLai orunga viduvar; as emperumAnAr at the end of his arguments says, so this is thus explained/related/solved; ithi samanchasam).

For jIvAthmA the gyAnam is its behaviour due to which its effect is spread throughout the body;
For paramAthmA – by its nature it is spread everywhere. It is not like just the pillar touching the roof. But spread into everything.

neer thoRum parandhuLan -… aNdam idhena [thiruvAimozhi 1-1-10] -> emperumAn is vyApakam (pervaded) including inside the pillar, roof, etc.  And even in small places like a water drop, he is comfortably set, similar to being comfortable in space.

It is not just vyApakam, but he is also controlling everything – niyanthruthvam.
vyApakathvam vs. niyanthruthvam :
AkAsam (space) is having vyApthi -> but no niyamana sAmarthyam (ability to control).
A king does not have vyApthi – he can be in only one place a time -> but he posses niyamana sAmarthyam – just a waving of his hand can change things in his kingdom.
It is emperumAn who has got both the abilities.

onrum thEvum … [thiruvAimozhi 4-10] => kAraNathvam – he is the cause/creator of everything.

ulagam uNda [thiruvAimozhi 6-10] -> keerthi – greatness

puNarAninRa maramEzh .. [thiruvAimozhi 6-10-5] – talks about srI rAma’s valor, strength, and victories; such qualities

nOlAdhu ARREn una pAdham [thiruvAimozhi 6-10-8] -> sarva easwra easwaran. – He is the controller of all the controllers.

sen thAmarai kat chengani vAi [thiruvAimozhi 6-10-9] -> His beauty- soundaryam (that attracted AzhwAr)

muniyE nAn muganE [thiruvAimozhi 10-10].. explains that He is there in everything, everything is part of his divine body;

and finally in the pA (thiruvAimozhi pAsurams of nammAzhvAr):

In the pAsuram of suzhndhu aganRu [thiruvAimozhi 10-10-10] ->
pAzh => prakruthi => non-sentient.
chOdhi => AthmA is part of the body of emperumAn

Thus nammAzhwAr describes ten auspicious qualities of emperumAn in thiruvAimozhi throughout (beginning, middle, and end).

such – pugazh malindha pa -> pa : poetry/prabandham – is thiruvAimozhi etc., of nammAzhwAr.

 mARan who attracts emperumAn

(pA) mannu mARan -> as AzhwAr was immersed in emperumAn’s nature and qualities, that experience could not be controlled inside, and came out for us due to the force of his bhakthi, and since it came out from emperumAn himself through nammAzhwAr, and as AzhwAr mentions ‘kavi amudham’ [thiruvAimozhi 8-10-5] and ‘thoNdarkku amudhu uNNa chol mAlaigaL chonnEn’ [thiruvAimozhi 9-4-9], he was fully enjoying the prabandham himself.

mARan – the divine name of nammAzhwAr – it is the prime means for us;

Like said in ‘vinAshAya chadhushkruthAm’ AzhwAr through his pAsurams destroyed the other philosophies, reformed such people and brought them under the correct view, and was the cause of removing their samsAram;

mARan – removes ignorance;

on the other hand,

mARan – makes emperumAn lose his mind in ecstasy as in ‘minnidai madavAr’  [thiruvAimozhi 6-2] as AzhwAr takes the form of parAnkusa nAyaki (female state of mind); and in ‘UNil vAzh uyir’ [thiruvAimozhi 2-3-1] emperumAn mixes with Azhwar into one due to His love; AzhwAr having such greatness.

emperumAnAr at the lotus feet of nammAzhwAr

(mAran) adi paNindhu uyndhavan (irAmAnusan) – in such AzhwAr’s divine feet, rAmAnujar has surrendered and achieved the goal (of mOksham / winning of other philosophies and so forth).

adi – just the divine feet of AzhwAr, not even the whole AzhwAr, that is dear to emperumAnAr;

it is the root of his getting attracted to AzhwAr; that is, AzhwAr is the swAmi for emperumAnAr;

paNindhu – having surrendered (to AzhwAr’s divine feet)

srImath thadhangriyugaLam praNamAmi mUrdHnA (surrendering to your divine feet) – said ALavandhAr;

Thus this prabandham is shown as being in charama parva nishtai (final state of being – being subservient to devotees).

uyndhavan – for him (emperumAnAr), sustenance (ujjeevanam) is not dependent on food, liquids, etc; AzhwAr gave the divine feet for his survival instead; after getting AzhwAr’s divine feet, rAmAnujar was immersed in that experience only; even though they were separated by time, when AzhwAr gave all the details to nAthamunigaL, AzhwAr first meditated on the form of rAmAnujar, and emperumAnAr also thought about AzhwAr lovingly giving the bhavishyadhAcharyar vigraham to nAthamunigaL, and since AzhwAr is thus an Acharyan, emperumAnAr had held onto the divine feet of AzhwAr, and based his srI bHAshyam on the teaching of Azhwar saying ‘uNNum sORu, parugu(m) neer, thinnum veRRilai ellAm kaNNan emperumAn’ [thiruvAimozhi 6-7-1]; and emperumAnAr was living rectifying the processes in various divya dhEsams, and got his life’s use based on these from AzhwAr’s blessings – AzhwAr sat in one place and sang about dhivyadhEsams, but emperumAnAr fulfilled by physically going to these dhivyadhEsams and setting them up properly.

palkalaiyOr – Those who are sakala sAsthra pArINar – well versed in all the sAsthrAs – nanmaiyAl mikka nAn maRaiyALargaL [kaNNinuN chiruthAmbu – 4] – like kUrEsar (kUraththAzhvAn), kurugEsar (piLLAn), gOvindhar (embAr), dhAsarathy (mudhaliyANdAn) had already surrendered to emperumAnAr, while other experts like yAdhava prakAsar, and yagya mUrthy (aruLALap perumAL emperumAnAr) were won over and reformed about vishitAdhvaitham and later they became ardent sishyAs of rAmAnujar.

thAm manna – after understanding the correct meanings without any doubt, surrendered to rAmAnujar, never to leave his feet.

vandha – (emperumAnAr) came from paramapadham by requirement of sarvEshwaran.

rAmAnusan – same as chakravarthy thirumagan (rAmar) – in following the words of elders; following the truth; establishing the dharma; love towards AchAryan; gave mOksham to every one related to him;

charaNAravindham – such emperumAnAr’s divine feet

aravindham – manmadhan’s arrow contains lotus flower in its tip. Here the lotus flowers are the divine feet of emperumAnAr.

jalaja dhvaya -> plural form of feet of emperumAn. (there may be a doubt in getting help from emperumAn since he is svathanthran (independent))

but says: pAdha bhaktham – for nammazhvar -> singular form.

because=> pAvanathvam (medicinal for our karmAs) and bhOgyathvam (enjoyment) -> are from the same source -> so using singular noun for feet. { marundhE nangaL bhOga magizhchchikku -> dhvaya manthram }

manni -> without hesitation or doubt we would like to be living under emperumAnAr’s divine feet always.

Previous ‘manni’s would definitely happen – they would be set in their goals without fail; This manni might not happen due to our karmas etc., so he pleads to the mind.

nAm vAzha -> plural -> calling us, even though we ignored him (due to which he talked to his  mind/heart for enjoying with him).  Eka: svAthu na bhunjItha. (do not eat alone for yourself)

solluvOm avan nAmangaLE – let us recite/say rAmAnujar’s names.

vAchA dharmam avApnuhi – it is a big dharma to speak about the greatness of him.

In the case of bhagavan -> mAnasa kainkaryam is important (by mind).

Here, just vAk kainkaryam would be enough (reciting).

Similarly, nAvinAl naviRRu inbam eidhinEn [kaNNinuN chiruththAmbu – 2] – (said it with my tongue) – why mention tongue when ‘said’ is enough? => there, madhurakavi AzhwAr says that even without help of manas (mind) I just said his names.

Just reciting his names would lead to the means and goal that is rAmAnujar’s divine feet.

anyOnyam -> just personally he and his mind – we shall enjoy that divine feet. says amudhanAr.  bodhayantha: parasparam -> said krishNan

avan nAmangaLE => thEvu maRRaRiyEn [kaNNinuN chiruththAmbu – 2] -> we would say only ramAnujan’s name. Even if we are not able to engage the mind and body, at least saying the names would do.

Following are the 11 divine names of rAmAnujar among many others -> from ‘periya thirumudi adaivu’:

• iLaiyAzhvAr – parents

Next 4 names given by emperumAns:

• bHUthapurIsar -> adi kesava perumal in sri perumbuthur
• udaiyavar -> namperumal
• yathirAjan -> dhEva perumAL
• dhEsikEndhran -> thiruvenkadam udaiyan

Next 5 names given by his AchAryas.

• rAmAnusar -> periya nambi
• emperumAnAr- > thirukOshtiyUr nambi
• kOil aNNan -> periya thirumalai nambi
• satagOpan ponnadi -> thirumAlai ANdAn
• lakshmaNa muni -> thiruvarangap perumAL araiyar.

Other:

11. srI bhAshyakArar -> sAradhA dEvi.

There are also other names;

yAthindhrar
yathipathi
yathirAt
yathikula thuryar
yathi sArva boumar

gurOr nAma sadhA japEth – always be reciting AchAryan’s divine names.

chEthana samAdhi -> saying as if mind is like a chEthanam (sentient) -> mind is achith (non-sentient), but saying ‘solluvOm’ (let us recite, to his mind) -> due to its help for reciting rAmAnujar’s names.

AzhvAn said ‘hantha’ -> ha! ha! can’t believe even creatures (janthu) like me are surrendering to his feet by saying the nAmam of rAmAnujar; with (unreasonable) wish of gaining any eligibility to change from a janthu.

vEdham oru nAngin uL podhindha meip poruLum [gyAna/pramEya sAram] -> inner meaning; AchArya abhimAnam

pU mannu mAdhu porundhiya-> srI mathE
mArban pugazh malindha -> nArAyaNa (kalyAna guNangaL (auspicious qualities))
mArban -> charaNau (upalakshanam (stands for) -> thiruvadi (divine feet))
paNindhu uyndhavan -> charaNam prapadhyE

mAmunigal’s : (it matches this 1^st pasuram of ramAnusa nuRRanthAdhi):

srI mAdhava anghri jalaja dhvaya – 2 lotus feet
nithya sEvA -> ozhivil kalam ellam [thiruvAimozhi 3-3-1]  – kainkaryam in those divine feet at all times without interruption
premAvilAsa ya – bhakthi overflowing
parAnkusa -> that is by parAnkusar (nammAzhwAr)
pAdha bhaktham rAmAnujam -> (mARan) adi panindhu uyndhavan.

Arthi prabandham -> thamizh of yathirAja vimsathi line discussed above, ‘pU magaL kOn .. nenjamE vAzh’ – jeeyar also said to his mind. (this matches the first pAsuram of rAmAnusa nURRanthAdhi as well).

– – – – –

Translation: raghuram srInivAsa dhAsan

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