srI:
srImathE satakOpAya nama:
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srImath varavaramunayE nama:
Full series >> First Centum >> Fourth decad
Introduction for this pAsuram
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction
No specific introduction.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction
In the eighth pAsuram – looking at a pUvai (myna) bird, parAngusa nAyagi tells about her great fatigue (exhaustion) that was caused due to separation from emperumAn.
Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction
Subsequently, parAngusa nAyagi tells her young pet myna which was raised by her, “Go and tell the one who has endless vAthsalyam (motherly forbearance) about my disease (in separation)”.
Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction
In the Eighth pAsuram, parAngusa nAyagi tells about her disease to her pet myna which is exhausted seeing her state of fatigue.
Highlights from nampiLLai‘s introduction as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai
Eighth pAsuram – Previously when parAngusa nAyagi was discussing and sharing her emotion, the pUvai (myna) also sustained itself – but when she was exhausted, it also became exhausted. Looking at that myna, parAngusa nAyagi says “‘Previously I told you to inform my state to him’ – you ignored my requests out of pride, now I am going to die soon. So, you find some one who can take care of you”. pUvai – nAgaNavAippuL – a type of bird [resembling our myna].
pAsuram
நீயலையே சிறுபூவாய் நெடுமாலார்க்கு என் தூதாய்
நோய் எனது நுவலென்ன நுவலாதே இருந்தொழிந்தாய்
சாயலோடு மணிமாமை தளர்ந்தேன் நான் இனி உனது
வாய் அலகில் இன்னடிசில் வைப்பாரை நாடாயே
nIyalaiyE siRupUvAy nedumAlArkku en thUdhAy
nOy enadhu nuvalenna nuvalAdhE irundhozhindhAy
sAyalodu maNimAmai thaLarndhEn nAn ini unadhu
vAy alagil innadisil vaippArai nAdAyE
Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
siRu pUvAy – Oh bird that is small due to your tender age!
nedumAlArkku – One who is greatly mad (Out of unbounded vAthsalyam towards his devotees)
en thUdhAy – going as my messenger
enadhu – my
nOy – disease of separation
nuval enna – having requested you to tell
nuvalAdhE – not telling him
irundhu ozhindhAy – ignored me out out of pride (of not desiring to go on my behalf)
nIyalaiyE – isn’t that you?
nAn – I
sAyalodu – radiance
maNi – worthy of praise
mAmai – color
thaLarndhEn – lost
ini – after being engrossed in him like this
unathu – your
vAy alagil – inside your beak
in – sweet
adisil – rice/food
vaippArai – one who would feed
nAdAy – search for them outside
Simple transalation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
Oh myna that is small due to your tender age! Having requested you to go as my messenger and tell emperumAn who is greatly mad (Out of unbounded vAthsalyam towards his devotees) about my disease in separation, you ignored my request out of pride despite your being raised by me. I have lost my radiant lustre and colour from my body. After this, you have to search for someone who can comfortably feed you sweet food that fits your beak/mouth.
From this, it can be understood that not performing small kainkaryams to gataka (AchArya) is a loss to oneself (sishya). Also, “siRu pUvAy” (small myna) – gatakas (AchAryas) even while young, are to be respected/cherished, is understood.
vyAkyAnams (commentaries)
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s vyAkyAnam
Similar to vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s translation.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s vyAkyAnam
Similar to piLLAn‘s vyAkyAnam.
Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s vyAkyAnam
Similar to nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam.
Highlights from nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai
- nIyalaiyE – Isn’t this you? I requested you to inform my state to him – but you have ignored my request. So, we have come to this situation because of your inaction. If you informed him and he did not turn up, it is his fault – but now we cannot say that it is his fault since you have not gone and informed him. parAngusa nAyagi establishes that bhagavallAbam (achieving emperumAn) is by the efforts of gataka (AchArya). Even though one has eternal relationship with bhagavAn, AchArya is cherished due to the favour (of reminding about that eternal relationship) done by him. As explained in “AdhadhItha yathO gyAnam tham pUrvam abivAdhayEth” – one shall first offer obeisances to AchArya from whom one grasps different types of knowledge.
- sIRu pUvAy – youthful myna – your immaturity caused this difficulty for us.
- nedumAlArkku – you don’t need to create vyAmOha (bewilderment) in him (he is already greatly mad about his devotees). In thamizh, mAl means mad.
- en thUdhAy – if both were equally longing for each other, there is no need for the messenger.
- nOy enadhu – my disease. It is like the disease of bharathAzhwAn – this is explained as something which lasts for long time unlike chAthurthikam (a type of fever which is considered fatal) – this is not a real disease but it is the disease of separation. nampiLLai beautifully quotes srI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 100.1 “jatilam chiravasanam prAnjalim pathitham bhuvi| dhadharSa rAmO dhurdharSam yugAnthE bhAskaram yathA ||” (Having matted hair, wearing tree-bark-robes, having joined palms, lying flat on the earth. srI rAma is unable to bear that vision that is like the radiant sun during dissolution). This slOkam explains the state of parAngusa nAyagi and nampiLLai explains the slOkam word-by-word:
- jatilam – When dhaSaratha sees beautiful garlands, he immediately says “this will be nice for bharatha’s hair” – such hair is matted now
- chiravasanam – When dhaSaratha sees beautiful clothes, he says “this is for our son” – such bharatha is wearing tree-bark-robes.
- prAnjalim – one who always performs charity to those who join their palms towards him – he now has joined palms.
- pathitham bhuvi – the bharatha who is said as “ankE bharatham Aropya” (srI rAma placing bharatha on his lap), one who sleeps on lap since he is so tender that even sleeping on bed could be irritating – he is now lying on the ground.
- dhadharSa rAmO dhurdharSam – srI rAma never takes his eyes off his younger brother bharatha – now srI rAma is incapable of seeing him due to his state
- yugAnthE bhAskaram yathA – Not only that, it seemed like ultimate dissolution was dawning on him.
- sAyalodu maNimAmai thaLarndhEn nAn – What is the result of your not informing my state to him? I lost both my lustre and colour. The myna said “I will inform him at once”; but what is the use of building a dam after the floods had drained? Similarly, what is the use of informing now after my losing everything?
- ini unadhu vAyalagil innadisil vaippArai nAdAyE – Even if he comes now, the lost lustre and colour will not be back. You go and seek out your caretaker now. periya thirumalai nambi had a small archchA vigraham (idol) of krishNa named “veNNeykkAdum piLLai” (one who dances for butter) in his thiruvArAdhanam. In his last moments, he asked to remove the screen in front of the thiruvArAdhana perumAL and said to the emperumAn “sAyalodu maNimAmai thaLarndhEn nAn, ini unadhu vAyalagil innadisil vaippArai nAdAyE” (My time is up here, you have to find someone who will worship you in this world).
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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