thiruvAimozhi – 1.8.1 – Odum puLLERi

srI:
srImathE satakOpAya nama:
srImathE rAmAnujAya nama:
srImath varavaramunayE nama:

Full series >> First Centum >> Eighth decad

 srinivasa-tulasi-garland

Introduction for this pAsuram

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction

No specific introduction.

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction

In first pAsuram – AzhwAr talks about emperumAn bonding with nithyasidhdhas (nithyasUris – eternally free souls in paramapadham).

Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction

See nanjIyar‘s introduction.

Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction

See nampiLLai‘s introduction.

Highlights from nampiLLai‘s introduction as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai

First pAsuram – this pAsuram explains emperumAn‘s sincere engagement with the residents of paramapadham. There is no lack of sincerity in nithyasUris [so, where is the question of emperumAn having to deal with them sincerely?] – but still, since they are many with each one having different desires/tastes, emperumAn understands their desire and engages with them per that desire – this is where his Arjavam (sincerity/honesty) is manifested.

pAsuram

ஓடும் புள் ஏறி சூடும் தண் துழாய்
நீடு நின்றவை ஆடும் அம்மானே

Odum puL ERi sUdum thaN thuzhAy
nIdu ninRu avai Adum ammAnE

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Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)

ammAn – nirupAdhika swAmy (unconditional master)
puL ERi – climbing on periya thiruvadi (garudAzhwAr) fulfilling his desire (to carry emperumAn)
Odum – wander around
thaN – cool (stress-busting)
thuzhAy – thiruththuzhAy (thuLasi)
sUdum – wearing (on his divine limbs maintaining the freshness of thuLasi)
nIdu ninRu avai – with those entities which will live eternally
Adum – be joyfully engaged

Simple transalation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)

bhagavAn, the unconditional master (of all), climbing on garudAzhwAr wandesr around (fulfilling garuda’s desire to serve him), wearing cool thuLasi garland and joyfully engaging with those entities who are eternal.

vyAkyAnams (commentaries)

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s vyAkyAnam

See vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s translation.

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s vyAkyAnam

See nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam.

Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s vyAkyAnam

See nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam.

Highlights from nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai

  • Odum puLLERi – “puLLERi Odum” – climb the bird (garudAzhwAr) and wander around; [arumpadham – would it not be a pain to carry some one?] Just like the queen would enjoy the touch of the king on her bosom, garudAzhwAr desires bhagavAn climbing and riding on him. Him climbing garudAzhwAr solves two purposes – to bless the residents of paramapadham with that divine dharSan and to fulfil the nature (servitude) of garudAzhwAr. ALavandhAr highlights in sthOthra rathnam 41 “thvadhangri sammarthdhakiNAngasObhinA” [shining radiantly due to the scars which were received by the pressing of bhagavAn‘s divine feet] – just like a kAmini (beloved) sustains herself by seeing the love-marks on her body, garudAzhwAr sustains himself by the scars from the divine feet of bhagavAn.
  • sUdum thaN thuLAy – Wearing fresh thuLasi where the freshness will be lost even if there is a slight delay by bhagavAn (out of thuLasi’s anxiety on not being able to serve bhagavAn) . Do they (garudAzhwAr (bird), thuLasi (leaves) etc) have consciousness? Yes – as explained in paushkara samhithA “…chinmayais svaprakAsaischa…” (bhagavAn is with flower garlands, pearl necklaces, clothes etc which have knowledge/consciousness, which are self-luminous etc and are increasing the radiance to each other) – some chEthanas assume the form of garudAzhwAr, thuLasi etc., as required for bhagavAn‘s sport/pleasure. But then, should these not have the quality of ignorance (not-so-developed intelligence, ) etc which are seen in these species? No, these are like the hunch-backs, dwarfs etc who are seen in a king’s court (for his joy). In the spiritual realm, all forms are assumed by jIvAthmAs based on desire and not based on karma as in material realm. In samsAram (this material realm), plant/animal forms are due to one’s karma [In arumpadham, famous verse “vAchikai: pakshimrugathAm mAnasairanthyajAthithAm | sarIrajai: karmadhOshair yAthi sthAvarathAm nara:” is quoted – A human being  who commits offence/sins through words will be born as birds/animals (their speech will be curtailed); those who commit sins through mind will be born as lowly beings (their purity in mind will be curtailed); those who commit offence/sins through body will be born as plants (their physical movement will be curtailed)] but in paramapadham (the spiritual realm), all forms are based on the desire (of the jIvAthmAs who are there). Only samsAris (bound souls in this material realm) have differences in desires and dishonesty. For nithyasUris, since the goal is only to serve emperumAn, there is no difference in desires and no dishonesty. Why then is there a need to specifically say that bhagavAn deals with them honestly/sincerely? Though everyone’s goal is to serve bhagavAn, since bhagavAn has different activities/manifestations, the tastes will be different for different individuals in spiritual realm.
  • nIdu ninRu – Only when something happens due to karma, its temporary. Since these engagements (in paramapadham etc) are befitting the nature of bhagavAn and jIvAthmAs, they will be permanent – eternal. bhagavAn cannot sustain himself without them and they cannot sustain themselves without him.
  • avai – Since, AzhwAr said “puL” and “thuzhAy” before, he is now saying “avai” (indicating insentients – plural).
  • Adum – Instead of saying bhagavAn will engage with them, AzhwAr is saying they will enjoy him sportingly – just like a very tired/thirsty person jumps into a cool pond and enjoys it, all of them will be immersed in enjoying bhagavAn.
  • ammAnE – Though, he is the master for all irrespective of one being nithyasUri (eternally free soul) or nithyasamsAri (bound soul), he still engages with them like this.

In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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