thiruppallANdu 7 – thIyil poliginRa

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

Introduction for this pAsuram

Here, kaivalyArththis (those who are focussed on self-enjoyment) who were invited by AzhwAr, arrive highlighting their qualities and AzhwAr associates with them. AzhwAr, when invited them, requested them to come giving up their boundaries (varambozhi vanthu ollaik kUduminO), accepting bhagavAn only as the ultimate goal (namO nArAyaNAya) and come so that greatly knowledgable people can accept them and ignorant people can reject them (nAdu nakaramum nangaRiya). Contemplating on that, they think “We can give up insignificant results and become fully focussed on bhagavAn. But, how can we make the devotees accept us and others reject us?” and then realize “If we accept the vaishNava symbols such as having sankam and chakram marks in the shouldrers, acceptance/rejection will naturally happen”. They then wear those symbols, announce the same and arrive at AzhwAr.

pAsuram

தீயில் பொலிகின்ற செஞ்சுடராழி திகழ் திருச்சக்கரத்தின்
கோயில் பொறியாலே ஒற்றுண்டு நின்று குடி குடி ஆட்செய்கின்றோம்
மாயப் பொரு படை வாணனை ஆயிரம் தோளும் பொழி குருதி பாயச்
சுழற்றிய ஆழி வல்லானுக்குப் பல்லாண்டு கூறுதுமே

thIyil poliginRa senjudarAzhi thigazh thiruchchakkaraththin
kOyil poRiyAlE oRRuNdu ninRu kudi kudi AL seyginROm
mAyap poru padai vANanai Ayiram thOLum pozhi kurudhi pAya
suzhaRRiya Azhi vallAnukkup pallANdu kURuthumE

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word-by-word meanings

thIyil – even greater than fire, sun, etc
poliginRa – greatly shining
sem sudar – having reddish radiance
Azhi – circular in shape
thigazh – shining
thiruchchakkaraththin kOyil – the abode of srI sudharasana
poRiyAlE – with the symbol
oRRuNdu ninRu – having marked with
kudi kudi – generation after generation
AL seyginROm – came to serve
mAyap poru padai – having an army which is able to engage in cunning warfare
vANanai – bANAsura’s
Ayiram thOLum – from the 1000 shoulders
pozhi kurudhi pAya – blood flowing like a flood
suzhaRRiya – circling
Azhi – sudharasana chakram
vallAnukku – the capable one who holds it
pallANdu kURuthum – we are singing thiruppallANdu

Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai’s commentary

thIyil poliginRa sem sudar Azhi – They are remembering sudharsana chakram with gratitude for enabling them to enter the vaishNava gOshti [Those who wear sankam/chakram as part of thApa samskAram become part of srIvaishNava gOshti].
thIyil poliginRa – Here, “thI” (agni) indicates all items that have radiance, such as moon, sun, etc. paramapadham (spiritual realm) is more radiant than sun, etc. bhagavAn‘s divine auspicious form is more radiant than paramapadham. sudharsana chakram’s radiance is even greater than that. He is glorified as “vadivAr sOdhi valaththuRaiyum sudarAzhi” in thiruppallANdu 1.

While it is stated in katOpanishath 2.5 “thasya bhAsA sarvamidham vibhAthi” (Everything acquires its radiance from bhagavAn), how is it possible that bhagavAn’s form shines due to sudharsana chakram?

sem sudar – the radiance that is present due to the reddish glow of sudharsana chakram which is a contrasting feature for the dark-cloudish form, like a lamp lit in a dark room.
Azhi thigazh thiruchchakkaram – Like a flood in a narrow space, sudharsana chakram who is glowing in a circular space
chakkaraththin kOyil – sudharsanAzhwAr’s abode
poRiyAlE oRRuNdu – Being marked with symbol of sudharsana chakram. Only after accepting this mark, he becomes firmly qualified to be liberated instead of being born again in this samsAram (material realm). bhagavAn‘s acceptance too is guaranteed only on having this thApa samskAram (part of pancha samskAram). Once, when krishNa was leaving srI dhvArakA to protect his devotees from their enemies, the gate-keepers asked him “Who can enter here and who can not enter here?”, krishNa replied “chakrAngithA: pravEshtavyA yAvadhAgamanam mama | nAmudhrithA: pravEshtavyA yAvadhAgamanam mama ||” (hari vamsam 27.24 – Until I return, those who are marked with the symbol of sudharsana chakram are qualified to enter and others are not) – emperumAn himself says “those who have the symbol can enter directly and others need to be tested before being allowed”. So, this chakra dhAraNam (having of sudharsana chakram symbol) is that one which facilitates bhagavAn‘s acceptance, that which keeps the jIvAthmA peaceful thinking that “I am his property” and that which creates fear in yamarAja, etc., who want to punish the jIvAthmA for his sins. It is also that which reminds the jIvAthmA of his true relationship with bhagavAn as stated in kUrma purANam “chakrAdhi dhAraNam pumsAm para sambandha vEdhanam | pathivrathA nimiththam hi vaLayAdhi vibhUshaNam” (By marking the symbols of chakram, etc., the relationship with bhagavAn is revealed. Isn’t ornaments such as bangles, etc., an indication of a chaste wife?)
kudi kudi AL seginROm – We came here along with our children, grand children, etc., to serve. To sing thiruppallANdu is the service for such persons who are fully existing for emperumAn.

When asked, for what incident, are you performing mangaLAsAsanam?

mAyap poru padai … – We are singing thiruppallANdu for the valiant aspect of sudharasana chakram which brought us here.
mAyap poru padai vANanai – mAya first explained as magnificent; Explained as bANAsaura who is having magnificient army; also explained as bANAsura who is having magnificent weapons. mAyam is also explained as “deceptive”, i.e., one who is performing deceptive/cunning warfare.
Ayiram thOLum pozhi kurudhi pAya – Blood flowing from the thousand shoulders and filling all the earth like water let out from a dam;

What did emperumAn do to make this happen?

suzhaRRiya – He need not send the chakram, just spinning it is sufficient. Just spinning it once caused the thousand shoulders of bANAsura to fall. emperumAn let go of bANAsura (without cutting his head) not because of bANAsura not committing enough mistakes. But it is because – he did not want ushA (his grand-daughter-in-law) to be father-less and to leave a scar to highlight that “this is the result of worshipping other dhEvathAs”. That is, though rudhra vowed to protect bANAsura, when it came to the battle, he ran away from the battle field along with his subordinates leaving bANAsura to defend himself. In the end, bANAsura and rudhra had to console each other, rudhra saying “This is what I got for trying to protect you” and bANAsura saying “This is what I got for surrendering on to you”.
Azhi vallAnukku – One who is in full control of chakram. This is like “vilvallAn” (one who is great in bow/arrow), “vALvallAn” (one who is great in sword), etc. Being the husband of srI mahAlakshmi, climbing on garuda, holding on to sudhasana chakram, etc., are unique qualities identifying total supremacy over everyone else.
pallANdu kURuthumE – There were not anyone who would sing pallANdu for bhagavAn‘s eternal servitor sudharsanAzhwAr’s valour and the valour of krishNa who accepted us as servitors – to make-up for such loss, today we are singing thiruppallANdu for you.

adiyEn sArathy rAmAnuja dAsan

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