thiruppallANdu 9 – uduththuk kaLaintha

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

Full Series

Previous pAsuram

Introduction for this pAsuram

AzhwAr sings thiruppallANdu in this pAsuram along with those ananya prayOjanars (those who are focussed in kainkaryam) whom he invited in “vAzhAL pattu”  and who arrived  in “enthai thanthai”.

pAsuram

உடுத்துக் களைந்த நின் பீதக ஆடை உடுத்துக் கலத்ததுண்டு
தொடுத்த துழாய் மலர் சூடிக் களைந்தன சூடும் இத் தொண்டர்களோம்
விடுத்த திசைக்கருமம் திருத்தித் திருவோணத் திருவிழவில்
படுத்த பைந் நாகணைப் பள்ளி கொண்டானுக்குப் பல்லாண்டு கூறுதுமே

uduththuk kaLaintha nin pIthaga Adai uduththuk kalaththathu uNdu
thoduththa thuzhAy malar sUdik kaLainthana sUdum ith thoNdargaLOm
viduththa thisaik karumam thiruththith thiruvONath thiruvizhavil
paduththa pain nAgaNaip paLLi koNdAnukkup pallANdu kURuthumE

Listen

word-by-word meanings

uduththu – worn in the sacred waist
kaLaintha – discarded
nin – your (being the master)
pIthaga Adai – yellowish cloth
uduththu – wearing it
kalaththathu – remainder in the vessel (from which you ate)
uNdu – eating it
sUdik kaLainthana – that which where worn by you and discarded
thoduththa – prepared by (us, your servitors)
thuzhAy malar – thuLasi flowers
sUdum – wearing it
ith thoNdargaLOm – us who are such servitors;
viduththa – sent out to
thisaik karumam – the targets in the particular direction
thiruththi – complete it properly
paduththa –  in a lying down position
pai – (due to that) having raised hoods
nAga aNai – in the bed named thiruvananthAzhwAn (Adhi sEshan)
paLLi koNdAnukku – you who is resting on it
thiruvONath thiruvizhavil – on the auspicious sravaNam day
pallANdu kURuthum – we will sing thiruppallANdu

Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai’s commentary

• uduththu – Wearing the cloth along the waist such that there is good contact and to retain the stains of turmeric and sandalwood paste in it. We are amongst those who pray for (to receive) such cloth which causes auspiciousness for the master and having such stains/symbols in the cloth that is to be constantly remembered by the servitors in a pleasant manner.
• kaLaintha – When he discards such clothes due to change of postures/situation, the servitors want such clothes to fall on their head. This too is their prayer.

The reason for such clothes being desired by the devotees is explained further.

• nin pIthaga Adai – Because its the clothes of the real/fitting master, all the clothes are considered as a form of the pIthAmbaram (yellow [waist] cloth).
• nin pIthaga Adai – Even the waist cloth of bhagavAn has an AthmA as explained in  pauskara samhithA “sragvasthrAbaNairyuktham svAnurUpairanUpamai: | chinmayas svaprakAsaischa anyOnta ruchiranjithai: ||” (parabrahmam is with radiantly beautiful garlands, clothes, ornaments which are matching his glories, incomparable, filled with knowledge and self-illuminous).
• uduththu – For ananya prayOjanars, such clothes, etc., are ornaments. Alternatively, it is explained as – As said in jithanthE sthOthram “bhakthAnAm” (for the devotees only), the servitors think about this with utmost care when it comes to their master – just like a servant of the king will set the cloth properly on his own (servant’s) waist first and present it perfectly for the king to wear.
• kalaththathu uNdu – When the food is offered to emperumAn, the remnants are enjoyable for the devotees. It is explained in sthOthra rathnam 42 “thvadhIya bhukthOjjitha sEshabhOjinA …” (viswaksEnar who [always] eats your food remnants …). Those who don’t have true understanding of self, will eat the remnants as ordered in “gurOruchchishtam bhujjItha” (one must eat the food remnants of the master), to get their own desired results. But those who are fully devoted towards bhagavAn, will consume the remnants as the ultimate result (with great love). The food remnants of bhAgavathas (being surrendered to them is the pinnacle of being bhagavAn‘s servitor) are to be given to only the most-qualified persons as stated in thirumAlai 41 “tharuvarEl” (if they give, it is a great fortune). But bhagavAn‘s prasAdham (remnants) are enjoyable by even those who are focussed on material benefits.
• thoduththa … – When they pluck the thuLasi and make the garland, they would do it with so much love thinking that it is going to be worn by emperumAn. And such garland when  discarded after being worn by emperumAn, will be happily worn by us. emperumAn too knowing well the flavour of wearing the garland worn by some one else [ANdAL], he too happily gives out the worn garlands to his devotees.
• ith thoNdargaLOm – We are such devotees who would only eat, wear, etc., his remnants instead of doing it for our own desires. We sustain ourselves by using what is discarded by him.
• viduththa … – We are such persons who fulfill the orders of our master and spend our life in that manner.
• viduththa thisaik karumam thiruththi – As explained in srI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam 15.7 “kriyathAm” (… you order me to build the hermitage), we will hold your order as our life and fulfill the task. When we are sent in a particular direction, we will fulfill the task in such a manner that no one needs to go there again. adhama – one who does not fulfill the orders of the master; madhyama –  one who fulfills the orders of the master as it is; uththama – one who fulfills the orders of the master and also fulfills anything else that is related to that. thiruvadi (hanumAn) is such uththama (perfect) servitor. When he was sent to lankA to locate sIthA pirAtti, not only he located her, he also analysed rAvaNa’s capabilities (knowing well that srI rAma will subsequently ask for that) and created terror in the minds of the rAkshasas.
• thiruvONath thiruvizhavil – Though they fulfilled the orders, they are not satisfied and are worried for the birth day of bhagavAn which is sravaNam and thus they perform mangaLAsAsanam for that.
• paduththa … – Even after that they are not fulfilled; On seeing the beautiful posture of bhagavAn lying down on Adhi sEshan, they perform mangaLAsAsanam to avoid some one causing damage for that. The Adhi sEsha bed has qualities such as softness, fragrance, coolness, etc., and it even mesmerizes bhagavAn who is all-knowing. The combination of bhagavAn and Adhi sEshan is most beautiful and it is like a dark-cloud seated on a silver mountain. On seeing such contrasting beauty, what else one can do other than perform mangaLAsAsanam?

adiyEn sArathy rAmAnuja dAsan

archived in https://divyaprabandham.koyil.org

pramEyam (goal) – https://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org/
pramAthA (preceptors) – https://acharyas.koyil.org/
srIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org