thiruvAimozhi – 2.1.1 – vAyum thirai

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

Full series >> Second Centum >> First decad

separation-sorrow-with-crane

Introduction for this pAsuram

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction

No specific introduction.

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction

In the first pAsuram, parAnkuSa nAyaki (AzhwAr in feminine mood), looking at a crane which is single-mindedly waiting for its prey, thinks that it is in distress like herself and says “Alas! you too are suffering like this”.

Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction

In the first pAsuram,  meditating upon the union of SrI mahAlakshmi with SrIman nArAyaNan which is the cause of increased enjoyableness as highlighted previously in thiruvAimozhi 1.10.10 “maNiyai vAnavar kaNNanai” and becoming immersed in that experience, she sees a crane in her garden which is near the seashore and asks it “Did you also lose your heart to emperumAn?”.

Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction

See nampiLLai‘s introduction.

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

First pAsuram – Since those who are in separation seek out neydhal land (sea and seashore), parAnkusa nAyaki too reaches a garden on the seashore to cheer herself up while in distress of separation from emperumAn. She notices a crane there. On seeing the white/pale complexion of the crane’s body, she thinks that the crane too has become pale due to the love-sickness in separation and tells it “Oh poor thing! You too have been caught in the matter of same emperumAn like I am and lost your heart to him”.

pAsuram

வாயும் திரை உகளும் கானல் மட நாராய்
ஆயும் அமர் உலகும் துஞ்சிலும் நீ துஞ்சாயால்
நோயும் பயலைமையும் மீது ஊர எம்மே போல்
நீயும் திருமாலால் நெஞ்சம் கோள் பட்டாயே?

vAyum thirai ugaLum kAnal mada nArAy!
Ayum amar ulagum thunjilum nI thunjAyAl
nOyum payalamaiyum mIdhUra emmE pOl
nIyum thirumAlAl nenjam kOL pattAyE

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

vAyum – approaching closely
thirai – in the tide
ugaLum – carefully walking
kAnal – in the seashore
madam – majestic
nArAy – Oh crane!
Ayum – (sleepless) mother
amar ulagum – dhEva lOkam – celestial world (where sleep is nonexistent)
thunjilum – even if they sleep
nI – you
thunjAy – are not sleeping
Al – thus
nOyum – the pain/disease inside
payalaimaiyum – (which causes) the pale complexion due to love-sickness
mIdhUra – raising
emmE pOl – (being caught in dear one) like us
nIyum – you too
thirumAlAl – by SrIman nArAyaNan who is the consort of SrI mahAlakshmi
nenjam – heart
kOtpattAyE – have been stolen?

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

Oh crane that carefully walks on the closely approaching tides! Even if those sleepless mother, dhEvas in dhEvalOkam (where there sleep is nonexistent) sleep, you are not sleeping. It seems that this is because you are in pain inside (due to separation) as a result of which your body has become pale, due to that love-sickness like us whose hearts have been stolen by SrIman nArAyaNan.

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

  • vAyum thirai ugaLum – Even when great tides go over the head, the crane does not leave the seashore until its prey is caught. This is like those who are fully meditating upon bhagavAn (who do not give up in any circumstance). Just as it is said in periya thirumozhi 11.4.1, one who does not forget “alaikadalnIr kuzhamba agadAdavOdi agalvAnurinja mudhugil malaigaLai mIdhu koNdu varumInai” (the fish [mathsyAvathAram] which brings great mountains on its back in the ocean with great tides), this crane too is not forgetting the fish it preys for. As explained in srI bhAgavatham 10.20.15 “girayO varshadhArAbhihanyamAnA na vivyathu: abhibhUyamAnA vyasanairyathAdhOkshajachEthasa:” – even when great rains fall on a mountain, the mountain stays fixed – this is similar to those who are fixated on “sarvEsvaran is the protector” will stay strong and not become caught in miseries of this world.
  • kAnal madanArAy – Oh crane that carefully walks into the tides! Like the village-heads who wear auspicious pavithram (dharba grass), perform yAgam etc., and pretend to be virtuous while harming others, even if some lean fish pass by, you ignore them and wait for the best prey.
  • Ayum – my (parAnkusa nAyaki‘s) mother who has not slept since her birth worrying for my  well-being.
  • amar ulagum thunjilum – even if the nithyasUris (who never sleep) sleep, you are not sleeping. Why is her mother sleepless? Initially, she was sleepless thinking “we have to get her a fitting husband”; subsequently, on seeing her suffer in separation from emperumAn, she is sleepless. sIthA pirAtti said in srI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 119.36 “pathisamyOgasulabham vayO dhrushtvA cha mE pithA | chinthArNavagatha:” – my father became very worried thinking “Her age is ripe that she should be married to a suitable groom and I am not finding that suitable person”. Similarly, parAnkusa nAyaki‘s parents are having sleepless nights in such worry. nithyasUris do not sleep since their eye-lids never close and are always having the divine vision of emperumAn.
  • nOyum payalaimaiyum – the internal suffering and the impact of such internal suffering on her body.
  • mIdhUra – Like poison spreading in the body, this paleness has spread all over the body.
  • emmE pOl – I thought I was alone in this suffering but you are there too. Like me, you are also tolerating the sorrow, insults etc., still waiting for emperumAn and having pale complexion.
  • nIyum – you too who are so tender for not being able to handle the suffering in separation. Are both of us unable to uphold the principle explained in srI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 9.30 “thath thasya sadhrusam bhavEth” (he coming over to lankA and rescuing me (without any of my efforts) is the suitable action for srI rAma’s greatness).
  • thirumAlAl nenjam kOtpattAyE – Are you also suffering in your heart and physically, by losing bodily complexion like me? Did you [also] desire for “mainthanai malarAL maNavALanai” (the eternally youthful husband of SrI mahAlakshmi) [even after his being with srI mahAlakshmi who helps everyone to unite with him, how can he make us suffer like this?].
  • nenjam kOtpattAyE – You also lost your heart! Not just bodily suffering – you are suffering in your heart too!

In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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