SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Full series >> Second Centum >> Fourth decad
Introduction for this pAsuram
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction
No specific introduction.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction
In the first pAsuram – parAnkusa nAyaki‘s (AzhwAr in feminine mood) divine mother is grieving saying that my daughter is feeling sunken saying “emperumAn who incarnated as narasimha and helped SrI prahlAdhAzhwAn, is not helping me”.
Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction
In the first pAsuram – She is saying that parAnkusa nAyaki is feeling depressed saying “He has not helped me like he did for prahlAdha”.
Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction
See nanjIyar‘s introduction.
Highlights from nampiLLai‘s introduction as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai
In the first pAsuram – parAnkusa nAyaki‘s mother is saying that her daughter is calling out for emperumAn who is of the nature of helping his devotees when they called for him keeping their danger itself as the reason (for his arrival).
pAsuram
ஆடி ஆடி அகம் கரைந்து,
இசை பாடிப் பாடிக் கண்ணீர் மல்கி,
எங்கும் நாடி நாடி நரசிங்கா என்று,
வாடி வாடும் இவ் வாள் நுதலே
Adi Adi agam karaindhu
isai pAdip pAdik kaNNIr malgi
engum nAdi nAdi narasingA enRu
vAdi vAdum iv vAL nudhalE
Listen
Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
ivvAL nudhal (ivvANudhal) – one who is having a shining forehead
Adi Adi – running around many times (like a trained dancer whose dance is a treat to watch, out of her grief unable to stay in one place)
agam karaindhu – having a broken heart
isai pAdip pAdi – (out of that grief) lamenting by singing in many different ways
kaNNIr malgi – (like a melted heart will shed) tears from eyes
engum – everywhere
nAdi nAdi – looking out for him
narasingA enRu – calling out as narasimha! (who is present everywhere)
vAdi vAdum – (since he did not arrive even after that) became very exhausted
Simple transalation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
My daughter who is having a shining forehead, is running around many times (like a trained dancer whose dance is a treat to watch, out of her grief unable to stay in one place), and is having a broken heart; she is thus lamenting by singing in many different ways and shedding tears from her eyes; she is looking for emperumAn calling out as narasimha! (who is present everywhere) and (since he did not arrive even after that) became very exhausted.
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
- Adi Adi – The divine mother of parAnkusa nAyaki became attracted to her daughter’s restlessness/anxiety (in separation from emperumAn) which was manifested in her irregular state, walking and sleeping. Like SrI kausalyA suffering in (thinking about the) separation from SrI rAma as explained in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 40.45 “… nruthyanthImiva mAtharam” (Seeing kausalyA starting to cry constantly, in thinking about the separation of SrI rAma, lakshmaNa and sIthA – SrI rAma watched her like seeing a dancer). When someone is beautiful, all their actions would also be beautiful (and enjoyable for others). When sIthA was in separation from SrI rAma and not decorated, vAlmIki bhagavAn narrated her in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 29.1 “… subhAm …” (the one with an auspicious form).
- Adi – Second “Adi” is not the same as first “Adi” (the tone becomes much lower due to her inability). Initially, though unable to sustain oneself, one would walk about waiting for perumAL [But subsequently, even that would not be possible, since one will be totally exhaused]. Since emperumAn is filled with auspicious qualities, one cannot easily give up on him. This is explained by quoting bharatha’s situation in SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 1.38 “rAmAgamanakAngshayA” (desiring for SrI rAma’s arrival) – bharatha thinks “if I can see SrI rAma’s face one more time, why should I give up this life in a useless manner?” administered the kingdom, waiting for SrI rAma. Second “Adi” is recited in half the volume of first “Adi” – this can be understood based on the sound of the cymbal (like a sound being echoed).
- agam karaindhu – Like the walk (action) is irregular, heart/mind too became weak like ice melting to become water. How did the mother know the daughter’s heart is melting? Just like the daughter’s actions are observed through her eyes, the daughter’s heart is understood by her own heart. While it is said that “mana: pUrvO vAguththara:” (whatever is conceived in mind manifests in action subsequently), there is no such order in her behaviour. Her crying out in anxiety has naturally turned into a song. Just as it is said in thiruchchantha viruththam 105 “paNNai venRa insol mangai” (girl whose words are better than music), SrI rAma said to hanuman about sIthA in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 64.15 “madhurA madhurAlApA” (the beautiful one with beautiful voice). Just like her actions out of anxiety became a dance, her words out of anxiety became a song. Unlike the first time crying, subsequent crying will be a lot weaker.
- kaNNIr malgi – Once the heart melted, it flowed like music and came out as tears.
- malgi – abundance. SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 33.4 “kimartham thava nEthrAbhyAm vArisravathi SOkajam” (Why are sad tears coming out of your eyes (which resemble lotus flower) where there should only be tears of joy?) – bhattar explained the meaning of this SlOkam and mercifully asked “Whose clan is going to be destroyed by these tears?”; piLLAn asked “Who is there to enjoy this form (no one)?” focusing more on “lotus like eyes shedding tears” (since emperumAn is not present there). nampiLLai says “Oh sinful me! I have not seen perumAL arriving to see my form”.
- engum nAdi nAdi – having her danger (separation) alone as thAmrasAsanam (charter written on copper plate as evidence/reason), she would look around in all directions. SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 31.19 is explained by nampiLLai here:
- sA thiryakUrdhvancha thathApyadhasthAth (sIthA pirAtti looked across, up and down) – though she was unconscious, when she heard the divine names (of SrI rAma recited by hanuman), she started looking around everywhere across lankA, up and down. Why did she look down? Three explanations are given: 1) If one can come out of earth and recite the names, he can come out of everywhere – so she looked around everywhere; 2) one who was fasting for a month, upon hearing the word “food”, will look around everywhere with great desire – similarly she looked around everywhere; 3) it can be said as sIthA pirAtti looking at the SimSupA tree everywhere (across, top and bottom).
- thamachinthyabhudhdhim dhadharSa – Before seeing hanuman’s form, she analysed his heart, thinking that he has arrived where she is and with the kind heart to help her.
- pingAdhipathEr amAthyam – she understood that he is not independent and he is here on the orders of his king
- vAthAthmajam – he looked like “the son of vAyu who is the one who provides life sustaining air to all” since he is going to help sustain pirAtti who is the life of SrI rAma
- sUryamivOdhayastham – he laid the foundation for sunrise in lankA; like the aruNOdhayam (the early morning time before sunrise), hanuman was the aruNOdhayam before SrI rAma who is the sUryOdhayam. That is why inside lankA’s fort, it sounds “hari hari” (double meaning – hari means vishNu; hari also means monkey; the name “hari” is recited in the morning as soon as one wakes up to ward off their sins). So, why is she searching in places from where emperumAn may not arrive? Because, emperumAn arrives from any place; why is she not calling out for vishNu (generally)? After singing “paththudai adiyavar“, she would always stop at avathArams (incarnations) and not go beyond that.
- engum nAdi nAdi – bhattar explained this as “she searched even in her own koysakam (saree-fold)” – this is based on emperumAn having AzhwAr‘s waist as his residing place as AzhwAr himself said in thiruvAimozhi 1.9.4 “kaNNan en okkalaiyAnE” (krishNa is on my waist).
- narasingA enRu – Since she did not have a pillar like prahlAdha had. The one who appeared in front of prahlAdha who had pristine knowledge and said “maththassarvam aham sarvam” (SrIvishNu purANam 1.19.85 – everything is created from me, everything is me) – he is not appearing before this poor girl! Would you help only if the father becomes enemy? Would you not help if you yourself become enemy (by not uniting with her)? While you helped the one who is firm in gyAnam (knowledge), would you not help me who is firm in bhakthi (devotion)? While you helped men, would you not help girls (like me)? While you helped assuming form which is unnatural, would you not help with your natural form? Should she develop some qualification (like prahlAdha should be protected with a unique narasimha form), approach you at a particular time (since hiraNyakaSipu could not be killed at day, night etc), expect you to help her with a particular tool (like emperumAn was forced to use his nails to kill hiraNyakaSipu and protect prahlAdha)? Should you have to assume a particular face to protect her (like he assumed lion face to protect prahlAdha)?
- vAdi vAdum – Like a stem which lost its supporting stick. First “vAdi” (sulking) is fresh, when we compare the second “vAdum” with that (she deteriorated quickly).
- vAdum – It is in future tense. So she is sure that she will not die and will just crave for his arrival.
- ivvANudhalE (ivvAL nudhalE) – having a shining forehead. She is going through such suffering which those who become attracted to her will go through. Are you staying away from her thinking that you can create someone like her if she dies? Are you planning to create (someone like her) again as said in thaiththirya upanishadh nArAyaNavalli “dhAthA yathApUrvamakalpayath” (brahmA created like it was present in previous times (before praLayam))? The signs of the union you had with her in “Unil vAzhuyir” has still not disappeared. Just like one who was destroyed by arrows and one who drowned in water will be clearly identified, she is suffering due to separation from emperumAn who has abundance of auspicious qualities.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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