SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Full series >> Second Centum >> Ninth decad
Introduction for this pAsuram
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction
No specific introduction.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction
In the fifth pAsuram – AzhwAr says “Let the soul be the same as body; Or let the one who is different from body be the soul; it is irrelevant; my goal is to enjoy all the various incarnations which were taken by bhagavAn for his devotees’ sake”.
Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction
Subsequently, AzhwAr says “I want the happiness of not forgetting this ISwaran who reveals this total dependence to me”.
Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction
In the fifth pAsuram – when asked “What is your true nature? The goal should match your nature”, AzhwAr replies “It does not matter who I am; what matters is that, whoever I am, I should exist for his sake only”.
Highlights from nampiLLai‘s introduction as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai
Fifth pAsuram. AzhwAr first desired for service through mind, speech and body and said “You should eliminate everything that is for “me” and simply engage my these three faculties (mind, speech and body) for your pleasure alone”; emperumAn thinks “this kind of dealings cannot be had with samsAris (worldly people); so let us investigate what AzhwAr thinks of himself while praying for this” and asked “Who are you desiring this favour from me?” AzhwAr replied “Some say ‘dhEham (body) is the same as AthmA (soul)’; others say ‘since without indhriyams (senses), the body cannot do anything, the senses are the soul’; few others say ‘even those senses cannot grasp and understand the objects when not supported by manas (mind), so mind is the soul’; few others say ‘even the mind works only with the support of prANas (vital airs – prANa, apAna etc), so vital air is the soul’; few others say even if all are present, unless adhyavasAyam (firm knowledge) is there, there is no use; so, budhdhi (intellect) is the soul’; finally, some say ‘some thing is beyond all of these, having gyAnam as an attribute and being made of gyAnam – this is AthmA (soul)'” AzhwAr says “there is no specific binding for me in any of these; whoever I am, I want to be an object which exists purely for your sake”. This is like ALavandhAr saying in sthOthra rathnam 52 “vapurAdhisu yOpi kOpi vA …” (Let me be anything starting with body).
pAsuram
siRappil vIdu suvarkka naragam
iRappil eydhuga eydhaRka – yAnum
piRappil pal piRavip perumAnai
maRapponRu inRi enRum magizhvEnE
Listen
Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
iRappil – after leaving this body
siRappil – having goodness (of bliss)
vIdu – mOksham (liberation)
suvarkkam – svarga – heaven (which is fictitious joy or a misconceived joy)
naragam – naraka – hell (which is filled with sorrow)
eydhuga – reach there (when considering the body to be different from the soul)
eydhaRka – does not reach and get finished (when considering the body to be the same as the soul)
piRappu – cause for birth
il – when not there
pal – in many forms
piRavi – one who is born
perumAnai – sarvEsvaran
onRu – any (of these qualities which win over his devotees and make them fully depend on him)
maRappu inRi – not forgetting
enRum – always
magizhvEn – let me have the bliss (caused by such continuous remembrance)
Simple translation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
After leaving this body, let me reach (when considering the body to be different from the soul) mOksham (spiritual realm) which is having the goodness (of bliss) or heaven (which is fictitious joy or a misconceived joy) or naraka – hell (which is filled with sorrow), or let me not go anywhere and get finished (when considering the body to be the same as the soul) here itself. But let me always have the bliss (caused by continuous remembrance) of not forgetting sarvEsvaran‘s any of these qualities (which win over his devotees and make them fully depend on him) of the various forms in which he is born though he has no reason to take birth [one is assuming a particular birth due to his or her karma – since bhagavAn is not bound by any karma, he is not forced into any birth – but he assumes different births due to his own desire]. Both previous pAsuram and this pAsuram are AzhwAr‘s monologue (instead of speaking face to face with perumAL).
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
- siRappil vIdu … – mOksham (liberation) which is explained as the unlimited bliss acquired by nithya samsAri (eternally bound soul in this world) which matches that of nithyasUris (eternally free souls), svargam which has limited bliss, naraka which has pure suffering only – let me achieve any of these at the time of my death or not achieve. This means – let the AthmA (soul) be different from dhEham (body) and thus progress to a different place after death or let the AthmA and dhEham be the same and be finished at the time of death. It is irrelevant (for AzhwAr). Only the AthmA, which is different from the body, goes on to acquire a new body and enjoys in svargam etc; the body is obviously burnt down to ashes after death as we see for ourselves.
- yAnum – Here AzhwAr says “me too, who is unqualified for any of these”. Also explained as AzhwAr saying “whoever I am, without having to analyse my nature”.
- piRappu il pal piRavip perumAnai – sarvAdhika (one who is greater than all), though he has no karma which binds him to a particular birth, takes birth in those forms which are even looked down upon by those bound in this material realm. yajur vEdham “ajAyamAnO bahudhA vijAyathE” (the unborn (one who has no necessity to take birth due to karma), assumes many births).
- maRappu onRu inRi – not forgetting any of those incarnations and the divine activities of those incarnations.
- maRappu onRu inRi – we can forget anything related to us; but we cannot forget anything related to bhagavAn.
- enRum magizhvEnE – magizhchchi (joy) and anubhavam (experience) are synonyms; AzhwAr says, “I will experience him”. Thus, through this pAsuram, AzhwAr reveals his own nature. Through “perumAn” (lord), he reveals his SEshathvam (subservience); through “maRapponRinRi” (without forgetting anything), he reveals gyAthruthvam (being a sentient); through “enRum” (always), he reveals nithyathvam (eternal nature); through “magizhvu” (joy), he reveals bhOkthruthvam (being the enjoyer).
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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