SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Introduction
This pAsuram is connected to pAsuram 12. The previous pAsuram (pAsuram 13) was a deviation (prAsangikam). In pAsuram 12, SrI rAmAnuja asked maNavALa mAmunigaL, “Oh! maNavALa mAmunigaL! You are telling me that you surrendered unto my feet because your AchAryan had told you to do so. You say that your act of surrender to me upon your AchAryan’s direction is the way to liberate you. Will that surrender suffice in your case? Don’t you need to have any other qualification apart from your surrender?” This is what maNavALa mAmunigaL assumed SrI rAmAnuja had in mind. To this question, maNavALa mAmunigaL gives an answer in this pAsuram. maNavALa mAmunigaL says that “Oh! SrI rAmAnuja! If a person has all the desired qualifications, then why would he fall at your feet? You are a person who blesses all those who does not have any qualifications whatsoever. Hence, refugees including me should be protected only by you. If not for you, there is no other place for us”.
pAsuram
adhigAramundEl arangar irangArO
adhigAram illAdhArkkanRO – ethirAsa
nI iranga vEnduvadhu nIyum adhigArigaLukkE
irangil en seyvOm yAm
Listen
Word-by-Word Meanings
adhigAramundEl – if one is completely qualified across the dimensions of knowledge and its subsequent practice
arangar – periya perumAL (SrI ranganAthan)
irangArO – will he not come down and help him?
ethirAsa – But hey ethirAsa, you
adhigAram illAdhArkkanRO – will step down to help out those people who does not have an iota of any of the aforementioned qualification. Is it not true?
nI iranga vEnduvadhu – We request you to come down and help such people (including me)
nIyum adhigArigaLukkE irangil – Even you, who is the sole refuge for all the refugees, start to help out only those people who have qualifications
en seyvOm yAm – what do we do then?
Simple Translation:
In this pAsuram, maNavALa mAmunigaL tells SrI rAmAnuja that he does not have any other place to go except his (SrI rAmAnuja’s) lotus feet. SrI rAmAnuja is the only person who can save any person who does not have any refuge. SrI rAmAnuja does not look out for any qualification in a person in order to surrender unto him. It is periya perumAL who looks out for qualification such as gyAnam (knowledge) and its associated practice (anushtAnam). maNavALa mAmunigaL concludes by saying that if even SrI rAmAnuja starts to look out for qualifications, then there is absolutely no place for him and others to go.
Explanation:
maNavALa mAmunigaL tells SrI rAmAnuja “Oh SrI rAmAnuja! Look at periya perumAL! He blesses people like nammAzhvAr as per her request “puNNAnthuzhAme porunIrth thiruvarangA aruLAy (thiruviruththam 28). nammAzhvAr after being liberated by the blessings of periya perumAL says “aruL sUdi uyndhavan (thiruvAimozhi 7.2.11). periya perumAL blesses only those people who have qualifications. But look at people like us. We do not have any such qualification. Oh the leader of all yathis (sanyAsIs)!!! You have to help people like us who have no such thing called qualification. You are the sole refuge for all those innumerable souls that have no place to go. But even if you start to look out for qualifications and help only those who have them, what qualification can people like us show in order to be recipient of your mercy? We would never be liberated forever.
adiyEn santhAna rAmAnuja dAsan
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