SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Full series >> Third Centum >> Second decad
Introduction for this pAsuram
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction
No specific introduction.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction
In third pAsuram – AzhwAr says “You took birth as krishNa to accept those who missed out when you appeared as vAmana; I missed out that opportunity as well; you have to find the ways for such person (me) to reach you”.
Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction
Subsequently, AzhwAr says “You who is capable of eliminating the enemies of your devotees, have to mercifully tell me a way through which I can reach you”.
Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction
See nampiLLai‘s introduction.
Highlights from nampiLLai‘s introduction as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai
Third pAsuram. emperumAn asks AzhwAr “Since vAmanAvathAram happened in ancient times, and since you are after that time and have missed out the opportunity there, I descended as krishNa, and obeyed the words of pANdavas to protect the mangaLasUthram of a lady (the ornament which identifies a married woman); can you not come and take shelter there?” and AzhwAr replies “I missed out the opportunity there too”.
pAsuram
kollA mAkkOl kolai seydhu bhAradhap pOr
ellAch chEnaiyum iru nilaththaviththa endhAy
pollA Akkaiyin puNarvinai aRukkalaRA
sollAy yAn unnaich chArvadhOr sUzhchchiyE
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Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
kollA – tool which is not meant to kill
mA – that which drives a horse
kOl – stick with thorn
as said in “mayaivaithE nihathA:“, purely through his will,
kolai – killing
seydhu – done
bhAradhap pOr – in the mahAbhAratha yudhdham (battle)
ellAch chEnaiyum – all the armies (irrespective of them belonging to the enemies or pANdavas, those who are causing burden to the earth)
iru nilaththu – in the vast land (of dharmakshEthra – the righteous place of kurukshEthra)
aviththa – destroyed
endhAy – my swAmy (lord and master)!
pollA – that which causes disaster
Akkaiyin – with the body
puNarvinai – connection
aRukkal – (if I tried) to cut off
aRA – unable to do so;
yAn – me (who is caught in this)
unnai – you (who can eliminate my hurdles)
chArvadhu – to reach
Or – distinct
sUzhchchi – method
sollAy – please tell (like you explained to arjuna)
Simple translation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
Oh my lord and master who destroyed all the armies (irrespective of them belonging to the enemies or pANdavas, those who are causing burden to the earth) in the mahAbhAratha yudhdham (battle) in the vast land (of dharmakshEthra – the righteous place of kurukshEthra) with the thorny stick (as said in “mayaivaithE nihathA:“, purely through his will) which is meant to drive the horse and not to kill! even if I tried to cut off the connection with the body I am unable to do so; (like you explained to arjuna,) please tell me (who is caught in this) a distinct method to reach you (who can eliminate my hurdles).
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
- kollA – When krishNa was mercifully resting, dhuryOdhana and arjuna arrived there to request for his help; dhuryOdhana stayed at the side of krishNa’s divine head and arjuna stayed at the side of krishNa’s divine feet; when krishNa woke up, he asked “How are the kings?” [looking at arjuna]; dhuryOdhan says “I came first” and krishNa replies “It is alright that you came first; but I saw arjuna first [since he was standing at his divine feet]” as said in mahAbhAratham udhyOga parvam 6 “bhavAnabhigatha: pUrvamathra mE nAsthi samSaya:…” (I have not doubt that you came here first, but arjuna was seen by me first) and argues in favour of arjuna thus; then he enquires “what do you both need?” and both say “we need help for our battle”; hearing that, krishNa says “Alright; one of you can have my army; and the other can have me”; Like those who think the actions themselves will bear fruits [instead of knowing, bhagavAn who is pleased/pained by actions will give the results], dhuryOdhan chose to accept krishNa’s army and bhIshma, dhrONa et al condemned him for his mistake and instructed him to go back to krishNa and request him not to take up arms during the battle; he comes back and asks “you should not take up arms” and krishNa replies “Agreed. I won’t take up weapons”, and then uses his thorny stick which is used to drive the horse, to finish everyone [simply by driving around the horse].
- bhAradhap pOr – in the battle of mahAbhAratha
- ellAch chEnaiyum – In both the armies, there were many evil persons. He finished all of them except a few here (pANdavas) and a very few there (aSwaththAmA, krupAchArya et al).
- iru nilaththu – the place where the battle happened was such a holy site that even if those who lost their lives did not have anything good in them, they would still reach heaven for their valour.
- aviththa – dampened. When bhIshma et al came like forest fire to attack, he dampened them like a dark-cloud pouring heavy rain. His arrival is explained in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 3.4.1 as “mazhaikolO varuginRadhu” (is it rain that is coming?).
- endhAy – AzhwAr feels that whatever help done for pANdavas back then is like help done to AzhwAr himself.
- pollA Akkai … – This (body) is not as cool as those dhuryOdhana et al who were killed by you [it is more cruel than them]. While it looks like it is favourable, in reality it is dangerous. It will create enjoyableness in it and will thus conceal the enjoyableness of bhagavAn. When some one has many blemishes, the learned elders would consider him as downtrodden and give up on him. Similarly, AzhwAr considers all the blemishes of the body and says “pollA Akkai” (disastrous body). The sins sins that are combined with each other, that caused this body. puNarvinai means the connection with such a body.
- aRukkalaRA – it will repeatedly reappear like rAvaNa’s head [everytime SrI rAma knocked off rAvaNa’s head, it will grow again due to the mystical power rAvaNa had; similarly the karmas are not easy to eliminate].
- sollAy – You should mercifully tell me a method through which I can eliminate these karmas and reach you. If I know that method, I will try to escape [and be bound still in this material realm]. So, you have to find a method which I won’t know. But you also have to tell me [so, I am pacified that I will escape].
- yAn – Like some one who is held in prison, me who is tied in this material realm.
- unnai – You who is enjoyed by the nithyasUris in the special abode of SrIvaikuNtam.
- chArvadhOr sUzhchchiyE – Tell me a method to reach you. i.e., mercifully saying as in SrI bhagavath gIthA 18.66 “sarvapApEbhyO mOkshayishyAmi” (I will make you relieved of all sins).
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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