SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Introduction
SrI rAmAnuja had assured maNavALa mAmunigaL of fulfilling his wish of reaching paramapadham. However, maNavALa mAmunigaL is not ready to wait it out till when it is the appropriate time as shown in the phrase “avan aruL perum aLavAvinillAdhu (thiruvAimozhi 9.9.6)”. maNavALa mAmunigaL is experiencing the pain that nammAzhvAr suffered in his “UrellAm thunji” (thiruvAimozhi (5.3). maNavALa mAmunigaL adds that he is doomed in the eternal darkness caused ignorance that is caused by this materialistic world. In order for this darkness to be obliterated , maNavALa mAmunigaL asks the sun called SrI rAmAnuja as to when will it eventually dawn upon him?
pAsuram 18
enRu vidivadhu enakku endhAi ethirAsA!
onRum aRiginRilEn uraiyAi
kunRAmal ippadiyE indha uyirkku enRum irulE viLaikkum
ippavamAm nInda iravu
Listen
Word-by-Word Meanings
endhAi – Oh! My beloved father!!!
ethirAsA! – yathirAja (the leader of sanyAsis)
indha uyirkku – The soul is (immersed) in
ippavamAm – this materialistic world
irulE viLaikkum – that is the source of darkness and ignorance
ippadiyE – It (soul) continues to be in this state
enRum – forever
kunRAmal – without showing any signs of light
nInda iravu – (This is similar to a) very long night that ceases to dawn
uraiyAi – (Oh!!! emperumAnArE!!! Please tell me
enRu – when
vidivadhu enakku – will it dawn for me?
onRum aRiginRilEn – I have no clue about anything in this regard.
Simple Translation
In this pAsuram, maNavALa mAmunigaL tells SrI rAmAnuja that he is completely clueless about when would he see the light at the end of the tunnel. The soul is being engulfed by darkness forever. There seems to be no imminent light that would eradicate the ignorance of the soul that is caused by inherent dark nature of this materialistic world. maNavALa mAmunigaL pleads for help to his father SrI rAmAnuja by declaring his despondency about when would it eventually dawn for him.
Explanation
maNavALa mAmunigaL says, “Oh my beloved father SrI rAmAnuja!!! The leader of sanyAsis! My soul does not show any signs of improvement. It seems to have been engulfed in eternal darkness. This darkness is caused by the inherent ignorance that is associated with this world that has not an iota of brightness in it. It is because of this association with this dark world that my soul is suffering from time immemorial. This long night of samsAram (worldly pain) is described as “avivEkha ganAnantha dhingmukhE (sthOthra rathnam 49). I am lost in this dark night called “samsAram” that never seems to be over and I do not see light anytime soon. I am a person who does not have any clue on what is the right direction and have been wandering randomly as per the phrase “padha skalitham (sthOthra rathnam 49)”. When will the good fortune of receiving your glance, occur to me? I am one, who is verily characterized by ignorance having no idea when and how it will dawn upon me? Hey SrI rAmAnuja! You are all knowing as they say in “nikhila kumathi mAyA sarvarI bAlasUrya: (yathirAja sapthathi 28)”. You are sun and thus only you can get rid of this darkness that engulfs me as described in the phrase “suprabhAthathya rajanI (SrIvishNu purANam)”.
adiyEn santhAna rAmAnuja dAsan
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