SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Full series >> Third Centum >> Ninth decad
Introduction for this pAsuram
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction
No specific introduction.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction
In sixth pAsuram – They (those who praise worldly people) say “We are praising mortal humans et al for our livelihood”. AzhwAr replies to them “Instead of surrendering unto such lowly humans and make a living, it is better to toil physically by doing hard labour or engage in craft works to make a living”. They say “But that won’t fulfil our desires; thus we are worshipping our favourite dhEvathAs and have our desires fulfilled”. AzhwAr replies “Since they don’t have the auspicious qualities which can be praised you, you praise emperumAn who have such auspicious qualities who is the recipient of all praises anyway. If you don’t, you will be blamed of robbery [of stealing emperumAn’s qualities/glories and giving them to others]; thus you come and worship emperumAn”.
Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction
Subsequently, AzhwAr says “Whoever you praise, that will reach the supreme lord of all, the divine master of SrI mahAlakshmi only”.
Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction
See nanjIyar‘s introduction.
Highlights from nampiLLai‘s introduction as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai
See nanjIyar‘s introduction.
pAsuram
vammin pulavIr! num mey varuththik kai seydhuymminO
im mannulagi(ni)l selvar ippOdhillai nOkkinOm
num in kavi koNdu num num ittA dheyvam EththinAl
semmin sudar mudi en thirumAlukkuch chErumE
Listen
Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
pulavIr – Oh knowledgeable persons due to being a poet!
vammin – come here (giving up praising others);
(for your livelihood)
num mey varuththi – toiling your body
kai seydhu – engaging in craft works
uymminO – survive;
man – eternal due to the continuity [of repeated material creation]
i – this
ulaginil – world
selvar – SrImAn (wealthy person)
ippOdhu – at this time
illai – not there
nOkkinOm – we have analysed;
(Now,)
num – your
in kavi koNdu – with your best poems
num num – matching your taste
ittA dheyvam – favourite dhEvathAs
EththinAl – if praised
(since those praises don’t befit them, instead of belonging to them)
sem min sudar mudi – having a divine crown with unstoppable radiant glow
en thirumAlukkE – divine lord of SrI mahAlakshmi, who is my lord
sErum – will belong to him
Simple translation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
Oh knowledgeable persons who are wise due to being a poet, come here (giving up praising others)! For your livelihood, you can survive by toiling your body and engaging in craft works; we have analysed that at this time there is no SrImAn (wealthy person) in this world which is eternal due to the continuity [of repeated material creation]; now, if you praised your favourite dhEvathAs matching your taste with your best poems, (since those praises don’t befit them, instead of belonging to them) they will belong to the divine lord of SrI mahAlakshmi, who is my lord, who is having a divine crown with unstoppable radiant glow.
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
- vammin – Like inviting those who are caught in a wild fire by showing a pond, AzhwAr is inviting these persons [who are caught in the wild fire of material realm by showing bhagavAn].
- pulavIr – Oh ones who know what is good! come here. They ask AzhwAr “Why are you calling us? Even if we have to manage our livelihood by praising others, don’t we need to do that?”, AzhwAr replies “Even if you want to truly take care of your livelihood, do you have to reduce yourself for that? can you not take care of your livelihood, without lowering your stature?”.
- num mey … – You can toil your body or engage in craft works to manage your livelihood. embAr explains this as – would you not engage in carrying heavy loads, cutting grass etc?
When they said “But we won’t get sufficient funds to manage our livelihood! if we praise others we can get whatever we want”, AzhwAr says “Yes – if that happens [if you get the appropriate rewards]”,
- immannulagil selvar ippOdhillai nOkkinOm – In this world which is pravAharUpENa nithyam [unlike spiritual realm which is factually eternal, this material realm is eternal due to the continuity in creation after creation], there is no SrImAn (wealthy persons) who will reward you matching your praises.
- ippOdhu nOkkinOm – We (AzhwAr) analyzed now seeing “These people are putting their heart in praising others – is there any benefit?”; but there is no one. Another explanation – Why say “no one present now” – there was also no one previously? Since AzhwAr was not focussed on this worldly aspects [initially he was engaged in enjoying emperumAn fully and subsequently he turned towards the suffering souls and started advising them], he is seeing them now thinking “Are they unnecessarily toiling? Is there any benefit for their efforts?”.
They say “Alright. We accept that there is no human being who is capable of rewarding us properly. But dhEvathAs (celestial beings – demigods) are different from manushyas (humans); so, we will praise our favourite dhEvathAs using these poems” and AzhwAr replies,
- num … – With your sweet praises, if you who are in rAjasa (passionate) or thAmasa (ignorant) mode, praise respective rAjasa or thAmasa dhEvathAs, that,
- sem min … – You praise with certain glorification in your poems; those glorification will not be applicable for them; when you say “puNdarikAksha” (lotus-eyed), it will belong to the one who lotus eyes; it will not apply to a “virUpAksha” (one who is having deformed eyes); thus, those praises will reach Sriya:pathi (lord of SrI mahAlakshmi) who is having the divine crown which reveals his supremacy over everyone else. As a result, you only get called as robbers (since you rob off the qualities of emperumAn and try to give it to others). While praising some one, you would normally say “sarvAdhika (greater than all), samastha kalyANa guNAthmaka (abode of all auspicious qualities), sarvarakshaka (protector of all and so on”; that will only apply to emperumAn who really has those qualities. emperumAn who has the divine crown with unstoppable radiant glow.
- en thirumAlukkuch chErum – Even without your intentions, based on the nature/content of the poem, they will reach Sriya:pathi only. Alternate explanation – As said in mudhal thiruvanthAdhi 67 “oNdAmaraiyAL kELvan oruvanaiyE nOkkum uNarvu” ((knowledge of) AthmA will only focus on SrIman nArAyaNan who is the lord of SrI mahAlakshmi), as true knowledge will only be focussed on SrIman nArAyaNan, as poems are garlands of words and since bhagavAn is indicated by all words, they will reach him only. [Words that directly mean could indicate him, but how could all words which point to chith (sentient) and achith (insentient) will indicate him?] That is – as all words indicate the combination of achith (matter/form that is visible), the jIvAthmA who controls that form and the anthAryAmi (in-dwelling super soul – bhagavAn), due to the primary importance of being the viSEshya (primary entity), the words primarily indicate him [For example – when we say goat – it indicates the body of goat (matter – achith), the AthmA inside that body which is controlling the activities of the goat and the paramAthmA who is the antharyAmi. Similarly, “table” indicates the physical form of table, the AthmA which is inside the table and the paramAthmA who is the antharyAmi. This principle applies to every form/body which is perceivable by our senses]. dhaksha smruthi “yE yajanthi …” (Whoever worships pithrus (ancestors), dhEvathAs (celestial beings), brAhmaNas with agni, it implies that they worship vishNu who is the anthAryAmi of all beings).
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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