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 ninth pAsuram – AzhwAr says “I who was made by the most generous emperumAn only by him, am not qualified to praise others”.
Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction
See nanjIyar‘s introduction.
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
vAy koNdu mAnidam pAda vandha kaviyEn allEn
Ay koNda sIr vaLLal Azhip pirAn enakkE uLan
sAy koNda immaiyum sAdhiththu vAnavar nAttaiyum
nI kaNdu koL enRu vIdum tharum ninRu ninRE
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Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
vAy koNdu – with my mouth which is the sensory organ for speech (which is meant to praise the apt emperumAn)
mAnidam – manushya (mortal humans who are not apt to be praised)
pAda – to sing
vandha – come
kaviyEn allEn – not a poet;
Ay – examined (in vEdhAntham)
sIr – qualities such as Anandham (bliss) etc
koNda – having
vaLLal – most generous
Azhi – having divine chakra (which will ensure that the hearts of those poets will be captivated in emperumAn)
pirAn – great benefactor
enakkE uLan – is present for me exclusively as the distinguished one;
(He)
sAy koNda – having great radiance
immaiyum – archAvathAra anubhavam in this material realm
sAdhiththu – create and present
vAnavar nAttaiyum – the spiritual realm which is owned by nithyasUris
(like sEnai mudhaliyAr)
nI kaNdu koL enRu – saying “you analyse and manage”
vIdum – mOkshAnandham (the bliss of liberation which is acquired by serving him)
ninRu – in the proper methods
tharum – will give.
Simple translation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
I am not a poet who have come to sing manushya (mortal humans who are not apt to be praised) with my mouth which is the sensory organ for speech (which is meant to praise the apt emperumAn); the most generous emperumAn whose qualities such as Anandham (bliss) etc are examined in vEdhAntham, who is a great benefactor having divine chakra (which will ensure that the hearts of those poets will be captivated in emperumAn) is present for me exclusively as the distinguished one; he will create and present us the greatly radiant archAvathAra anubhavam (enjoyment in deity form of emperumAn) in this material realm and the spiritual realm which is owned by nithyasUris, and will say “you analyse and manage (like sEnai mudhaliyAr, who is chief administrator of all operations)” and also give mOkshAnandham (the bliss of liberation which is acquired by serving him) in proper methods.
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
- vAy koNdu … – AzhwAr is the only one who can naturally praise emperumAn [His speech/mouth is present specifically to praise emperumAn which is explained by this SlOkam]. SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 40.5 “srushtasthvam vanavAsAya” (sumithrA says to lakshmaNa – “you are given birth to accompany (and serve) SrI rAma in the forest”); “srushtasthvam vanavAsAya” – iLaiya perumAL (lakshmaNa informed his mother sumithrA, “perumAL (SrI rAma) is leaving to forest as per the orders of father and mother (dhaSaratha and kaikEyi); I am following him too”, and sumithrA replies “if you have the desire to be crowned to rule the kingdom [which you don’t have], that could have been due to me praying to give birth to a son with such qualities; I have given birth to you to have you fully serving SrI rAma”; “suhrujjanE rAmE – svanuraktha:” – you care for the divine feet of SrI rAma without anyone instructing you to do so; is there anything for me to specifically advise you now? you serve emperumAn with great taste in serving him and seeing him through your ears [since AdhiSEsha, the serpent has both seeing and hearing through the same sensory organ]. Alternatively – it is explained as “svanuraktha: suhrujjanE” – You are dear to those who good people who care for perumAL (SrI rAma) thinking “Like a soft garland was placed under hot sun, perumAL ignoring his tender nature, left to the forest to fulfil his father’s order – what is going to happen now [for him]?” – SrI rAma’s mothers and others in ayOdhyA request lakshmaNa to care for SrI rAma who is like the root (which sustains them all) for them. “rAmE” – One who is beautiful as it is, and walking a few steps elegantly will increase his beauty manifold. “rAmE pramAdham mAkArshI:” – There is no reason for lakshmaNa who since birth as said in SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 18.27 “bAlyAth prabruthi susnigdha:” (friendship from childhood) sustained himself by being together with SrI rAma and suffered in separation from him, to become forgetful now; she must be saying some thing specifically for the current context [of going to the forest]. “bhrAthari gachchathi” – SrI rAma will be walking in front of you; You be alert that you don’t become captivated by his beauty [while walking in front of you]; his elegant walk makes him deserve a ceremonial umbrella as said in SrI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam 11.1 “agratha: prayayau” (SrI rAma walks first). periyazhwAr too explains the beauty of his walk/steps in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 3.6.4 “Adal pAdal” pAsuram.
- vAy koNdu – I am not born to glorify lowly persons with my mouth/speech. If I praise some one else, how will your creation of me be fulfilled? srushti (creation) is for self as said in SrI rangarAja sthavm “svamudhdhisya” (for himself).
- Ay koNda – When asked “Though you are set out to praise him, is he not beyond words as vEdham itself returned unable to glorify him as in thaiththiriya upanishath ‘yathO vAchO nivarthanthE‘ (the words returned being unable to glorify bhagavAn fully and even the mind cannot comprehend him)?”, AzhwAr says he presents himself for me as said in jithanthE sthOthram “bhakthAnAm” (My names, forms etc (everything) are for my devotees only).
- Ay koNda sIr – His auspicious qualities which are well analyzed already [by vEdhAntham etc] and are opposite to all defects.
- vaLLal – Very generous
- Azhip pirAn – One who is having the tool (sudharSana chakra) which preserves these qualities in him.
- enakkE uLan – he presented himself to be glorified by my poems exclusively.
- Azhip pirAn … – He presented the divine combination of himself and his tools (sudharSana chakra etc) to be praised by me as said in thiruvAimozhi 6.4.9 “valakkai Azhi” (having sudharSana chakra in the right hand) etc.
- sAy koNda immaiyum sAdhiththu – Bestowing me with radiant joy in this material ream. sAy – radiance. koLgai – having. Making the present life such that it is more enjoyable than liberation too.
- sAdhiththu – By having emperumAn as the sAdhanam (means), AzhwAr achieves everything in this material realm and in subsequent life in paramapadham (spiritual realm).
- vAnavar nAttaiyum – SrIvaikuNtanAthan (the lord of spiritual realm) is considered as one among the residents of paramapadham (though he is the lord); the ultimate abode is fully under the control of nithyasUris (the eternally liberated servitors in paramapadham). As said in SrI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam 1.20 “bhavadhvishayavAsina:” (the sages tell SrI rAma “we reside in the same kingdom as you”), the same concept applies for bhagavAn too [where he would joyfully say that he is residing in the same abode as the nithyasUris].
- nI kaNdu koL enRu – SrI bharathAzhwAn managed ayOdhyA’s treasury during SrI rAma’s exile, grew it greatly and returned it with much greater wealth as said in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 127.55 “krutham dhaSaguNam mayA” (SrI bharathAzhwAn to SrI rAma “By your grace, this treasury is worth ten times now in comparison to when you managed it”). By saying “vAnavar nAttaiyum nI kaNdu koL“, it is implied that emperumAn does not discriminate between a nithyasUri and a newly liberated individual as a cow would ignore her previous calves after giving birth to a new calf [if at all, newly liberated individuals are showered with more love by emperumAn]. This is explained in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 41.4 “thvayi kinchith samApannE” (SrI rAma to SrI vibhIshaNAzhwAn – even if you are suffering a little bit, what is the use of regaining sIthA?).
- enRu – saying with attachment like this
- vIdum tharum – will bestow kainkaryam (service); nigaNdu (dictionary) says “mukthi: mOkshO mahAnandha:” (mukthi (liberation), mOksham (liberation), mahAnandham (great bliss) are synonyms).
- ninRu ninRE – Three explanations:
- Our AchAryas explained this as – Even after giving everything, emperumAn would feel “I have not done anything to him”, with agony in his divine heart as said in mahAbhAratham udhyOga parvam 58.22 “ruNam pravruththam iva mE” (krishNa thinking about dhraupathi – I am worried like a borrower who is unable to repay the debt).
- A thamizh scholar explained this as – emperumAn would bestow the aforementioned aspects one by one – i.e., first he will let the individual enjoy worldly pleasures, then show him paramapadham and then give him the joy of kainkaryam.
- Also explained as – emperumAn will give sufficient experience of himself here in this material realm, attainment of parampadham and the joy of kainkaryam in small/adequate portions.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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