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Full series >> Fourth Centum >> Fourth decad
Introduction for this pAsuram
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction
No specific introduction.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction
In third pAsuram – parAnkuSa nAyaki‘s mother, looks speak about her many activities and says “they are innumerable”.
Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction
Subsequently, the mother says “parAnkuSa nAyaki thinks about emperumAn‘s prathApam (valour) and anugraham (kindness) and considers agni (fire) and vAyu (air) to be him and worships them”.
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
aRiyum sendhIyaith thazhuvi achchudhan ennum mey vEvAL
eRiyum thaN kARRaith thazhuvi ennudaik kOvindhan ennum
veRikoL thuzhAy malar nARum vinai udai AttiyEn peRRa
seRivaLai mun kaich chiRu mAn seyginRadhen kaNNukkonRE
Listen
Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
aRiyum – known to burn
sem – having reddish color
thIyai – fire
thazhuvi – embracing (thinking it to be the emperumAn with abundantly radiant form)
achchudhan – he will not abandon me!
ennum – says;
(while embracing such burning fire, like prahlAdha’s body)
mey – body
vEvAL – did not burn (the fire did not affect her); (though she is bewildered, since fire fears bhagavAn, it will not hurt her);
eRiyum – blowing
thaN – cool
kARRai – southerly breeze
thazhuvi – (since it is cool, considering it to be bhagavAn) embracing
ennudai – one who is obedient towards me,
gOvindhan – gOvindha
ennum – says (you said that you were going to herd the cattle, but why have you come back as quick as wind?)
(She)
veRi koL – having abundance of fragrance
thuzhAy malar – thiruththuzhAy (thuLasi)
nARum – emitting pleasant smell; (as said in thiruviruththam 56 “Or thaN thenRal vandhu … ampUnthuzhAyin inthEn puyaludai nIrmaiyinAl thadaviRRu en pulan kalanE” (a cool breeze approached me and gently touched my body and ornaments with the thuLasi’s honey it carried);
vinai udai AttiyEn – me who is being sinful (to see this bewilderment)
peRRa – being the mother
seRi – became enriched (due to thinking that the substitutes fire and breeze are him)
vaLai – having bangles
mun kai – having forehand
siRu – young
mAn – my daughter who resembles a deer
seyginRadhu – the activities performed
en kaNNukku – for my eyes
onRE – does not appear as one (it appears to be many)
Simple translation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
While embracing reddish fire which is known to burn, my daughter says “he will not abandon me!”; her body did not burn (like prahlAdha’s body did not burn); embracing the blowing cool southerly breeze, she says “he is my obedient gOvindha”; thiruththuzhAy from her is emitting abundance of fragrance; being the sinful mother of my young daughter who is having enriched forehand with bangles, her activities appear to be many for my eyes.
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
- aRiyum sendhIyaith thazhuvi – She embraced fire knowing well that it will burn and cannot be extinguished easily. Alternatively – before when she was not bewildered, she would know that fire would burn and thus avoid it. She embraced the reddish fire which burns. Is she embracing fire thinking that “The power of fire is subdued by some manthrams/herbs”?
- sendhIyaith thazhuvi – Seeing that the fire is shining as bhagavAn as said in SrIvishNu purANam 1.9.63 “thEjasAm rASimUrjitham” (one who shines like collection of radiant rays and who has the valour to demolish his enemies), she embraces it. As said in thiruvAimozhi 8.9.3 “porunIrk kadal thIppattengum thigazhum eriyodu selvadhoppa” (Like a wavy ocean set on fire approaching), she thinks that emperumAn is wearing a shining diamond garment and coming to embrace her.
- achchudhan ennum – she says “he has come to safeguard his belonging [me]”.
- mey vEvAL – While she is embracing the fire out of bewilderment, why is the fire not burning her? That is because it is coming through achyutha as said in purusha sUktham “mukhAdhindhraSchAgniScha” (From the mouth of the virAt purusha (supreme lord), indhra and agni appeared).
- sendhIyaith thazhuvi achchudan ennum mey vEvAL – This [recital of “achyutha” name] is her manthram to arrest the fire.
- mey vEvAL – As said in SrIvishNu purANam 1.17.39 “thath smruthyAhlAdha samsthitha:” (being the one with joy due to thinking about bhagavAn), due to being wet [sweat etc] on thinking about bhagavAn, the fire does not burn her; prahlAdha said in SrIvishNu purANam 1.17.47 “paSyAmi padhmAstharaNAsthruthAni SIthAni sAvAni dhiSAm mukhAni” (Oh father! Though this fire is burning fiercely due to the presence of wind, it is not burning me; I see the presence of a spread of lotus flowers in all my directions). Alternatively – there is no one for me to say as in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 53.28 “SIthObhava” (let there be coolness). Since the one who orders the fire to be cool, herself is embracing the fire, it will not burn her [Here parAnkuSa nAyaki is considered as a divine consort of emperumAn].
To embrace vAyuputhra (son of vAyu, hanumAn) [or vAyu] is the duty of the lord and his beloved consort while in separation; SrI rAmAyaNam 1.13 “parishvangOhanUmatha:” (I am embracing hanumAn as a present to him); Since it is said in thaiththirIya upanishath “vAyOragni:” (From vAyu comes agni, and hence agni is seen as son of vAyu).
- eRiyum … – Embracing the cool breeze. This is the amazing aspect. For the one who is suffering in separation, even cool breeze will burn. But since the air is bhagavAn‘s life, it also will not burn her; purusha sUktham “prANathvAyurajAyatha” (air appeared in prANa).
- ennudaik kOvindhan ennum – [Explanation in context of SrI rAma] Can I bear his separation as said in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 66.10 “najIvEyam kshaNamapi” (I will not survive even a moment without sIthA)? parAnkuSa nAyaki says – his existence is for others only.
- ennudaik kOvindhan ennum – [Explanation in context of krishNa] parAnkuSa nAyaki says “He appeared in the form of a cowherd, to embrace me and relieve me of all my suffering”. She is different from worldly people and women in separation; for worldly people, fire should burn and for women in separation, breeze should burn. She is not seen to be affected by either.
- veRi koL thuzhAy malar nArum – The fragrance acquired from the union in “kOvai vAyAL” will remain for some days [that is why she is having the fragrance in her body still]; alternative explanation – since if the incidental body is eliminated, the AthmA is naturally existing for bhagavAn [that knowledge about bhagavAn is seen as the fragrance]; another explanation – it can be said that emperumAn hid in the breeze and embraced her through that [thus transmitting his fragrance to her]. It is said in thiruvAimozhi 8.9.10 “anRi maRROr upAyam en ivaL anthaNNanthuzhAy kamazhdhal” (What other reason can we say for the fragrance of beautiful thiruththuzhAy being emitted from her?).
- vinai udai AttiyEn peRRa – It is due to being born to me who is sinful, she is going through so much suffering. The mother identifies the puNya (virtue) accumulated over many births as pApa [it is due to such puNya, she is engaged in bhagavath vishayam], due to the current loss. Due to my sin, she was engaged so much with him that even in separation the fragrance of thiruththuzhAy is present on her and she looks at similar objects and considers them to be him and then gives them up. Those who become engaged in bhagavath vishayam, will obviously not get along with their [worldly] parents; it is said in periya thirumozhi 3.7.7 “annaiyum aththanum enRu adiyOmukku ingu irangiRRilaL” (she did not show mercy even though we are her parents).
- seRi vaLai munkaich chiRumAn – this is the current unfortunate situation! instead of seeing the marks of the bangles of her hand [due to their union] on him, we are just seeing his divine thuLasi on her.
- siRu mAn – One who has many bangles in her forehand. This was her previous state, she is fit to be like that even now [but now due to separation, her bangles slipped out].
- siRu mAn – Is she matured enough to handle these? She is very young!
- seyginRadhu en kaNNukku onRE – She is saying “It is not one; many”. Embracing fire, embracing breeze, [her body] smelling divine thuLasi etc. We cannot identify her as a worldly girl since she is unaffected by fire; she cannot be said to be in union with bhagavAn since she is seeking out the objects which resemble him; she cannot be said to be in separation since thiruththuzhAy fragrance is present on her; thus, can her nature be described as one?
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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