SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
AzhwAr says in this pAsuram that those who attain emperumAn, who protects Sivan also, will have their enemies removed and proceed in the correct path.
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
kAppunnai unnak kazhiyum aruvinaigaL
Appunnai unna avizhndhu ozhiyum mUppu unnaich
chindhippArkkillai thirumAlE nin adiyai
vandhippAr kANbar vazhi
Word by Word Meanings
unnai unna – when you are thought of
kAppu – the deities who serve as guards
kazhiyum – will get disengaged
aru vinaigaL – terrible deeds
unnai unna – once you are thought of
Appu avzhindhu ozhiyum – will get annihilated, after getting liberated
unnaich chindhippArkku – for those who meditate on you
mUppu illai – the six changes, including aging, are not present
thirumAlE – Oh, my benefactor and the consort of SrI mahAlakshmi
nin adiyai – your divine feet
vandhippAr – those who worship
vazhi kANbar – will see the archhirAdhi mArga (the path leading to SrIvaikuNtam)
vyAkyAnam
kAppu unnai unnak kazhiyum – there are 14 dhEvathAs (deities) who have been appointed by emperumAn to keep a watch over the activities of jIvAthmAs (sentient entities) “Adhithya chandhrAvanilOnala cha dhyour bhUmir ApO hrudhayam yama cha rAthri ubhE cha sandhyE dharma cha jAnAthi narasya vruththam” (1. sun; 2. moon; 3. wind; 4. fire; 5. sky (ether); 6. earth; 7. water; 8. mind; 9. yama (deity for righteousness); 10. day; 11. night; 12. prAthas sandhyA (dawn); 13. sAyam sandhyA (dusk); 14. righteousness – the 14 deities for these entities always know the activities of jIvAthmAs). When these deities hear those who recite the names of emperumAn, they will move away from such persons saying that emperumAn is duty bound to protect his followers and not themselves (the 14 deities). In SrIvishNu purANam 3-7-4 hasn’t yama told his messenger “parihara madhusUdhana prapannAn prabhuraham anya nruNam na vaishNavAnAm” (do not approach those who have surrendered to madhusUdhana (emperumAn); I am the lord of all others and not of SrIvaishNavas)! In SrI bhAgavatham 11-5-4 has it not been said “dhEvarshibhUthAptha nruNAm pithrUNAm na kinkarO nAyam ruNI cha rAjan! sarvAthmA ya: SaraNam SaraNyam nArAyaNam lOka gurum prapanna:” (Oh King! one who has surrendered to SaraNyan (nArAyaNa) who is apt to be surrendered and is the lOkaguru (teacher for the world) is not a servitor or indebted to dhEvas (celestial entities), rishis (sages), bhUthams (creatures), relatives and forefathers)! Other deities have to protect only those who are under the control of their karmas (past deeds, both good and bad). If those karmas are negated [as done by emperumAn for those who surrender to him], these other deities cannot go anywhere near such persons. AzhwAr explains now how the karmas get negated.
aruvinaigaL Appu unnai unna avizhndhu ozhiyum – It is said that “avidhyA karma samgyA” (ignorance is referred to by the word karma). All the bondage which are the result due to ignorance will disappear for those who think of you.
mUppu unnaich chindhippArkku illai – mUppu here refers to kaivalyam (AthmA enjoying itself) for those who are outside the protection of other deities and who do not have sins. Even such kaivalyam will disappear if they think of you. Alternative explanation – the six dimensions of changes in a person’s life, viz.,1. asthi (existing), 2. jAyathE (is born), 3. pariNamathE (transforms), 4. vivarthathE (grows), 5. apakshIyathE (shrinks due to old age) and 6. vinaSyathi (dies), will not affect those who think of you.
thirumAlE – it is because emperumAn is with thiru (SrI mahAlakshmi) that these do not come near his followers. Even if emperumAn wants to look into the sinful deeds due to his undeterred independence, pirAtti (SrI mahAlakshmi) would convince him to change his divine mind by saying “wouldn’t sins, which cannot be rid of due to atonement, get removed with our forbearance!” Hadn’t pirAtti shown mercy on the rAkshasis (demonic women employed by rAvaNa) who troubled her, by saying as in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 113-41 “dhAsInAm rAvaNasyAham marshayAmIha dhurbala” (I do not have the wherewithal to see the sufferings of rAvANa’s servant-maids) and in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 113-39 “rAjasamSraya vaSyAnAm kurvanthInAm prAgyA” (aren’t they (demonic women) under the control of the king and appointed by him?)! Thus, if one thinks of emperumAn who is with pirAtti, the sins and mUppu will disappear.
nin adiyai vandhippAr kANbar vazhi – those who worship your divine feet will find the correct path. The word vazhi can be construed as archirAdhi mArgam which is the path leading to SrIvaikuNtam. The path to SrIvaikuNtam will be as sweet as SrIvaikuNtam itself. In the same way, the path to naragam (hell) will be as horrible as naragam itself. For those who do not think of emperumAn, the path will be full of thorns and narrow lanes while for those who think of emperumAn, the path will be sweet.
mUppu unnaich chindhippArkku illai thirumAlE – mUppu could also be construed as old age. As said in rig vEdham, vishNu sUktham “yuvAkumAra yuvathi: cha kumAriNI” (emperumAn is youthful to a large extent and boyish to a smaller extent while pirAtti is girlish to a large extent and youthful to a smaller extent) if one attains emperumAn and pirAtti, he will be like them in his youthful and boyish states and not attain old age.
We shall take up the 76th pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa ramanuja dhAsan
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