SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Full series >> Fifth Centum >> Tenth decad
Introduction for this pAsuram
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction
No specific introduction.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction
In the first pAsuram, AzhwAr mercifully explains the meaning of this decad briefly in this pAsuram saying “your birth etc touch my internal spot [heart] and weakens me; when will I be removed of this weakness and sustain myself to enjoy you?”.
Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction
In the first pAsuram, AzhwAr mercifully explains the birth and activities of krishNa briefly.
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
piRandha ARum vaLarndha ARum periya bAradham kai seydhu aivarkkuth
thiRangaL kAtti ittuch cheydhu pOna mAyangaLum
niRandhanUdu pukkenadhAviyai ninRu ninRu urukki uNginRa ich
chiRandha vAn sudarE! unnai enRu kol sErvadhuvE
Listen
Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
piRandha – (as said in “ajAyamAna:“, “nArAyaNAth” and “ajOpisan“, though being not bound by karma and having unfailing nature, born for the sake of protecting his devotees as one amongst the [worldly] species) born
ARum – way
vaLarndha – grew (to have his enemies destroyed and to sustain himself with the materials which are dear to his devotees)
ARum – way
periya bAradham – in mahAbhAratha [war]
kai seydhu – arranging the armies
aivarkku – for the five pANdavas
thiRangaL – the means for victory
kAtti ittu – revealing
seydhu – completing the purpose of his incarnation (by favouring his devotees and destroying the others)
pOna – returning to his own radiant abode
mAyangaLaum – amazing ways
niRandhan – for the inner region of my heart
Udu – inside
pukku – entered
enadhu – my
Aviyai – AthmA
ninRu ninRu – moment after moment
urukki – melting to be fluid
uNginRa – consuming;
i – being present for me always
siRandha – matching
vAn – infinite
sudarE – Oh one who is having radiance!
(to enjoy these without being weakened by these aspects)
unnai – you
enRu kol – when
sErvadhu – will I reach?
Simple translation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
The way krishNa was born, the way he grew up, the way he arranged the armies in mahAbhAratham for the five pANdavas and revealed the means for their victory, and the amazing ways of completing the purpose of his incarnation and returning to his own radiant abode have all entered inside the inner region of my heart and are melting my AthmA moment after moment to become fluid and consume me; oh one who is being present for me always, is having matching and infinite radiance! when will I reach you?
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
- piRandha ARum – He was born to break the shackles of his parents. Is there anyone who takes birth eliminating the bondage of the parents who give birth to him? They (vasudhEva and dhEvaki) thought that he was the one who was binding them [just as anyone would think about a child bringing in restrictions in their lifestyle]; unable to bear it, he eliminated their bondage. As said in periya thirumozhi 8.5.1 “thandhai kAlil vilangaRa”, did he not take birth to remove the knot in the feet of his parents?
- piRandha ARum – Dear child! Should there at least not be a lamp lit! you were yourself born as the light. As said in thiruppAvai 5 “Ayar kulaththil thOnRum aNi viLakku” (the beautiful lamp which appeared in the cowherd clan).
- piRandha ARum – AzhwAr is thinking about emperumAn who is not bound by karma, is taking birth as an individual bound by karma, having the protection of his devotees as his purpose while assuming such births, having their time of danger as the time for his birth, taking birth without minimizing any of his opulence, making his divine spiritual form available for everyone to enjoy and eliminating the birth of those who meditate upon his birth. AzhwAr thinks about the various aspects such as “they [parents of krishNa] being imprisoned and emperumAn to be born to them, for our sake”.
- piRandha ARum – As said in SrIvishNu purANam 5.3 “AvirbhUtham“, why is AzhwAr not saying “thORRinavARum” (appearing) [piRandha is casual, thORRina is more poetic and signifies divinity]? AzhwAr is using the term “piRandhvARum” since while samsAris live in womb for 10 months, emperumAn as SrI rAma lived in the womb for 12 months as said in SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 18.8 “thadhaScha dhvAdhaSEmAsE” (in the 12th month of chaithra), since his mother kausalyA suckled him and since SrI rAma suffered when he could not get mother’s milk, and since he placed himself in a humble position to be bound and beaten by his mother [yaSOdhA]. Just as one who saw a pit in the morning, would fall in it in the night, AzhwAr is so bewildered that he became unconscious thinking about krishNa’s grown up [growing up] stage by saying previously in thiruvAimozhi 1.3.1 “eththiRam” (how is it possible?); he is now getting to that same state by going further back [up to the stage of krishNa’s birth]. It is well known that AzhwAr fell unconscious there saying “eththiRam” and here saying “piRandhvARum“. SrI bharathAzhwAn while being separated from SrI rAma, fell unconscious and was helplessly surrounded by his mothers and all, and SrI SathrugnAzhwAn became frightened to near him and became dumb-founded on seeing his state as said in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 87.4 “Sathrugna: anantharasthitha:” (Sathrugna stood helplessly); similarly, AzhwArthirunagari is praised in thiruviruththam 100 “nallAr navil kurugUr” (kurugUr which is the abode for noble people), all the wise people (devotees) from all over the world came there and became bewildered seeing AzhwAr‘s state.
- vaLarndha ARum – If one thinks about krishNa’s growing up, his birth seems relaxing. While he was born in the prison cell, was he given birth to be raised as one amongst the worldly children?
- vaLarndha ARum – He grew up to kill pUthanA et al and to nourish the devotion of yaSOdhA et al as said in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 1.7.11 “thAyar magizha onnAr thaLarath thaLar nadai nadandha” (emperumAn who walked like a child for the joy of his devotees and to weaken the others). They relished his actions as said in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 3.2.6 “midaRu mezhu mezhuththOda veNNey vizhungip pOy padiRu pala seydhippAdi engum thiriya” (Eating butter which is best for the throat and roaming around in this town).
- vaLarndha ARum – As he stretched his divine feet, both the unfavourable ones and favourable ones were freed from their bodies [in case of unfavourable ones, they were killed; in case of favourable ones, their belongings were taken away and were eventually liberated to serve him eternally]; as said in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 3.5.1 “pottaththuRRi” (consuming quickly) and periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 2.9.1 “veNNey vizhungi veRum kalaththai veRpidai ittu” (consuming the butter and breaking the pots by throwing them on the ground), he consumed the belongings of the favourable ones. In this manner he mercifully grew up to have the enemies bite the dust, himself consume ghee and his devotees enjoy by having his dharSan.
- periya bAradham – Popularly known as mahAbhAratham.
- kai seydhu – AzhwAr is thinking about kaNNan emperumAn himself setting the army etc and other warfare activities.
- aivarkkuth thiRangaL kAtti ittu – In his childhood days, his existence itself caused the enemies to die; darkness and light cannot co-exist; once he grew up, he became subservient to his favourable ones.
- thiRangaL kAtti ittu – AzhwAr is explaining various acts of krishNa [during the war] such as going as messenger, being the charioteer, picking up arms after vowing not to do so, changing day into night, revealing the life spots of enemies etc.
- seydhu – doing so
- pOna mAyangaLum – The amazing act of leaving this samsAram (material realm) after some time instead of [permanently] residing here, where though he descended for the protection of his devotees and favour them by eliminating their dangers, they would fight with him instead of being grateful towards him. As said in mahAbhAratham “kruthvApArAvatharaNam pruthivyA: pruthulOchana: mOhayithvAjagathsarvam kathassvamsthAnam uththamam” (The wide-eyed krishNa, eliminated the burden of the earth, mesmerized the whole world and ascended to his divine abode) – mercifully incarnating here, fulfilling all the tasks for his favourable ones, smashing all his enemies with his stick, capturing his devotees with merciful glances, and [in turn] tormenting both favourable and unfavourable ones and finally leaving this abode! svam sthAnam uththamam – Just as everyone opposes emperumAn here [in this material realm], everyone accepts emperumAn there [spiritual realm].
- niRandhan Udu pukku – It is not a superficial thing, it pierces the internal/confidential heart and torments.
- enadhu Aviyai – Others, even after hearing about these subject matters, spent their lives eating, dressing up and roaming around.
- Aviyai ninRu ninRu urukki – AthmA which is said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 2.24 “achchEdhya: … adhAhya:” (cannot be cut, burnt), is constantly being broken here.
- ninRu ninRu urukki uNginRa – Though these activities happened once, they are tormenting me repeatedly.
- ich chiRandha vAn sudarE – Oh one who is having matching infinite beauty! emperumAn acquires more radiance as he takes on more births.
- ich chiRandha – Though it happened in the past, for AzhwAr everything appears in front of his eyes, as if it is happening in the present. Also said as, the bright light (emperumAn) of the spiritual sky became the best after descending here. Everything upto “ich chiRandha vAn sudarE” can be construed as adjective for that [ich chiRandha vAn sudarE]. Another explanation is by saying “urukki uNginRa“, these are highlighted as qualities – that is, all these aspects are making AzhwAr melt. This is the preferred explanation.
- unnai enRu kol sErvadhuvE – AzhwAr is praying to emperumAn to mercifully allow him to enjoy emperumAn by sustaining himself. Alternative explanation – “sErugai” is construed as uniting of emperumAn and AzhwAr, and as AzhwAr asking “when will I be free from getting weakened by meditating upon you in separation and unite with you without ever being separated?”.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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