SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
AzhwAr says that apart from emperumAn who is like this (as mentioned in the previous pAsurams) there is no one who is apt to be attained. Those deities who are well known in samsAram (materialistic realm) as being apt for being attained such as brahmA et al, themselves attain emperumAn to fulfil their desires. This being the case, the only entity for us to attain is emperumAn says the AzhwAr. As mentioned in mahA nArAyaNa upanishath 11-13 “sa brahmA sa Siva: sEndhra:” (he himself is brahmA, he himself is Siva and he himself is indhra), deities such as brahmA, Siva and indhra are part of his physical form, attain him and realise their svarUpam (basic nature). In the 12th pAsuram, AzhwAr had mentioned “pavarum sezhum kadhirOn oN malarOn kaN nudhalOn anRE” (sun, brahmA and Siva follow emperumAn and keep worshipping him everyday). In that pAsuram it was mentioned that apart from emperumAn there is no other SEshi (possessor). In this pAsuram, it is mentioned that apart from emperumAn there is none apt to be attained. In that pAsuram, mention was made of deities in general such as sun. Here, mention is made of deities in high positions such as brahmA. Even those great entities who are occupying great positions, show their emptiness and obtain what they desire from emperumAn.
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
maRRAr iyalAvAr vAnavarkOn mAmalarOn
suRRum vaNangum thozhilAnai oRRaip
piRaiyirundha senjadaiyAn pin senRu mAlaik
kuRai irundhu thAn mudiththAn koNdu
Word by Word Meaning
vAnavar kOn – indhra, the head of all celestial entities
mA malarOn – brahmA, who dwells on the lotus flower, shooting out of emperumAn’s navel
suRRum vaNangum thozhilAnai – one who has activities such that he is surrounded on the sides and worshipped [by the above-mentioned entities]
mAlai – emperumAn
koNdu – keeping (in the heart)
oRRai piRai irundha senjadaiyAn – rudhra who is having reddish matted hair and who dons moon with single kalA (phase of the moon)
pin senRu – following [emperumAn]
irandhu – begging him
kuRai – his shortcoming (of brahmahaththi dhOsham, the fault of removing one of brahmA’s heads)
thAn mudiththAn – he completed his task
(this being the case)
iyal AvAr – apt to be attained
maRRu Ar – who else is there, apart from sarvESvaran (supreme being)?
vyAkyAnam
maRRAr iyalAvAr – is there anyone other than sarvESvaran (supreme being) emperumAn who is known? There is no one other than emperumAn and only he is apt to be attained.
vAnavarkOn mAmalarOn – indhra, the lord of dhEvas (celestial entities) and brahmA, who has as his dwelling place the lotus flower growing out of emperumAn’s navel
suRRum vaNangum thozhilAnai – indhra and brahmA instead of going directly to emperumAn, will go a little bit away on the side and attain him. emperumAn, who has such a quality (of being worshipped). Or, one who carries out favourable activities. Or, we can interpret it as one whose activities are worshipped by entities such as indhra, brahmA et al. Don’t even such deities attain emperumAn and fulfil their needs!
thozhilAnai – one who is attained in this way.
While brahmA, indhra et al strive hard to attain emperumAn
maRRar iyalAvAr – who are the others striving? nammAzhwAr, in his thiruvAimozhi 6-10-8 conveys the same meaning “nOlAdhARREn una pAdham kANa ennum nuNNuNarvin nIlAr kaNdaththu ammAnum niRai nAnmuganum indhiranum ” (one with fine emotions such as Siva, one with supreme knowledge such as brahmA and indhra – these entities come and worship emperumAn saying that they will not adopt any means to attain his divine feet).
oRRaippiRai irundha sem sadaiyAn – oRRaippiRai here refers to single phase of the moon. In other words, it refers to a unique phase. Siva, who has reddish matted hair, who dons moon with such a unique phase, and is comfortable.
pin senRu mAlaik koNdu – having affection (mAl) in his heart; having emperumAn (mAl) in his heart.
pin senRu – following emperumAn
kuRai irandhu – and then humbly appealing about his fault
thAn mudiththAn – completed that task and fulfilled his desires. Thus AzhwAr says that even entities in high positions such as brahmA, Siva and indhra attain emperumAn and have their desires fulfilled. This being the case, AzhwAr asks whether there is anyone other than emperumAn who is fit to be attained.
We shall take up the 18th pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa ramanuja dhAsan
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