SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
AzhwAr says that after the jIvAthmA was created, emperumAn has given him everything. Is it something great? He says, right from the beginning, did not emperumAn carry out everything for him, including his existence!
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
avan kaNdAy nannenjE AraruLum kEdum
avan kaNdAy aimpulanAy ninRAn avan kaNdAy
kARRuththInIrvAn karuvarai maN kArOdha
sIRRaththIyAvAnum senRu
Word by Word Meaning
nal nenjE – Oh (my) good heart!
Ar aruLum – mOksham (SrIvaikuNtam) which results due to complete mercy
kEdum – samsAram (materialistic realm) which results due to aversion
(thus, the controller of both these)
avan kaNdAy – it is that emperumAn himself, see for yourself
aimpulan – the five senses
kARRu, thI, nIr, vAn, maN Ay ninRan avan kaNdAy – it is the sarvESvaran (supreme being) himself who is existing as the body composed of the five elements
karu varai – the dark mountains
(avan kaNdAy) – it is he
senRu – contemplating (to bring to an end this universe)
kAr Odham sIRRam thI AvAnum – the creator of the fire which will burn the ocean with a rage
avan kaNdAy – it is that emperumAn only
vyAkyAnam
avan kaNdAy nannenjE AraruLum kEdum – it is not the chEthana’s (sentient entity) efforts which are the reason for his uplifting. It is emperumAn’s mercy alone which is the reason for the chEthana getting various benefits. It is not merely the activities of the chEthana, but the causeless grace of emperumAn which leads to benefits for the chEthana. It is emperumAn’s anger which again is the reason for the difficulties experienced by the chEthana. Thus, for whatever benefits or difficulties that the chEthana gets, it is emperumAn’s grace and anger which are the reasons. There is no puNya or pApa beyond this. We can also say that it is emperumAn’s mercy which is the reason for the chEthana getting mOksham and his anger, for the chEthana getting samsAram (repeated births in materialistic realm).
nannenjE – Oh heart who agrees with humility when told that emperumAn is the cause for both puNya and pApa. Oh heart who is apt to listen about emperumAn.
avan kaNdAy aimpulanAy ninRAn – It is he who creates a thought in us that he is needed for us. It is he who exists as our sensory perceptions which determine whether we do or do not attain him. The senses will be under his control whether we say that we exist and emperumAn doesn’t or if we accept that emperumAn exists. It is he who kindles the sensory perceptions to engage with worldly pursuits and leads us astray or makes the sensory perceptions to engage with him and protects us. Both the chain (with which to tie us down) and the crown (with which to take us to glory) are in his hands. He has mercifully said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 10-10 “dhadhAmi bhudhdhiyOgam tham yEna mAmupayAnthi thE” (I give you intellect which is the means for attaining me). He has also mercifully mentioned in SrI bhagavath gIthA 16-19 “thAnaham dhvishadha: krUrAn samsArEshu narAdhamAn kshipAmi ajasram aSubAn AsurIshvEva yOnishu” (I always push those who hate me, who are cruel, who are the worst among the men and who are inauspicious, into samsAram (materialistic realm) and that too in demonic birth).
avan kaNdAy kARRuth thI nIr vAn karuvarai maN – it is he who creates these with the help of the five elements, which are responsible for the chEthana losing emperumAn.
kARRuth thI nIr vAn – since it is the physical body which is a hurdle for attaining him, it is he who gives the body and nurtures samsAram. As said in SrI bhagavath gItha 7-14 “dhavIhyEshA guNamayI mama mAyA dhurathyayA, mAmEva yE prapadhyanthE mAyAmEthAm tharanthithE” (this prakruthi (matter) which is composed of the three qualities [sAthvika or good, rAjasa or passionate and thAmasa or ignorant) has been created by me. This cannot be overcome by anyone on his own efforts. Only those who surrender to me will be able to overcome it), we have to surrender to him and sever our connection with this worldly life.
kARRuth thI nIr vAn karuvarai maN – It is he who creates the five elements and the huge mountains which are responsible for creating the body with which one can attain either life in this samsAram or mOksham.
kArOdhach chIRRath thI AvAnum senRu – at the time of total annihilation [deluge] at the end of the yuga (age), it is he who manifests as the huge fire which destroys all these entities. kArOdhach chIRRaththI is the fire called as patapAgni which forms in the middle of the ocean. In other words it is the fire which burns water (which would normally put out the fire)! Thus, it is he who controls those which are to be given up and which are to be attained.
Let us move on to the 25th pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa ramanuja dhAsan
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