SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
AzhwAr says that if people of the world do not shun emperumAn when he repeatedly comes, even as a mendicant, falling head over heels, and if they do not engage with worldly pursuits, suffering the consequences and are thus a bit well disposed towards him, that would protect them. He detests that the world thinks [people of the world think] that worldly pursuits are sweet when emperumAn is like this.
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
inidhenbar kAmam adhanilum ARRa
inidhenbar thaNNIrum endhAy – inidhenRu
kAmanIr vELAdhu nin perumai vEtparEl
sEmanIrAgum siRidhu
Word by Word Meaning
endhAy – Oh my Lord!
(the common people)
kAmam – lowly pursuits such as Sabdham etc (five sensory perceptions such as sound etc)
inidhu enbar – will consider as fit to be enjoyed
(Even those who have renounced everything)
thaNNIr adhanilum ARRa inidhu enbar – will say that water is sweeter than those pursuits such as Sabdham etc
kAmam nIr – the lowly pursuits and water, mentioned above
inidhu enRu vELAdhu – without desiring them as being enjoyable
nin perumai siRidhu vEtpar El – if they desire even a little bit, you as being enjoyable
(that)
sEmam nIr Agum – (in all situations) will have the characteristic of protecting [them]
vyAkyAnam
inidhu enbar kAmam – worldly people [those in this samsAram, materialistic realm] will consider lust as being sweet. AzhwAr has heard this from such people. Since he has used the term inidhu enbar (will say that it is sweet), it implies that he has had no connection with such pursuits. Just as lowly people will say that the food that they eat is very delicious, people who are after lust will say that it is sweet.
adhanilum ARRa inidhu enbar thaNNIrum – they will say that water is even sweeter than that [lust]. Even those who are experts in lust need water to sustain them. Even though the food that people take may differ, isn’t water the same for everyone! Just as it is said “Apa Eva hi sumana” (water is liked by all) those who have renounced the world as well as those who haven’t, will be happy about water, without any distinction. AzhwAr doesn’t desire even that. Those who are engaged with worldly pursuits will say that lust is sweet and those who are interested in nurturing their bodies will say that water is sweet. AzhwAr has no connection with either. Just as the people of the world cannot know his qualities, he is also unable to know the qualities of worldly people.
enbar – people of the world will say that these are sweet. Since he does not exist in this world [mentally], he says will say.
endhAy – For him, emperumAn is the object of lust as well as water. For him, emperumAn is the only matter which counts. Isn’t the AzhwAr one who considers that emperumAn is everything as mentioned in SrI bhagavath gIthA 7-19 “vAsudhEvas sarvamithi sa mahAthmA” (vAsudhEvan is everything to me) and in thiruvAimozhi 7-1-1 “uNNum sORu parugum nIr thinnum veRRilai ellAm kaNNan” (kaNNan is everything to me – the food that nurtures, the water that sustains and the betel leaf that is enjoyed).
inidhu enRu – it implies that something which is not sweet is being considered as sweet. It is similar to imagining fire to be water and entering it to remove one’s ennui. One gets engaged with worldly pursuits only because of lack of good fortune.
kAma nIr vELAdhu – not desiring lust and water as sweet, since they are really not sweet.
nin perumai vEtparEl – if they desire your qualities. Since enjoyment in this world has limitation and is nonsensical, it will not remain unchanged for ever. But in the case of emperumAn, since he is very sweet, during the time of attaining him by adopting suitable means as well as enjoying the result of attaining him, it would be very sweet without any limitation and it will not be possible for one to get fulfilment after enjoying him. It would be similar to what has been mentioned in thaiththiriya upanishath Anandhavalli 7 “Esha hyEvAnandhayAthi” (isn’t it only the paramAthmA [emperumAn] making the jIvAthmA to be happy).
nin perumal vEtparEl – if one were to ask “if it cannot be avoided, should it not be somehow enjoyed?”, instead of doing that ….
nin perumal vEtparEl – one need not desire to enjoy all his greatness. If one were to meditate on his auspicious qualities, that itself would provide protection. One need not lose a hand or leg, unlike what could happen if one were to pursue lust and water mentioned earlier. It is enough if one has the feeling of being friendly towards emperumAn.
sEma nIr Agum – that will have the quality of protecting that person. emperumAn is one who says, just as he said in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 18-3 “mithrabhAvEna samprAptham na thyajEyam kathanchana” (there is no place for letting go of this person who has come in the guise of a friend). Hence it is enough if we give up the posture of being unfavourable to him. In the other matters [worldly pursuits] being favourable too will destroy us. If one were to get involved with worldly matters, it will lead to a situation as mentioned in SrI bhagavath gIthA 2-63 “bhudhdhi nASAth praNachyathi ” (due to destruction of intelligence, he submerges in samsAram and is destroyed). Even if one feigns desire in emperumAn, that would protect him as mentioned in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 18-33 “abhayam sarvabhUthEbhyO dhadhami Ethath vratham mama”(I protect from all creatures; this is my vow). Hasn’t krishNa mentioned in SrI bhagavath gIthA 9-31 “kaunthEya prathijAnIhi na mE bhakthi: praNaSyathi” (Oh arjuna! Take a pledge yourself that my devotee will not be destroyed)! Hasn’t he said “arjuna! For this meaning, you take the pledge”! Should one, who desires to get the fame of leading a great life, attain one such as rudhra who gives us up at the hands of his enemies? Should he not attain one who took the arrows directed at his follower, on his own chest!
We shall take up the 36th pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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