SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
AzhwAr says that those who do not attain emperumAn like this do not have any knowledge. Just as emperumAn’s followers are apt for us, those who are not his followers are most inapt and are to be given up! Only those who are related to emperumAn are to be respected while others are not to be respected. AzhwAr says that he does not have any connection with such people.
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
siRandhArkkezhu thuNaiyAm sengaNmAl nAmam
maRandhArai mAnidamA vaiyEn – aRandhAngum
mAdhavanE ennum manam padaiththu maRRavan pEr
OdhuvadhE nAvinAl uLLu
Word by Word Meaning
siRandhArkku – the great SrIvaishNavas (followers of emperumAn)
ezhu thuNaiyAm- support, which is the reason for uplifting
sem kaN mAl – emperumAn’s, who is having reddish eyes
nAmam – divine names
maRandhArai – those who forget
mAnidam A – [considered as having been] born in the species of humans
vaiyEn – I will not keep in my heart
aRam thAngum mAdhavanE ennum manam padaiththu – having the heart which says “Oh mAdhava who establishes rightesouness!”
maRRu – and
avan pEr – his divine names
nAvinAl OdhuvadhE – reciting with tongue
uLLu – keep meditating (that it is apt for us)
vyAkyAnam
siRandhArkku – those who have attained emperumAn, considering his divine feet as most appropriate. Just as krishNa has said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 7-18 “gyAnI thu Athmaiva mE matham” (it is my opinion that the knowledgeable person who desires only me, is my AthmA), those who have been referred to as gyAni (knowledgeable) by emperumAn himself.
ezhu thuNaiyAm – he [emperumAn] will be the companion (guide) on the way for such people so that they do not forget him. For those who attain his divine feet, he will remove their involvement in worldly pursuits, create involvement for them in himself, and at the time of their death, he will precede the AdhivAhikars (those who guide the AthmA in its journey towards paramapadham, after it crosses the world of vidhyuth (lightning) ) towards SrIvaikuNtam). He will hand-hold the AthmA and take it to paramapadham just as he had mentioned in varAha charamaSlOkam “nayAMi paraAm gathim” (I take them to exalted status).
sengaNmAl – due to his motherly affection, which is the reason for being a companion, he has reddish eyes. This implies how he will act towards those who do not forget him and the reason why we should not forget him.
nAmam maRandhArai – those who forget his divine names
mAnidamA vaiyEn – will not consider them to be human beings. AzhwAr says that he will not think lowly of those who do not know his divine names. I may even consider them to be omniscient since they have the qualification to know him henceforth. But the one who has forgotten him, after being born as a human being, fit to follow sacred texts and after knowing his sweetness, is not a human at all. krishNa called arjuna, who had forgotten the gIthA that he had discoursed to him, in mahAbhAratham aSvamEdhikha parvam 17-19 as “dhurmEdhAhyasi pANdava” (Oh ignorant pANdava!).
mAnidamA vaiyEn – Can one, who AzhwAr considers in his divine mind as “not a human”, be a human! If one looks at a pebble and thinks it is a gem, it will not become a gem, will it! Whatever an expert in gems calls a gem, will be a gem. In the same way, only the person, who AzhwAr considers in his divine heart as human, will be a human. Following his footsteps, thirumangai AzhwAr has mercifully mentioned in periya thirumozhi 11-7-9 “AnvidaiyEzh anRadaththArkku ALAnAr allAdhAr mAnidavar allar enRu en manaththE vaiththEnE” (I firmly kept in my mind that the one who does not attain emperumAn who killed the seven raging bulls, is not a human at all). Hasn’t it been said in narasimha purANam 16-13 “gyAnEna hIna: paSubhissamAna:” (one who does not have knowledge is equivalent to an animal!). Knowledge is that which is mentioned by poygai AzhwAr in mudhal thiruvandhAdhi 67 “oNdAmaraiyAL kELvan oruvanaiyE nOkkum uNarvu” (knowledge will attain only the consort of SrI mahAlakshmi).
mAnidamA vaiyEn – AzhwAr says that it can be engraved on stone or copper plate that those who are not like that are not humans (implying that this opinion is very firm). In other words, those who are given up by AzhwAr, who in turn are those who have been given up emperumAn himself, have no further refuge. Hence, those who have been given up by AzhwAr will not be considered by anyone as humans.
aRam thAngum mAdhavanE ennum manam padaiththu – Having the intelligence that it is only emperumAn, the consort of SrI mahAlakshmi, with his mercy, who protects everyone. Alternatively, having the knowledge that emperumAn, the consort of SrI mahAlakshmi, wears the righteousness of protecting the world. Doesn’t emperumAn protect the world, being kindled by pirAtti (SrI mahAlakshmi) and to make her happy! (this is the reason why AzhwAr is referring to emperumAn here as mAdhavan, the consort of SrI mahAlakshmi).
mAdhavanE ennum manam padaiththu – having the knowledge that it is only the consort of SrI mahAlakshmi is like this. We can also construe this as AzhwAr calling his heart and telling it “Oh heart! Try to recite the divine names of emperumAn, who protects the world, with your tongue. Meditate on him”.
The thoughts in the heart went towards
aRam thAngum mAdhavanE – the consort of SrI mahAlakshmi who sustains righteousness.
nAvinAl maRRu avan pEr OdhuvadhE – reciting the divine name which refers to the union of emperumAn with pirAtti, viz. dhvayam (the couplet which is mentioned at the time of surrendering to emperumAn in the presence of pirAtti).
nAvinAl – the purpose of having the tongue
uLLu – recite (meditate).
We shall move on to the 45th pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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