SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
AzhwAr was asked “when you are very sure that the means to attain him is through his mercy, why are you, having been in this swirl of births, compelling him to shower his grace on you when you should stay aloof, saying ‘let him do when he wants’?”. AzhwAr responds saying “isn’t that behaviour of staying aloof, only for those with true knowledge [about emperumAn]? Is it possible for those who have attachment towards emperumAn born out of ignorance, arising from their affection for him, to stay quiet?”. AzhwAr was again asked, “You are his servitor. Should you not be as per your nature [of being his servitor]? Could you compel him like this?” AzhwAr says “even though that [of staying quiet] is the rule, when the affection starts growing, is it possible to remain like that?”
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
kANak kazhi kAdhal kaimikkuk kAttinAl
nANap padum enRAl nANumE pENik
karumAlaip ponmEni kAttAmun kAttum
thirumAlai nangaL thiru
Word by Word Meaning
thirumAlai kANak kazhi kAdhal – the deep desire to worship emperumAn
kai mikku kAttinAl – if it starts increasing greatly
nANap padum enRAl – if one should stay quietly
nANumE – is it possible to stay quiet?
karumAlai – that emperumAn who is of dark complexion
pon mEni mun kAttA – before his beautiful divine [physical] form identifies him
nangaL thiru – pirAtti (SrI mahAlakshmi) who is our purushakAra bhUthai (one who is of recommendatory nature)
pENi – with desire
kAttum – will identify
vyAkyAnam
kANak kazhi kAdhal – an affection which will not diminish, even if not seen. Alternatively, an affection which goes on increasing as one goes on seeing
kai mikkuk kAttinAl – various meanings are given – if it grows abundantly; if it breaks through the shore; if it increases excessively; if I get involved more.
nANappadum enRAl nANumE – is it possible for one, until emperumAn himself comes head over heels, to stand in a corner, unobtrusively, shyly? Is it possible to say that we should not fall head over heels towards him? Is it possible to say that you are the lord and I am the servant?
nANumE – is it possible to hear mere words and stay quietly?
On top of that
karumAlai – emperumAn who has dark complexion, which removes one’s fatigue.
ponmEni kAttA mun – before showing his form which attracts one’s mind
thirumAlai nangaL thiru pENi mun kAttum – thirumagaL, who is periya pirAttiyAr (SrI mahAlakshmi), will show us emperumAn, the consort of thirumagaL, desirously. Just as it is mentioned in mUnRAm thiruvandhAdhi 1 “thirukkaNdEn ponmEni kaNdEn”, only after having dharSan (audience) of pirAtti can one have dharSan of emperumAn. If the chEthana (sentient entity) commits an offence by falling head over heels on them, not considering his faults, due to the radiance of their two being together, pirAtti is there near emperumAn to say, as said in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 166-4 “na kaSchith nAparAdhyathi” (there is none who has not committed a fault) and to make emperumAn to ignore his offence and unite with him.
nANappadum enRAl nANumE – for the chEthana, the involvement [with emperumAn] is there without any shortcoming. emperumAn does not mind the faults in the chEthana. Why then should he feel shy?
nangaL thiru – this implies that she is the mother for us, to carry out the role of purushkAram (recommend us to emperumAn). Since she is there to carry out that role, the chEthana does not have to move away from emperumAn thinking that he is not qualified to attain him. Neither does he have to fear that he has committed an offence. He cannot also stand aloof, saying “let him shower his mercy when he chooses to”.
We shall move on to the 57th pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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