SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
AzhwAr mentions about the first time that he received the grace from emperumAn which was the cause for his benefits such as these.
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
aruL purindha sindhai adiyAr mEl vaiththu
poruL therindhu kANguRRa appOdhu iruL thirindhu
nOkkinEn nOkki ninaindhEn adhoNkamalam
OkkinEn ennaiyum angu Orndhu
Word by Word Meaning
aruL purindha sindhai – the divine mind focussed on mercy
adiyAr mEl vaiththu – keeping on us, his followers
poruL therindhu – considering us as entities when we weren’t
kANguRRa appOdhu – during that time when he showered his grace on us
iruL thirundhu – getting rid of the darkness of ignorance
nOkkinEn – I analysed the nature of jIvAthmA and paramAthmA
nOkki – after analysing
oN kamalam adhu – those divine feet [of emperumAn] which are like beautiful lotus flowers
ninaindhEn – meditated on them (as the goal to be attained)
Orndhu – analysing (that there is no refuge for me other than these divine feet)
ennaiyum – the AthmA
angu – at those divine feet
OkkinEn – I offered
vyAkyAnam
arul purindha sindhai – as mentioned in SrI bhagavath gIthA 16-19 “thAnaham dhvishatha: krUrAn samsArEshu narAdhamAn kshipAmi ajasram aSubAn AsurIshvEva yOnishu” (I push those who hate me, those who are cruel, those who are the lowliest among humans and those who have inauspicious qualities, always into samsAram (materialistic realm) and that too in the clan of demons), instead of pushing me into such a clan, he showers his grace on me through his divine mind as said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 10-10 “dhadhAmi bhudhdhiyOgam tham yEna mAmupayANthi thE” (I give them intelligence with which they can reach me).
aruL purindha sindhai – he has such a divine mind that he cannot sustain himself without showering grace. This implies that the faults present in the chEthanas are hidden from him by his grace.
adiyAr mEl vaiththu – he showers such grace on his followers like us. Showering his grace without looking at anything other than the criterion that we are his followers. Here, the term adiyAr (followers) can be construed to refer to followers in general or to the AzhwAr who was standing in the corridor [of mrigaNdu maharishi in thirukkOvalUr] along with the other two AzhwArs when emperumAn started crowding around them with his consort [he could be referring to the first three AzhwArs as adiyAr].
adiyAr mEl vaiththu – emperumAn cannot exist without showering his grace on his followers. Hence, he showers the grace so that he does not lose himself; AzhwAr terms this as causeless mercy.
poruL therindhu kANguRRa appOdhu – at that point of time when he showered his grace on us, so that we would know things as they are. Alternatively, this can be construed as: that point of time when emperumAn considered them too as entities and showered his grace. nammAzhwAr too has mercifully stated in thiruvAimozhi 5-7-3 “poruL allAdha ennaip poruLAkki adimai koNdAy” (you recognised me as a sentient entity when I was lying as an insentient being and made me a servitor).
Since he became qualified to receive his grace …..
iruL thirindhu nOkkinEn – I found that I lost my ignorance which was a hurdle for me to get knowledge. Once I saw this ….
nOkki – I received the true knowledge that emperumAn is the Lord and I am a servitor. Hence …
ninaindhEn adhoN kamalam – I thought of your divine feet which are like lotus flower. I realised that I have to attain only your divine feet. I ascertained that this is my goal.
Orndhu – analysing that I, who am subservient to emperumAn, have no connection with myself and that I am the possession of emperumAn. Feeling sad that he had mistaken emperumAn’s possession (the soul) as his own.
ennaiyum angu OkkinEn – I submitted myself to his divine feet. I ascertained that he is the means [to attain him].
We shall take up the 60th pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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