SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
In the previous pAsuram, AzhwAr spoke of the status of those who got to see emperumAn. In this pAsuram, he mercifully explains the status of emperumAn on showing himself to his devotees. In the previous pAsuram he spoke of the status of the sages of dhandakAraNyam (forest area) on seeing the divine form of SrI rAma pirAn. We can construe that in this pAsuram, AzhwAr says that not only those sages, but even he had the fortune to see emperumAn and as a result, a new dawn occurred to him.
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
pagal kaNdEn nAraNanaik kaNdEn kanavil
migak kaNdEn mINdavanai meyyE migak kaNdEn
Un thigazhum nEmi oLi thigazhum sEvadiyAn
vAn thigazhum sOdhi vadivu
Word by Word Meaning
pagal kaNdEn – I saw continuous daylight, without any admixture with night, which was like a new dawn
(as a corollary to that)
nAraNanaik kaNdEn – I saw SrIman nArAyaNa (who is like the never-setting sun)
mINdu – again
kanavil – more than seeing him directly, through the mind
miga meyyE – very clearly
avanaik kANdEn – I got to see him
Un thigazhum nEmi – having the divine disc on his divine form
oLi thigazhum sEvadiyAn – emperumAn having radiantly divine feet
vAn thigazhum – in the paramapadham (SrIvaikuNtam)
sOdhi vadivu – the radiant divine form
miga kaNdEn – I got to see well (here)
vyAkyAnam
pagal kaNdEn – I saw a good dawn. Days before this were full of heavy darkness. Instead of such a heavily dark day, I saw dawn. Just as akrUra said, as in SrI vishNu purANam 5-17-2 “suprabhAthA cha mE niSA” (my night became a beautiful dawn for me today itself), on the day that he went to see kaNNan (krishNa), AzhwAr also says similarly. There is only one night and one day. In other words, all the times before knowing emperumAn are nights only and all the times after knowing him are only days. There will be no admixture of nights in this.
nAraNanaik kaNdEn – When AzhwAr was asked “Your saying that you had seen dawn is not clear to us. Your words are incomprehensible, similar to those of vadugar’s. Please say it in a way which is comprehensible to us”, he says that he had seen the sun which does not set. He says that he had also seen himself not sleeping. What has been mentioned in gaudapAdha kArikai 21 “anAdhi mAyayA sUptha:” (jIvAthmA sleeping from time immemorial due to prakruthi sambandham (connection to primordial matter)) is not natural to jIvAthmA. He [jIvAthmA], like iLaiyaperumAL (lakshmaNa) is expected to give up his sleep and carry out service. It is said of nithyasUris in rig ashta. 1-2-7 “sadhA paSyanthi…. jAgruvAm samindhathE” (always awake and seeing). AzhwAr says that he saw SrIman nArAyaNa who is the lord of both the vibhUthis. He is the sUriya (sun) who does not travel. He is not one who is appointed but one who gives out commands. Just as it is mentioned in thaiththirIya upanishath Anandhavalli 8 “bhIshOdhEthi sUrya:” (sun rises due to his fear of emperumAn), he orders sUriya also. Not only sUriya. Just as thaiththirIyavalli Ara. 3.11 says “antha: pravishta: SAsthA janAnAm sarvAthmA” (being the indwelling soul of all jivAthmAs, he permeates all and controls them) he controls all.
kanavil migak kaNdEn mINdu avanai – instead of seeing with the help of sensory perceptions [with the sensory eyes] AzhwAr says that he saw emperumAn fully, with his mind. He saw emperumAn with the help of his mind which cannot be confused by sensory perceptions.
meyyE migak kaNdEn – I saw beautifully such that I could know very well.
What did I see?
Un thigazhum nEmi – chakrAyudham (disc) which has a beautiful form; or, chakrAyudham which kills the enemies and stays in their bodies; or, chakrAyudham which stays on emperumAn’s divine form. Isn’t he praised by periyAzhwAr in his thiruppallANdu 2 “vadivAr sOdhi valaththuRaiyum sudarAzhi” (chakrAyudha which dwells on emperumAn’s right hand and is radiant)!
oLi thigazhum sEvadiyAn – one who has divine feet which are radiant; the divine feet which promulgate the greatness of the lord.
vAn thigazhum sOdhi vadivu – I got to see emperumAn who resides in paramapadham (SrIvaikuNtam) with radiant form. Alternatively vAn thigazhum could mean having a form like cloud and AzhwAr says that he saw here itself the radiant form which remains in the sky.
We shall take up the 82nd pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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