SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Full series >> Sixth Centum >> Seventh decad
Introduction for this pAsuram
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction
No specific introduction.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction
In the first pAsuram, as parAnguSa nAyaki‘s mother does not see her daughter in her palace, since she is her own daughter and knowing about her nature, determines that she would have gone to thirukkOLUr only.
Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction
In the first pAsuram, parAnguSa nAyaki‘s mother firmly says “She would have gone to thirukkOLUr which is the abode of krishNa who is the dhAraka (sustenance), pOshaka (nourishment), bhOgya (enjoyment) etc”.
Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction
See nanjIyar‘s introduction.
Highlights from nampiLLai‘s introduction as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai
See nanjIyar‘s introduction.
pAsuram
uNNum sORu parugu nIr thinnum veRRilaiyum ellAm
kaNNan emperumAn enRenRE kaNgaL nIr malgi
maNNinuL avan sIr vaLam mikkavanUr vinavi
thiNNam en iLa mAn pugumUr thirukkOLUrE
Listen
Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
uNNum – To be continuously consumed to sustain oneself
sORum – rice [food]
parugum – To be drunk to nourish oneself by quenching the thirst
nIr – water
thinnum – to be consumed for pleasure
veRRilaiyum – betel leaves
ellAm – all objects (which give sustenance, nourishment and enjoyment)
kaNNan – being krishNa, the son of vasudhEva as said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 7.19 “vAsudhEva sarvam” (Everything is krishNa)
em – for me
perumAn – he who is the lord
enRu enRE – repeating many times
(due to his absence)
kaNgaL – eyes
nIrgaL – tears
malgi – overflow
maNNin uL – in the earth (where he descended to manifest himself to his devotees)
avan – his
sIr – qualities such as saulabhya (easy approachability), saundharya (beauty), sauSeelya (simplicity) etc
vaLam – due to abundance of consorts
mikkavan – one who is complete
Ur – town
vinavi – [probing about] not just thinking about it herself (due to overwhelming love, asking others as if being ignorant, to have good companion during the journey)
en – due to being my daughter
iLam – young
mAn – due to being at the ignorant age, like a deer, she cannot go far;
(she will go and)
pugum – enter
Ur – town
thirukkOLUrE – thirukkOLur only;
(this is)
thiNNam – certain.
Simple translation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
My daughter repeats many times “krishNa, my lord who is the son of vasudhEva as said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 7.19 “vAsudhEva sarvam” , is the food which is continuously consumed to sustain myself, water which is drunk to nourish me by quenching the thirst and betel leaves which are consumed for pleasure, and all other objects”. Saying this with overflowing tears, probing about the qualities such as saulabhya, saundharya, sauSeelya etc and the earthly town of emperumAn who is complete due to having abundance of consorts, due to being my daughter and at the ignorant age, like a young deer, she cannot go far; it is certain that she entered thirukkOLUr.
vyAkyAnams (commentaries)
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s vyAkyAnam
See vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s translation.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s vyAkyAnam
See nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam.
Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s vyAkyAnam
See nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam.
Highlights from nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai
- uNNum sORu parugu nIr thinnum veRRilaiyum ellAm kaNNan – Did she go searching for a greater experience! Did she survive with food and water here and go searching for emperumAn to sustain herself! For those who live as said in thaiththirIya upanishath “ahamannam … ahamannAdha:” (I am the food and I am the consumer of food – residents of parampadham are enjoyed by emperumAn and they in turn enjoy emperumAn), is it necessary to go anywhere else? Is it not sufficient to say “sORu, thaNNIr, veRRilai“? What is the need for the qualifying words such as “uNNum, parugum, thinnum“? thiruvaLLuvar too said in kuRaL 1105 “vEtta pozhudhil avai avai pOlumE thOttAr kadhuppinAL thOL” (Her shoulders which are decorated with flowers, give the pleasure I need, then and there) (That is – the food, water, betel leaves when in need, give a lot more pleasure than normally – this is how the dear shoulders of the beloved person will feel). Similarly, these objects will sometimes be undesirable; to AzhwAr, bhagavath vishayam (matters relating to bhagavAn) will always feel like the desirable state of these sustaining, nourishing and pleasure giving objects.
- ellAm kaNNan – She feels everything is krishNa as said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 7.19 “vAsudhEva sarvam” (Everything is krishNa). Since it is said “uNNum sORu” (food being consumed, present tense), it appears that other food will reduce in quantity when consumed, and this food (bhagavath vishayam) will never reduce in quantity even if consumed. It is said in periya thiruvandhAdhi 78 “kaNai nANil OvAth thozhil sArngan thol sIrai nannenjE OvAdha UNAga uN” (Oh good heart! Enjoy the unending qualities of emperumAn who is valorously engaged with his endless arrows and bow). This (bhagavath vishayam) can be consumed endlessly and will never dry up; this is as said in thiruvAimozhi 2.5.4 “appozhudhaikkappozhudhu en ArAvamudham” (my unending nectar for every moment) and in thiruvAimozhi 4.7.2 “koLLa mALA inba veLLam” (endless ocean of bliss to consume).
- emperumAn – There is nothing in this list, which he can’t be. He himself, the apt lord, remains these to me. Just her presence is sufficient for us [mothers].
- enRu enRE – Only if she considers something else capable of sustaining her, she will talk about something else. Reciting this only. He is not such [inferior] matter that she can recite about him once and then engage in eating, sleeping etc.
- kaNgaL nIrgaL malgi – This is their [mothers’] “uNNum sORu, parugu nIr, thinnum veRRilai etllAm“. They sustain just by seeing her face. Should she who has gone to sustain herself take away our sustenance? When a person is too immersed in bhagavath vishayam with flowing tears, isn’t it apt just to see him? If one is a chEthana (sentient being), one should perform mangaLASAsanam (pray for well-being) to such persons as said in thiruviruththam 2 “azhunIr thuLumba alamaruginRana vAzhiyarO” (she is stumbling upon with tears in her eyes due to separation from her lord; long live!). nanjIyar mercifully used to say “I heard thiruvAimozhi from piLLai thirunaRaiyUr araiyar thrice; I don’t remember anything from that; but, when he starts explaining a pAsuram, he would become weak and start crying and I would remember that posture fondly”. SrIvishNu thathvam SlOkam is explained here: AhlAdha SItha nEthrAmbu – Unlike the hot tears due to separation, these are cool tears due to enjoying bhagavAn; pulakI krutha gAthravAn – having goosebumps all over the body; paraguNAvishta: – being immersed in bhagavAn’s qualities as being possessed by good spirits; such person is sarva dhEhibi: dhrashtavya: – to be seen by everyone who has a body. The whole purpose of accepting a body is to see such a person; sadhA dhrashtavya: – Should one go to paramapadham to constantly see [bhagavAn as said in sadhA paSyanthi]? When ananthAzhwAn saw a SrIvaishNava who was working in a farm land in chOzhakulAndhagan (a village), he asked “which is your native place?” and he replied “my native place is thirukkOLUr”. ananthAzhwAn asked “Why did you leave that town and come here?” and he replied “I could not have my livelihood there”. ananthAzhwAn said “Could you not herd some donkeys there and live there? You have lost the eternal livelihood [emperumAn]”.
- kaNNan emperumAn enRu enRE kaNgaL nIrgaL malgi – This could be understood as joyful tears due to immense experience; or it could be overflowing tears due to constant meditation.
- maNNinuL … – In this earth, thirukkOLUr is the apt place to reach. In paramapadham, a particular place need not be specifically mentioned [since everything is enjoyable there].
- avan sIr vaLam mikkavan Ur – The town which has his auspicious qualities and unlimited wealth. As said in thaiththirya upanishadh Anandhavalli “sOshnuthE sarvAn kAman saha brahmaNA” (He experiences all auspicious qualities of bhagavAn who is omniscient) as one has emperumAn and his qualities as goal, the abodes which are dear to him are also part of the goal.
- avan sIr – His auspicious qualities. That is, those qualities which he manifests to attract her.
- vaLam mikkavan Ur – While paramapadham is the grand assembly, the abode where he acquires what he desires is the real abode! It is said in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 41.4 “kim kAryam sIthayA mama” (What is the use of bringing sIthA back [at the cost of losing of sugrIva]”. Even more than paramapadham, the abode of his devotees is his real abode and that which is well fitting for his divine heart.
- vaLam mikkavan – Also known as very capable in loving affection. That is, he made her give up her residence and come all the way to his abode.
- vinavi – Asking those who cross her “how far is thirukkOLUr?’, they said “it is just close by” , she uses those [comforting] words as pastime during her journey. “pAdhEyam puNdarikAksha nAma sankIrthanAmrutham” (Chanting of the divine names of the lotus-eyed lord is the food/pastime during the journey). Her divine mother is grieving because when she asks “How far is thirukkOLUr”, her divine lips are lacking freshness [due to the grief of separation].
- en iLa mAn pugumUr thirukkOLUrE – Due to having been born as my daughter and due to her nature, the mother is certain that she would have gone to thirukkOLUr only. One will naturally inherit the qualities of one’s mother. Even the omniscient bharathwAja rushi [though this is said by SrI guhap perumAL, since bharathwAja rushi too has same thoughts, here it is said to be the rushi’s words] saw SrI bharathAzhwAn who cannot sustain himself without SrI rAma, and said as in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 85.7 “kachchin na dhushtO vrajasi” (Are you coming with any evil intent? I have doubts in your intent seeing your great army), based on the qualities of his mother [kaikEyi] and asked him “You have sent him to the forest; are you following him here to trouble him further thinking ‘if perumAL (SrI rAma) survives, it is like a tumour in the lower abdomen'”; though he saw bharathAzhwAn’s mood, he doubted him due to his mother’s nature; hunters perfectly determine the scenario on observing the nature of the objects; so, when SrI bharathAzhwAn entered their region, he felt happy and said “you have come to this abode of the servitors”; still, he thought “when kings enter the region of hunters, they would only do so for enquiry” and spoke to SrI bharathAzhwAn with both humility and authority and doubted him due to his mother’s nature. Similarly, the divine mother too, considering parAnguSa nAyaki being her daughter, is certain that she would have entered thirukkOLUr only. Would SrI rAma’s arrow miss its target [it would certainly capture her daughter]! So, she says “my daughter’s destination is thirukkOLUr only”.
- iLa mAn – While eliminating the shyness from her who is very young, it should be emperumAn there!
- en iLa mAn – One who did not follow the rules. [Also] She rushed to thirukkOLUr disregarding her own tender nature.
- pugum Ur – Just as a person who got caught in a forest fire, would run towards pond and garden, for the one who is caught in the forest fire in the desert land of samsAram (material realm), the divine abodes which are dear to emperumAn (dhivya dhESams) are the ponds and gardens. Since it is said as “pugum Ur”, it is implied that those who enter this town will never return. When emperumAnAr (bhagavath rAmAnujar) went on a pilgrimage down south [from SrIrangam], he saw a girl coming out of thirukkOLUr and asked “Where are you coming from?” and she replied “from thirukkOLUr”. He mercifully said to her “Would any girl who entered this town, leave from there!”. My daughter certainly went to thirukkOLUr – I am sure about it. When children are lost, people will go straight to the temple to find them there [such a wonderful abode of emperumAn].
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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