mUnRAm thiruvandhAdhi – 40 – uLan kaNdAy

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avathArikai

AzhwAr tells his heart that there is no deficiency in him after emperumAn, who is superior to everyone else, entered his heart.

Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:

uLan kaNdAy nannenjE uththaman enRum
uLan kaNdAy uLLuvAr uLLaththu uLan kaNdAy
viNNodungak kOduyarum vIngaruvi vEngadaththAn
maNNodungath thAnaLandha man

Word by Word Meanings

nannenjE – Oh my good heart, which made him [emperumAn] also to exist [within you]
viN odunga – making the worlds above to appear to be in a corner
kOdu – peaks
uyarum – having them to be tall
vIngu aruvi – having lots of streams
vEngadaththAn – one who is residing in thiruvEngadam
maN – the entire surface of earth
odunga – to make it appear to be in a corner (of his divine foot)
thAn aLandha – one who measured it
man – the king
uLan kaNdAy – you can see that he exists, since he is protecting us
uththaman – that emperumAn who is purushOththaman (best among all souls)
enRum uLan kaNdAy – you can see that he exists at all times (with a vow to protect us)
uLLuvAr uLLaththu – in the minds of those who think of him
uLan kaNdAy – you can see that he resides permanently

vyAkyanam

uLan kaNdAyAzhwAr says that emperumAn did not exist before and he started existing now.  Before, when emperumAn had not attained him, he did not exist, as mentioned in thaiththirIya upanishath “asannEva sa bhavathi”. Now, after attaining us, he exists, says AzhwAr. We do not have to fear that we are not for ourselves. We can be bold that he [emperumAn] is for us. Just as we exist to create destruction for ourselves, he exists to protect us. Our existence is the reason for his existence. Just as it is mentioned in SrIvaikuNtastavam 36 “ichchAtha Eva thava viSvapadhArtha saththA” (all entities get their existence due to your desire), he makes us exist and makes himself to exist.

nal nenjE – Oh my heart, only after becoming non-malevolent towards you [in other words, friendly towards you], did he also become existing. Both non-malevolence and existence happened simultaneously. Only now you are in a state as mentioned in thaiththirIya upanishath 6 “asthi brahmEthi chEth vEdha santhamEnam thathO vidhu:” (only if a person gets knowledge about brahmam (supreme being) will he be considered as existing).

uththaman – he is considering our protection as his benefit. Just as for all the persons other than emperumAn, destroying themselves is a characteristic, for emperumAn making us subservient to him is a characteristic.

enRum uLan kaNdAy – even during times when we do not need him, he desires us. Even when we do not think that he is the reason for our existence, he thinks of us.

uLLuvAr uLLaththu uLan kaNdAn – All that we have to do is just this – think of him. He exists in the hearts of those who do not shun him when he is thinking of entering their minds.  Alternatively, we can consider this to mean that it is enough if we know [that he exists].

viN odungak kOdu uyarum – the hills of thiruvEngadamalai are such that it will appear that the sky has shrunk. They will be so tall that other worlds and certain limits do not exist and that they are not needed; they will rise beyond all limits making even sky etc to get shrunk. Alternatively, if we consider viN to mean paramapadham, these peaks will rise to that extent that even paramapadham would appear to shrink in size.

vIngaruvi vEngadaththAn – he has as his residence thiruvEngadam which has streams with copious flow of water.

maNNodungath thAn aLandha man – “maNNodunga” making the earth to shrink under the divine feet. When he measured the worlds, he spread out his feet such that only his feet were visible and the earth was not.

man he avoided twin-rulers by making it clear that he is the only ruler and there is no one else. He is the owner of all these possessions. It appears that since he reclaimed the kingdom that indhra had lost and since he seized that from mahAbali, he is the owner of that kingdom. Existence of jIvAthmA (soul) will create a fear within jIvAthmA whereas existence of emperumAn will remove that fear for jIvAthmA. dhraupadhi, when she was dragged by her hair, complained to krishNa in mahAbhAratham uththara parvam 83 “sAham kESagraham prApthA thavyi jIvathyapi prabhO” (Oh lord, even when you existed, I was dragged by my hair by my enemies. There is none who is my protector, other than you. You also did not protect me now. Oh emperumAn! Can you connect your existence and the insult which happened to me? Would I have to weep like this if you are also like me and my husbands (as a burden for the earth))? Just as it is mentioned in jithanthE SlOkam 5 “na thE rUpam na chAkAra: …… bhakthAnAm thvam prakASasE” (your divine form is not for yourself…. you have them all for the sake of your followers), it will be no wonder if one expresses displeasure when he does not help.

We will proceed to the 41st pAsuram next.

adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan

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