SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
AzhwAr says that emperumAn who has taken residence at thirumalai, close to us, will also fulfil the desires of those who desire other benefits.
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
malai mugadu mEl vaiththu vAsugiyaich chuRRi
thalai mugadu thAnoru kai paRRi alai mugattu
aNdam pOy nIr theRippa anRu kadal kadaindhAn
piNdamAy ninRa pirAn
Word by Word Meanings
piNdam Ay ninRa pirAn – emperumAn who is the material cause [for the creation of the worlds]
anRu – once upon a time
mugadu malai – the mountain mantharam with peaks
mEl vaiththu – keeping it atop (himself in the form of tortoise)
vAsugaiyaich chuRRi – coiling the snake vAsugi (around that mountain as rope for churning)
thalai mugadu – the tallest peak [of mantharam]
thAn oru kai paRRi – holding it with one of his hands
alai mugattu nIr – the droplets of water on top of the waves
aNdam pOy theRippa – to hit against the walls of the universe
kadal kadaindhAn – he churned the ocean
vyAkyanam
malai mugadu mEl vaiththu – keeping the mountain mantharam with its tall peak on top of himself (in the form of kUrma, tortoise)
vAsugiyaich chuRRi – coiling the snake vAsugi around the middle of mantharam as a rope for churning [the ocean].
thalai mugadu thAn oru kai paRRi – just as he took the form of a tortoise and sat under the mountain so that it would not sink during the churning process, emperumAn pressed his hand on top of the peak to support it so that the mountain will not get toppled over during the churning process.
alai mugattu nIr theRippa anRu kadal kadaindhAn – he churned the ocean such vigor that the water droplets on top of the waves went all the way to the walls of the universe and banged against them.
Who is the entity who churned the ocean such that the water from the waves hit against the walls of the universe?
piNdamAy ninRa pirAn – the one who is the cause (for all these – the world, ocean, mountain etc). Just as clay, which is the previous state for pot, lid etc, is the cause for these products, emperumAn is the cause for the worlds. mahOpanishath states “EkO ha vai nArAyaNa AsIth” (only nArAyaNa was present before creation).
pirAn – one who is the benefactor. When the worlds, which are the resultant factors, were destroyed and he alone remained, he is the benefactor who created these again so that they will reap the benefits. He is the one who is affectionate towards the worlds which he created.
piNdamAy ninRa pirAn – should not the father, who sired the children, provide for their sustenance? He churned the oceans only for that and gave nectar [to celestial entities].
pirAn – while he could have carried out the task of protecting the worlds through his mere sankalpa (vow/will/thought), did he not churn the ocean, hurting his divine form in the bargain! AzhwAr engages with this characteristic of emperumAn saying “How is this simplicity!”
We will take up the 47th pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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Please post the name of the lyricist Azhvar prominently on the first page for each pasuram.
dhanyOsmi, for dhEvarIr’s comment, swAmy. These pAsurams are part of a serial under mUnRAm thiruvandhAdhi and will be published as a book, later. Since the first article in the series talks about the narrative of the AzhwAr, details will be available there.