SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
In the 57th pAsuram, AzhwAr had told his divine mind “kariyAn kazhalE theruL” (being devoted to the divine feet of emperumAn). In this pAsuram, he approaches those divine feet and experiences them.
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
vAzhum vagai aRindhEn mai pOl nedu varai vAy
thAzhum aruvi pOl thAr kidappa sUzhum
thirumA maNi vaNNan sengaNmAl engaL
perumAn adi sErap peRRu
Word by Word Meanings
mai pOl nedu varai vAy – in the huge mountain which is very dark like a black pigment
thAzum – flowing down, on both sides
aruvi pOl – like stream
thAr kidappa – with the garland lying
(engaging with that)
sUzhum – circling it without leaving it even for a moment
thiru – one who has SrI mahAlakshmi
mA maNi vaNNan – one who has the complexion of blue coloured gem
sengaN mAl – the great one with reddish eyes
engaL perumAn – emperumAn’s
adi – divine feet
sErappeRRu – since (I) approached
vAzhum vagai aRindhEn – I learnt the way to sustain myself
vyAkyanam
vAzhum vagai aRindhEn – I learnt the way to sustain myself – by attaining emperumAn and holding on to him. I learnt that this is the wealth which is meant for AthmA (souls). In earlier times, as mentioned in SrI bhagavath gIthA 2-62, and 2.63 “dhyAyathO vishayAn pumsa … budhdhinASAth praNaSyathi” (by thinking of worldly matters, the mind was having attachment towards them…. he is lost since he loses his intelligence), I had learnt the way to get lost by involving with worldly matters and getting destroyed. nammAzhwAr too has mercifully stated in thiruvAimozhi 6-9-9 “pala nI kAttip paduppAyO” (are you going to destroy me by showing me all the worldly matters?). Only knowledge about emperumAn and lack of that knowledge are the reasons for attaining salvation (from samsAram) and for getting destroyed, respectively. Since sIthAppirAtti had instructed rAvaNa, as in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 21-20 “yadhi jIvithumichchasi thEna maithri bhavathu thE” (if you desire to live, make friends with SrI rAma), if one wishes to sustain oneself, he/she should attain emperumAn.
mai pOl nedu varai vAyth thAzhum aruvipOl thAr kidappach chUzhum – even if emperumAn does not grant us salvation but destroys us, he has such beauty that we cannot shun him. Just as streams roll down the sides of a huge black mountain, garlands from his shoulders are surrounding his divine chest. Just like two streams falling rapidly from mEru mountain (a celestial mountain) towards earth, the garlands come down from the shoulders towards the divine feet. Since the mountain is not sufficient to describe the divine chest of emperumAn, AzhwAr is adding a simile to it by saying mountain which is like a black pigment.
sUzhum thirumAmaNivaNNan – we can combine the last word of the previous verse (sUzhum) with the first word of the next verse (thirumAmaNivaNNan) and say that pirAtti will surround emperumAn, unable to let go of this beautiful divine form of emperumAn, as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 6-10-10 “agalagillEn iRaiyum enRu” (not wishing to leave him even for a moment) and dwell permanently on that divine chest.
thirumAmaNivaNNan – emperumAn has the complexion of a lustrous, priceless gem. Alternatively, this could mean that he has on his divine chest thiru (pirAtti) and kausthuba garland (blue coloured pendant on a chain, resting on his divine chest, representing all the jIvAthmAs). He has periya pirAtti and a divine form that removes the fatigue of those who see him.
sengaNmAl – emperumAn with lotus eyes. These eyes will give out the fact that he is the supreme being. We can construe the reddish colour of the eyes to have come from the fact that he is the consort of SrI mahAlakshmi. This implies that the cause for happiness is also an ordained one.
engaL perumAn – emperumAn and pirAtti together – the pair – is a very sweet matter for AzhwAr. emperumAn who is with periya pirAtti is asmath swAmy (my lord).
adi sErappeRRu – I learnt the way to approach and be with such emperumAn. I learnt the way to attain the divine feet of emperumAn, who is sweet, great and ordained for me, and to sustain myself.
We will take up the 60th pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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