SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
AzhwAr tell his heart that emperumAn alone, who has the characteristic of annihilating enemies, is our protector. Hence think of him as the refuge. Even though he is the protector for everyone, should we not think of our lowly characteristics such as our knowledge, birth, activities etc? AzhwAr says that there is no need; he will shower his grace on lowly persons too.
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
araNAm namakkenRum Azhi valavan
muraNAL valam suzhindha moymban saraNAmEl
Edhu gadhi Edhu nilai Edhu piRappu ennAdhE
Odhu gadhi mAyanaiyE Orththu
Word by Word Meanings
Azhi – the divine disc
valavan –one who has on his right divine hand
muran – the demon muran
nAL – caused by the lengthy life
valam – strength
suzhindha – one who removed
moymban – emperumAn who is strong
saraN Am El – if he becomes the protector
gadhi Edhu nilai Edhu piRappu Edhu ennAdhE – instead of despising “What is our knowledge? What is our status? What is our birth?” (Instead of looking at the lowliness of these)
namakku enRum araN Am – one who is our protector at all times
mAyanaiyE – (Oh heart!) that emperumAn alone, who has amazing auspicious qualities and activities
gadhi – as means
Orththu – being steadfast
Odhu – recite his divine names.
vyAkyanam
araNAm namaku enRum Azhi valavan – emperumAn who has the divine disc on his divine right hand is always our protector. During times when we face difficulties when we are looking for protection, it is only he who removes our difficulties and protects us. He alone, who is omnipotent, is the protector. Isn’t the one who has disc on his divine hand, the protector! Did he not say in SrI bhagavath gIthA 18.66 “aham thvA sarva pApEbhyO mOkshayishyAmi” (I will redeem you from all sins) by pointing to himself! AzhwAr says that his (the sentient entity’s) ego causes troubles and emperumAn’s ego removes those difficulties.
muran nAL valam suzhindha moymban – his ability to destroy enemies is mentioned here. emperumAn has the strength to negate the strength of the demon muran who obtained it as a result of his long life.
saraNAm mEl – if he becomes the protector
Azhivalavan – he will protect with his divine disc. periya thiruvandhAdhi 87 says “eppOdhum kai kazhalA nEmiyAn” (emperumAn always has the disc which will not go out of his hand)
Edhu gadhi Edhu nilai Edhu piRappu ennAdhE araNAm – emperumAn protects irrespective of the knowledge, the status, the birth etc of the chEthana, by being born in any type of birth and by carrying out any type of activity. nammAzhwAr too has mercifully mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 1-3-2 “nilai varambila pala piRappAy oLivaru muzhunalam” (emperumAn incarnates without looking at the status, boundary etc). We can also construe the meaning for this as AzhwAr saying – after knowing that he removes our enemies, you try and think about him instead of looking at your birth, activities, knowledge etc. Has it not been mentioned in SrI bhagavath gIthA 9-29 “samOham sarvabhUthEshu na mE dhvEshyOsthi na priya:” (I am equanimous to all creatures; there is none who I like nor anyone who I do not like) and “yEpi syu: pApayOnaya:” (even those who commit sins attain mOksham). nammAzhwAr too has mercifully mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 3-7-9 “eththanai nalandhAnillAdha chaNdALa chaNdALargaLAgilum” (even if they are lowliest among the lowliest…).
Odhu gadhi mAyanaiyE Orththu – praise him after analysing that he, who has amazing auspicious qualities and activities, is fit to be attained. Think of his divine feet as the refuge. If the text is Odhu gadhi mAdhavanai Orththu we should construe the meaning as – recite his divine names considering emperumAn who is the consort of mahAlakshmi as the means.
We will move on to the 79th pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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