SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
In the previous pAsuram, AzhwAr celebrated his heart which, unlike those of the worldly people, was involved in matters relating to emperumAn. But, looking at the greatness of emperumAn, it did not appear to AzhwAr that he had even taken the first step. While emperumAn remains unknown, having told his heart to meditate on him, he is wondering as to what is the reason for his heart not meditating on emperumAn. As a result, he says that based on his involvement with emperumAn, the efforts put in by his heart are not adequate. When we look at emperumAn it would appear that we do not have any knowledge while when we look at worldly matters it would appear that we have lot of knowledge.
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
nenjAl ninaippariyanElum nilaippeRRen
nenjamE pEsAy ninaikkungAl nenjaththup
pErAdhu niRkum perumAnai enkolO
OrAdhu niRpadhuNarvu
Word by Word Meanings
en nenjame – Oh my heart who is under my control!
nenjAl ninaippu ariyan Elum – even though (emperumAn) has greatness beyond the thinking ability of heart
(thinking only of his simplicity instead of his greatness)
nilaip peRRu – standing firmly
pEsAy – try to talk about him
ninaikkungAl – if we think of him even once
nenjaththu – in the heart
pErAdhu niRkum – standing firmly without leaving it
perumAnai – about emperumAn
uNarvu – our heart
OrAdhu niRpadhu en kolO – why is keeping quiet without thinking?
vyAkyanam
nenjAl ninaippariyanElum – Oh heart! Even though you are not able to think, is it possible to measure the ocean with the help of a small vessel! In the same way, is it not impossible to think of the boundless emperumAn with the lowly mind! Even though emperumAn is difficult to think of …
nilaippeRRu en nenjamE pEsAy – Oh my heart! Instead of stepping back on looking at emperumAn’s greatness, try to enjoy. Instead of thinking that it is a flood and stepping back, try to stand firmly and talk about him. Despite AzhwAr saying this, his heart was a bit hesitant. Immediately, AzhwAr thinks within himself “Despite my telling this, instead of falling head over heels and attaining him, what is the reason for you to hesitate?”
ninaikkungAl nenjaththup pErAdhu niRkum perumAnai – isn’t emperumAn one who would remain without leaving if he (the chEthana) thinks of him once! varAha charama SlOkam is quoted here: “sthithE manasi susvasthE SarIrE sathi yO nara: dhAthu sAmyE sthithE smarthA viSvarUpam cha mAmajam thathas tham mriyamANanthu kAshtApAshANa sannibham aham smarAmi mathbhaktham nayAmai paramAmgathim ” (when the mind is not agitated, when the body is not affected by any disease, when the dhAthus (constituents) – kapa, piththa and vAdha (phlegm, bile and wind respectively) are in balance, whoever thinks of me who has the world as his body and who is without birth, in later years, I think of him, my devotee, when he is like a log of wood or a stone and is on the throes of death, and I take him to exalted state). In the same way, if we think of emperumAn once, emperumAn stays in the heart for ever. Even though he may doubt if the chEthana has a tongue or despite having a tongue, if he is unable to speak, emperumAn does not know how to leave the heart. nammAzhwAr too has mercifully stated in thiruvAimozhi 1-10-2 “kaNNuLLE niRkum kAdhanmaiyAl thozhil eNNilum varum” (if one were to count 1,2,3 etc and say 26, emperumAn, thinking that the chEthana is thinking of emperumAn who is the 26th thathvam (entity) and enter his mind). Just as emperumAn himself had mentioned in mahAbhAratham uththara parvam 47-22 “gOvindhEthi yadhAgrandhath krishNA mAm dhUravAsinam ruNam pravrudhdhamiva mE hrudhayAnnapasarppathi” (the crying out of dhraupadhi when I was very far from her is still remaining in my heart, like interest on interest taken on a loan), even if we call him once he will never forget it.
enkolO OrAdhu niRpadhu uNarvu – whenever we think of, should we think of other deities who do not think of us?
uNarvu OrAdhiruppadhu enkolO – even when we can think, what is the reason that we are not thinking of him? Should we attain other deities who are difficult to worship, instead of emperumAn? Instead of thinking of emperumAn should we get immersed in sand? How is it that one can remain without thinking of emperumAn? poygai AzhwAr too has mercifully mentioned in mudhal thiruvandhAdhi 67 “oNdAmaraiyAL kELvan oruvanaiyE nOkkum uNarvu” (knowledge will be devoted only to the consort of SrI mahAlakshmi ). Leaving aside emperumAn can our thoughts go to lowly matters such as Sabdham etc (the five senses)?
We will move on to the 82nd pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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