SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Full series >> Sixth Centum >> Ninth decad
Introduction for this pAsuram
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction
No specific introduction.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction
In the first pAsuram, emperumAn says “I have shown my universal form” and AzhwAr replies “that is not sufficient, I want to see your distinguished form”.
Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction
In the first pAsuram, AzhwAr says “You who are having the entire cosmos as your body, should appear with your distinguished symbols”.
Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction
See nanjIyar‘s introduction.
Highlights from nampiLLai‘s introduction as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai
See nanjIyar‘s introduction.
pAsuram
nIrAy nilanAyth thIyAyk kAlAy nedu vAnAy
sIrAr sudargaL iraNdAy sivanAy ayan AnAy
kUrAr Azhi veN sangEndhik kodiyEnpAl
vArAy! oru nAL maNNum viNNum magizhavE
Listen
Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
nIr – having importance as said in manu smruthi “apa Eva sasarjAthau” (He first created water)
Ay – having as body
nilan – earth (which is an effect of water)
Ay – having as body
thI – fire (which is the cause for both water and earth, which is given great importance in chAndhOgya upanishath)
Ay – having as body
kAl – air (which is the cause for fire)
Ay – having as body
nedu – very expansive
vAn – ether; with all these, the samashti (initial creation)
Ay – create, enter inside and be the antharyAmi for them
sIrAr – being the primary person for vyashti srushti (variegated creation) (as said in “sUryA chandhramasau dhAthA yathApUrvamakalpayath” (Sun, moon etc get created as before by the lord)
iraNdu sudargaL – moon and sun (benefactors due to providing heat and coolness)
Ay – having as body
(for such srushti (creation) and samhAram (annihilation))
sivan – rudhra
Ay – having as body
ayan – brahmA
AnAy – Oh one who is having them as body by being their antharAthmA (indwelling soul)!
(apart from this normal form)
kUr – sharpness (in eliminating the enemies)
Ar – having
Azhi – divine chakra (disc)
veN – having pure white complexion (which is enjoyable for the devotees)
sangu – SrI pAnchajanyam (the divine conch)
Endhi – holding
(saying “how amazing emperumAn’s help for others is!”)
maNNum – leelA vibhUthi (material realm) which is highlighted by the earth
viNNum – nithya vibhUthi which is highlighted by the term “parama vyOma” (supreme sky)
magizha – to be delighted
kodiyEnpAl – for I who am having cruelty (of forcing you to show your distinguished form)
oru nAL – at least on one day
vArAy – should arrive
Simple translation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
Oh emperumAn who is having water which is having importance as said in manu smruthi “apa Eva sasarjAthau“, earth, fire, air and the very expansive ether as his body as part of the samashti srushti, creating them, entering inside them and being the antharyAmi for them! Oh one who is the primary person for vyashti srushti, having moon and sun as his body! Oh one who is having rudhra and brahmA as body by being their antharAthmA! You should arrive at least on one day for me who am having cruelty and to the delight of leelA vibhUthi and nithya vibhUthi, holding the divine chakra which is having sharpness and SrI pAnchajanyam which is having pure white complexion.
vyAkyAnams (commentaries)
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s vyAkyAnam
See vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s translation.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s vyAkyAnam
See nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam.
Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s vyAkyAnam
See nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam.
Highlights from nampiLLai‘s vyAkyAnam as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai
- nIray nilanAy … – AzhwAr is praying to emperumAn with what he knows already, so that emperumAn does not think that AzhwAr is desiring for him without knowing the truth.
- nIrAy – He says that he already knew that emperumAn is nArAyaNa (one who resides in water). He previously said in thiruvAimozhi 1.1.10 “nIrthoRum parandhuLan” (he is pervading every water droplet).
- nIrAy – As said in manu smruthi “apa Eva sasarjAthau” (He first created water), he first created water and subsequently created land etc; while using them (five great elements) [in panchIkaraNam, for further creation of the oval shaped universes], more of the yet to be created ones are required than the already created ones. Creation is done as said in SrIvishNu purANam 1.2.54 “samEthya anyOnya samyOgam paraspara samASraya:” (five great elements with each other; they are related to each other); they are not a single element; while they are being several individual elements they should be combined into a single element and used further; while doing that, just as a potter would mix soil, water and mud, beat them well, and would create pots etc, emperumAn would first create water, and since it is fluid, would mix land which is firm, with it, and as it is still not tight, would create fire to harden it, and since it starts burning, would create air to dry it, and would finally create ether to provide space for air to move around. Up until this point, he created the oval shaped universe, with his prathama sankalpam (first vow); now after creating a huge mansion, it cannot be left in darkness; so he created moon and sun as two lamps. Both sun and moon were created to deal with removing wetness and keeping cool respectively.
- sivanAy ayanAnAy – Created brahmA and rudhra to remain inside the universe and manage creation and annihilation. Why is rudhra highlighted first? That is because annihilation precedes creation always. As “nIrAy nilanAy” and “sIrAr sudargaL iraNdAy” are read along the same lines, it is clear that both chEthana (sentient beings) and achEthana (insentient objects) are subservient to bhagavAn just like body is to soul as said in bruhadhAraNyaka upanishath “yasya AthmA SarIram, yasya pruthivI SarIram” (for the one who has Souls as his body, for the one who has earth etc as his body). As “sIrAr sudargaL iraNdAy” and “sivanAy ayanAnAy” are read along the same lines, it is explained that both the controlled entities and those who consider themselves as controllers are both subservient to bhagavAn; [AzhwAr thinks] Didn’t emperumAn perform jagath srushti (creation) for my purpose? Only if you did some favour me, your action is purposeful! The purpose of srushti is to place the eternally sorrowful AthmA in the abode of unlimited bliss. While that is the case, should you not attain the purpose of your creation? By saying “nIrAy nilanAyth thIyAyk kAlAy neduvAnAych chIrAr sudargaL iraNdAy sivanAy ayanAnAy“, it is clear that he recollects ISvara’s wealth similar to someone counting to the digit.
- kUrAr Azhi veN sangEndhi – SrI chakra’s sharpness is as desirable as the whiteness of the SrI pAnchajanyam for AzhwAr.
- kUrAr Azhi – SrI chakra’s sharpness increases as it destroys the enemies. The identification of his beautiful form is the combination of his divine hand and divine chakra.
- kodiyEn – I am forced to such situation! What I am doing is contrary to my true nature! I have not got the nature of SrI bharathAzhwAn who stayed back in ayOdhyA when SrI rAma told him to do so; I have got the nature of iLaiya perumAL (lakshmaNa) who forced SrI rAma saying “kurushva” (you should accept me as your servitor and order), when SrI rAma told him to stay put in ayOdhyA!
- vArAy – Even if desired only those who are able, can walk along;
When you say “vArAy”, should he keep coming!
- oru nAL – (to sustain me.) As a very thirsty person would say “just quench my thirst once”.
- maNNum viNNum magizhavE – Even if you don’t come for me, you come to ensure that your wealth does not get finished. If you remain thinking “why should I do anything if this material realm gets finished, like the decorations during navarAthri uthsavam get recreated every year?”, your spiritual realm will also be finished; when this realm gets finished, that too will be considered as finished; even while the spiritual realm was there, during the annihilation phase of this material realm, it was said as in “sa EkAkI na ramEtha” (that supreme lord was unhappy feeling loneliness). When it says that the spiritual realm will not be finished during praLayam (in material realm), it does not mean that the spiritual realm will not be finished for my sorrow.
- magizhavE – to avert the destruction and survive.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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