thiruvAimozhi – 6.9.3 – gyAlaththUdE

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Full series >> Sixth Centum >> Ninth decad

Previous pAsuram

Introduction for this pAsuram

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction

No specific introduction.

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction

In the third pAsuram, AzhwAr says “Instead of considering that you have taken an incarnation like that [referring to vAmana avathAram] by chance, you have the natural quality of protecting the universe by manifesting different heart captivating activities during rAma, krishNa et al incarnations in every yuga; why should I suffer for such a long time, without seeing you?”.

Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction

Subsequently, AzhwAr says “You are having activities which are meant for the protection of devotees in all manners; would I suffer forever without enjoying you along with your divine consort lakshmi?”.

Highlights from periyavAchchAn piLLai‘s introduction

See nanjIyar‘s introduction.

Highlights from nampiLLai‘s introduction as documented by vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai

AzhwAr says “It is not sufficient that you have manifested your universal form; you should manifest your distinguished form”; emperumAn says “I will manifest that to you in the special abode of paramapadham”; AzhwAr replies “did you not manifest that in a worldly form before?”; emperumAn replies “that was like a flash flood which occurs rarely”; AzhwAr says “You cannot say that to be rare as you have the natural quality of protecting in every yuga as rAma, krishNa et al; why should I still suffer [by not seeing your divine forms]?”.

pAsuram

gyAlaththUdE nadandhum ninRum kidandhirundhum
sAlap pala nAL ugandhORuyirgaL kAppAnE!
kOlath thirumAmagaLOdu unnaik kUdAdhE
sAlap pala nAL adiyEn innum thaLarvEnO?

Listen

Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)

ugandhORu – every yuga
gyAlaththUdE – descending on earth
nadandhum – mercifully walked as said in “chachAra vasudhAthalE”
ninRum – stood (holding the bow with the arrow ready to be launched as said in “avashtabya cha thishtantham dhadharSa dhanurUrjitham“)
kidandhum – mercifully rested (like an ocean in front of another ocean as said in “prathiSiSyE mahOdhadhE:“)
irundhum – being nicely seated along with pirAtti (as said in “Evam AsthE sa dharmAthmA sIthayA saharAghava:“)
sAlap pala nAL – for a long time (as said in “dhaSa varsha sahasrANi dhaSa varsha SathAni cha“)
uyirgaL – creatures
kAppAnE – Oh one who protects!
kOlam – one who appears matching your beautiful form as said in “vishNOr dhEhAnurUpAm vai karOthyEshA’thmanasthanUm”
thiru mA magaLOdu – with lakshmi
unnai – you
kUdAdhE – without reaching and enjoying

(like the loss from time immemorial)
sAlap pala nAL – for the times to come

(unlike previously when I did not know about our relationship, now)
adiyEn – I (who knows our [lord-servant] relationship)

(unlike previously when I was engaged in worldly pleasures, without any taste [for bhagavath vishayam])
innum – even after acquiring the taste [for bhagavath vishayam]
thaLarvEnO – should I suffer due to not acquiring the experience?

Simple translation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)

Oh one who protected creatures for a long time by descending on earth every yuga and mercifully walking as said in “chachAra vasudhAthalE“, stood, mercifully rested and by being nicely seated along with pirAtti! Without reaching and enjoying you along with lakshmi who appears matching your beautiful form as said in “vishNOr dhEhAnurUpAm vai karOthyEshA”thmanasthanUm” for the times to come, should I suffer due to not acquiring the experience, even after acquiring the taste?

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

• gyAlaththUdE nadandhum – The walk which is manifested in front of those [residents of parampadham] who constantly see him, is carried out in front of these worldly people who don’t even look at, even if emperumAn appears rarely! Like walking in front of a blind person. Walked as said in SrI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam 11.1 “agratha: prayayau rAma:” (SrI rAma walks first), mahAbhAratham AraNya parvam “atha dhASarathirvIrO rAmOnAmamahAbala: | vishNurmAnusharUpENa chachAra vasudhAthalE” (Subsequently, vishNu assumed a human form as the divine son of emperor dhaSaratha, with great strength and with well known name SrI rAma, and roamed around on earth). A very good singer from North arrived in SrIrangam to worship the divine feet of SrIranganAthan. That day being the thIrthavAri (the concluding day of brahmOthsavam), AzhwAr thiruvarangap perumAL araiyar sang thirumAlai in a melodious tune and praised emperumAn like taming an elephant and had him mesmerised; at that time araiyar requested emperumAn “My lord! A very good devotee of yours has arrived from a distant place to worship your divine feet; you should accept him and honour him”. perumAL obliged and invited him through the archaka; emperumAn mercifully ordered the archakas to perform thirukkaiththala sEvai (archakas carrying emperumAn with their bare hands) from thiruppunnai tree [the divine tree at the banks of chandhra puskhariNi, the ceremonial pond inside the temple campus] up to where the devotee was standing, for a few meters. On completing the act, emperumAn mercifully asked “Is this sufficient for this devotee who has arrived from distant location?”; this is how emperumAn should feel in his divine heart for my loss, and mercifully present himself to me to eliminate such suffering.
• ninRum – SrI rAmAyaNam kishkinthA kANdam 19.25 “avashtabya cha thishtantham dhadharSa dhanurUrjitham | rAmAm rAmAnujam chaiva barthuSchaivAnujam SubhA” (thArA [vAli’s wife] saw SrI rAma who was standing majestically holding the bow, along with lakshmaNa and sugrIva) – thArA instead of blaming SrI rAma who killed her husband, said “Is it SrI rAma’s fault? How can one avoid eliminating the enemies of the one who took refuge? Had vAli remained favourable towards him, would he have not protected him as well? Just as a person who drowned in a lake which was dug to provide water, vAli got killed due to his own mistake!”. In this manner emperumAn stood with the bow in his hand in the most attractive manner to be praised even by the wives of those who were unfavourable towards him!
• kidandhum – His lying down in front of the ocean appears to win over lankA as said in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 21.1 “bAhum bhujagabhOgAbham upadhAyArisUdhana” (the annihilator of enemies, is having the hand resembling the body of a serpent as his pillow). SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 21.1 “anjali prAng muka: kruthvA prathiSiSyE mahOdhadhE” (SrI rAma remained prostrated towards east direction with joined palms). “prathiSiSyE” – it appears that two oceans are present touching each other. The ocean thought itself as too great and to eliminate that pride emperumAn laid himself down as a competitor and hence it appeared that an ocean (of salt water) is present adjacent to another ocean (of mercy); as said in kamba rAmAyaNam varuNanai vazhi vENdu padalam 5 “karuNai am kadal thuyinRanai karungadal nOkki“.
• irundhum – Seated as said in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 16.8 “upavishtam svalankrutham” (one who is decorated and seated) and SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 99.25 “utajE rAmAm AsInam” (SrI rAma who was seated in the hermitage). [second SlOkam is explained] His secluded assembly [in chithrakUtam] seems greater than his assembly in SrI ayOdhyA. SrI bharathAzhwAn who could approach him in that assembly in ayOdhyA, could himself not approach SrI rAma in chithrakUtam; [same SlOkam] “apitha:bhAvakOpamam” (like being surrounded by fire) – as one cannot approach burning fire, SrI rAma remained unable to be overcome.
• sAlap pala nAL – Is your protection not from time immemorial? Alternative meaning – has your protection not been going for hundred, thousand etc years?
• ugandhORu – as said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 4.8 “sambhavAmi yugE yugE” (I appear in every yuga).
• uyirgaL – Your protection is not only for thiruvadi (hanuman),  thiruvananthAzhwAn (Adhi SEsha) and pirAtti (SrI mahAlakhsmi), but for the well-being of all!
• kAppAnE – Just as they have the nature of destroying themselves, he has the nature of protecting them. I have withdrawn; if you don’t want to be blamed for being careless in your guarding, you protect me. SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 25.33 “rAma lakshmaNa gupthAsAsugrIvENa cha vAhinI” (sugrIva along with his army was protected by SrI rAma and lakshmaNa) – when everyone was on the seashore close to lankA to protect perumAL (SrI rAma), all leaders such as his own brother lakshmaNa, sugrIva mahArAja, maindha, dhvivida et al watched the sky and were guarding perumAL like those who protect their wealth; when they all fell asleep at one point, perumAL took up his bow and arrows, circled them and guarded them. One should just close his own eyes to be protected by emperumAn. Considering ourselves to be his guardians is only an illusion; when we truly realise, we will understand that he is the true protector.
• kOlath thirumA magaLOdu unnaik kUdAdhE – It looks like a nursing baby which is struggling due to lack of milk, being unable to reach the mother and father who are in close proximity! For AzhwAr, the goal is their divine togetherness as said in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 21.15 “ananyA rAghavENAham” (I am inseparable from SrI rAma).
• innam thaLarvEnO – sAlap palanAL – While I have lost it since time immemorial, should I lose him again for unlimited time?
• adiyEn – While that is there, are you planning to abandon me saying “you lost because of yourself [i.e., your lack of knowledge about our relationship]”?
• innam thaLarvEnO – Should I suffer even after knowing that the divine couple is the goal? Not knowing “you are the protector”, considering “I have some other refuge”, considering “I can protect myself”, not knowing “the lord of lakshmi is the goal”, considering “I own myself” – did I do any of these to lose you? Can I lose you even after acquiring taste [for you]? With this pAsuram, the meaning of akAram (“a” in praNavam) is sequentially elaborated.
  • “ava – rakshaNE” is the dhAthu (root). While protecting, he should protect in all manners; he should protect at all times; while doing so, he should be the protector for all; while protecting like this without any restriction, the one (pirAtti) who says as in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 116-44 “na kaSchinnAparAdhyathi” (There is none who has not committed a sin) and the one (emperumAn) who says as in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 4.9.2 “ennadiyAr athu seyyAr” (My devotees would not do anything wrong) are present together; thus, akAram indicates the divine couple.
  • By “gyAlaththUdE …“, his protection in all manners is explained.
  • By “sAlap pala nAL …“, his protection in all times is explained.
  • By “uyirgaL”, his protection for all is explained.
  • By “kOlath thiru mA magaLOdu unnaik kUda“, SrIya:pathi (lord of SrI mahAlakshmi) is the goal, is explained.
  • [Subsequently] thirumanthram‘s meaning [i.e., artha panchakam] which is the expansion of akAram is explained.
    • By “kOlath thiru mA magaLOdu“, true nature of brahmam (God) is explained.
    • By “adiyEn“, true nature of AthmA (soul) is explained.
    • By “uyirgaL kAppAn“, upAyam (means) is explained.
    • By “unnaik kUda“, palam (result) is explained.
    • By “unnaik kUdAdhE – thaLarvEnO“, virOdhi (hurdle) is explained.

In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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