SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
AzhwAr says that the deed that he carried out was very small while the benefit he obtained was huge. Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
veRpenRu vEngadam pAdinEn vIdAkki
niRkinREn ninRu ninaikkinREn kaRkinRa
nUlvalaiyil pattirundha nUlAttik kELvanAr
kAlvalaiyil pattirundhEn kAN
Word for Word Meanings
veRpu enRu – while mentioning about several mountains
vEngadam pAdinEn – I sang about thirumalai also
(by this mere word)
vIdu Akki niRkinREn – I remained confident that mOksham (SrIvaikuNtam) is certain for me
ninRu ninaikkinREn – I am thinking with amazement that for such a small word that I uttered, I was fortunate to get a huge benefit
kaRkinRa – being recited
nUl – among the vEdhas (sacred texts)
valaiyil pattirundha – standing firmly, as if caught in a net
nUlAtti kELvanAr – mahAlakshmi’s consort, emperumAn’s
kAl valaiyil pattirundhEn kAN – I got caught in the net of his divine feet and remained firm.
vyAkyAnam
veRpenRu vEngadam pAdinEn –without carrying any significant deed towards the means, I mentioned, unknowingly, the name of thiruvEngadamalai just as one mentions names of other mountains such as kochchimalai, kudagumalai, imayamalai etc. emperumAn accounted this as my having sung about thiruvEngadamalai. Thus I too became one who has sung about thiruvEngadamalai.
vIdAkki niRkinREn – The benefit obtained due to saying this was the paramapurushArtham (highest benefit) of SrIvaikuNtam. Just as it is mentioned in SrIvishNu purANam “yan na dhEvA na munayO na chAham na Sankara: I jAnanthi paramESasya thadh vishNO: paramam padham II ” (dhEvas, sages, I (brahmA) or rudhra do not know about paramapadham, the residence of that supreme ISan (controller of all), vishNu) and in mahAbhAratham “athyarkAnaladhIptham thadh sthAnam vishNOr mahAthmana: I svayaiva prabhayA rAjan dhushprEksham dhEvadhAnavai: II” (that dwelling place of mahAthmA (supreme being) vishNu is superior to sUrya and agni (fire) in terms of its radiance; it cannot be seen by dhEvas (celestial entities) and asuras (demons) with their splendour), I attained that SrIvaikuNtam which is unattainable by even people who carry out great penance. This I attained, the moment I mentioned the name of thiruvEngadamalai.
ninRu ninaikkinREn – SrI bhagavath gIthA 6.34 says that mind is fickle “chanchalam hi mana:” periya thirumozhi 1-1-4 says “ninRavAnillA nenju” (mind is wavering). AzhwAr says that he is analysing as to what happened with his mind, in a firm way. Alternatively it can be said to be thinking about what happened and standing. In other words, AzhwAr is amazed that such a thing could happen and has become paralysed.
Once he analysed as to what happened, he knew that this has happened due to the causeless mercy of pirAtti (SrI mahAlakshmi) who is the purushakArabhUthai (one who recommends to emperumAn) and that of the most merciful emperumAn. He further says how he became fully engaged with them…
kaRkinRa nUl valaiyil pattirundha . . . kELvanAr – emperumAn who is firmly and inescapably caught within the net of vEdhas (sacred texts) which are recited in a regular manner. If it is a net, there will be lot of interwoven threads……
nUl valaiyil – this is also a net of threads only, says AzhwAr. Since he is caught well in the vEdhas, it is clearly established that it is emperumAn alone who is the supreme being and that no one can dispute this.
nUlAtti – (feminine gender) one who controls the threads. In other words, just like emperumAn, pirAtti is also referred to in vEdhas such as SrI sUktham etc. This implies that just as emperumAn is said to be as mentioned in SrI bhagavath gIthA 15.15 “vEdhaiSchasarvairahamEva vEdha” (only I am known throughout the vEdhas), pirAtti is also known through the vEdhas since she is the svarUpanirUpakabhUthA (the entity who proves the basic nature of emperumAn). pirAtti herself mentioned in lakshmIthanthram “miyE’khilair mAnai:” (I am mentioned about in all vEdhas) and vEdha says the same “asyESAna jagathO vishNupathni” (she is the controller of the worlds and consort of vishNu). nammAzhwAr too substantiated the same meaning in his thiruvAimozhi 3.1.6 “OdhuvAr OththellAm evvulagathevvevaiyum sAdhuvAy ninpugazhin thagaiyallAl piRidhillai . . . .pUvinmEl mAdhu vAzh mArbinAy”. In all the vEdhas, emperumAn is mentioned as the significant and different from all other sentient and insentient entities and pirAtti is mentioned as his confidential distinguished entity. If anything is mentioned about her, it refers as well to him who is her antharyAmi (indwelling soul) and if anything is mentioned about him, it refers as well to pirAtti, his svarUpanirUpaka bhUthai. It is this that AzhwAr emphasises in his words kaRkinRa nUlvalaiyil pattirundha hUlattik kELvanAr. The implied meaning here is that it was due to her merciful recommendatory role that AzhwAr attained this means.
nUlAtti kELvanAr kAlvalaiyil pattirundhEn kAN – AzhwAr tells us to see how he was caught in the merciful net of the divine feet of dhivyadhampathis (divine couple) both of whom wanted to protect him with utmost care. Alternatively, this can be construed as AzhwAr telling his heart “Oh heart! You also try to fall at their divine feet and see if you can stand firmly”.
We will take up the 41st pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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