SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
AzhwAr mentioned about attaining emperumAn’s followers as one of the faultless means [for attaining emperumAn] in the previous pAsuram. When asked “could you not mercifully tell us the other faultless means too?” AzhwAr says in this pAsuram that “those who attain emperumAn and those who are in the charamOpAyam (ultimate means) of being fully engaged with the followers of emperumAn are distinguished people”. In matters relating to followers of emperumAn, svagatha svIkAram (attaining through one’s own efforts) was mentioned in the previous pAsuram. paragatha svIkAram (attaining through the causeless mercy of emperumAn) in the matters relating to followers of emperumAn is mentioned in the 18th pAsuram of this prabandham (mARAya dhAnavanai) and in this pAsuram. Has it not been mentioned in bhAradhwAja samhithai that just as in the matter related to emperumAn, there are also the same two types, namely svagatha svIkAram and paragatha svIkAram in matters related to emperumAn’s followers and that these two are faultless means through the verse “guruNA yO’bhimanyEtha gurum vA yObhimanyathE I thAvubhau paramAm sidhdhim niyamAdhubhagachchatha: II ” (both the one who is respected by the teacher and the one who respects the teacher attain the ultimate benefit of mOksham without fail)!
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
vIRRirundhu viNNALa vENduvAr vEngadaththAn
pAl thirundha vaiththArE panmalargaL mEl thirundha
vAzhvAr varumadhi pArththu anbinarAy maRRavarkkE
thAzhvAy iruppAr thamar
Word for Word Meanings
vIRRirundhu – being with greatness (in this world)
viN – paramapadham (SrIvaikuNtam)
ALa vENduvAr – one who wishes to rule
vEngadaththAn pAl – towards thiruvEngadamudaiyAn (lord of thiruvEngadam)
pal malargaL – different types of flowers
thirundha – in a good manner [following the procedure mentioned in SAsthras]
vaiththArE – offered
varum madhi pArththu – knowing the thoughts (in emperumAn’s divine mind)
anbinar Ay – being with devotion
maRRavarkkE – to that emperumAn only
thAzhvu Ay iruppAr – being servitors
thamar – those who are thought of with respect
mEl thirundha vAzhvAr – will live with more distinction than those who have been mentioned in the earlier part.
vyAkyAnam
vIRRirundhu viNNALa vENduvAr – they will be fully immersed in being a servitor to emperumAn’s followers, with their eminence fully on display, with a desire to get the benefit of carrying out service to those in paramapadham.
vEngadaththAn pAl thirundha vaiththArE panmalargaL – they are the people who have kept different types of flowers, without slipping on the procedure mentioned in SAsthras (sacred texts) and worshipped thiruvEngadaththAn who has taken residence in thiruvEngadam in order to uplift simple people. They have carried out service to emperumAn [here] and will get to serve him in paramapadham too.
Next AzhwAr mercifully says that engaging with followers of emperumAn fully is superior to this attainment through emperumAn (as mentioned in the earlier verse).
varu madhi pArththu – Just as it is mentioned in the vEdhavAkhyam (line from vEdhas) “yEna yEna dhAthA gachchathi thEna thEna saha gachchathi” (in whichever way emperumAn thinks, he [one who has reached paramapadham after getting liberated from materialistic realm] also thinks in the same way, knowing forehand what emperumAn thinks in his divine mind).
anbinarAy maRRavarkkE thAzhwAyiryuppAr – they will be devoted to appropriate kainkaryam to emperumAn and be servile to him.
thAzhvAy iruppAr thamar mEl thirundha vAzhvAr – they are the people who are respected as “he is our person” by emperumAn’s followers. AzhwAr says that more than attaining emperumAn, they will lead a very happy life serving the followers of emperumAn, which is much superior to the former. The opinion here is that those who are fully engaged with emperumAn’s followers will get to serve the followers of emperumAn, in line with the saying “yathOpAsanam thathA palam”( benefit is related to one’s devotion).
We will move on to the 91st pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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