SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
AzhwAr affirms that he is one of emperumAn’s followers. He says that he has never forgotten emperumAn at any time, since emperumAn has been protecting him from the time that he (AzhwAr) has been in the womb.
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
enRum maRandhaRiyEn en nenjaththE vaiththu
ninRum irundhum nedumAlai enRum
thiruvirundha mArban sirIdharanakku ALAy
karu irundha nAL mudhalAk kAppu
Word for Word Meanings
karu irundha nAL mudhalA – from the time I was in the womb
kAppu – since I received protection (from emperumAn)
thiru enRum irundha mArvan sirIdharanukku – to that thirumAL who has pirAtti (SrI mahAlakshmi) residing permanently on his chest
AL Ay – being a servitor
nedu mAlai – that supreme being
en nenjaththu – in my heart
vaiththu – firml establishing
ninRum irundhum enRum – in all states such as standing, sitting etc
maRandhaRiyEn – I kept thinking (of him) without forgetting
vyAkyAnam
enRum maRandhaRiyEn en nenjaththE vaiththu ninRum irundhum – keeping sarvESvaran in my heart without any distinction between whether I am standing or sitting, i.e. at all times, and not forgetting him ever. This is similar to nammAzhwAr mercifully saying in thiruvAimozhi 9-6-10 “ennil munnam pAriththuth thAn ennai muRRum paruginAn ” (before I could enjoy him, emperumAn devoured me fully) and in thiruvAimozhi 10-10-10 “adhanil periya en avAvaRach chUzhndhAyE ” (emperumAn made his desire to be with AzhwAr much bigger than the desire of AzhwAr, and joined AzhwAr with his consorts, primordial matter, nithyasUris et al ).
ninRum irundhum – just as it is mentioned in nAradhIyam “AsInA vA SayAnA vA thishtanthO yathra kuthra vA I namO nArAyaNEthi manthraika SaraNA vayam II ” (we have taken thirumanthram as our refuge whether we are sitting anywhere, or standing or lying down, without any disctinction), this implies that even when carrying out normal activities such as standing or sitting, AzhwAr is fully meditating on nArAyaNa.
Is it only that AzhwAr did not forget emperumAn ever? He says further that he was engaging himself fully with service to emperumAn ….
enRum thiruvirundha mArvan sirIdharanukku ALAy – SrIdhEvi (SrI mahAlakshmi) is always residing in the divine chest of emperumAn as mentioned in SrI vishNu sahasranAmam “nithya SrI:” (always with SrI mahAlakshmi) and in thiruvAimozhi 6-10-10 “agalagillEn iRaiyum enRu alarmEl mangai uRai mArbA” (Oh emperumAn who has on your chest SrI mahAlakshmi, who says that she will not separate from you even for a moment!) in order to ensure that followers attain the divine feet of emperumAn the moment they cry out for it. AzhwAr says that he was able to carry out service to SrIdharan, the one who has SrI mahAlakshmi on his divine chest.
enRum thiruvidundha mArvan sirIdharan – while other entities may be called as SrImAn as a term of respect even though they have no connection with SrI mahAlakshmi (just as a worm, which has no connection with the fruit mango is called as mango-worm), in the case of emperumAn, pirAtti (SrI mahAlakshmi) is always residing in his chest and hence he is aptly called as sirIdharan.
sirIdharanukku ALAy – just as thiruppallANdu 11 says “thirumAlE nAnum unakkup pazhavadiyEn” (Oh Sriman nArAyaNa! I have been your servitor for a very long time) AzhwAr implies that the meaning of receptacle of kainkaryam is only the couple [in other words, kainkaryam (service) is carried out only to emperumAn and pirAtti together) and that the reason for his attaining such distinction is only because of pirAtti’s mercy.
What is the reason for not forgetting emperumAn and for carrying out service to him?
karu irundha nAL mudhalAk kAppu – AzhwAr says that right from the time when he was inside (his mother’s) womb, emperumAn had blessed him, made him as his follower and protected him.
karu irundha nAL mudhalAk kAppu – I received this huge distinction because emperumAn showered his mercy on me from the time I was in the womb, and protected me. Has it not been mentioned in mahAbhAratham mOksha parvam “jAyamAnam hi purusham yam paSyEth madhusUdhana: I sAthvikas sa thu vigyEya: sa vai mOkshArtha chinthaka: II ” (the one who is blessed by emperumAn even as he is born is known to be full of sAthvika (composed of purely good qualities); only he will think about mOksham)! Did not poygai AzhwAr and bhUdhaththAzhwAr too mercifully proclaim that they were blessed even when they were inside the womb, as mentioned in mudhal thiruvandhAdhi 6 “karuvarangatkidandhu kai thozhudhEn kaNdEn” (while lying inside the womb, I saluted emperumAn and saw him) and in iraNdAm thiruvandhAdhi 87 “karukkOttiyutkidandhu kai thozhudhEn kaNdEn” (same as mentioned above)!
We will move on to the 93rd pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
archived in http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org
pramEyam (goal) – http://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org