SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Full series >> Seventh Centum >> Tenth decad
Introduction for this pAsuram
Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction
No specific introduction.
Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction
In the eighth pAsuram, AzhwAr says “as we enter thiruvARanviLai, all our sorrows will disappear”.
Highlights from vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s introduction
See nanjIyar‘s introduction.
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
anRi maRRonRilam nin charaNE enRu agalirum poyigaiyin vAy
ninRu than nIL kazhal Eththiya Anaiyin nenjidar thIrththa pirAn
senRanguinidhuRaiginRa sezhum pozhil sUzh thiruvARanviLai
onRi valanjeyya onRumO? thIvinai uLLaththin sArvallavE
Listen
Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
nin – your
charaN – divine feet
anRi – without
maRRu – other
onRu – any
ilam – we are not having
enRu – thinking that
agal – vast
irum – deep
poygaiyin vAy – in the pond
ninRu – standing (being caught by the crocodile)
than – his
nIL – stretch up to those who are in danger
kazhal – divine feet
Eththhiya – praised (saying “nArAyaNA” highlighting the eternal relationship)
Anaiyin – elephant’s
nenju idar – the sorrow in the heart (“we are not able to offer the flower before it loses its freshness)
thIrththa – one who eliminated
pirAn – great benefactor
senRu – went (to help his devotees)
angu – there
inidhu – sweetly
uRaiginRa – being the residing place
sezhum – very enjoyable
pozhil – garden
sUzh – surrounded
thiruvARanviLai – thiruvARanviLai
onRi – reach
valam seyya – as we circumambulate
onRumO – will it occur?
(if that happens)
thI – cruel
vinai – sins
uLLaththin – the heart’s
sArvu – fit in
allavE – won’t have.
Simple translation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)
gajEndhrAzhwAn, the elephant, while standing in the vast, deep pond thinking “we are not having anything other than your divine feet”, praised emperumAn’s divine feet which stretch up to those who are in danger; the great benefactor who eliminated the elephant’s sorrow in its heart, went to thiruvARAnviLai which is surrounded by very enjoyable garden and had it as his sweet residing place; will we reach there and circumambulate the place? If that happens, cruel sins won’t fit in our heart [they will leave].
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
- anRi maRRu onRu ilam nin charaNE enRu – should be read as “nin charaNE anRi maRRu onRu ilam enRu” – there is no hold for me other than your divine feet; eliminating the bewilderment of considering others as saviours. Also eliminating the thought of self as saviour as said in vishNu dharmam 68 “gaja AkarshathE thIrE grAha AkarshE jalE” (the elephant was pulling to the shore and the crocodile was pulling to the water). As it says in vishNu dharmam 68 “manasA chinthayath” (thinking in the mind), it has crossed the stage where crying out will help. When we see emperumAn, ” the self” will also be similar to “others” when it comes to protecting oneself. This is why while the middle word (ukAram) is present in praNavam, the middle word of thirumanthram (nama:) also survives [ukAram explains that AthmA is not for self and others – it only exists for emperumAn. nama: specifically explains that AthmA does not belong to self. This is explained in mumukshuppadi in detail especially in sUthrams 65, 78 to 80 and 91. Can be heard in detail at https://pillai.koyil.org/index.php/2017/12/learn-mumukshuppadi/ ].
- agal irum poygaiyin vAy – As it fits to speak about the vastness and depth, irum indicates depth there [generally, iru means big]. What is the purpose of highlighting the vastness and depth? To indicate that there is no other way than getting protected by him and perishing due to the lack of his protection.
- agal irum poygaiyin vAy ninRu – The vastness and depth made it so helpless that it remained still in the dangerous place, as if standing in a safe place. At this stage, the act of crocodile pulling into the water and the act of elephant pulling to the shore stopped, and the crocodile only was pulling the elephant into the water.
- than nIL kazhal – The divine feet which stretches up to the other person’s helplessness. Even when caught by the crocodile, on meditating upon emperumAn, one can remain fearless. It is said in thaiththirIya upanishath “Anandham brahmaNO vidhvAn na bibEthi” (One who knows bhagavAn’s bliss, will not fear). kuthaSchana – one can remain fearless, not just for unintentional mistakes, but even for intentional mistakes. When emperumAn says as in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 4.9.2 “seydhArEl nanRu seydhAr” (even if my devotees committed mistake, they did it properly only). When intentional mistakes are not to be feared [as explained in the aforementioned pAsuram], unintentional mistakes are naturally not to be feared. Even in bhakthi yOga, one need not fear for unintentional mistakes [the speciality of SaraNAgathi is that, one need not even fear for intentional mistakes].
- Eththiya – Just as one would spontaneously cry out “ammE” (Oh mother) on stepping on a thorn, the elephant naturally cried out to emperumAn.
- Anaiyin nenju idar thIrththa pirAn – It was such a desperate situation that, even its trunk was going into the pond; emperumAn was waiting for the elephant’s effort to stop [so that he can help]; as the elephant gave up its efforts, emperumAn jumped to its help.
- Anaiyin nenju idar thIrththa pirAn – He eliminated the elephant’s sorrow “I am not able to offer this flower before it loses its freshness!”; alternatively – it is the sorrow “emperumAn is going to acquire disrepute because of me”. That is, the elephant thought “What if people would think ‘While the elephant is suffering, this is how emperumAn is protecting it! We are thinking that he is the saviour!’ “. emperumAn arrived at the shore of the pond, tore apart the mouth of the crocodile, and eliminated the sorrow of the elephant, to eliminate the sorrow for both as said in nAnmugan thiruvandhAdhi 12 “iraNdum pOy iraNdin vIdu” (relieving both the elephant and crocodile from their previous state, and liberating them both). bhattar explains mercifully this in this manner – when a prince was imprisoned, even his guard will be given royal food. Both got liberated! The crocodile was liberated from the curse and the elephant was liberated from this material world.
- pirAn – AzhwAr is thinking about emperumAn eliminating the sorrow of the elephant, as emperumAn doing a favour for AzhwAr himself, instead of helping the elephant. Only when one has such attitude, can one be a SrIvaishNava. One will have SrIvaishNavathvam (the quality of being a SrIvaishNava) only when one thinks about a favour to a devotee as a favour to self and a disaster to a devotee as a disaster to self.
- senRu angu inidhu uRaiginRa – Just as the elephant grieves when sarvESvaran does not help its cause, sarvESvaran grieves when he does not reach this dhivyadhESam. Performing circumambulation etc in thiruvARanviLai where he has arrived and residing with great eagerness and which is surrounded by beautiful garden.
- onRumO – Will that occur?
- thI vinai uLLaththin sArvallavE – When that happens, cruel sins will not remain in our heart. Will light and darkness reside together? When emperumAn eternally resides in the heart, is there any place for the cruel sins?
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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