SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai
In the previous pAsuram, AzhwAr had instructed his heart to stay focussed on experiencing the auspicious qualities of emperumAn. In this pAsuram, he mentions about the glory of those who are focussed like that.
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
uNNAttuth thEsanRE Uzhvinaiyai anjumE
viNNAttai onRAga mechchumE maNNAttil
ArAgi evvizhi viRRAnAgilum Azhiyangaip
perAyaRkALAm piRappu
Word by Word Meanings
maNNAttil – on this earth
ArAgi – even if one were in lowly birth
evvizhi viRRAnAgilum – even if (he were) engaged in lowly profession [for a livelihood]
Azhi am kai pEr AyaRku – to kaNNa (krishNa) who holds the beautiful divine disc on his divine hand
AL Am piRappu – birth which is apt to carry out servitude
uL nAttu thEsu anRE – is it not sacred similar to the resplendence of paramapadham which is very intimate (to emperumAn)?
Uzh vinaiyai – thinking of sins carried over since time immemorial
anjumE – will it be fearful?
viNNAttai – svarga (heaven)
onRAga mechchumE – will it consider that as an entity?
vyAkyAnam
Azhiyangaip pErAyaRku ALAm piRappu uL nAttuth thEsanRE – isn’t the birth which stays focussed on carrying out kainkaryam to other human beings considered to have the resplendence of paramapadham (SrIvaikuNtam) even if one were the lord of all, who carries the divine disc in his divine hand? AzhwAr, though remaining in this leelA vibhUthi (materialistic realm), calls paramapadham as uL nAdu in line with emperumAn’s thinking. Since in the vyAkyAnam (commentary) for this prabandham, this meaning has been given as the second interpretation, it is clear that AzhwAr considers leelA vibhUthi as uL nAdu and the birth in this realm to have resplendence. This will be clarified at the end of the commentary. It is pertinent to recall here what SrI maNavALA mAmunigaL wrote in his commentary for the 81st chUrNika (aphorism) of AchArya hrudhayam for the portion Azhiyangaip pErAyaRkALAm piRappu – uNNattuth thEsanRE “Unlike the outer realm leelA vibhUthi which is full of people who are highly ill disposed towards emperumAn, the physical form taken by AthmA (soul) has resplendence in paramapadham which is very close to emperumAn and which is favourable to him being full of great sweetness. The opinion is that just like taking the physical form which is apt for carrying out kainkaryam (service) to emperumAn in paramapadham, even for AthmA, which is the object of servitude, this will create resplendence”. The term pErAyan denotes the maturity which kaNNa (krishNa) has in the qualities of being a cowherd, when compared to other cowherds who could be thought to be nithyasUris.
Uzhvinaiyai anjumE – will those who have such a birth, be fearful of sins?
viNNAttai onRAga mechchumE – will such people consider the worlds of dhEvas such as brahmA et al, as significant? Has it not been said in SrI guNarathnakOsam 21 that going to heaven is considered lowly by these people “yath dhUrE manasO yadhEvathamasa: pArE yadhyadhathbhutham yath kAlAth apachEnimam surapurI yadhgachchathO dhurggathi I sAyujyasya yadhEva sUdhirathavA yadhdhurgraham madhgirAm thadhvishNO: paramam padham thava kruthE mAtha: samAmnAsishu: II” (Oh mother! vEdhas state that vishNu’s paramapadham (SrIvaikuNtam) which is (a) beyond anyone’s mind, (b) beyond primordial matter, (c) wondrous, (d) unchanged by time, (e) making those who desire to attain it to consider even heaven as being like hell, (f) granting equality with the supreme being in eight specific characteristics and (g) beyond my speech, exists only for you)! Didn’t lakshmaNa say in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 3-5 that going to heaven is similar to going to an inappropriate place “na dhEvalOkAkramaNam nAmarathvamaham vruNE I aiSvaryam vA’pi lOkAnAm kAmayE na thvayA vinA II” (I, separated from you, will not like living in SrIvaikuNtam which is inhabited by nithyasUris, kaivalyam (soul enjoying itself) and the opulence in all the worlds)! SrI parASara maharishi (author of SrI vishNu purANam) also said that for one who is involved with emperumAn, even the position of indhra is a hurdle, as mentioned in SrI vishNu purANam 2-6-41 “vAsudhEvE manO yasya japahOmArchanAdhishu I thasyAntharAyO maithrEya! dhEvEndhrathvAthikam padha(la)m II” (Oh maithrEya! For one whose mind is involved with vAsudhEva through prayer, rituals and worship, benefits such as being the head of celestial entities etc become hindrances).
viNNAttai onRAga mechchumE – when the term uL nAdu is considered to be leelA vibhUthi (materialistic realm) viNNAdu should be considered as referring to paramapadham. These people will not think that attaining paramapadham is greater than carrying out kainkaryam to emperumAn in this world.
maNNAttil ArAgi evvizhi viRRAnAlum . . . . piRappu – this earth, which is materialistic realm, as it is, is very lowly; in this realm, even if one were born in a lowly birth, have lowliness in knowledge and deeds etc, one should desire for enjoying emperumAn and carrying out kainkaryam to him. If these are not there, even if one has greatness in birth [being born in a great clan], carries out great deeds and has knowledge, these will be considered to be without any purpose.
Let us take up the 80th pAsuram next.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
archived in https://divyaprabandham.koyil.org
pramEyam (goal) – https://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org