thiruvAimozhi – 8.8.3 – uNarvil umbar

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Full series >> Eighth Centum >> Eighth decad

Previous pAsuram

Introduction for this pAsuram

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction

No specific introduction.

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction

In the third pAsuram, AzhwAr says “emperumAn purely out of his own mercy created desire in me towards him, united with me, showed the nature of AthmA having knowledge, bliss and purity and being sustained with servitude towards him, to make such union remain firm”.

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

uNarvil umbar oruvanai avanadharuLAl uRal poruttu en
uNarvil uLLE iruththinEn adhuvum avanadhinnaruLE
uNarvum uyirum udambum maRRulappilanavum pazhudhEyAm
uNarvaip peRa UrndhiRavERi yAnum thAnAy ozhindhAnE

Listen

Word-by-Word meanings (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)

uNarvil – having abundant knowledge
umbar – being the full controller of nithyasUris
oruvanai – distinguished one
avanadhu – by his
aruLAl – grace
uRal poruttu – to reach
en – my
uNarvinuLLE – in knowledge which is in the form of desire
iruththinEn – placed;
adhuvum – that desire too
avanadhu – his
in aruLE – was caused by his causeless mercy;

(the one who entered in me by getting my acceptance)
“uNarvum – knowledge in the form of actions
uyirum – five types of prANa (namely prANa, apAna, vyAna, udhAna, samAna which facilitate actions)
udambum – different types of body (for the different types of prANa)
maRRu – further
ulappilanavum – (countless) mahath (the great element), ahankAra (ego), indhriyas (senses) etc
pazhudhu – to be given up”
Am – this
uNarvai peRa – to realise
uNarndhu – conducted
iRa ERi – reaching up to (distinguished AthmA)
yAnum – consciousness and intelligence (which relate to the AthmA)
thAn Ay ozhindhAn – had AthmA as his prakAram (form), to have it fully engage in him.

Simple translation (based on vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar‘s 12000 padi)

To reach emperumAn, by his grace, I placed him, the distinguished one who is the controller of nithyasUris who are having abundant knowledge, in my knowledge which is in the form of desire; that desire too was caused by his causeless mercy; he conducted himself to make me realise “the knowledge in the form of actions, five types of prANa , different types of body, mahath, ahankAra and indhriya are all to be given up”, reaching up to the distinguished AthmA to have my consciousness and intelligence, and had me [AthmA, self] as his prakAram, to have it fully engage in him.

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

• uNarvil umbar oruvanai – nithyasidhdhas (nithyasUris, eternal residents of paramapadham) who are knowledgeable; the distinguished one who has the existence etc of the most knowledgeable nithyasUris, at his disposal. With this, the nature of the prApyam (goal), is explained. The attainable goal is emperumAn, who is as said in thiruvAimozhi 1.1.1 “ayarvaRum amarargaL adhipathi” (the lord of nithyasUris). AzhwAr too prayed in thiruvAimozhi – 2.3.10 “adiyArgaL kuzhAngaLai udan kUduvadhu enRu kolO” (When will I be amidst the nithyasUris?)
• avanadhu aruLAl – With his mercy. Just as there is a preference that bhagavAn is the goal, the means is also his mercy.
• uRal poruttu – To attain.

When asked “If he is the goal as well as the means, what is your part?” AzhwAr says,

• en uNarvin uLLE iruththinEn – I made him the object of my knowledge. He already said in thiruvAimozhi 8.7.10 “vaiththEn madhiyAl” (I placed him in my intelligence). Implies “I desired”.

When asked “Is that desire, under your control?” AzhwAr says,

• adhuvum avanadhu in aruLE – Even that desire occurred in me due to his mercy. His kind heart is such that, at every step AzhwAr will recollect and say “this occurred due to his mercy”. After saying in thiruvAimozhi 8.7.1 “than ponnadik kIzh – iruththum viyandhum” (will place me at his divine feet – being astonished) that he is the goal and means, AzhwAr said “aruththiththu” (seeking him); he is saying the same thing here.

Up to here, in these two and half pAsurams, the greatness of emperumAn has been explained; subsequently, AzhwAr says that emperumAn has shown the greatness of the nature of the AthmA.

• uNarvum – knowledge about matter.
• uyirum – Five prANas.
• udambum – body
• maRRu ulappilanavum – the other aspects such as the inconceivable mahath and its many transformed states, and prakruthi (primordial matter).
• pazhudhEyAm uNarvaip peRa Urndhu –  conducting in such a manner that I acquire the knowledge which highlights “all of these are to be rejected”; just as riding a chariot [just as a king will ride his own chariot in search of wealth during difficult situations, emperumAn himself took control and made me understand this; alternative meaning – arjuna’s chariot is the victorious charitot; just as emperumAn became the charioteer for that chariot and eliminated bhIshma et al, emperumAn rode AzhwAr‘s body which is the chariot, by being in his heart and eliminated the worldly knowledge etc]. That is – there is a knowledge which highlights that everything else is apurushArtham (not a goal) – this knowledge is called mayarvaRa mathi (unblemished knowledge); he gave that knowledge to me.
• iRa ERi – Not just to highlight that matter and material aspirations are not goals, but to completely eliminate them. Showing that the AthmA is made of knowledge and bliss and is fully focussed on servitude towards bhagavAn only.
• iRa ERi – Lifting me up to that top level of understanding.
• yAnum thAnAy ozhindhAnE – He did not stop at that; he showed me that I am his prakAram (form) to the extent that if a word indicates me, that word would indicate him too. When some one calls me “AzhwIr!”, before I could respond, ISvara would say “What?” He showed that the word “aham” (I) and the understanding of that word indicate him. [In chAndhOgya upanishath vAkyam (phrase) “thathvamasi” (that is you)] just as “thath” (that) indicates bhagavAn with qualities, “thvam” (you) stretches up to the antharyAmi (indwelling supersoul) of the AthmA which is with the achith (body).

In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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