thiruvAimozhi – 10.4.8 – AzhiyAn Azhi

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

Full series >> Tenth Centum >> Fourth decad

Previous pAsuram

Introduction for this pAsuram

Highlights from thirukkurukaippirAn piLLAn‘s introduction

No specific introduction.

Highlights from nanjIyar‘s introduction

In the eighth pAsuram, AzhwAr says “Enjoy him” to his heart and seeing that the heart became pleased about it, he praises it and says “Oh heart! Enjoy him continuously”.

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

AzhiyAn Azhi amararkkum appAlAn
UzhiyAn Uzhi padaiththAn nirai mEyththAn
pAzhiyam thOLAl varai eduththAn pAdhangaL
vAzhi en nenjE! maRavAdhu vAzh kaNdAy

Listen

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

AzhiyAn – One who is having the thiruvAzhi (divine chakra)
Azhi – deep natured
amararkkum – for nithyasUris
appAlAn – who has greatness beyond
UzhiyAn – being alone during samhAram (annihilation)
Uzhi padaiththAn – being the creator of all entities starting with time
nirai mEyththAn – being the one who follows the created entities and protects them

(when they are in danger)
pAzhi – prideful
am – enjoyable
thOLAl – with the divine shoulder
varai – mountain
eduththAn – lifted and protected, his
pAdhangaL – divine feet
en – my
nenjE – Oh heart!
maRavAdhu – without forgetting
vAzh kaNdAy – see that you live by enjoying eternally;
vAzhi – let this last for a long time.

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

emperumAn who is having divine chakra, whose greatness is beyond the deep-natured nithyasUris, is alone during samhAram, is the creator of all entities starting with time and is the one who follows the created entities and protects them. He lifted with his prideful, enjoyable, divine shoulder and protected the cowherd clan. Oh my heart! Without forgetting the divine feet of such emperumAn, see that you live by enjoying eternally; let this last for a long time. AzhiyAn also means one who is deep natured.

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

  • AzhiyAn – One who has the divine chakra which highlights that he is sarvESvara (supreme lord).
  • Azhi … – One who remains the controller of the svarUpa (nature), sthithi (existence) etc of deep natured nithyasUris as in the case of that thiruvAzhi AzhwAn (chakkaraththAzhwAr).
  • UzhiyAn – One who remains in paramapadham along with the nithyasUris in the great assembly. When all the effectual entities here [in samsAram] become annihilated and when only time remains, he appears.
  • Uzhi padaiththAn – He created all entities starting with time by his sankalpam as said in thaithtirIya upanishath “bahu syAm” (let me become many).
  • nirai mEyththAn – In this manner, he created all entities, and then incarnated as if someone else created him, would protect the cows. He protected the cows which do not know how to protect themselves and which do not reject his protection.
  • pAzhi am thOLAl – As he keeps protecting the cows, indhra rained hail due to anger caused by hunger; he protected them by lifting the gOvardhan mountain. pAzhi – strength, being spacious. AzhwAr is talking about the strength of emperumAn’s shoulders wherein one can take shelter and remain fearless as if being inside a fort while everyone outside is suffering; alternatively, AzhwAr is talking about emperumAn’s urge for protection where even after the five lakh families taking shelter under his shoulders, there is more space not just for thiruvAyppAdi (SrI gOkulam) but ten such gOkulams; As said in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 34.31 “bAhuchchAyAm avashtabdha: yasya lOkO mahAthmana:” (Under the divine shoulders of mahAthmA SrI rAma, all the world has taken shelter), those who have taken shelter are small in number in comparison to the shade available there.
  • am thOL – Beautiful shoulder. His shoulder’s beauty is such that one will start performing mangaLASAsanam (wishing well) as said in thiruppallANdu 1 “thiNdOL maNivaNNA un sEvadich chevvi thirukkAppu” (Oh one who is having complexion of a gem and strong shoulders! Let your reddish, fresh feet be protected”; sundharath thOL (beautiful shoulder).
  • pAdhangaL – The divine feet of the one who lifted gOvardhana mountain and protected.
  • vAzhi – In between, AzhwAr is performing mangaLASAsanam to his own heart so that it understands the principle which will be explained subsequently. Just as it is said in SrI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam 67-15 “yAmOshadhimivAyushman anvEshasi mahAvanE” (May you live long! Whosoever you are searching for, just like looking for a rare medicine in a huge forest, that (sIthA) dhEvi and my life have both been usurped by rAvaNa), AzhwAr is saying “let this abundance always remain with you”.
  • en nenjE – Everywhere else, the manas (heart) which is subservient to AthmA is pulling the AthmA away, but you, my heart, are following my ways! For everyone else, the heart which is one of the faculties for the AthmA is leading to bondage. Unlike that, you who are following my ways and are leading me to liberation!
  • maRavAdhu – As you have attained the benefit, do not do what is done in other matters [remembering first and forgetting later].
  • vAzh kaNdAy – Why should I beg at your feet for your life? I am begging at your feet to make you drink milk [which is already nice]. If we have to say “live your life without forgetting”, what is the purpose of the attributes highlighted previously [such as AzhiyAn, amararkkum appAlAn etc]? [It is to emphasise that] One should not go elsewhere and try different means! We should hold on to the one who can be the protector. [AzhiyAn] One who has the tool (divine chakra) for protection can only be the protector [others cannot be]; [Azhi amararkkum appAlAn] only the one who is controller, for the nature, existence etc, of those who have no other expectation can be the protector; [UzhiyAn] for the one who exists sometimes and does not exist at other times, one who always exists can only be the protector; [Uzhi padaiththAn] one who created all of these when they did not exist can only be the protector; [nirai mEyththAn] after having created, one who protects even those who have no ability in protecting themselves, can only be the protector; knowing all of these, see if you can forget him!

In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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