SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
AzhwAr observes that the activity matching the true nature of the AthmA is to serve the devotees of bhagavAn and gives it as an advice to others as well in this decad. The principle of service to bhagavAn being the first stage and service to bhAgavathas being the ultimate stage is explained by AzhwAr clearly in this decad.
First pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Even more than ruling over the amazing three worlds, serving bhAgavathas is most enjoyable for me”.
nedumARkadimai seyvEn pOl avanaik karudha vanjiththu
thadumARRaRRa thIkkadhigaL muRRum thavirndha sadhir ninaindhAl
kodu mA vinaiyEn avan adiyAr adiyE kUdum idhuvallAl
vidumARenbadhen? andhO! viyan mUvulagu peRinumE
As I thought to serve the unlimited sarvESvara, he remained in me to eliminate the wavering in me and ensured that the evil ways left me through deception; if we see what is apt, other than attaining the divine feet of bhAgavathas who are his servitors, why is attaining the vast wealth of three worlds said as way for me, who is having great sin (to highlight the difference between aiswaryam (wealth) and thadhIya SEshathvam (being subservient to devotees), to leave the divine feet of such bhAgavathas?
Second pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Even if aiSvaryam (worldly wealth) and kaivalyam (self enjoyment) were attained together, it will not be comparable to bhAgavatha SEshathvam (servitude towards bhAgavathas), the goal that I have attained”.
viyan mUvulagu peRinum pOyth thAnE thAnE AnAlum
puyal mEgam pOl thirumEni ammAn punai pUngazhal adik kIzh
sayamE adimai thalai ninRAr thiruththAL vaNangi immaiyE
payanE inbam yAn peRRadhu uRumO pAviyEnukkE?
sarvESvaran has rain-cloud like divine form and his divine feet are decorated with flower and valorous anklets. There are bhAgavathas [followers of emperumAn] who are in the ultimate state of servitude to those divine feet, without any expectation. Even If I were to get the huge wealth of three worlds and go on to enjoy exclusively such aiSvaryam and kaivalyam, will these fit me who has committed sins when I offer praNAmams (salutations) to such bhAgavathas? It implies that these [aiSvaryam and kaivalyam] are no match for carrying out kainkaryam to bhAgavathas.
Third pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Even if I attained bhagavath prApthi (reaching bhagavAn and serving him) which is distinguished from aiSvaryam (wealth) and kaivalyam (soul enjoying itself), that would not match serving bhAgavathas in this world”.
uRumO pAviyEnukku ivvulagam mUnRum udan niRaiya
siRu mA mEni nimirththa en sendhAmaraik kaN thirukkuRaLan
naRu mA virai nANmalar adik kIzhp pugudhal anRi avan adiyAr
siRu mA manisarAy ennai ANdAr ingE thiriyavE
SrI vAmana made his small, attractive distinguished divine form grow in a single effort to fill these three worlds; he is having reddish lotus like eye which is perfectly enjoyable for me; for me who is having the sin, does it fit to attain such vAmana’s fragrant, best, divine feet which resemble fresh flower with honey, while such vAmana’s servitors who appear to be small due to having human form but are great personalities, who enslaved me, are visibly remaining in this world itself?
Fourth pAsuram. AzhwAr says “If I get to praise and serve emperumAn to please SrIvaishNavas, the ultimate goal for me is to remain here in this world itself which is praiseworthy due to their moving around here”.
ingE thirindhERkizhukkuRRen? iru mA nilam mun uNdumizhndha
sengOlaththa pavaLa vAych chendhAmaraik kaN en ammAn
pongEzh pugazhgaL vAyavAyp pulan koL vadiven manaththadhAy
angEy malargaL kaiyavAy vazhipattOda aruLilE
emperumAn, my lord, is having beautiful, coral-like, reddish, divine lips which consumed the expansive, praiseworthy universe during the danger of deluge and spat it out, and is having reddish, lotus-like, divine eye; what is the insult if he blesses me who is moving around in this world, to be aligned and act in the path to have his actively rising qualities to be the target of my speech, his form which captivates all my senses to be in my heart and to hold flowers, matching his greatness, in my hands?
Fifth pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Even if I go to thirunAdu (paramapadham) and attain the ultimate goal of serving him there and even if I get all of the previously mentioned aiSwaryam (worldly wealth) etc, would they match taking birth in this samsAram and singing thiruvAimozhi for the pleasure of SrIvaishNavas?”
vazhipattOda aruL peRRu mAyan kOla malar adik kIzh
suzhipattOdum sudarch chOdhi veLLaththu inbuRRirundhAlum
izhipattOdum udalinil piRandhu than sIr yAn kaRRu
mozhipattOdum kavi amudham nugarchchi uRumO? muzhudhumE
sarvESvara has amazing nature, form, qualities and wealth; even if I attained such sarvESvara’s mercy to be engaged properly and go on to remain very blissfully under his ultimately enjoyable divine feet in paramapadham which has whirling and continuously running radiance, and even if I acquired the previously explained aiSwaryam, kaivalyam etc, would those be a match for taking birth in this inferior, lowly body, learning his qualities and singing nectarean poems as flowing sequence of words and enjoying them?
Sixth pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Only if aiSwarya (worldly wealth), kaivalya (self enjoyment), bhagavath anubhava prIthi (joy of experiencing bhagavAn) and bhagavath Anandham (bhagavAn’s bliss) were attained, would those match the recital of thiruvAimozhi for the pleasure of his devotees?”
nugarchchi uRumO? mUvulagin vIdu pERu than kEzhil
pugarch chem mugaththa kaLiRatta pon Azhik kai en ammAn
nigarch chembangi eri vizhigaL nINda asurar uyir ellAm
thagarththuNdu uzhalum putpAgan periya thani mAp pugazhE
emperumAn, my lord, is having divine hands with attractive divine ring, which were used to destroy the elephant having incomparable radiance and reddish face; he is the controller of periya thiruvadi (garudAzhwAr) who roams around attacking the vital airs and consuming the well built asuras (demons) who are having reddish hair and fiery disc like eyes; would the lordship which has the ability to create the three worlds be a match for enjoying such emperumAn’s unlimited, distinguished, greatly enjoyable collections of auspicious qualities through thiruvAimozhi which is pleasing to bhAgavathas?
Seventh pAsuram. AzhwAr says “I don’t need the bhagavath anubhavam (enjoying bhagavAn) which is considered as the independent goal; but I would like to unite with bhAgavathas and engage in bhagavath anubhavam for the pleasure of bhAgavathas”.
thani mAp pugazhE engyAnRum niRkumpadiyAyth thAn thOnRi
muni mAp pirama mudhal viththAy ulagamUnRum muLaippiththa
thanimAth theyvath thaLir adik kIzhp pugudhal anRi avan adiyAr
nani mAk kalavi inbamE nALum vAykka nangatkE
emperumAn, incarnates with the intent to engage in creation, to have his distinguished, great qualities which highlight his kAraNathva [being the cause], remain firmly always, meditating upon creation, being explained by the term “para brahmam”; he created the three worlds which are the primary material causes; instead of attaining the presence under the very tender divine feet of such distinguished supreme lord, to have the joy of being united with the very best bhAgavathas who were enslaved by his such qualities should always occur for us.
Eighth pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Do I even need to unite and interact with bhAgavathas? Just being present with them is sufficient. Or just seeing the groups of them, is sufficient”.
nALum vAykka nangatku naLir nIrk kadalaip padaiththuth than
thALum thOLum mudigaLum samanilAdha pala parappi
nILum padar pUngaRpagak kAvum niRai pannAyiRRin
kOLum udaiya maNimalaipOl kidandhAn thamargaL kUttamE
emperumAn created the causal ocean with naturally cool water, and is resting in it as revealed in vEdham, having distinguished, matchless, many divine feet, divine shoulders and divine crowns/heads similar to a carbuncle hill having gardens of rising, beautiful, well grown kaRpaka trees and a radiant sun with many dense rays; union with servitors of such emperumAn should occur for us, forever. kUttam – sErththi – union. Alternatively, kUttam means sangam (crowd), and here AzhwAr prays for the presence of such crowd in front of him.
Ninth pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Do we even need to live with them? It is sufficient to be at the ultimate servitude towards them”.
thamargaL kUtta val vinaiyai nAsam seyyum sadhir mUrththi
amargoL Azhi sangu vAL vil thaNdAdhi pal padaiyan
kumaran kOla aingaNai vEL thAdhai kOdhil adiyar tham
thamargaL thamargaL thamargaLAm sadhirE vAykka thamiyERkE
emperumAn, the lord, is having the ability to cause destruction of the strong sins occurring to the group of his devotees; he is having many types of innumerable weapons starting with SrI panchAyudham; he is having the greatness of being the father of the youthful kAmadhEva who has great physical beauty and five arrows; for us who are helpless in samsAra having the wealth of servitude towards the servitors of servitors of the blemishless devotees of such emperumAn, his mercy should occur. The term kUtta val vinai also implies sins derived through attachment [to worldly pleasures]. When recited as “chadhu mUrththi” (instead of sadhir mUrththi), it implies the different forms of emperumAn.
Tenth pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Both my associates and I should get this result [of bhAgavatha SEshathvam (servitude towards devotees)]”.
vAykka thamiyERku Uzhi thORUzhi Uzhi mAkAyAm
pUk koL mEni nAngu thOL pon Azhik kai en ammAn
nIkkam illA adiyAr tham adiyAr adiyAr adiyAr em
kOkkaL avarkkE kudigaLAych chellum nalla kOtpAdE
emperumAn enslaved me by showing his attractive, great, physical beauty of his divine form having the complexion of kAyAm (a dark purple coloured) flower, four divine shoulders and his divine hand having the attractive, divine chakra; for my associates and me, the servitors who are enjoying such lord without any separation, are our lords; it should occur for me to be in the clan which engages in service exclusively for them and to be in the praiseworthy act of pursuing them even in the intermediary kalpas which occur in every mahA kalpa.
Eleventh pAsuram. AzhwAr says “Those who are experts in this decad, will acquire bhAgavatha SEshathvam (servitude towards devotees) which is explained here and live happily with their families”.
nalla kOtpAttulagangaL mUnRin uLLum thAn niRaindha
allik kamalak kaNNanai andhaN kurugUrch chatakOpan
sollap patta AyiraththuL ivaiyum paththum vallArgaL
nalla padhaththAl manai vAzhvar koNda peNdir makkaLE
emperumAn is pervading in the expansive three worlds and is having lotus flower like eyes; those who can practice this decad among the thousand pAsurams which were created from the merciful words of nammAzhwAr, the controller of beautiful, invigorating AzhwArthirunagari, will live in gruhasthASramam along with their accepted wife, children et al in the distinguished state of thadhIya SEshathvam.
Source: http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org/index.php/2020/06/thiruvaimozhi-8-10-tamil-simple/
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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