SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Essence of thiruvAimozhi 7.8
Introduction
In this pAsuram, mAmunigaL is following AzhwAr’s divine pAsurams in amazement after enjoying the diversified universal forms manifested by emperumAn and is mercifully explaining it.
How is that done? In “Ezhaiyar Avi“, though AzhwAr was greatly suffering due to the overwhelming sorrow as a result of the uruveLippAdu (visualisation), emperumAn made AzhwAr sustain himself without knowing (seeing) him (emperumAn). Seeing this amazing skill of emperumAn, AzhwAr became amazed. emperumAn said to AzhwAr “Are you becoming amazed by just seeing this?” and manifested his amazing universal form. Seeing that AzhwAr became astonished. mAmunigaL mercifully explains this principle explained in “mAyA vAmananE” starting with “mAyAmal thannai vaiththa“.
pAsuram
mAyAmal thannai vaiththa vaisiththiriyAlE
thIyA visiththiramAch chEr poruLOdAyAmal
vAyndhu niRkum mAyan vaLamuraiththa mARanai nAm
Eyndhuraiththu vAzhu nAL enRu
Listen
word-by-word meanings
mAyAmal thannai vaiththa – preserving AzhwAr’s SEshathva svarUpam (nature of servitude)
vaisiththiriyAlE – with his diversified state
thIyA visiththiramA – the five great elements starting with fire, having different effects and hence different forms
sEr poruLOdu – as the chEthanas (sentient entities) are also in different forms, with these diversified forms
AyAmal – without analysing their defects
vAyndhu niRkum – remaining united with all of them
mAyan vaLam – the vastness of the wealth of sarvESvaran
uraiththa – mercifully spoke
mARanai – AzhwAr
nAm Eyndhu uraiththu – reaching him and reciting his divine names
vAzhum nAL enRu – when will we live?
Simple Translation
Preserving AzhwAr’s SEshathva svarUpam, without analysing their defects, sarvESvaran, with his diversified state, remained united with all of a) the five great elements starting with fire, having different effects and hence different forms and b) the chEthanas (sentient entities) are also in different forms, with these diversified forms. AzhwAr mercifully spoke the vastness of the wealth of sarvESvaran. When will we reach him [AzhwAr] and live with him reciting his divine names?
Highlights from vyAkyAnam
- mAyAmal thannai vaiththa vaisiththiriyAlE – That is – You, the SaraNya (refuge), do not have agyAna (ignorance) and aSakthi (inability) and are rather having qualities such as sarvagyathva (being fully knowledgeable) etc and I, the SaraNAgatha (one who surrenders), have Akinchanyam (empty-handedness), ananyagathithvam (not having any other refuge) and Arththi (great urge to reach you) and hence not lacking any qualification to reach you. Yet, why are you placing and conducting me in this world, while I have no interest here?” AzhwAr asked emperumAn in “pAsangaL nIkki … mAyavanE aruLAy” (Oh amazingly enjoyable one who eliminated inapt aspects from me and accepted me to exist exclusively for your sake, who is having hair which is decorated with fresh thiruththuzhAy having flower and great fragrance manifesting total subservience! While the body [matter] which binds and the souls which are bound, and their death and birth, are at your disposal, you further created deceptions such as avidhyA, karma, vAsanA, ruchi and placed them. What kind of bewildering acts are these! Mercifully explain) [8th pAsuram] emperumAn had no answer. AzhwAr became amazed looking at the situation. emperumAn observed that and said to AzhwAr “Do you think this itself is amazing?” and manifested his amazing universal form.
- thIyA visiththiramAch chEr poruLOdu – mAmunigaL is following the words in “mAyA! vAmananE! … ivaiyenna visiththiramE” [first pAsuram]. With the diversified entities, such as the diversified five great elements starting with fire where each one has its own actions and as the chEthanas are also in diversified forms, emperumAn is united with all of these entities in a diversified manner.
- AyAmal vAyndhu niRkum mAyan – The amazing lord who firmly remains with them without analysing their defects. When it is recited as “OyAmal vAyndhu niRkum mAyan“, it means, one who is firmly remaining with them without a break. sarvESvaran who is having the amazing ability to remain together with all of these entities. This explains the word “mAyA”.
- vaLam uraiththa – Mercifully spoke about the vastness of emperumAn’s wealth. That is, as said in in SrI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam 65.4 “purAbhUthvA mrudhurdhAntha: sarva bhUtha hithE ratha: | na krOdha vaSAm Apanna: prakruthim hAthum arhasi ||” (SrI rAma should not give up his natural calmness and assume anger, after previously being very kind hearted, being in full control over his senses and being desirous of doing good to all creatures), and as said in,
- “angaN malarth thaNduzhAy mudi achchudhanE! aruLAy thingaLum gyayiRumAych chezhum pal sudarAy iruLAy pongu pozhi mazhaiyAyp pugazhAyp pazhiyAyp pinnum nI vengaN vengURRamumAm ivai enna vichiththiramE!” (Oh achyutha who is having hair which is decorated with distinguished, honey filled, flowered thiruththuzhAy and who does not fail! You should mercifully explain! How variegated are your aspects? You are being moon, sun and many distinguished, luminous objects such as planets, stars; you are being darkness; you are being the rain which is pouring in abundance; you are being glories and blame, and further being with cruel eyes as cruel death personified) [2nd pAsuram]
- “chiththirath thEr valavA! thiruchchakkaraththAy aruLAy eththanai Or ugamum avaiyAy avaRRuL iyalum oththa oN pal poruLgaL ulappillanavAy viyavAy viththagaththAy niRRi nI” (Oh one who can conduct your chariot in many ways and who is having the weapon, divine chakra, which can transform day into night! You should mercifully explain; you are being the controller of yugas which are having variations such as krutha, thrEthA, dhvApara and kali, and are distinguished to be incomparable with one another; you are being the time and having as your form, the innumerable chith (sentient) and achith (insentient) objects which are existing within the scope of such time, being the same in being the embodiment of knowledge, having distinguished aspects such as being self-illuminating, being knowledgeable etc and having distinguished natures as said in “EkO bahUnAm“; you are being the controller for their differences; yet, you remain amazing due to being unaffected by their defects as said in “namaksnigdhAni bhUthAni“) [3rd pAsuram]
- “kaL avizh thAmaraik kaN kaNNanE! enakkonRaruLAy uLLadhum illadhumAy ulappillanavAy viyavAy veLLath thadangadaluL vida nAgaNai mEl maruvi uLLap pal yOgu seydhi” (Oh krishNa who is having divine eyes which appear like fresh lotus flowers which sprout honey! You should mercifully tell me one thing; you are having innumerable eternal and transient entities which have differences, as your prakAra; you are contemplating many types of thoughts in your divine heart for the protection of such entities, while fitting well on the mattress called thiruvananthAzhwAn who is spitting out poison, in the fully, spacious milk ocean) [4th pAsuram]
- “pAsangaL nIkki ennai unakkE aRak koNdittu nI vAsa malarth thaNdhuzhAy mudi mAyavanE! aruLAy kAyamum sIvanumAyk kazhivAyp piRappAyp pinnum nI mAyangaL seydhu vaiththi ivai enna mayakkukkaLE” (Oh amazingly enjoyable one who eliminated inapt aspects from me and accepted me to exist exclusively for your sake, who is having hair which is decorated with fresh thiruththuzhAy having flower and great fragrance manifesting total subservience! While the body [matter] which binds and the souls which are bound, and their death and birth, are at your disposal, you further created deceptions such as avidhyA, karma, vAsanA, ruchi and placed them. What kind of bewildering acts are these! Mercifully explain.) [5th pAsuram]
- “mayakkA! vAmananE! madhiyAm vaNNam onRaruLAy ayarppAyth thERRamumAy azhalAyk kuLirAy viyavAy viyappAy venRigaLAy vinaiyAyp payanAyp pinnum nI thuyakkAy nI ninRavARu ivai enna thuyarangaLE” (Oh vAmana who mesmerised mahAbali’s heart by your form, walk and speech! Mercifully explain one thing to me to grant me knowledge. You are having at your disposal, forgetfulness and clarity, heat and coolness, amazement and objects which cause amazement, victorious abilities in this world, deeds in the form of puNya and pApa and their respective results, and the bewilderment of chEthanas in these aspects. What kind of sufferings do your means of being the enjoyer of such aspects, cause to this universe!) [6th pAsuram]
- “thuyarangaL seyyyum kaNNA sudar nIL mudiyAy! aruLAy thuyaram sey mAnangaLAy madhanAgi ugavaigaLAy thuyaram sey kAmangaLAyth thulaiyAy nilaiyAy nadaiyAy thuyarangaL seydhu vaiththi ivai enna suNdAyangaLE” (Oh one who conducts without differentiation in your supreme state and in your incarnation, in giving sorrows as per karma! You have created sorrows such as pride which are caused by being born in high family heritage etc which cause sorrow, the arrogance which is caused by such pride etc, pleasures derived from those arrogance etc, lust in the form of thirst for such pleasures which cause sorrows such as affection etc, the evolutions which cause variations in such objects, their existence and movements, and placed them; what kind of selfish acts are these which lead to sorrow to others? Mercifully explain.) [7th pAsuram]
- “enna suNdAyangaLAl ninRittAy ennai ALungaNNA? innadhOr thanmaiyai enRu unnai yAvarkkum thERRariyai munniya mU ulagum avaiyAy avaRRaip padaiththum pinnum uLLAy! puRaththAy ivai enna iyaRkaigaLE” (Oh krishNa who is obedient towards me! With what kind of selfish, sportive activities you remain! You are inconceivable to determine saying “you are of this particular nature” even for the most intelligent persons, and are difficult to know. Being the antharyAmi of the three types of worlds such as kruthaka, akruthaka and kruthAkruthaka, which are without a beginning and continuously flowing, you created them, and further pervaded them inside as antharyAmi and outside as the support; of what nature are these acts?) [8th pAsuram]
- “enna iyaRkaigaLAl enganE ninRittAy en kaNNA! thunnu kara saraNam mudhalAga ellA uRuppum unnu suvai oLi URoli nARRam muRRum nIyE unnai uNaravuRil ulappillai nuNukkangaLE” (Oh krishNa who enslaved me! In which manner, do you remain mercifully? If we set out to prove that you are the organs such as karmEndhriya and gyAnEndhriya such as hands, feet etc which are well seated in the body and all pleasures such as rasa, rUpa, sparSa, Sabdha and gandha which engage the mind deeply, there is no boundary for the subtle aspects) [9th pAsuram]
- “illai nuNukkangaLE idhanil piRidhennum vaNNam thollai nannUlil sonna uruvum aruvum nIyE allith thuzhAy alangal aNi mArba! en achchudhanE! valladhOr vaNNam sonnAl adhuvE unAkkAm vaNNamE” (To say that there is nothing subtler than these [achith and chith in subtle state], you became the achith and chith which are mentioned by the term thamas as mentioned in “sadhEva“, in the vEdha SAsthram which is anAdhi and having qualities such as apaurushEyathvam (not authored by any one) etc; oh my lord who is having divine form with thiruththuzhAy garland (strung with flowers) decorated divine chest, and who never lets your devotees fail! Even if vEdham etc explain your great ways, that is the way it is for you) [10th pAsuram]
- mAyan vaLam uraiththa mARanai – Such AzhwAr who enjoyed the wealth of emperumAn’s diversified universal form and mercifully spoke about it.
- nAm Eyndhu uraiththu vAzhu nAL enRu – When will we reach him, and live with him reciting his divine names? Implies “What an amazing day it will be!”
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