SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Essence of thiruvAimozhi 8.10
Introduction
In this pAsuram, mAmunigaL is following AzhwAr’s pAsurams of bhAgavatha SEshathvam (subservience towards devotees) being the ultimate state of ananyArha SEshathvam (exclusive subservience towards bhagavAn) and is mercifully explaining it.
How is that done? AzhwAr, thinking that the AthmA’s exclusive subservience towards bhagavAn will remain firm only if it extends up to subservience towards devotees, joyfully prayed to emperumAn saying “My goal is to be subservient towards bhAgavathas who are serving emperumAn being won over by his qualities such as beauty etc and his activities; the goal which I have, that is, service to bhAgavathas, is not a match for aiSwaryam (worldly wealth), kaivalyam (liberation with self enjoyment) and bhagavallAbham (serving bhagavAn after liberation), both individually and collectively; hence for me and my followers, this goal should exist/occur forever”. mAmunigaL mercifully explains this principle explained in “nedumARkadimai” starting with “nedumAl azhaguthanil“.
pAsuram
nedumAl azhaguthanil nILguNaththil Idu
padumA nilaiyudaiya paththarkku adimaithanil
ellai nilandhAnAga eNNinAn mARan adhu
kollai nilamAna nilai koNdu
Listen
word-by-word meanings
nedumAl azhaguthanil – in sarvESvaran’s physical beauty
nIL guNaththil – in his great quality of kind-heartedness
Idupadum – being involved
mA nilai udaiya – having great quality
paththarkku adimaithanil – not just the subservience towards the bhAgavathas (but for that subservience)
ellai nilam thAnAga eNNinAn – considered himself to be the ultimate state; (Who is that?)
mARan – AzhwAr (Because)
adhu kollai nilam Ana nilai koNdu – such subservience towards bhAgavathas is the ultimate goal.
Simple Translation
AzhwAr had subservience towards bhAgavathas who are having great quality of being involved in sarvESvaran’s physical beauty and his great quality of kind-heartedness. Not just that, he considered himself to be the ultimate state of such subservience, since such subservience towards bhAgavathas is the ultimate goal.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam
- nedumAl azhaguthanil nILguNaththil Idu padumA nilaiyudaiya paththar – That is, those who are involved in emperumAn’s great physical beauty as listed below and his deeply kind-hearted nature as said in “thani mAp pugazhE” (distinguished, greatly enjoyable collections of auspicious qualities) [6th pAsuram]
- “puyal mEgam pOl thirumEni ammAn punai pUngazhal adik kIzh sayamE adimai thalai ninRAr thiruththAL” (sarvESvaran has rain-cloud like divine form and his divine feet are decorated with flower and anklets of bravery. There are bhAgavathas [followers of emperumAn] who are in the ultimate state of servitude to those divine feet, without any expectation) [2nd pAsuram]
- “avan adiyAr siRu mA manisarAy ennai ANdAr ingE thiriya – sendhAmaraik kaN thirukkuRaLan naRu mA virai nANmalar adik kIzhp pugudhal – uRumO” (SrI vAmana made his small, attractive. distinguished divine form grow in a single effort to fill these three worlds and 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?) [3rd pAsuram]
- “thani mAp pugazhE engyAnRum niRkumpadiyAth 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, remains firm 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) [7th pAsuram]
- “thOLum udaiya maNimalaipOl kidandhAn thamargaL kUttamE – nALum vAykka nangatku ” (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 kaRpaga trees and a radiant sun with many dense rays; union with servitors of such emperumAn should occur for us, forever) [8th pAsuram]
- “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) [9th pAsuram]
- “nIkkam illA adiyAr tham adiyAr adiyAr adiyAr em
kOkkaL avarkkE kudigaLAych chellum nalla kOtpAdE – vAykka thamiyERku” (emperumAn enslaved me by showing the 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) [10th pAsuram]
- paththar adimai thanil ellai nilam thAnAga eNNinAn mARan – AzhwAr did not stop with subservience towards such devotees, but considered himself to be the ultimate state of such subservience.
- adhu kollai nilamAna nilai koNdu – Considering bhAgavatha SEshathvam to be the best goal which has no other superior goal, he thought it to be the ultimate goal. As said in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 1.1 “SathrugnO nithya Sathrugna:” (Sathrugna who annihilates his enemies, that is, he overcame rAma bhakthi and became fully situated in bharatha bhakthi). aiSwaryam (worldly wealth) which is highlighted in “viyan mUvulagu peRinum” (Even if huge wealth of the three worlds is attained) [2nd pAsuram] will stop at Athma prApthi (kaivalyam, self enjoyment); Athma prApthi which is highlighted in “thAnE thAnE AnAlum” (even if self is exclusively enjoyed) [2nd pAsuram] will stop at attaining bhagavAn which is highlighted in “sendhAmaraik kaN thirukkuRaLan naRu mA virai nANmalar adik kIzhp pugudhal” (attaining the fresh lotus-like, fragrant, best, divine feet of SrI vAmana who is having reddish lotus like eye which is perfectly enjoyable) [3rd pAsuram]; and this attaining of bhagavAn will depend on attaining of bhAgavathas. And there is no upper boundary for the goal of bhAgavatha kainkaryam. This is why AzhwAr said “muzhudhum uRumO” (even if I acquired the previously explained aiSwaryam, kaivalyam etc, would those be a match to serve the bhAgavathas by singing these pAsurams for their pleasure?) [5th pAsuram]
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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