SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Essence of thiruvAimozhi 10.1
Introduction
In this pAsuram, mAmunigaL is following AzhwAr’s pAsurams of setting out to ascend to paramapadham along with emperumAn’s company, having been given the final date and is mercifully explaining it.
How is that done? As sarvESvaran gave the final date saying “Result will be achieved once the body falls”, AzhwAr set out to ascend to paramapadham. Giving up the body which was together for a long time, finding the way out of the heart, exiting through the mUrdhanya nAdi on top of the head, he started going towards paramapadham in archirAdhi mArgam (the path of light). While doing so, emperumAn gave his merciful glance to eliminate all the fatigue incurred from going through yAmya mArgam (path of darkness leading to naraka) which makes one tired even on hearing about it, bringing prosperity with sweet words as said in thiruvAimozhi 10.6.11 “sevikkiniya senjol” (honest words which are like nectar to the ears), to heal the wounds which occurred on hearing the harsh words of the servitors of yama, showering the rain of his beauty to cool down the heat acquired by seeing the ugly/cruel forms of the servitors of yama, severing the hurdles which come on the way with the help of his divine weapons, as said in varAha charama SlOkam “nayAmi paramAm gathim” (I will lead my devotees to the ultimate abode), emperumAn himself came to accompany AzhwAr on periya thiruvadi (garudAzhwAr) instead of sending AdhivAhikas (those who are usually deputed to lead AthmAs from samsAra to paramapadham in the archirAdhi mArga), just as he personally led vEdan (hunter – SrI guhapperumAL), vEduvachchi (SrI Sabari), pakshi (SrI jatAyu mahArAjar), kurangu (Monkey – SrI sugrIva mahArAjar and his army), piSAcham (ghost – gaNtAkarNan), charAcharam (all of the movable/immovable entities who/which were present in ayOdhyA) without any difficulty to paramapadham. AzhwAr is holding on to such kALamEgam emperumAn as said in periya thirumozhi 3.7.6 “arangaththuRaiyum in thuNaivanai ozhiya vERoruvarum illai” (there is no sweet companion other than the one who is residing in SrIrangam). mAmunigaL mercifully explains this principle explained in “thALa thAmarai” starting with “thAL adaindhOr thangatku“.
pAsuram
thAL adaindhOr thangatkuth thAnE vazhith thuNaiyAm
kALamEgaththaik kadhiyAkki mILudhalAm
EdhamilA viNNulagil Ega eNNum mARan enak
kEdham uLLadhellAm kedum
Listen
word-by-word meanings
thAL adaindhOr thangatku – for those who surrendered unto his divine feet
thAnE vazhiththuNaiyAm – being the companion in the final journey himself
kALamEgaththai – emperumAn who is like a dark cloud
gadhi Akki – having as the protector for the path
mILudhalAm Edham ilA – being free from the fault of returning
viN ulagil – in paramapadham
Ega eNNum – mercifully thought to ascend
mARan ena – as we think about AzhwAr
kEdham uLLadhu ellAm kedum – everything known as sorrow, will be destroyed
Simple Translation
emperumAn is the companion in the final journey for those who surrendered unto his divine feet. Everything known as sorrow will be destroyed as we think about AzhwAr as the one who mercifully thought to ascend to paramapadham which is free from the fault of anyone returning [to samsAram from there] having such emperumAn who is like a dark cloud as the protector for the path.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam
- thAL adaindhOr thangatkuth thAnE vazhith thuNaiyAm – As said in thiruvAimozhi 9.10.5 “saraNam Agum thana thAL adaindhArkkellAm maraNam AnAl vaigundham kodukkum pirAn” (Being the means for all those who performed prapaththi (surrender) unto his divine feet, during their final moments, he will be the great benefactor, granting them the abode from where there is no return), for those who pursued his divine feet as the means, he will be the mArga bandhu (companion for the path). Instead of sending the AdhivAhikas, as said in thirunedundhANdagam 16 “thunRu kuzhal karu niRaththu en thuNaiyE” (my companion who is having complexion of dense dark hair), the kALamEgam emperumAn as said in “suri kuzhal kamalak kaN kani vAy kALamEgaththai anRi maRRonRilam gadhiyE” (emperumAn is having four divine shoulders, curly, dense hair, lotus like eyes and friendly, coral-like divine lips. Other than such emperumAn who is having a magnanimous form resembling a dark cloud, we do not have any refuge which is our destination) [1st pAsuram], will lead AzhwAr to paramapadham, as said in varAha charama SlOkam “nayAmi“. AzhwAr too is included in “thAL adaindhOr” (those who are surrendered) [1st pAsuram].
- kALa mEgaththaik kadhiyAkki – Having kALamEgam emperumAn who showers the rain of his beauty to eliminate the sufferings of this material realm, as the refuge for protection in the path. That is, emperumAn being the shade and pond in the path as said in, “avanadi nizhal thadam anRi yAmE” (We do not have any destination other than the shade of the pond of his divine feet) [1st pAsuram], “aNdamUvulagaLandhavan” (one who measured and accepted the three layers of worlds which are present in the created oval shaped universe) [5th pAsuram], “kUththan kOvalan kudhaRRu vallasurargaL kURRam Eththum nangatkum amararkkum munivarkkum inban vAyththa thaN paNai vaLa vayal sUzh thirumOgUr Aththan thAmarai adi anRi maRRilam araNE” (emperumAn beautifully walks like an expert dancer; follows those who need protection, and protects them; he is death personified for very strong, demoniac persons such as kESi, dhEnuka et al who are tormentors who can torture by biting; he is enjoyable for us who praise him without any expectation other than kainkaryam, for nithyasUris who eternally enjoy him and for sages. We have no other protection than the ultimately enjoyable lotus like divine feet of the most trustworthy emperumAn who is standing for the devotees to surrender, who is residing in thirumOgUr which is surrounded by abundantly cool waterbodies and beautiful fields) [6th pAsuram], “dhayaradhan peRRa maradhaga maNith thadaththinaiyE” (emperumAn who was sired by dhaSaratha, is like a pond having complexion of emerald gem) [8th pAsuram], “maNiththadaththadi malark kaNgaL pavaLach chevvAy aNikkoL nAl thadandhOL dheyvam asurarai ennum thuNikkum vallarattan” (kALamEgam emperumAn is having a divine form with clean pond like divine feet, blossomed lotus flower like divine eyes, reddish coral like divine lips and is having four huge, divine shoulders which deserve to be decorated with all ornaments. He is a very prideful, strong and always severs the demoniac persons) [9th pAsuram] and “kAma rUpangoNdu ezhundhaLippAn” (he tumultuously protects us assuming an apt, desirable form) [10th pAsuram]. As said in SrI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam 11.1 “agratha: prayayau rAma:” (SrI rAma walks first), as emperumAn walks first, as said in periya thirumadal “mannan irAman pin vaidhEvi enRuraikkum annanadaiya aNangu” (the divine lady named vaidhEhi followed the king SrI rAma), AzhwAr is eager to follow him.
- mILudhalAm EdhamilA viNNulagil Ega eNNum mARan – Not having the fault of returning as said in thiruvAimozhi 4.1.9 “kudi mannum in suvargam eydhiyum mILvargaL” (Even if they attained the svarga which is having very enjoyable settlements and is [seemingly] permanent by giving up lands/properties and the many types of ornaments which are always worn, by winning over the sensory organs and by troubling the bodies and having bushes formed around them, if they don’t take shelter of bhagavAn while staying there, they will lose such heavenly life), as said in chAndhOgya upanishath 8.15 “na cha punarAvarthathE” (there is no return), periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 4.5.2 “puNaikkodukkilum pOga ottArE” (In paramapadham, even if the nithyasUris (eternally free souls) give surety to bring back the mukthas (liberated persons), emperumAn will not allow them to go to the material realm again), gyAna sAram 7 “mILAp poruvariya viNNAdu” (SrIvaikuNtam, the one and only place of no return), pramEya sAram 1 “mItchi illA nAdu” (the place of no return), paramapadham which is known as paramavyOmam (supreme sky). As one thinks about nammAzhwAr as the one who is constantly meditating as said in thiruvAimozhi 9.3.7 “mAga vaigundham kANbadhaRken manam EgameNNum” (my heart without any difference between night and day desired in a singular manner to see SrIvaikuNtam which is the residence of such emperumAn) to ascend to paramapadham and who is having mOksha lakshmi (the wealth of mOksham),
- kEdham uLLadhu ellAm kedum – As said in nAnmugan thiruvandhAdhi 61 “manakkEdham sArA” (will not have troubles in mind), everything known as sorrow will be destroyed. All sorrows in not attaining the goal, will be eliminated.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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