SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> First centum >> Second decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
In speaking about how emperumAn removed AzhwAr’s loss [in previous decad 4th pAsuram], AzhwAr spoke about emperumAn removing sugrIva mahArajar’s loss in the first pAsuram; perumAL (SrI rAma) removed his own loss only after taking care of mahArAjar’s loss; in that sequence, AzhwAr is now speaking about rAvaNa vadham (killing of rAvaNa).
pAsuram
kalanga mAkkadal arikulam paNi seyya
aruvarai aNaikatti
ilangai mAnagar podiseydha adigaLdhAm
irundha nal imayaththu
vilangal pOlvana viRalirum sinaththana
vEzhangaL thuyarkoora
pilangoL vALeyiRRu ariyavai thiridharu
piridhi senRadai nenjE !
Word-by-Word meanings
nenjE – Oh mind!
mAk kadal – the vast ocean
kalanga – to agitate
ari kulam – the groups of monkeys
paNi – service
seyya – as they perform (due to that)
aru – unshakeable
varai – with the mountains
aNai katti – building the bridge
mA – great
ilangai nagar – lankApuri
podi seydha – turned to dust
adigaL thAm – sarva svAmi (lord of all)
irundha – eternally residing
nal imayaththu – in the distinguished himavAn (Himalayas)
vilangal pOlvana – like a mountain
viRal – having strength
irum – great
sinaththana – having anger
vEzhangaL – elephants
thuyar kURa – to greatly fear
pilam – caves
koL – having as residence
vAL – like a sword
eyiRu – having teeth
ari avai – lions
thiri tharu – roaming around
piridhi – thiruppiridhi
senRu adai – try to go and reach.
Simple translation
Oh mind! sarvasvAmi (lord of all) turned the great lankApuri to dust after building the bridge with unshakable mountains on the vast ocean which was agitated by the groups of monkeys who served; such emperumAn is eternally residing in the distinguished himavAn where elephants which are having strength of mountains and great anger, become very frightened for the lions which have the caves as their residence, having sword like teeth and are roaming around; try to go and reach such thiruppiridhi.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
- kalanga … – Just as when ISvaran relaxed his vow (of protecting all of them etc), the nature of [the dependent] entities will struggle, when chakravarthith thirumagan (SrI rAma, divine son of emperor dhaSarathi) becomes angry, the result will be unexpected. He caused
- the ocean which cannot be agitated by anyone, to become agitated
- the monkeys which cannot differentiate between left and right hands to perform the service which can be done by nithyasUris
- the mountains which will usually submerge in ocean to remain afloat.
- mAk kadal kalanga – To have the ocean become agitated and to have the sand in the bottom rise up as said in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 19.31 “apramEyO mahOdhadhi:” (ocean cannot be estimated by anybody).
- ari kulam paNi seyya – To have the service rendered by those who are untouched by samsAra such as thiruvadi (garudAzhwAr), thiruvananthAzhwAn (AdhiSEshan), SrI sEnApathi AzhwAn (vishvaksEnar) et al, rendered by monkeys which are counted after samsAris (mortal humans) [with respect to intelligence] and which don’t know the difference between left and right hands. To have the service which was rendered after giving up the material body and reaching paramapadham, to be done with the present body even in the lowly birth (of monkeys).
- aru varai aNai katti – Building the bridge with mountains whose boundaries cannot be seen by anyone.
- ilangai – The lord who made lankA which creates fear in brahmA et al, to become dust particles even while remaining in his human form. After rAvaNa was killed, his wife said “See! The sun’s rays are freely entering and moving around in lankA now”. She said that thinking that he will wake up from death, being unable to bear the shame of losing control. SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 114.82 “prApthE paribhavE navE adhyavai nirbhayA lankAm” (Why are you still sleeping even after acquiring this new shame? Sun’s rays are entering without any fear in lankA) Something new which never existed previously, has occurred now. Previously the sun will traverse only for the purpose of drying paddy, due to fear for rAvaNa; now the rays are reaching everywhere without any fear.
- ilangai mA nagar – SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 1.37 “lankAm rAvaNa pAlithAm” (lankA protected by rAvaNa). The city is so well fortified that even unskilled women can rule it. It is protected by rAvaNa who can even stop anyone from entering even if there is no fortress. Since emperumAn who is of the nature of eliminating the enemies has arrived, his being sarvasvAmi is well manifested.
- irundha – This (remaining here) implies that instead of emperumAn remaining elsewhere and visiting here occasionally, he is dwelling here only permanently. In this manner, emperumAn made this his permanent abode by showing his seated presence to win over rAvaNa et al who rules over everyone with cruelty as if a creeper covering its support pole. [Alternative view] The abode where he arrived to eliminate the enemies and relax thereafter, has become the cause for helping us.
- vilangal … – This is how huge the elephants are over there. They cause fear due to their form which resembles walking mountains. This is because, they did not have any fear there. The elephants which have the strength and anger to be not controlled by anyone.
- thuyar kUra – To cause fear in such elephants to make them remain in eternal sorrow. [Alternative meaning for kUra] kUra – abundance, to increase greatly. Just as they had no match when they were fearless, now when they acquire fear as well, they become greatly fearful.
When asked “What was the action of the enemies which caused fear in them?” AzhwAr says,
- pilam koL … – Lions which are dwelling in the caves, having sword like teeth, would roam around. These elephants remained strong like demons which are known as yagya Sathru (enemies for yAgams), indhra Sathru (enemies for indhra) and brahma Sathru (enemies for brAhmaNas) became fearful on seeing the free movement of lions [like the demons become fearful on seeing bhagavAn]. After perumAL built the bridge on the ocean, with bow in his hand, he marched from south to north – seeing this, the whole lankA became like a dead city. Similarly as the lions roam around, the elephants became frightened to feel as if they are dead. There is no benefit with knowledge or ignorance here, all of the entities which reside there have great valour.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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