SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
In the previous pAsuram, the blue coloured objects appeared like the divine form of sarvESvaran and tortured her. The divine form established itself in a superior part, the divine eyes. AzhwAr describes as to how the divine eyes tortured him such that he could not move away from them. As an example of how each part reminded of another and finally the whole, the vyAkyAthA cites SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 36-4 “gruhIthvA prEkshamAnA” (taking hold [of that ring] and looking at it, sIthAppirAtti thought of the finger over which the ring had been placed, and felt as if she had reached her husband).
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
neelaththadavarai mEl puNdarIga nedum thadangaL
pOlap polindhu emakku ellAvidaththavum pongu munnIr
gyAlappirAn visumbukkum pirAn maRRum nallOr pirAn
kOlangariya pirAn empirAn kaNNin kOlangaLE
Word-by-Word Meanings
pongu – agitating
munnIr – composed of water from three sources, viz from river, from spring and from rain
gyAlam – for earth
pirAn – being the benefactor
visumbukkum – for the people in the upper worlds too
pirAn – being the benefactor
maRRum – further
nallOr – for mukthAthmAs and nithyasUris, who enjoy sarvESvaran’s guNas (auspicious qualities)
pirAn – being the benefactor
kariya – having a dark bluish complexion
kOlam – having a divine form
pirAn – being the benefactor
empirAn – being the benefactor for me, his
thadam – huge
kaNNin – eyes’
kOlangaL – beauty
neelam – like a bluish gem
varai mEl – on top of the mountain
puNdarIgam – of lotus
nedum – expansive
thadangaL pOla – like ponds
polindhu – full of beauty
emakku – for us
ellAvidaththavum – at all places
(were gleaming)
Simple Translation
He is the benefactor of earth which has three types of agitating water – water from river, water from spring and water from rain; he is the benefactor of brahmA et al who are in the upper worlds; he is the benefactor of nithyasUris and mukthAthmAs; he has a dark bluish complexion; he is the benefactor for people like me. Such empeurmAn’s beautiful eyes are like a huge pond filled with lotus flowers atop a huge mountain of bluish gem, shining in all the places.
vyAkyAnam
neelaththadavarai mEl – just as it is said in thirumAlai 2 “pachchai mAmalai pOL mEni” (the divine form is like a mountain made of emerald), his divine form is described here as a hill made of bluish gem.
puNdarIga . . . – his eyes were like huge ponds of lotus flowers which had occupied his entire divine form; his divine form appeared to be full of eyes. The eyes of the beholder would focus on only on those eyes and will not see any other limb. This is something similar to SrI rangarAjasthavam 1-98 “krupayA parayA karishyamANE sakalAngam” (the divine eyes of periya perumAL wanted to shower mercy; hence they attempted to change all the limbs of periya perumAL into divine eyes). Those eyes were similar to the ones mentioned in chAndhOgya upanishath 16-7 “thasyayathA kapyAsam puNdarIksham EvamakshiNI” (they eyes were similar to lotus flower which has just then blossomed on seeing sUriyan (sUrya)).
emakku ellAvidaththavum – those eyes followed everywhere in such a way that there is no place on earth which had not been visited upon. If one were to close the eyes so that one need not see those eyes which torment the beholder, those eyes will enter the beholder’s eyes; they will pervade everywhere. They have come to win me over, in this way. This could be compared with thiruvAimozhi 7-7-1 “sUzhavum thAmarai nANmalar pOl vandhu thOnRum kaNdIr” (they will appear from all sides, like just then blossomed lotus flower) as well as thiruvAimozhi 8-9-1 “karumANikka malaimEl maNiththadandhAmaraikkAdugaL pOl” (like huge forest of lotus flowers atop a hill of dark carbuncle).
pongu munnIr gyAlappirAn – he is one who keeps rendering help to those who are on this earth which is surrounded by agitating oceans which are made up of three types of water – from rivers, from springs and from rain. As an example of rendering help, the vyAkyAthA cites the instance when he kept the worlds inside his stomach during the time of deluge and protected all.
visumbukkum pirAn – he is also the controller of dhEvathAs (celestial entities) such as brahmA who had given birth to these worlds.
maRRum nallOr pirAn – he is the controller of nithyasUris too.
kOlam kariya pirAn – the divine form of emperumAn is totally subservient to those divine eyes. It is with the divine form that emperumAn subjugates the nithyasUris and makes them bewildered always.
empirAn – just as he is their lord, he is my lord too.
kaNNin kOlangaLE – the distinguished eyes of one who is my benefactor. Just as lotus ponds have occupied the entire mountain of bluish gems, these eyes shine in all the places that I see.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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