SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
Even though the people of the town blamed her, the nAyaki (AzhwAr) mercifully says in this pAsuram “There is no shortcoming in us, even though the whole town has been blaming us” What has been said in this pAsuram is this – sarvESvaran’s divine form is without any equivalent entity, at all times. If a simile for that is seen, instead of consoling oneself saying “We are able to see a simile for an entity which is non-pareil”, it will create a craving in us to see the original entity itself. For such a person like us, is there any fault? Alternatively, when looking at his activity of creating all the entities and remaining as the sustaining force for them, instead of stopping with that, it would create a desire to see his distinguished divine form. For such a person like us, is there any deficiency?
Let us go through the pAsuram and its meanings:
thirumAl uruvokkum mEru ammEruvil senjudarOn
thirumAl thirukkaith thiruchchakkaram okkum anna kaNdum
thirumAl uruvOdu avan chinnamE pidhaRRA niRpadhOr
thirumAl thalaikkoNda nangatku engE varum thIvinaiyE
Word-by-Word Meanings
mEru – the mountain mEru
thirumAl – the consort of SrI mahAlakshmi
uruvu – with his divine form
okkum – will be equivalent
ammEruvil – on the peak of that mEru mountain
sem – reddish
sudarOn – sUriyan (sun) with his rays
thirumAl – the consort of SrI mahAlakshmi, his
thirukkai – on his divine hand
thiruchchakkaram – with divine sudharSana chakram (divine disc)
okkum – will be equivalent
anna kaNdum – despite seeing entities which are equivalent to sarvESvaran’s divine form and divine weapon
thirumAl – the consort of SrI mahAlakshmi, his
uruvOdu – with the divine form
avan – his
chinnamE – only divine weapons
(desiring to see)
pidhaRRA niRpadhu – calling out
Or –distinguished
thiru – eminent
mAl – bewilderment
thalaikkoNa – developed (firmly)
nangatku – for us
thIvinai – cruel sins
engE varum – how will it happen?
Simple Translation
The mEru mountain is a match for the divine form of sarvESvaran, who is the consort of SrI mahAlakshmi. sUriyan, with his reddish rays, on top of the mEru mountain, is a match for the divine sudharSana chakram held in the divine hand of sarvESvaran. Thus, even though we are able to see the entities which equal the divine form and the divine disc of sarvESvaran, we desire to see the divine form of sarvESvaran and his divine disc. When we call out to him, which is like an eminent bewilderment for us, how will cruel sins reach us?
vyAkyAnam
thirumAl uruvokkum mEru – the mountain mEru, through its huge size and radiance, matches the divine form of SrIya:pathi (consort of SrI mahAlakshmi).
ammEru . . . – sUriyan, who is traversing that mountain mEru
thirumAL thirukkaith thiruchchakkaram okkum – just as it has been said in thiruppallANdu 2 “vadivAr sOdhi valaththuRaiyum sudarAzhiyum” (divine disc having a radiance which pervades sarvESvaran’s entire form, residing on his divine right hand, burning enemies), sUriyan will look like that divine disc.
anna kaNdum – thus seeing entities which resemble sarvESvaran
thirumAL . . . – crying out incoherently to see the divine form which is like the mEru mountain and his distinguished weapons which are described as in thiruvAimozhi 6-4-9 “valakkaiyAzhi idakkaichchangam” (divine disc on the divine right hand and divine conch on the divine left hand)
Alternatively,
thirumAL thiruvokkum mEru . . . – mEru resembles the divine form of sarvESvaran; sUriyan, who is traversing it, resembles the divine disc on his divine hand; these two represent all the entities which sarvESvaran had created and for which he is the sustaining force.
anna kaNdum – even though they [mEru and sUriyan] remain as his physical form as per the relationship described in AdhArA – AdhEya (sustaining – being sustained), niyanthru – niyAmya (controller-controlled) and SEshi – SEsha (owner-owned) modes…
thirumAl . . . – instead of being satisfied with seeing entities for which he is the sustaining force, calling out with a desire to see his distinguished divine form and distinguished divine identities.
thirumAl – just as it has been mentioned in bruhadhAraNyaka upanishath 4-4-5 “nidhithyAsithavya:”- meditating on him without any break, AzhwAr attained the state which is true nature for him.
thalaikkoNda – thalaikkoLLudhal refers to being firm in a matter and not dropping it since some people spoke against it. Not considering the way some people had blamed her [in the previous pAsuram], remaining firm in matters related to sarvESvaran, just like diamond cannot be destroyed by fire.
nangatku – for us, who are involved in matters related to sarvESvaran. Just as the saying goes “avaSyam anubhOkthavyam krutham karma SubhASubham” (everyone has to necessarily experience the results of their deeds, whether good or bad), are our deeds capable of creating any fault in us?
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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