SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> First centum >> Ninth decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
No specific introduction.
pAsuram
konREn palluyiraik kuRikkOL onRilAmaiyinAl
enREnum irandhArkku inidhAga uraiththaRiyEn
kunREy mEgamadhir kuLir mAmalai vEngadavA!
anRE vandhadaindhEn adiyEnai AtkoNdaruLE
Word-by-Word meanings
kunRu – on the peaks
Ey – resting
mEgam – clouds
adhir – making loud noise
kuLir – being cool
mA – great
malai vEngadavA – oh one who has SrI vEnkatAchalam as your identity!
kuRikkOL – knowledge such as discrimination between body and self
onRu – none
ilAmaiyinAl – due to not having
pal uyirai – many creatures
konREn – tormented;
irandhArkku – for those who begged
inidhAga – with good words
enREnum – ever
uraiththaRiyEn – I, the servitor, who did not say
anRE – right then
vandhu adaindhEn – I came and surrendered;
adiyEnai At koNdu aruL – kindly accept my service.
Simple translation
Oh one who has the great, cool SrI vEnkatAchalam which has clouds resting on the peaks making loud noise, as your identity! I tormented many creatures due to not having any knowledge such as discrimination between body and self; I, the servitor, never said any good words to those who begged; right then, I came and surrendered; kindly accept my service.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
konREn – I will not leave him after checking his wallet; had he carried some wealth, I will chase him, grab his wealth and kill him too; if he was empty handed, I will kill him saying “What will I take along with me to my dear woman, if you come empty handed like this?”
pal uyirai – I never repented; I do not qualify to perform atonement too. Had I atoned, I would have stopped with one or two murders; only then, one qualifies to atone.
When asked “Back then, why did you, who are identifying these as faults, do those killings?” AzhwAr says,
kuRikkOL onRu ilAmaiyinAl – Because I did not know that there is something [self] beyond the body; if I engaged in sinful acts, I cannot escape punishments in hell. Alternative explanation – I did not know that there is an owner for this self; he is very kind-hearted towards all; this act of mine will not be bearable for him. Due to not analysing about bhagavAn and not analysing about the position of self. Even if one of these aspects is known, one will not engage in harming others.
When asked “When you earned wealth for your woman, if you harmed others without thinking about anything, subsequently you would have earned wealth, married that woman and would have enjoyed together. At that time, when you saw a suffering person, did you feel pity for such person?” AzhwAr says,
enREnum … – I never gave anything to anyone – not even for the charity to be done during kArthigai month, or to help him or due to my pride [to acquire fame]. Here AzhwAr is not saying “I did not give” but saying “Even such thought of helping others did not come across in my mind”.
inidhAga … – When some one comes begging, if he was told “I am unable to give anything to your satisfaction”, he would leave with satisfaction thinking “What can he do? He is not giving due to his inability”; unlike that I will refuse him in such a way that he will remain hurt forever thinking “Instead of just suffering with my poverty, why did I come and get scolded by this person?”
kunREy mEgam adhir – Cloud – on the peak; or like a peak. When the cloud has absorbed a lot of water, it will first rest somewhere and then only pour down as rain [hence it is resting on the peak].
adhir – The noise it makes resembles the sweet words of those who offer something even when not begged.
anRE vandhu adaindhEn – Instead of coming there after repenting or after atoning for the sins, I came and surrendered without even washing the hands after killing. You should mercifully accept my service looking at my true nature instead of looking at my act.
When asked “If we look at your previous acts, you have constantly harmed others; now you are speaking as if you have performed sAdhanAnushtAnam (upAsanam etc)” He is speaking, looking at bhagavAn only and not him. If we look at him, he is as said in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 18.28 “ari: prANAn parithyajya” (One has to give up lives, to protect even an enemy who was given refuge). Here it is not said “prANAnapi” (even lives) since giving up life is not considered as such a great act. AzhwAr is the one who thinks “Is protecting a person who comes and surrenders at his divine feet, without looking at the previous enmity, a great quality, looking at emperumAn’s greatness?”
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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