SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> Third centum >> Sixth decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
The roles have reversed. parakAla nAyaki said to the messengers that while he should have suffered in separation from her, here she is suffering due to the unfulfilled desire of attaining him. Now, she is thinking that the messengers have gone and informed him the matter, he has arrived in front of her; she is visualising his presence and is speaking to him – this is the subject of subsequent pAsurams. This is similar to what happened in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 38.37 “kshamasE tham mahIpathE” (Oh lord of the universe! You are being patient towards rAvaNa). sIthAp pirAtti was speaking to the messenger hanuman, and suddenly she visualised SrI rAma’s presence there and hence spoke to her as if he is present in person.
pAsuram
vALAya kaN panippa menmulaigaL pon arumba
nAL nALum nin ninaindhu naivERku O! maN aLandha
thALALA! thaN kudandhai nagarALA! varai eduththa
thOLALA! en thanakku Or thuNaiyALan AgAyE!
Word-by-Word meanings
maN aLandha – measured the world
O thALALA – Oh one who has divine feet!
O! thaN kudandhai nagar ALA – Oh one who is mercifully reclining in invigorating thirukkudandhai!
varai eduththa – lifted up gOvardhana mountain as umbrella
O! thOLALA – Oh one who has divine shoulders!
vAL Aya kaN panippa – to have overflowing tears in sword like eyes
mel mulaigaL – on tender bosoms
pon arumba – as paleness shows
nAL nALum – everyday
nin ninaindhu – thinking about you, the protector
naivERku en thanakku – for me, this servitor, who is in sorrow
Or thuNaiyALan AgAy – you should be distinguished helper.
Simple translation
Oh one who has divine feet which measured the world! Oh one who is mercifully reclining in invigorating thirukkudandhai! Oh one who has divine shoulders which lifted up gOvardhana mountain as umbrella! For me, this servitor, who is in sorrow, to have overflowing tears in sword like eyes and to have the paleness showing on my tender bosoms, and who is thinking about you, the protector, everyday, you should be the distinguished helper.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
vALAya kaNpanippa – The roles have reversed. The tears which are to be seen in his eyes are now seen in her eyes. While I have the weapon [my eyes] which can defeat others, I am suffering like this. Just as a person who has weapon, still gets killed. She is saying “While he was set to leave, I should have said “Don’t go” and imprisoned him with my eyes and enjoyed him; instead I hung my head in shyness and lost him due to that”. Had I glanced at him then, now he will be sending messenger to me.
vALAya kaN panippa – What a suffering for these eyes which can easily attack and capture a person with a glance! She is saying “Being a tiger, I have lost my nail”. She is speaking about self similar to how her divine mother will praise her; everyone can speak about the truth [nothing wrong in praising self in this case]. She would have heard from him saying “What a beautiful pair of eyes!” The nature of self which exists for his sake is also part of the goal.
men mulaigaL pon arumba – Though firmness is the nature of her bosom, here it is said to be soft, since it cannot tolerate separation from him. Acquiring paleness on the bosoms which cannot tolerate his separation.
vALAya kaN panippa – For her, it is sufficient to keep seeing herself. It is applicable for both her and him since it is said as in “sarvadhEhibhi:” (Whoever has a body should keep looking at devotees). The SlOkam from vishNu thathvam is explained in detail:
- AhlAdha SItha nEthrAmbu: – Having cool tears in the eyes due to the joy acquired by enjoying bhagavAn’s qualities.
- puLakIkrutha gAthravAn – The tears are flowing like three layered necklace and five layered necklace.
- paraguNAvishta: – Inside too is decorated with bhagavAn’s qualities.
- dhrashtavya: sarvadhEhibhi: – If such a person is present, whoever is having a body, the purpose of such body is to keep looking at such a person who is very devoted towards bhagvAn.
- sadhA dhrashtavya: – One need not pack food for the lengthy travel to paramapadham and travel all that distance to do sadhA dharSanam (constantly seeing).
A man with such a woman, need not leave her in search of wealth [to please her]. Her tears and paleness appear to be telling him, “You just keep these pearls and gold”. nammAzhwAr too said in thiruviruththam 11 “oNmuththum paimbonnum Endhi” (Having the shining pearls and fresh gold), along the same lines.
nAL nALum … – For your delay in arrival, am I thinking about you one day and thinking about something else on the next day?
nAL nALum – Am I joyful one day and sorrowful the next day?
nin ninaindhu naivERku – You don’t know about me. But don’t you know about yourself? Should you not think “If a person separates from me, she cannot sustain”. Have you not seen yourself in a mirror?
nin ninaindhu naivERku – I am asking this to you as said in yajur vEdham kAtakam 1.8.8 “dhEhi mE” (Give me this) out of sorrow in separation.
maN aLandha thALALA – The divine feet which were placed on those who had no desire, are not difficult to attain for these bosoms which are pale!
O! maN aLandha thALALA – Who requested you long ago to have your divine feet placed on everyone? On whose eyes did you see the tears and on whose body did you see the paleness to bring your divine feet and place on their head? Can you not place your divine feet on these bosoms which are pale due to separation from you?
thaN kudandhai nagarALA – Can I not reap the benefit of your presence in thirukkudandhai which is for the sake of those who are subsequent to your thrivikrama avathAram?
thaN kudandhai nagarALA – You mercifully reclined in the invigorating thirukkudandhai thinking “Is there anyone who would need me to measure the worlds?”
varai eduththa thOLALA – Unlike in the previous cases, instead of considering commonly as “subsequent to incarnation”, did you not specifically protect the young cowherd girls and boys?
varai eduththa thOLALA – When the cows and cowherd boys were to be destroyed, he lifted up the mountain and protected them. His divine body is scarred with the service he rendered to his devotees. mudhal thiruvanthAdhi 23 “thazhumbirundha sArnga nAN thOyndhavAm am kai thazhumbirundha thAL sagadam sAdi thazhumbirundha
pUngOdhaiyAL veruvap pon peyarOn mArvidandha vIngOdha vaNNar viral” (The beautiful arms which have the rough marks due to rubbing with the string of the bow, SArnga; in the divine feet, scar due to kicking the demon who had entered the wheel, was present; piratti with beautifully platted divine hair, was fearful as emperumAn, who has the complexion of ocean with agitating waves, is having scars on his fingers due to tearing hiraNya kaSipus’s chest). emperumAn attempted to hide his scar thinking “Who are those who can bind me? How can I be bound by some? How can these be known to the world?”. parakAla nAyaki says “If it is just one scar, you can hide; in your whole body, you have scars from helping devotees”.
- thazhumbirundha sArnga nAN thOyndhavAm am kai – His beautiful, divine hands will have the scar from the cord of the bow; his divine hands are having the scar from holding SrI SArngam.
- thazhumbirundha thAL sagadam sAdi – His divine foot is having the scar from killing chakatAsura.
Now, what did the finger of emperumAn who has the complexion of ocean with agitating waves do?
- pUngOdhaiyAL veruvap pon peyarOn mArvidandha – The divine finger of emperumAn who has the complexion of ocean with agitating waves, is having scar due to tearing hiraNya’s chest for the sake of pirAtti; even she feared “How is this going to end?” – in such a manner he split and acquired scar from that. You who protected devotees by minimising yourself.
enRanakku Or thuNaiyALan AgAyE – Leaving aside the gOvardhana mountain, can you not carry half of my burden?
thuNaiyALan AgAyE – Implies, you should become my companion.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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