SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Introduction
viLANjOlaip piLLai is observing that periya perumAL is mercifully saying “Though being present amidst samsAris (worldly people) who are fully engaged in these four aspects (not having love towards AchAryan, considering those who learn from self to be disciples, considering self to be AchAryan and analysing the SrIvaishNavas by their birth), you have escaped from the situation to instruct others in this manner” and praying to periya perumAL saying “Though I have understood that these will directly cause defect, your highness should mercifully eliminate my internal defect which will destroy my knowledge from the bottom of my mind, by mercifully looking at piLLai lOkAchAryar who has imparted knowledge which is unknown to me, emperumAnAr who is dear to your highness and your highness’ great mercy”.
pAsuram
azhukkenRu ivai aRindhEn ambon arangA
ozhiththaruLAy uLLil vinaiyai pazhippilA
en AriyarkkAga emperumAnArkkAga
un ArarutkAga uRRu
Word-by-word meanings
am – beautiful
pon – desirable
arangA – Oh one who is eternally residing in the great city of SrIrangam!
ivai – all of these previously explained aspects (for the AthmA)
azhukku enRu – causing disgrace
aRindhEn – I have known clearly (thus)
pazhippilA – not having any of the previously mentioned defects
en AriyarkkAga – for piLLai lOkAchAryar who mercifully imparted knowledge to me who is ignorant
emperumAnArkkAga – for emperumAnAr who is piLLai lOkAchAryar’s great lord
un – your highness’
Ar arutkAga – overflowing mercy
uRRu – mercifully accept (adiyEn)
uLLil – holding the mind which is the gate for transmission of knowledge
vinaiyai – group of sins
ozhiththu aruLAy – should mercifully drive out along with their trace
Simple Explanation
Oh one who is eternally residing in the beautiful, desirable, great city of SrIrangam! I have known clearly that all of these previously explained aspects are causing disgrace to the AthmA; for the sake of piLLai lOkAchAryar who is not having any of the previously mentioned defects and who mercifully imparted knowledge to me who is ignorant, emperumAnAr who is piLLai lOkAchAryar’s great lord and your highness’ overflowing mercy, your highness should mercifully accept me and mercifully drive out the group of sins along with their trace, which are holding my mind which is the gate for transmission of knowledge.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
azhukkenRu … – ivai – azhukkenRu aRindhEn – I have clearly understood without any doubt or confusion, to be able to explain to others that all the previously mentioned aspects will directly cause disgrace to the AthmA which is a product of radiance, with the help of following statements:
- “nArAyaNOpi vikruthim yAthi gurO: prachyuthasya dhurbudhdhE: | kamalam jalAdhabEdham SOshayathi ravir na thOshayathi ||” (Sun will make the lotus which is separated from water to wither, not to blossom; similarly, for the evil minded person who destroyed his relationship with AchAryan, even SrIman nArAyaNan will cause shrinkage)
- aruLALap perumAL nAyanAr’s divine words in gyAna sAram 35 “enRum anaithuyiRkum Iram sey nAraNanum anRum than Ariyan pAl anbozhiyil” (Even nArAyaNan who is most merciful towards all at all times, when one gives up love towards his AchAryan) etc
- piLLai lOkAchAryar’s divine words in SrIvachana bhUshaNam 308 “thAn hithOpadhESam paNNumbOdhu thannaiyum Sishyanaiyum palaththaiyum mARAdi ninaikkai krUra nishidhdham” (While instructing noble subjects, thinking wrongly about self, disciple and the result, is highly forbidden), SrIvachana bhUshaNam sUthram 194 “bhAgavatha apachArandhAn anEka vidham” (Mistakes/offences committed towards bhAgavathas are of many types), SrIvachana bhUshaNam sUthram 195 “adhilE onRu avargaL pakkal janma nirUpaNam” (Judging them by their birth is one among those)
- “archAvathArOpAdhAna vaishNavOthpaththi chinthanam | mAthruyOni parIkshAyAs thulyamAhur manIshiNa: ||” (Analysing the raw material of archA vigraham and judging a vaishNava based on his birth, are said to be at par with analysing the reproductive organ of one’s mother, as per wise persons).
Considering that it will be difficult to explain the vastness of the defects of these aspects, viLAnjOlaip piLLai is engaging in the result.
ambon arangA – To have me acquire this knowledge, is it not your highness who has worked hard remaining in the great city of SrIrangam which is beautiful, pleasing to the mind and purifying?
ambon arangA – Only after my getting this knowledge, as said in thiruvAimozhi 1.1.1 “thuyaraRu sudaradi” (the divine feet which relieves the sorrow of others and bhagavAn), your highness’ beauty and pleasing nature acquired greatness. Though viLAnjOlaip piLLai was in thiruvananthapuram while mercifully authoring this prabandham, by the overwhelming visualisation, it appears that periya perumAL is presenting himself in front of viLAnjOlaip piLLai to make him call out “arangA“.
ambon arangA ozhiththu aruLAy uLLil vinaiyai – What is the connection between your highness’ purifying nature and impurity of mine who is surrendered to your highness as said in “agnisinchEth” (fire is wetting)? Are the words of thathva dharSis (those who have seen the truth) as in periya thirumozhi 11.3.5 “thammaiyE nALum vaNangith thozhuvArkkuth thammaiyE okka aruL seyvar” (For those who worship him exclusively, emperumAn will bless him with same greatness as himself), not applicable for me? As said in nAchchiyAr thirumozhi 11.10 “semmai udaiya thiruvarangar thAm paNiththa meymmaip peruvArththai” (thiruvaranganAthan who has the divine quality of honesty, had earlier mercifully spoken truthful and the most invaluable words which have come to be known as charama SlOkam (the ultimate hymn)), your highness said as in SrI bhagavath gIthA 18.66 “sarva pApEbhyO mOkshayishyAmi” (I will free your from all sins) having arjuna, who is his devotee, as the reason for namesake, being mercifully seated on the chariot as said in mumukshuppadi 218 “kaiyum uzhavu kOlum pidiththa siRuvAyk kayiRumAna sArathya vEshaththOdE” (He shows his form as the charioteer, with the small whip in one hand, the (horse) leash in the other, the divine hair with the dust of the battlefield, and the divine feet firmly planted on the ground). Are these words not connected with their meanings? Since your highness’ have said in SrI rAmAyaNam bAlakANdam 58.19 “anrutham nOktha pUrvam mE” (I have never lied before) and mahAbhAratham udhyOga parvam 70-48 “namE mOgham vachO bhavEth” (My words never fail), your highness have no involvement in lying.
ozhiththu aruLAy – While your highness will bless anyone even when not requested being present before them, can you remain indifferent even after my requesting?
arangA ozhiththu aruLAy – Just as a farmer will remain on the field to protect the crops, your highness having the nature of protecting us, unlike avathArams who leave after a period of existence, is remaining eternally in this SrIrangam – is this apt for your highness’ grace?
aruLAy – Is it apt for your highness, who is very merciful, to do what is done by the merciless persons?
uLLil vinaiyai – These remain existing on the mind/heart which is the gateway for knowledge, as said in thiruvAimozhi 1.1.2 “mananagamalam” (dirt inside the mind) just like a person strangling someone’s neck.
uLLil vinaiyai – For your highness who remain firmly in the heart as said in thirumAlai 34 “uLLaththE uRaiyum mAlai” (VishNu who is residing in the heart) and protect the existence, is it difficult to eliminate the sins in the heart?
ozhiththu aruLAy uLLil vinaiyai – Kindly drive out my sins which are bound with me just as algae would spread all over clear water.
When asked “Why are you forcefully saying ‘nIr ozhiththaruLAy’ ?” viLAnjOlaip piLLai says
pazhippilA … – I am depending on those who are to your highness and your highness’ mercy and saying these words.
pazhippilA en AriyarkkAga -For piLLai lOkAchAryar who has none of the defects which were mentioned previously, and with his instructions, he announced to me who is ignorant, that these are not good. He is saying “pazhippilA” (faultless) to indicate that these defects were never there to start with, instead of being present sometime and gone subsequently.
en Ariyan – As said in “gurumvAyOpi manyathE” (To meditate upon guru), not the acceptance of AchAryan which is just for namesake.
Is it just that?
emperumAnArukkAga – Further, for emperumAnAr who is the ultimate lord of piLLai lOkAchAryar, who is very dear to your highness, who is the ultimate stage of AchArya padham (the seat of AchArya) and who bestowed the ultimate meanings to everyone.
Is it just that?
un Ar arutkAga – Further, for the krupA guNam (quality of mercy), being the special identity of your highness, which is not stopping with bringing greatness to your other qualities, and stretching up to me like river kAviri which has broken its barriers. In the aspect of protection, your highness’ krupA is greater than your highness. Due to fear in the virOdhi (hurdles), urge in eliminating those hurdles, and considering that if emperumAn is approached through his close confidantes, the result will be quickly accomplished, viLAnjOlaip piLLai is saying in this manner.
uRRu – As said in varavaramuni Sathakam 7 “guruvaram varadham vidhanmE” (Knowing that varadha nArAyaNa guru (kOyil aNNan) is my AchArya, you should bless me) and varadharAja sthavam 102 “rAmAnujAngri SaraNOsmi” (I am surrenderd at the divine feet of SrI rAmAnuja), sthOthra rathnam 65 “pithAmaham nAthamunim vilOkya” (Seeing my grandfather SrIman nAthamunigaL) and thiruvAimozhi 1.4.7 “en pizhaiththAL thiruvadiyin thagavinukku” (What mistake my daughter did, which cannot be forgiven by your highness’ mercy), for the sake of these personalities too, you should mercifully accept me and eliminate my inner sins. Otherwise, your highness’ ASritha pArathanthryam (being subservient to your devotees) and krupA pArathanthryam (being subservient to your mercy) will be lost. You can delay your mercy to me only when you look at my efforts and do [since you are helping me based on your mercy, there is no reason for delay].
Thus, by this pAsuram, viLAnjOlaip piLLai mercifully explains the special meanings which are explained in SrIvachana bhUshaNam sUthram 374 “pERRukkadi krupai” (reason for the result is bhagavAn’s mercy) etc and SrIvachana bhUshaNam sUthram 403 “krupai perugap pukkAl iruvar svAthantharyaththAlum thagaiyavoNNAdhapadi iru karaiyum azhiyap perugum” (When bhagavAn’s mercy flows, it will flow being unable to be stopped by the independence of both chEthana and ISvara, just as a flooding river breaches the shore on either side), in nirhEthuka krupA prabhAva prakaraNam.
We will see the next pAsuram in the next article.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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