SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> Fourth centum >> Sixth decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
No specific introduction.
pAsuram
thAvaLandhu ulaga muRRum thadamalarp poygai pukku
nAvaLam navinRangu Eththa nAgaththin nadukkam thIrththAy!
mAvaLam perugi mannu maRaiyavar vAzhum nAngaik
kAvaLambAdi mEya kaNNanE! kaLaigaN nIyE
Word-by-Word meanings
ualgam muRRum – (SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn) all worlds
thAvaLandhu – hopped around (seen at that time)
thadam – huge
malar – having flower
poygai – in the pond
pukku – entered
angu – in that pond
nA – for the tongue
vaLam – divine name which is decoration
navinRu – recited
Eththa – as it praised
nAgaththin – (that) elephant’s
nadukkam – fear
thIrththAy – oh one who eliminated!
mA vaLam – great wealth
perugi – grew
mannu – remaining fixed
maRaiyavar – brAhmaNas
vAzhum – living joyfully
nAngai – in thirunAngUr
kAvaLambAdi – in the dhivyadhESam named thirukkAvaLambAdi
mEya – one who is residing firmly
kaNNanE – Oh krishNa!
nIyE – you who are partial towards devotees
kaLaigaN – should be the protector
Simple translation
SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn, the elephant, hopped around all the worlds and entered the pond which was having huge flower; it recited the divine name (of emperumAn) as decoration for tongue and praised; oh one who eliminated such elephant’s fear! Oh krishNa who is residing firmly in the dhivyadhESam named thirukkAvaLambAdi in thirunAngUr where brAhmaNas are having well grown great wealth and remaining fixed, living joyfully! You who are partial towards devotees should be the protector [for me].
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
thAvaLandhu … – When the elephant was attacked by the crocodile, did the elephant rescue itself or did the crocodile rescue it? That which harms will not be protection. I am like that elephant; others are like crocodile.
thAvaLanadhu ulagam muRRum – This is fully seen in the context of the elephant [without any mention of crocodile] – since the elephant did not see any flower anywhere, it hopped around the whole earth; alternatively – this is explained in the context of thrivikrama avathAram where emperumAn mercifully scaled the world – emperumAn effortlessly scaled and accepted the world. Did the residents of the earth do anything for you to scale the world?
thAvaLandhu … – With the desire of “Can I find a blossomed flower?”, the elephant roamed around the entire earth; subsequently it saw a pond with a huge flower and entered the pond without knowing about the presence of the crocodile in it and got caught, trapped in its mouth; without knowing any escape route, just as one would cry out “ammE” (mother) while stepping on a thorn and being pierced by it, due to impressions from previous birth, recited the divine name of emperumAn which is a decoration for the tongue. It is said in mudhal thiruvandhAdhi 95 “nA vAyil uNdE namO nAraNA enRu ovAdhu uraikkum urai uNdE” (tongue is inside the mouth; thirumanthram which is apt to be recited continuously, is available). It called out as said in siRiya thirumadal “nArAyaNAvO!” (Oh nArAyaNa!)
angu – Oh you who eliminated the fear of the elephant which recited the divine name, standing in the pond where it was caught! Did the elephant help itself or did the crocodile help? Wasn’t it you who came to the banks of the pond, without having your hair properly decorated and your clothes well adorned, and helped him?
mAvaLam … – The boundless wealth of the brAhmaNas are growing just as flood will rise in the river entrance, and that too without any break. Oh krishNa who is known only through vEdhas and who is being seen by such brAhmaNas, sinces you are eternally residing in thirukkAvaLambAdi in thirunAngUr!
mEya – Difference from avathArams, where he leaves within a specific period of time; remaining eternally here.
kaNNanE kaLaigaN nIyE – You who are residing without being able to live in separation from those who are dear to you, should be the protector. AzhwAr is mercifully stating the words of krishNa who said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 18.66 “mAmEkam” (Only me).
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
archived in https://divyaprabandham.koyil.org
pramEyam (goal) – https://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org