SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
perumAL thirumozhi >> 2nd Decad
avathArikai (Introduction)
emperumAn’s followers become desirable people for us, merely because of the fact that they are deeply engaged with his auspicious qualities. When a person among samsAris (dwellers of materialistic realm) has lot of wealth and lot of properties, many take refuge under him. In a similar way, merely because they are engaged with emperumAn, others take refuge under such followers. When ALavandhAr (grandson of SrIman nAthamunigal and one of our important preceptors) set out to praise emperumAn (in his prabandham, sthOthra rathnam), he started by praising his AchAryar nAthamunigaL in the first SlOkam:
namOçhinthyAdhbhuthAklishta gyAna vairAgya rASayE l
nAthAya munayE’gAdha bhagavadh bhakthi sindhavE ll
(I bow down to nAthamunigaL who is a treasure of knowledge and detachment, which are beyond one’s comprehension (that they are like this), which are amazing and which he attained easily (with the mercy of bhagavAn). He was constantly meditating on bhagavAn and he was an ocean of deep devotion towards bhagavAn). Did not ALavandhAr praise nAthamunigaL’s distinguished knowledge and devotion? In the same way, kulaSEkhara AzhwAr too says that the purpose of his having vision is only to look at the assembly of the followers of SrI ranganAthan.
thEttaram thiRal thEninaith then aranganaith thirumAdhu vAzh
vAttamil vanamAlai mArvanai vAzhththi mAl koL sindhaiyarAy
AttamEvi alandhazhaiththu ayarveydhum meyyadiyArgaL tham
Ittam kaNdidak kUdumEl adhu kANum kaN payan AvadhE
Word-by-Word Meanings
thEttarum– one who is difficult to seek and attain (by one’s efforts)
thiRal – one who gives sufficient strength to experience himself
thEninai – one who is most enjoyable, like honey
then aranganai – one who dwells permanently in the beautiful SrI rangam
thiru mAdhu vAzh – being appropriate for periya pirAtti (SrI mahAlakshmi) to dwell permanently
vAttam il vanamAlai mArvanai – emperumAn who has donned on his divine chest, the divine garland which is beautiful and is always fresh
vAzhththi – praising them (so that there will be no ‘evil eye’ in their union)
mAL koL sindhaiyarAy – having a mind which is affectionate towards emperumAn; due to that
Attam mEvi – engaging in dance
alandhu – feeling distressed (due to excessive dancing)
azhaiththu – reciting (the divine names of bhagavAn, as an outlet for having been provided tongue)
ayarvu eydhum – becoming oblivious
mey adiyArgaL tham – followers who do not desire other benefits (than bhagavAn)
Ittam kaNdidak kUdumEl – if we are able to see the assemblies
adhu kANum kaN payan AvadhE – is that not the benefit of having been provided with eyes?
Simple Translation
Is it not the benefit of having been provided with eyes if we are able to see the assemblies of emperumAn’s followers who are praising emperumAn, who is difficult to seek and attain, who gives sufficient strength to (them to) enjoy him, who is enjoyable like honey, who resides permanently in SrI rangam, who is appropriate for periya pirAtti to dwell on his divine chest on which he has donned the beautiful and ever fresh garland? His followers have a mind which is affectionate towards him; due to this affection, they engage in dance; feeling distressed due to excessive dancing, they keep reciting his divine names, becoming oblivious to everything else; they do not desire any benefit other than emperumAn.
vyAkyAnam
thEttarum…. – emperumAn is such an entity that no one can see him, with one’s own efforts unless he shows himself up. Just as it has been mentioned in yajur vEdham, kAtakam 7-5-35 ya AthmadhA baladhA (that supreme entity who offers himself to his followers and gives them the strength to experience him), he offers himself and gives his followers the strength to enjoy him He is also sweet, like honey.
thEninaith then aranganaith thirumAdhuvAzh vAttamil vanamAlai mArvanai vAzhththi – he constantly resides in SrI rangam, which is desired by everyone. On the divine chest where his consort, periya pirAttiyAr dwells, he has a divine garland which not only does not wither away, just because he is donning it, but also becomes more and more fresh as time goes by. Just as it has been mercifully mentioned in thiruppaLLANdu 2 “vadivAy nin valamArbinil vAzhginRa mangaiyum pallANdu” (long live your divine consort who dwells beautifully on your right chest), praising him on his being together with her
mAl koL sindhaiyarAy – having a mind which is deeply affectionate towards him; mAl – deep love.
Attam mEvi – without the thought of having to dance, not being able to remain in the place where one is, engaging in dance.
alandhu azhaiththu – becoming distressed due to excessive dancing, reciting his divine names in order to reap the benefit of having been provided a tongue.
ayarvu eydhum meyyadiyArgaL tham – his followers, not waiting patiently with the thought ‘let us wait for the appropriate time when he calls us’, losing their knowledge, becoming oblivious to everything around them, engage with him, without looking for any benefit from him other than emperumAn himself.
When asked “How many such people would you like to see?” AzhwAr says
Ittam kaNdida – he desires to see huge assemblies of such followers.
kUdumEl adhu kANum kaN payanAvadhE – if one could see such assemblies, there cannot be any benefit for the eyes better than this.
kANum payan – instead of waiting for the benefit in SrI vaikuNtam, AzhwAr says that this is the benefit that he needs in this birth itself.
We will take up the 2nd pAsuram in the next article.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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