SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
perumAL thirumozhi >> 2nd Decad
avathArikai (Introduction)
AzhwAr brings the decad to its completion by stating the benefit for those who recite these ten pAsurams – that they will become servitors of emperumAn’s servitors.
alli mAmalar mangai nAdhan arangan meyyadiyArgaL tham
ellaiyil adimaiththiRaththinil enRumEvu manaththanAm
kolli kAvalan kUdal nAyagan kOzhikkOn kulasEkaran
sollin inthamizh mALai vallavar thoNdar thoNdargaL AvarE
Word-by-Word-Meanings
aAlli mAmalar mangai nAdhan – the consort of periya pirAtti who resides in a distinguished lotus flower, which has inner petals
arangan – SrI ranganAthan’s
meyyadiyArgaL tham – true followers
ellaiyil adimaiththiRaththinil – in the services which they render without any boundary
enRum mEvu manaththan Am – one who always engages with divine mind
kolli kAvalan – one who is the king of kolli nagar
kUdal nAyagan – one who is the king of madhurai
kOzhi kOn – one who is the king of uRaiyUr
sollin – composed of words
in thamizh mAlai vallAr – those who can learn the thamizh pAsurams which are together with musical notes
thoNdar thoNdargaL AvarE– will become the followers of [emperumAn’s] followers.
Simple Translation
The true followers of emperumAn render service, without any boundary, to SrI ranganAthan who is the consort of periya pirAtti, who resides in a distinguished lotus, with inner petals. kulaSEkhara AzhwAr, who is the king of kolli nagar, the king of madhurai as well as of uRaiyUr, engages constantly with such followers with his divine mind. Those who can learn these pAsurams which have been composed with sweet thamizh words, and set to music, will become followers of emperumAn’s such followers.
vyAkyAnam
alli mAmalar mangai nAdhan arangan – the consort of periya pirAtti, periya perumAL, his
meyyadiyArgaL tham – SrI vaishNavas who carry out services to him without expecting any benefit from him, other than his happiness
ellaiyil adimaiththiRaththinil enRum mEvu manaththanAm – one who has the divine mind which always engages with unbounded kainkaryam, just as it has been mentioned in vishNuthathvam “svOjIvanEchchA yadhi thE svasaththAyAm spruhA yathi l AthmadhAsyam harE: swAmyam svabhAvancha sadhA smara ll” (If you desire in your getting uplifted, if you desire in your existence, always think that AthmA’s servitude and hari’s [emperumAn] lordship are natural).
kolli kAvalan kUdal nAyagan kOzhiyar kOn – kolli is the capital of chEra nAdu (the land of chEra kings); kUdal is the capital of paNdiya kings; kOzhi, also known as uRaiyUr, is the capital of chOzha kings. Since he is the head of all three, AzhwAr mentions that all the three kingdoms are under his control. While he says in his pAsurams “arasai vENdEn” (I do not desire kingdoms), could he claim that he is the head of all the kingdoms? If we consider a few words of SrI rAma, we can understand the SrIsUkthis (divine compositions) of kulaSEkharap perumAL. SrI rAma tells lakshmaNa as they prepare to set out for forest, in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 22-29 “mA cha lakshmaNa! santhApam kArshIr lakshmyA viparyayE l rAjyam vA vanavAsO vA vanavAsO mahOdhaya: ll” (Oh lakshmaNa! Do not grieve for kingdom slipping out. Between kingdom and living in forest, living in forest appears better). However, after reaching forest, after experiencing separation from sIthAppirAtti and after seeing the death of jatAyu, forgetting all the bliss that he had experienced in forest, he says in SrI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam 67-24 “rAjyAdh bhramSO vanE vAsa: sithA nashtA dhvijO hatha: l IdhruSIyam mamA’lakshmIr nirdhahEdhapi pAvakam ll” (The sorrows which happened to me such as losing kingdom, living in forest, losing (separation from) sIthA, jatAyu being killed, will burn fire too), stressing on the fact that these sorrows appeared huge for him, hurting him, as he had lost kingdom and had to take up living in the forest. In this way, dwelling in forest, which appeared to be better for SrI rAma at one point of time, appeared cruel to him later. In the same way, kulaSEkharap perumAL celebrated when royalty gave him an opportunity to serve followers of emperumAn, while in perumAL thirumozhi 4.1, he had said “unERu sevaththu udaRpiRavi yAn vENdEn” (I will not covet this birth which entails this human body gaining wealth and becoming fat day by day) and in perumAL thirumozhi 4-5 “inbamarum selvamum ivvarasum yAn vENdEn” (I will not covet this kingdom and also opulence which gives various comforts). Thus, the kingdom, which was apt to be given up for him at one point of time, was also desired by him at another point of time.
sollin inthamizh mAlai vallavar – those who learn well this decad, which is composed of pAsurams in thamizh, with sweet words
thoNdar thoNdargaL AvarE – AzhwAr says that they will get all the benefits as listed below, and will remain blissful, and he brings this decad to its end:
- Seeing the groups of followers
- Dancing in the dust from the divine feet of followers
- Applying the mud from the divine feet of followers, on forehead
- Praising the divine feet of followers
- Thinking about the followers, and getting goose bumps
- Desiring to be affectionate towards the followers in all ways
- Considering the divine feet of followers as the benefit
- Being affectionate towards the wealth of kainkaryams of followers
- Being mad about the followers.
In the next article, we will take up pravEsam of 3rd decad.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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