SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
perumAL thirumozhi >> 5th Decad
avathArikai (Introduction)
AzhwAr says in this pAsuram “In order to cure a patient, if the physician performs a surgery by cutting him with a knife, or singes him with a hot rod, the patient does not hate him, but loves him [since the physician is curing his illness]. In the same way, I am displaying affection towards you”. Just as it had been said in the previous pAsuram, if one were firm that paraman (emperumAn) alone is the protector and that it is emperumAn who benefits by attaining the jIvAthmA, even if it appears that paraman is giving troubles to the jIvAthmA, is it not apt to think that paraman is doing this only to protect us? In his vyAkyAnam, at this stage, periyavAchchAn piLLai gives a narrative about piLLai thirunaRaiyUr araiyar, who had lived during the time of parASara bhattar (son of kUraththAzhwAn). araiyar had gone with his family to worship vEdhanArAyaNap perumAL at thottiyam, a place near SrI rangam. When he was worshipping the perumAL, some people, belonging to another philosophy, set the temple to fire. In order to prevent the fire from affecting the divine form of perumAL, araiyar, along with his children, embraced the divine form of perumAL. Smoke was spreading everywhere, along with fire. araiyar’s children were finding it difficult to breathe and told him that they are unable to bear this. araiyar told them “Your troubles are only for some more time. Subsequently, we can rid ourselves of life on this earth, reach vaigundham, which is full of unbounded ecstasy and live forever under the divine feet of emperumAn there. Until then, bear with this”. When jIvAthmA undergoes suffering, there will be occasions when (s)he will think “emperumAn, who we have attained, is making us suffer like this. Is he really our protector?” During those times, the confidence in emperumAn could get diluted. This pAsuram shows that during those times, we should have the thought “Our karma alone is responsible for our suffering. emperumAn is making us experience these only in order to correct us. In the end, he will give us kainkaryam and carry out benefit for us”. We should have firm, unshakeable faith in emperumAn. This mahAviSvAsam (firm belief) is the primary requirement for a prapannan (one who has surrendered to the divine feet of emperumAn). When a physician performs surgery with a knife by slicing the body of a patient, the patient, due to such suffering, does not reject the physician; in the same way, when we undergo suffering, instead of thinking superficially that “emperumAn is making us suffer” we should think that emperumAn is doing us a great benefit and not reject him. This is firm belief that a prapannan has.
vALAl aRuththuch chudinum maruththuvan pAl
mALAdha kAdhal nOyALan pOl mAyaththAl
mILAth thuyar tharinum viththuvakkOttammA! nI
ALA unadharuLE pArppan adiyEnE
Word-by-Word Meaning
viththuvakkOttammA! – Oh lord, who has mercifully taken residence in thiruviththuvakkOdu!
vALAl aRuththuch chudinum – carrying out activities such as cutting with a knife or singeing with a hot object
maruththuvan pAl mARAdha kAdhal– having inseparable affection towards the physician
nOyALan pOl – like a patient
nI – you [emperumAn]
mAyaththAl– through your prakruthi [primordial matter] connection
mILA thuyar tharinum – even if (you) give me unceasing suffering
adiyEn – your servitor [I]
ALA – for carrying out servile acts
unadhu aruLE pArppan – will look for your mercy
Simple Translation
Oh the lord who has mercifully taken residence in thiruviththuvakkOdu! Just as a patient has inseparable affection towards the physician who is cutting his body with a knife or singeing his skin with a hot object, even if you give me unceasing suffering through your prakruthi, I will look for your mercy so that I can carry out servitude towards your divine feet.
vyAkyAnam
vALAl aRuththuch chudinum – even if carrying out activities such as cutting with a knife or singeing with a hot object
maruththuvan pAl mARAdha kAdhal nOyALan pOl – like a patient, who, even if the physician indulges in such cruel activities, knowing fully well “He is doing this only to cure our disease”, paying large amount of money for the treatment that the physician is giving, and being affectionate towards him
mAyaththAl mILAth thuyar tharinum – just as we have already seen in the meaning for the term thadAyEl in pAsuram 5.1 through bhagavath gIthA SlOkam, the term mAyai refers to the connection with a physical form born out of prakruthi (primordial matter). Even if you give unceasing suffering through my body, which is your possession…. Just as it has been mentioned in the pramANam SvEthASavathara upanishath “mAyAnthu prakruthim vidhyAth” (know that mAyai refers to prakruthi), the term mAyai refers to the connection with physical body which is a transformation of mUlaprakruthi (primordial matter).
viththuvakkOttammA nI mILAth thuyar tharinum – this world is apt to be given up even by me. However, you have mercifully taken residence here, in order to protect me. Even if you give me unceasing sorrows… Usage of the term thuyar tharinum (even if you give sorrow) indicates that just as it is impossible for a mother to give sorrow to her child, it is impossible for you to put me to any difficulty. Even if such an entity like you gives me any sorrow…
ALA – in order to get a kainkaryam befitting my svarUpam (basic nature), which is one of servitude
unadhu aruLE pArppan – instead of thinking of my sorrows, I will think only of your mercy. The reason for this is that I am your servitor. The opinion here is – I know the basic nature of mine, which is one of being owned, and the basic nature of yours, one of being the owner.
As a matter of discussion for proving that “I know your nature and my nature and that there is no refuge apart from you”, the vyAkyAthA brings out the following conversation of sIthAppirAtti with rAvaNa, as in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam SlOkam 21-20 “mithram aupayikam karthum rAma:sthAnam parIpsathA l vadham sA nichchathA gOram thvayA’sau purusharshabha: ll” ((Oh rAvaNa!) If you seek your life and do not desire this horrible annihilation, it will be appropriate for you to be friendly with SrI rAma, who is the greatest among men). When sIthAp pirAtti advises rAvaNa, she refers to SrI rAma as “asau purusharshabha” (this greatest among men), as if SrI rAma is standing amidst them (through the indicative pronoun this). Just as SrI rAma was seen by sIthAp pirAtti, before they were separated, with bow in his hand, she sees him to be with a bow even now. Considering that rAvaNa would be fearful of SrI rAma and that he would be standing in front of rAvaNa, she sees the earlier vision in front of her mind and says asau (this person). Further, considering that rAvaNa might be thinking “Will he show his mercy on me who had carried out the terrible offence of stealing someone else’s wife?” she says purusharshabha (greatest among men), confirming that “such a great person will shower his mercy on you too”. She says “Though you have carried out a terrible offence, if you show a little bit of friendliness towards him, is he not the greatest among men that he will forgive your offence too!” It is pertinent to recall poygai AzhwAr’s 72nd pAsuram in mudhal thiruvandhAdhi “munbUzhi kANAn”. The meaning of this pAsuram is: emperumAn not only forgets the offences carried out during various kalpams (one morning period in the lifetime of brahmA), he forgets even the day when the offence was committed since thinking of the day may bring memories of the offence too. Just as sIthAp pirAtti had told rAvaNa that emperumAn is the greatest among all, AzhwAr says in this pAsuram that he too knows about emperumAn and that there is no refuge other than emperumAn.
In this pAsuram, the connection between rakshya-rakshaka (emperumAn, the protector and jIvAthmA, the protected) was explained.
We will next take up the 5th pAsuram of this decad.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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