SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
AzhwAr says in this pAsuram “Your eminence is far higher than the chEthanAchEthana (with and without knowledge) entities. Even if one were to know that, who could know the eminence of your divine form and auspicious qualities with which you measured this earth, impelled by your quality of simplicity?”
viN kadandha sOdhiyAy viLangu gyAna mUrthiyAy
paN kadandha thEsamEvu pAva nAsa nAdhanE
eN kadandha yOginOdu irandhu senRu mANiyAy
maN kadandha vaNNa ninnai yAr madhikka vallarE
Word-by-Word Meanings
viN – mUlaprakruthi (primordial matter) which is huge
kadandha – going beyond that
sOdhiyAy – having a basic nature which is enlightening to itself
viLangu gyAnam – jIvan (soul) who has knowledge which enlightens itself as the form
mUrthiyAy – having as form
paN – vEdham which has tune as its predominant character
kadandha – going beyond that
thEsa – with radiance
mEvu – appearing effulgently
pAva nAsa – being the opposite of lowliness
nAdhanE – Oh lord of all!
eN – count
kadandha– going beyond
yOginOdu – along with the mingling of auspicious qualities
irandhu – taking alms
senRu – going (to mahAbali)
mANiyAy – as a brAhamaNa student, vAmana
maN – earth
kadandha – measured
vaNNam – having the quality
ninnai – you
madhikka vallar Ar – who is capable of estimating?
Simple Translation
You have enlightening yourself as your basic nature, going beyond the huge, primordial matter. You have jIvan, who has self-enlightening knowledge, as your form. Having a radiance which appears effulgent, you are beyond vEdham, which has tune as its predominant character. Oh lord of all! You, having countless, auspicious qualities, went to mahAbali, as a brAhmaNa student, and measured this earth, after taking it as alms. Who is capable of estimating you, having such qualities?
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
viN kadandha sOdhiyAy – you have mUlaprakruthi (primordial matter), which has permeated all the places below paramapadham (SrI vaikuNtam), within yourself, as your svarUpam (basic nature); [Despite having this mUlaprukruthi, which is an achEthana entity, lacking in knowledge] emperumAn is a svayam prakASa vasthu (entity which enlightens itself). The term viN refers to mUlaprakruthi, just as it has been referred to by nammAzhwAr in his thiruvAimozhi pAsuram 1.1.8 “surar aRivaru nilai viN” (celestial entities will not know about prakruthi which is the causative factor for AkASam, ethereal layer). The reason for AzhwAr saying like this is due to the fact that bruhadhAraNyaka upanishath says in 5-8-6 “AkASa Eva thath Othancha prOthancha” (in mUlaprakruthi, which is called as AkASam, all the entities are interwoven in both warp (longitudinal) and weft (lateral) directions), in which the word AkASa refers to mUlaprakruthi [AkASa refers to viN in thamizh]. This confirms that emperumAn pervades mUlaprakruthi, which is a huge entity.
viLangu gyAna mUrthiyAy – emperumAn has as his SarIram (physical form) the jIvAthma thathvam (living entity) which enlightens itself [just like paramAthmA, the supreme entity] and which has knowledge as its svarUpam. This confirms that he is even more subtle than the jIvAthma entity.
Thus, with these two verses, just as it has been said in thaiththirIya upanishath nArAyaNavalli 9-1 “aNOraNIyAn mahathO mahIyAn Athma guhAyAm nihithO’sya janthO: l thamakrathum paSyathi vIthaSOkO dhAthu: prasAdhAn mahimAnamISam ll” (Smaller than the minutest, larger than the largest, paramAthmA resides in the heart of this jIvan, which is like a cave. paramAthmA is without any bonding with karma and is glory personified. jIvan is able to see that paramAthmA with the mercy of paramAthmA and is rid of his sorrows), emperumAn is shown as being larger than the largest entity and smaller than the smallest.
paN kadandha thEsa mEvu pAva nAsa nAdhanE – Oh one who has radiance which cannot be estimated by vEdhams as your svarUpam, who is the opposite of all that is lowly and who annihilates the sins of sAmsAri jIvans who attain you! Since vEdham has svarams (tunes) such as udhAththam, anudhAththam etc, the word paN which denotes svaram, refers to vEdham in this context. Though emperumAn permeates both the chEthana and achEthana entities, as brought out in the first two verses of the pAsuram, their deficiencies will not touch him in any way. Also, he removes the deficiency in chEthana entity brought about by its constant contact with achEthana entity. Hence, AzhwAr calls him as pAva nAsa nAdhanE.
eN kadandha yOginOdu – being together with countless auspicious qualities. yOgu is yOgam which means being together. Here, it refers to being together with auspicious qualities. bhagavath gIthA 11-8 also calls yOgam as auspicious qualities: “na thu mAm SakshyasE dhrashtum anEnaiva svachakshushA l dhivyam dhadhAmi thE chakshu: paSya mE yOgaiSvaram ||” (You cannot see my form with your physical eyes; I shall grant you aprAkrutha (not made of primordial matter) eye. You could see the cluster of my auspicious qualities which are divine).
irandhu senRu mANiyAy – going to mahAbali, in the form of a student of vEdham, vAmana, seeking alms, making it appear as if his body had developed scars seeking alms.
maN kadandha vaNNam – the manner in which you measured earth. In other words, using the reason that “I have to get back the three kingdoms lost by indhra to mahAbali” as an excuse, you had kept your divine feet on the heads of people in the fourteen worlds (seven worlds below earth, earth and six worlds above the earth).
ninnai – you, who are distinct from the chEthana and achEthana entities, having eminence of your svarUpam which cannot be measured even by vEdhams, going to mahAbali after transforming yourself as a dwarf, seeing the quality of magnanimity in mahAbali, impelled by your quality of simplicity.
Ar madhikka vallarE – who is capable of measuring your qualities? Could vEdhams estimate you? Could vaidhikas (those who follow vEdhams) who are eminent, know you? Could your eminence be known? Could your simplicity be known? Among your qualities of greatness, who can measure, which quality?
There is another way to get the meanings of this pAsuram, as written mercifully by the vyAkyAthA, periya vAchchAn piLLai.
viN kadandha sOdhiyAy – superior to paramapadham, having dhivyAthma svarUpam (divine, basic nature of the soul) which is self-illuminating. Here, the word viN refers to paramapadham. This verse refers to the greatness of emperumAn’s svarUpam which imbibes within it, even paramapadham, which is thrice as large as leelA vibhUthi (materialistic realm).
viLangu gyAna mUrthiyAy – having a divine form manifesting knowledge, which is contained in the earlier mentioned dhivyAthma svarUpam. The word gyAnam mentioned in the verse is representative of the six divine qualities of gyAna, bala, aiSvarya, vIrya, Sakthi and thEjas (knowledge, strength, opulence, valour, power and effulgence). ahirbudhdhnya samhithai 6-25 says “sadhA paSyanthi thE dhEvA: purusham pushkarEkshaNam l shAdguNya vigraham dhEvam thAdhruSyA cha SriyA yutham ll” (nithyasUris constantly enjoy that paramapurushan (supreme entity) whose divine form manifests the six auspicious qualities of gyAna, bala, aiSvarya, vIrya, Sakthi and thEjas, who is together with SrIdhEvi and who has lotus-like eyes).
paN kadandha dhEsa mEvu pAva nAsa nAdhanE – Oh lord of all, dwelling permanently in paramapadham which cannot be estimated by vEdham which has tune as its predominant feature, and who is the opposite of lowliness, capable of removing the deficiencies in samsAri jIvAthmAs. Here, the word dhEsam refers to paramapadham.
eN kadandha yOginOdu – just as it has been mentioned in SvEthASvathara upanishath 6 “parA’Sya Sakthir vividhaiva SrUyathE svAbhAvikI gyAna bala kriya cha” (it is known that this paramAthmA (supreme entity) has manifold, superior power, natural knowledge, power and deeds (such as creation etc)), you have amazing strengths which are manifold and which cannot be estimated.
mANiyAy irandhu senRu – transforming the divine form which is beyond one’s senses and which is inestimable, to the form of a mendicant, which is limited and which is visible to mahAbali’s eyes, and going to mahAbali for getting alms
maN kadandha vaNNam – having the quality of (a) asking for three steps of land, measuring all the worlds below and above [the earth] through two steps, (b) showing a small foot while asking for alms and an enormous foot while measuring.
ninnai – having an immeasurable greatness of svarUpam, having a divine form which manifests the auspicious qualities in that svarUpam, having paramapadham, which cannot be estimated by vEdham, as the abode and coming down to earth, impelled by your amazing power, such an entity like you.
Ar madhikka vallarE – could anyone measure even one among all such greatness?
We will next take up the 28th pAsuram of this prabandham.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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