SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
In the previous pAsuram, AzhwAr had said that Sivan, who has three eyes, is not capable of knowing you and worshipping you. In this pAsuram he says “Is it only Sivan who is not capable of knowing or worshipping you? All the entities in both leelA vibhUthi (samsAram) and nithya vibhUthi (SrI vaikuNtam) are under your control for their existence, sustenance as well as their activities. Time, which conducts prAkrutha lOkam (world which was created from primordial matter) both during its causal and effectual states [viz. when the world is fully destroyed by deluge and when the world is fully recreated] also is under your control. No one, either in samsAram or in paramapadham is capable of knowing about such an entity as you”.
AdhiyAna vAnavarkkum aNdamAya appuRaththu
AdhiyAna vAnavarkkum AdhiyAna Adhi nI
AdhiyAna vAnavANar andha kAlam nI uraiththi
AdhiyAna kAla ninnai yAvar kANa vallarE
Word-by-Word Meanings
AdhiyAna – those who are involved in creating the world etc
vAnavarkkum – for deities such as brahmA et al
aNdamAya – leelA vibhUthi (materialistic realm) which is the meaning for the word aNdam (oval shaped universe)
appuRaththu – those who have mercifully taken residence in paramapadham which is beyond [leelA vibhUthi]
AdhiyAna – those who are responsible for the creation of worlds
vAnavarkkum – for nithyasUris
AdhiyAna – one who is the controller
Adhi – the prime entity
nI – you [are the one]
AdhiyAna – being the creator of worlds
vAna– for the upper worlds
vANar – brahmA et al, who are the head
andha kALam – [their] end time
nI uraiththi – you mercifully determined
AdhiyAna kAlam – controller of the period of deluge
ninnai – you
yAvar kANa vallarE – who is capable of seeing?
Simple Translation
You are the controller and prime entity for deities such as brahmA et al who are involved in the creation of worlds in leelA vibhUthi as well as for nithyasUris, who are responsible for creation of the worlds and who have mercifully taken residence in paramapadham, which is beyond the leelA vibhUthi. You determine the end time for brahmA et al who are the heads and creators of upper worlds. You are controller of the period of deluge. Who is capable of seeing you?
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
AdhiyAna vAnavarkkum – for celestial entities who are involved in creation, protection and destruction of worlds. brahmA, the ten prajApathis (procreators), seven rishis (sages) and the twelve Adhithyas (suns) are engaged in the creation of worlds; indhra (head of celestial entities) and fourteen manus are engaged in the protection of the created worlds; rudhra, agni and yaman are engaged in destruction of the worlds. These have been described well in SrI vishNu purANam 1-22. In order to denote their activities of creation, protection and destruction, these celestial entities are called as Adhi (starting with).
aNdamAna appuRaththu AdhiyAna vAnavarkkum – for nithyasUris who are residents of paramapadham which is located beyond the prAkrutha lOkam (world created from primordial entity) and who are the causative factor for creation of worlds. It is pertinent to note here that in the SrI vishNu purANam (1-22) cited earlier, in the latter half of asthrabhUshaNAdhyAyam, it has been said that SrI kausthubam [a pendant worn by emperumAn] is representative of jIvAthmAs and that SrIvathsam [a divine mole on the chest of emperumAn] is representative of prakruthi and starting with these, causative feature was mentioned, in a way, for nithyasUris. Alternatively, just as it has been mentioned in the SlOkam in purusha sUktham “thEha nAkam mahimAnas sachanthE yathra pUrvE sAdhyAs santhi dhEvA:” (in which paramapadham the sAdhyAs, who have been present since time immemorial, are residing, they make that paramapadham great) and in yajur-achchidhram “yathrarshaya: prathamajA yE purANA:” (in which paramapadham nithyasUris, who have been present since time immemorial, who are old and new and who are capable of seeing everything, reside), we can consider that nithyasUris, who have been mentioned as existing since time immemorial, are termed as AdhiyAna vAnavar.
AdhiyAna Adhi nI – you are the prime and causative entity responsible for the existence etc of entities who are important and who are residing in both the vibhUthis.
The second half of the pAsuram states that the entity of time, which conducts the leelA vibhUthi, is under your control.
AdhiyAna vAnavANar andha kALam nI uraiththi – you are the one who determines the end time for the positions of celestial entities such as brahmA et al who are engaged in the activities of creation etc of the worlds and who are the heads of upper worlds such as sathyalOkam (brahmA’s world) etc. bhagavath gIthA 8-17 says “sahasra yuga paryanthamahar yadh brahmaNO vidhu: l rAthrim yugasahasrAnthAm thE’hOrAthra vidhO janA: ll” (the wise people, who know about day and night, know that brahmA’s daytime has a spread of 1000 chathur yugams [one chathur yugam is 4.32 million earth years] and that brahmA’s night time has a spread of 1000 chathur yugams). Since emperumAn has said this in bhagavath gIthA, AzhwAr says that emperumAn has determined their end-time.
AdhiyAna kAlam ninnai – you are like the embers of a charcoal. In other words, when a charcoal is in the effectual state (burning fully), it is like jwAlAgni (effulgent fire) and when it is in the causal state (not burning) it is like coal whose fire has been put out. In a similar way, emperumAn has controlled both chEthana and achEthana entities within himself. chAndhOgya upanishath 6-2-1 says “sadhEva sOmya idhamagra AsIth EkamEva adhvithIyam” (Oh child! brahmam, which is also called as sath [that which exists] (which is now seen with names and forms for all entities) was only one (since it was without names and forms for entities) during the time of deluge (and since it was without an identical entity) it was without a second entity). Just as it has been seen in this, you are the one who conducts the period of deluge which is the starting time of everything.
yAvar kANa vallar – who can estimate you and know about you when the existence of every entity in both the vibhUthis is under your control?
Next, we will take up the 9th pAsuram of this prabandham.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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