SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
In the previous pAsuram, AzhwAr spoke about the greatness of SrI rAmAvathAram which removes the inner enemy of ego and also about the greatness of the divine abode SrI rangam which is the refuge where one can live without fear even if enemies were in proximity. In this pAsuram, he speaks about the greatness of SrI rAmAvathAram which removes enemy who is outside and about the greatness of SrI rangam which is apt to be attained by all.
veNdiraik karungadal sivandhu vEva munnornAL
thiNdiRal silaikkai vALi vitta vIrar sErumUr
eNdisaik kaNangaLum iRainjiyAdu thIrththanIr
vaNdiraiththa sOlaivEli mannuSir arangamE
Word-by-Word Meanings
veN – being white
thirai – having waves
karu – being dark
kadal – ocean
sivandhu – (due to the fire emanating from arrows) becoming red
vEva – to be burnt
munnornAL – during the 28th chathur yugam (four yugams, together add up to 43,20,000 years)
thiN thiRal – being very strong
vALi – arrows
vitta – one who shot
vIrar – chakaravarthith thirumagan, the masculine entity
sErum – dwelling
Ur – abode
eN thisai – in eight directions
kaNangaLum – assemblies of people
iRainji – worshipping divine feet
Adum – taking bath
thIrtha – having purity
nIr – having water
vaNdu – beetles
iraiththa – humming loudly
sOlai – gardens
vEli – having all around
sIr – (sacred and enjoyable) qualities
mannu – being seen permanently
arangamE – it is only SrI rangam
Simple Translation
chakravarthith thirumagan shot very strong arrows during the 28th chathur yugam, the fire emanating from the arrows burning the dark ocean with white waves. Sri rangam is the divine abode where that SrI rAman dwells; it is the abode to which assemblies of people from eight directions come to take a bath in its water which has high purity; it is surrounded by gardens all around, with beetles humming loudly; it is only SrI rangam where [emperumAn’s] sacred and enjoyable qualities are seen permanently.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
veNdiraik karungadal – dark ocean which has whitish waves; this speaks about the abundance of waves since they overshadow the darkness of the ocean with their white complexion.
sivandhu vEva – both the dark ocean and the white waves, without distinction, became reddish from the arrows shot by SrI rAma and got burnt. Through this, it affirms that since varuNan (deity of water) was a hurdle for his protecting his followers such as sIthAp pirAtti and celestial women [who were imprisoned by rAvaNa earlier], SrI rAma agitated ocean which was the dwelling place for varuNan.
munnor nAL thiN thiRal silaikkai vALi vitta vIrar sErum Ur – during the 28th chathur yugam, SrI rAma took his bow, SrI SArngam, and aimed arrows at varuNan, just as it has been mentioned in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 21-22 “chApamAnaya saumithrE SarAmSchASi vishOpamAn l sAgaram SOshayishyAmi padhbhyAm yAnthu plavangamA: ll” (Oh lakshmaNa! Bring the bow and arrows which are like snake’s poison. I will make the ocean to go dry such that monkeys could reach (laknA) on their feet). SrI rangam is the dwelling place of such a great warrior, SrI rAma. In the previous pAsuram, it was mentioned of this abode, “uL magizhndha nAdhanUr“, where emperumAn considered protecting his followers as his benefit. In this pAsuram, it mentions about the power of emperumAn which controls the enemies of his followers. Through this, it is implied that emperumAn is residing permanently in SrI rangam only in order to remove the engagement of his followers with worldly pursuits such as Sabdha, sparSa, rUpa, rasa and gandha (sound, touch, form, taste, smell respectively) which are hurdles for their enjoying him. Usage of the term thiN thiRal wherein two words which refer to strength have been used together implies that the bow is a very strong one.
eNdisaikkaNangaLum iRainjiyAdu thIrththa nIr – the abode has water body which has the piousness of removing all the sins which are hurdles for realisation of desires for assemblies of people who come from the eight directions, worship the divine feet of emperumAn and take a dip in the waterbody. Isn’t the divine abode described as “sarva Sakthi mayam dhAma sarvathIrtha mayam sara: l sarvapuNyamayO dhESa: sarvadhEvamayO hari: ll” (The divine temple has all the powers; the divine pond has all the piousness; the divine abode has all the virtues; emperumAn is the antharyAmi (indwelling soul) for all the celestial entities)! Since the verse says thiRththa nIr in a general way, it refers to divine kAviri, chandra pushkariNi and all the other divine water bodies in the abode. Since the verse says gaNangaLum, this refers to people of different classifications such as those who desire opulence, those who desire mOksham, those who are eminent by way of their birth and activities, those who are lowly by the same count, etc.
vaNidraiththa sOlai vEli – having gardens all around where beetles, having drunk honey, hum loudly as a result of the happiness that they had attained due to drinking honey.
mannu sIr arangamE – the divine, big temple in SrI rangam which has greatness such as this piety, sweetness etc, at all times. Just as the divine abode makes those who do not have good qualities as pious [due to its piousness], it is sweet to those who have good qualities.
Next, we will take up the 51st pAsuram of this prabandham.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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