SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
From the day he incarnated in dhvApara yugam, kaNNan was destroying enemies of his followers with his great strength. He made his followers, through his beauty and auspicious qualities, to carry out servitude towards him. AzhwAr enjoys in this pAsuram saying that such kaNNan mercifully reclined in thirukkudandhai which is complete in all respect, for those born in kali yugam to get rid of their sorrows.
sAli vEli thaN vayal thadam kidangu pUmbozhil
kOlamAda nIdu thaN kudandhai mEya kOvalA
kAlanEmi vakkaran karan muran siram avai
kAlanOdu kUda viR kuniththa viRkai vIranE
Word-by-Word Meanings
sAli – crop of reddish paddy
vEli – having all around
thaN – cool
vayal – fields
thadam – (within it) being expansive
kidangu – tank
pUm – (within it) blossoming
pozhil – orchards, having all these
kOla – beautiful
nIdu – eminent
mAdam – having residences
thaN – cool
kudandhai mEya – residing permanently in the divine abode of kudandhai
kOvalA – Oh krishNa!
kAlanEmi – demon kAlanEmi
vakkaran – dhanthavakran (brother of SisupAlan)
karan – cruel
muran – demon muran, all these people’s
siramavai – (severing) heads
kAlanOdu – with yama (the deity of death)
kUda – to join
vil – bow
kuniththa – one who drew
vil kai vIranE – oh one who is valorous with bow!
Simple Translation
The divine abode of thirukkudandhai is surrounded by fields having crop of reddish paddy, having expansive tanks within them. These moats have blossoming orchards. Cool, beautiful, eminent residences are also present. Oh krishNa, who has taken permanent residence in this divine abode of kudandhai! Oh one who is valorous with the bow! You severed the heads of demons kAlanEmi, dhanthavakkaran and muran so that they could join yama, through your bow.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
sAli vEli thaN vayal thadam kidangu pUmbozhil – having fields of reddish paddy, which remove the ennui of beholders, all around, having expansive moats within those fields, and having blossoming orchards within that. Through all these, it is hinted that the divine abode is sweetly appropriate for the tenderness of ArAvamudhan who has mercifully taken residence in the temple inside kudandhai.
kOlamAda nIdu thaN kudandhai mEya kOvalA – Oh kaNNa, who lives permanently inside thirukkudandhai which has mansions which are tall and which are great to look at! Through this, it is mentioned that it is an appropriate place of enjoyment for the appreciative character of emperumAn. The reason for identifying ArAvamudhan as kOvalA (one who tends to cows) is because we see the qualities of beauty, simplicity and affability which are associated with kaNNan, in ArAvamudhan. Since he is matching krishNAvathAram in all aspects, instead of calling him after any other incarnation, we have to call him as kaNNan only. Hasn’t nammAzhwAr too, in his thiruvAimozhi 10-9-7 referred to those who welcome mukthAthmAs in SrI vaikuNtam as “kudandhai em kOvalan kudiyadiyAr” (servitors, for generations together, of the protector of cows who is mercifully reclining in thirukkudandhai)?
kAlanEmi vakkaran karan muran siram avai – severing the heads of kAlanEmi, dhanthavakran and the cruel muran. We have to add the word ‘severing’ to get the cogent meaning.
kAlanOdu kUda vil kuniththa – Oh one who killed them with your bow instead of your sankalpam (vow)! yama, the deity of righteousness, would be frightened on hearing their names; you made him to hand out punishment to them and for them to run in fear.
viRkai vIranE – to destroy the enemies of followers, there was no need even for drawing the bow. Just as it has been said in SrI rAmAyaNam kishkinthA kANdam 3-9 “simha viprEkshithau vIrau simhAthibalavikramau l SakrachApanibhE chApE gruhIthvA SathrunASanE ll” (those who have vision like a lion’s; warriors; those who have more strength and valour than a lion; those who hold the bow which destroy enemies and which match the bow of indhra’s), once the enemies see emperumAn holding bow in his hands, they will get destroyed – one with such masculinity.
Next, we will take up the 60th pAsuram of this prabandham.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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