SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
With the previous pAsuram, AzhwAr completed instructing others about emperumAn. From now onwards, he sings many pAsurams where he engages in conversation with emperumAn, later he engages in conversation with his heart and in the last pAsuram, he gives an indication about the benefit that he received. Through many pAsurams from now onwards, he tells emperumAn “Those who have affection towards your divine feet will equal nithyasUris”. The reason for this is that the devotion which he had instructed to others, from the 75th pAsuram, as mOksha sAdhanam (a means to attain mOksham) was not a means to him but was a very enjoyable benefit for him. parabhakthi (knowledge about emperumAn) which is mentioned as a means for attaining mOksham, in SAsthrams (authentic texts), is the last step for an upAsakan (one who reaches emperumAn through the path of devotion) in that path. For a prapannan (one who reaches emperumAn through the divine feet of emperumAn), who considers emperumAn as the means, this parabhakthi is the first of the benefits which he enjoys on reaching mOksham. Among the pAsurams which reflect a conversation between AzhwAr and emperumAn, in this pAsuram, AzhwAr, meditating on the eminence of emperumAn even when he incarnates as human being and the simplicity with which emperumAn is reclining in thiruppARkadal, which is the prime cause for all his incarnations, says “For those who are involved with your divine feet, even when they are in samsAram, they will have the happiness of being in paramapadham”
eththiRaththum oththu ninRu uyarndhu uyarndha peRRIyOy
muththiRaththu mUrinIr arAvaNaith thuyiNra nin
paththuRuththa sindhaiyOdu ninRU pAsam vittavarkku
etthiRaththum inbam ingum angum engum AgumE
Word-by-Word Meanings
eththiRaththum – in all species
oththu ninRu – (along with chEthanas who have forms such as celestial, human etc) incarnating in harmony
uyarndhuyarndha – rising up, to a great extent
peRRiyOy – Oh one who has qualities!
muththiRaththu mUri nIr – in the expansive milky ocean which is filled with waters from river, rain and springs
arAvu aNai – on the mattress of thiruvananthAzhwAn (AdhiSEshan)
thuyinRa – one who has reclined
nin – in matters related to you
paththu – with devotion
uRuththa – abundantly
sindhaiyOdu– with heart
ninRu – remaining
pAsam vittavarkku – those who have given up attachment in other matters
eththiRaththum – in all the ways
ingum – (with physical form) whether they remain here
angum – whether they are in paramapadham
engum – (leaving the physical form behind) while ascending the path to paramapadham
inbamE Agum – only the happiness of bhagavath anubhavam (experiencing emperumAn) will occur.
Simple Translation
Oh emperumAn who has the qualities of incarnating in various species, in harmony with that particular species, and who rises up to a great extent! You are lying in the expansive milky ocean, which has waters coming from river, rains and springs, on the mattress of AdhiSEshan. For those who have abundant devotion towards matters related to you, leaving aside attachment towards other matters, only the happiness of experiencing emperumAn occurs to them, whether they are living in samsAram or they are in parama padham or while ascending the path towards parama padham.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
eththiRaththum oththu ninRu uyarndhu uyarndha peRRiyOy – you incarnate in the different species of dhEva (celestial), manushya (human), thiryak (animals) which roam or sthAvaram (plants) which remain stationary, as one among them, harmoniously; you are one who does not give up his eminence, just as it has been said in yajur ashtakam 3-6-3-9 “sa u SrEyAn bhavathi jAyamAna:” (that supreme entity attains greatness only after being born); since you have the auspicious quality of an eminent person mingling with lowly people, oh one who has attained greatness as your basic nature, more than the others in all those species!
peRRi – natural greatness. The word thiRam refers to the society of celestials, humans et al. Whether you incarnated amidst brahmA and Sivan as a celestial entity, vishNu, or as animals such as fish etc, since you were in harmony with the nature of those species, since you carried out activities which were beyond the capabilities of those species, you were splendorous in remaining greater than everyone else in that species. Even though you were that eminent, since you had carried out activities such as going as a messenger, being a charioteer etc, your qualities of simplicity had been revealed. Due to these reasons, AzhwAr addresses him as uyarndhu uyarndha peRRiyOy.
muththiRaththu mUri nIr arAvaNaith thuyinRa – thiruppARkadal is the originating abode for the eminence and simplicity which had been mentioned in emperumAn’s incarnations. It is expansive, filled with three types of water from rivers, rains and springs. In order to prevent even that water from being an irritant to his tender physical form, emperumAn is reclining on the mattress of AdhiSEshan. The term muththiRaththu nIr refers to the three types of water which join the ocean – water from river, water from rain and water which is generated by springs under the ocean bed. The term mUri refers to the expansive nature of the ocean.
nin paththuRuththa sindhaiyOdu ninRu pAsam vittavarkku – those who are standing with devotion wholeheartedly towards your divine feet and who have left attachment towards worldly pursuits. The term paththu refers to bhakthi, devotion. The term paththuRuththa refers to an abundance of devotion. This refers to constantly meditating on the qualities of eminence and simplicity manifested in various incarnations and the quality of simplicity with which emperumAn is reclining in thiruppARkadal, which is the starting point for all those incarnations. The implied meaning is that such people, who are constantly devoted to you, would also be detached from worldly pursuits.
eththiRaththum inbam ingum angum engum AgumE – these people [who have constant devotion towards emperumAn] will be always happy, whether they are with their physical forms in this samsAram, or they have attained paramapadham, after leaving their physical form, or when they are going in the path of archis (light), enroute paramapadham. Here, the term thiRam refers to a state. Alternatively, thiRam could refer to an attribute and through that, it could refer to the physical form. When one is in samsAram as a mumukshu (one who has desire for mOksham), his form will be in the gross state. When he is ascending the path towards paramapadham, the form will be in the subtle state. When he is in paramapadham, it will be in muktha (liberated) form. The implied meaning is that despite the form that the AthmA has, the AthmA will always be happy. In all the states, the happiness of enjoying emperumAn through his svarUpam (basic nature), rUpam (form), guNam (auspicious qualities), aiSwaryam (wealth) will be always present, and there will nothing other than happiness. The considered opinion is that just as while engaging with worldly pursuits, only sadness is felt, while engaging with emperumAn, only happiness will be felt.
Next, we will take up the 83rd pAsuram of this prabandham.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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