SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
emperumAn asks AzhwAr “In order to attain brahmAnubhavam (experiencing supreme entity) without any break, should you not have parabhakthi?” AzhwAr tells him “You should mercifully shower that parabhakthi too”.
piRappinOdu pEridarch chuzhikkaNinRu(m) nIngumahdhu
iRappa vaiththa gyAnanIsaraik karaikkodERRumA
peRaRkariya ninna pAdha paththiyAna pAsanam
peRaRkariya mAyanE enakku nalga vENdumE
Word-by-Word Meanings
peRaRkariya mAyanE – Oh the amazing entity who cannot be attained (other than through your mercy alone)!
piRappinOdu – along with birth
pEridar – creating huge sorrow through thApathrayam (three types of diseases)
suzhikkaN ninRum – from the vicious cycle of samsAram
nIngum – the means for removing it
ahdhu – (known through vEdhams) thathvahitham (real entity, emperumAn and the means to
attain him)
iRappa vaiththa – kept hidden
gyAna nIsarai – those who follow vEdhams for other benefits, thinking of themselves, with pride, as wise men
karaikkodu – taking them to the shore
ERRumA – mentioned as means in vEdhams, to uplift them
peRaRkariya – difficult to attain
ninna pAdha – in matters related to your divine feet
paththiyAna – called as devotion
pAsanam – huge opulence
enakku – for me (who doesn’t know anything other than your mercy for everything)
nalga vENdum – you should mercifully shower
Simple Translation
Oh, the amazing entity, who cannot be attained other than through your mercy alone! thathvam (emperumAn, the real entity) and hitham (means to attain that emperumAn) are mentioned in vEdhams as the means in order to remove the vicious cycle of samsAram through births and the resultant huge sorrow caused by thApathrayam (diseases). But this is kept hidden by those who follow vEdhams for other benefits, who think of themselves, with pride, as wise men. Devotion to your divine feet is the means, which is spoken of in vEdham, to uplift the people and take them to the other shore [of paramapadham]. You should mercifully shower that devotion to me, who does not know anything other than your mercy for everything.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
piRappinOdu pEridarch chuzhikkaN ninRum nIngum ahdhu iRappa vaiththa – samsAram, through one’s birth, causes three diseases [thApathrayam] namely AdhyAthmikam (disease caused by self), Adhidhaivikam (disease caused by emperumAn) and Adhibhaudhikam (disease caused by other creations on earth). It creates huge sorrow, repeatedly. thathvam (true entity, otherwise known as emperumAn) and hitham (means to attain that emperumAn) are the means mentioned in vEdhams to sever this vicious cycle of births and thApathrayam. But these are kept hidden. The term ahdhu denotes thathva hitham which are famously known. How is the term iRappa vaiththa construed as ‘kept hidden’? The term iRakkai refers to naSa (destruction). As per etymology, naSa means adharSanE, which in turn refers to that which is not shown; in other words, hidden. Thus, iRappa vaiththa would mean that which is kept hidden. bhagavath gIthA 2-42 and 2-44 say “yAmimAm pushpithAm vAcham pravadhanthi avipaSchitha: l vEdhavAdharathA: pArtha nAnyadhasthIthi vAdhina: ll bhOgaiSvarya prasakthAnAm thayA’pahrutha chEthasAm l vyavasAyAthmikA bhudhdhi: samAdhau na vidhIyathE ll” (Oh arjuna! There are some people with lowly knowledge who are involved with attaining svargam (heaven) etc which are mentioned in vEdhams and who say that there is no benefit other than these which is mentioned in vEdhams; The words of these people will be like flowers (enjoyments and opulence) which will never yield fruit. Those who listen to such lowly people will have their knowledge blunted, they will involve with enjoyments and opulence alone and they will never have firmness in their minds and intelligence). As mentioned in these two SlOkas, there are people who are conversant with vEdhams, who will say that vEdhams speak only about svargam etc and the means to attain such benefits. They will hide the entities of thathvam and hitham.
gyAna nIsarai– these are people who are truly in a low state but think, with pride, that they are omniscient. In his 66th pAsuram of this prabandham, AzhwAr had referred to “yArum vaiyagaththu onRininRu vAzhdhalinmai kaNdum nIsar” (even after seeing that no one lives forever in this world, these lowly people think that they will live forever), AzhwAr had referred to those who do not know about the nature of this world as nIsar. In this pAsuram he says that even after knowing the temporary nature of this world, since they desire svargam etc which are lowly and transient benefits, AzhwAr refers to them as gyAna nIsar.
karaikkodERRumA – as the means to take them to the other shore and uplift them. Just as it has been said in kata upanishath 1-3-9 “vigyAna sArathir yasthu manApragrahavAn nara: l
sOdhvana: pAramApnOthi thadhvishNO: paramam padham ll” (One who has knowledge as charioteer and mind as the controlling rein, will attain vishNu’s parama padham which is on the other side), the other side of samsAram is only bhagavath vishayam (matters related to emperumAn). upanishaths have mentioned this as the means to attain that parama padham.
peRaRkariya ninna pAdha paththiyAna pAsanam – parama bhakthi, which is like opulence, which is holding on to your divine feet, and which is very difficult to attain. More than attaining emperumAn, attaining the state of parama bhakthi which is deeply attached to him, is more difficult. Hasn’t the greatness of devotion been mention in SrI vishNu purANam 1-20-19 “yA prIthir avivEkAnAm vishayEshvanapAyinI l thvAmanusmaratha: sA mE hrudhayAth mAmasarpathu ll” (Let that indestructible affection which those, who do not have the knowledge of discrimination [between the correct and incorrect] have towards worldly pursuits such as Sabdham (sound) etc, not leave my mind which is always meditating on matters related to you), and in SrI vishNu purANam 1-20-27? “dharmArthakAmai: kim thasya mukthisthasya karE sthithA l samastha jagathAm mUlE yasya bhakthi: sthirA thvayi ll” (To one who has unwavering devotion towards you, who are the causative factor for the worlds, what is the purpose of benefits such as dharmam (righteousness), artham (opulence) and kAmam (pleasures)? He has the ultimate benefit of mOksham (parama padham) itself with him)
pAsanam – ship. Here, symbolically it refers to the opulence present in a ship. Since opulence, as a means, is capable of achieving anything, it comes in the meaning of “means” here. Hasn’t poygai AzhwAr too called devotion as wealth in his mudhal thiruvandhAdhi pAsuram 43 dhanamAya thanE kaikUdum (the wealth of kainkaryam to emperumAn will happen on its own)? Did not upanishaths instruct that devotion is the means to attain your divine feet, as in kata upanishath 1-2-23 “nAyamAthmA pravachanE na labhyO na mEdhayA na bahUnA SruthEna l yamEvaisha vruNuthE thEna labhyas thasyaisha AthmA vivruNuthE thanUm svAm ll” (This supreme entity cannot be attained by hearing, by thinking or by meditation (devoid of devotion). To that person, who the supreme entity draws towards him, he manifests his auspicious divine form) and in thaththirIya upanishath nArAyaNavalli 1-10? “na sandhruSE thishtathi rUpamasya na chakshushA paSyathi kaSchanainam l hrudhA manIshA manasA’bhiklupthO ya Enam vidhuramruthAsthE bhavanthi ll” (The divine auspicious form of this supreme entity is not manifested for us too. None sees him through his eyes; only through devotion and unwavering mind is he thought of. Only those who know him, become mukthas (get liberated from samsAram)). We have to add the words ‘mercifully grant’ that devotion to this.
peRaRkariya mAyanE – Oh the amazing great entity who cannot be attained other than through your causeless mercy!
enakku nalga vENdumE – you should grant me that devotion which is difficult to attain, through your causeless mercy. For those gyAnanIsar (lowly people who have knowledge) who desire other benefits, you ordain them to carry out rituals such as SyEna yAgam (ritual to get rid of enemies), jyOthistOma yAgam (ritual to attain heaven) etc, gradually building up taste in them to ultimately desire mOksham (parama padham). Even when they attain [mOksham], it will be for their enjoyment and happiness. For that svArtha mOksham (liberation for one’s happiness [and not for emperumAn’s happiness]), you have imposed devotion as the means. For me, who has no means other than you, who desires only your happiness while carrying out kainkaryam and not my happiness, you should mercifully grant that devotion which will help in enjoying you, since that will bring happiness to you.
Next, we will take up the 101st pAsuram of this prabandham.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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