SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
emperumAn asks AzhwAr “In order to reach the stage of continuous meditation, without any break, connection with physical body has to be severed” AzhwAr says “I have developed taste in kainkaryam; you are omnipotent; you should tell me a word that you will do this activity at this time in this way so that I could sustain myself until you sever the connection with this body which keeps following”.
viLvilAdha kAdhalAl viLangu pAdhapOdhil vaiththu
uLLuvEnadhu Una nOy ozhikkumA thezhikku nIr
paLLi mAya panRiyAya venRivIra kunRinAl
thuLLu nIr varambu seydhu thOnRal onRu sollidE
Word-by-Word Meanings
thezhikku – being uproarious
nIr – in the ocean
paLLi – reclining
mAya – Oh one who is with amazing qualities such as simplicity etc!
panRiyAya – incarnated as a wild boar
venRi vIra – the victorious warrior!
kunRinAl – with mountains
thuLLu nIr – in the bouncing ocean
varambu seydha – one who built a dam
thOnRal – Oh king!
viLvu – getting separated
ilAdha – not present
kAdhalAl – with affection
viLangu – shining
pAdha pOdhil – in the divine feet which are like lotus
vaiththu – keeping (my heart)
uLLuvEnadhu – I who am thinking (that those divine feet are the refuge)
Una nOy – the disease of connection with physical form which creates lowliness
ozhikkumA – the time when it will be severed
onRu sollidE – you should mercifully say a word
Simple Translation
Oh, one who is reclining in the uproarious ocean with amazing qualities such as simplicity etc! Oh, the victorious warrior who incarnated as the wild boar! Oh, king who built a dam with mountains in the bouncing ocean! I have kept my heart on your divine feet which are like lotus and which are shining, with an inseparable affection. You should tell me a word about when you will sever my connection with my physical form which is like a disease, causing lowliness.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
viLvilAdha kAdhalAl – carrying out affection to your divine feet, considering you alone as the benefit instead of leaving them and going after other benefits. Didn’t nammAzhwAr too say in thiruvAimozhi 1-6-5 “viLgai viLLAmai virumbi” (desiring those who are always with him, considering him as the benefit instead of going after other benefits)?
viLangu pAdha pOdhil vaiththu – keeping the heart at the divine, lotus-like feet of emperumAn, which are shining with that affection. emperumAn’s divine feet blossom in the presence of followers who do not desire any other benefit. Through these two verses, AzhwAr is asking “Is the connection with my physical body continuing because I consider other benefits or because you do not have affection towards your followers?”
uLLuvEnadhu Una nOy ozhikkumA – if you had thought of removing the disease of my connection with the physical form which is creating lowliness for me, when I think that those two divine feet alone are my refuge. AzhwAr considers ignorance about the basic nature of jIvAthmA (soul) and paramAthmA (emperumAn) and deficiency in enjoying emperumAn as lowliness. These are caused by connection with physical form. In AzhwAr’s thoughts, physical form and disease are synonyms. Through this verse, AzhwAr is asking “Am I losing out because I am considering anything other than you as my refuge or because I have attachment towards my physical form?”
thezhikku nIrp paLLi mAya – Oh one who is reclining in the ocean, which is uproarious because of connection with you, with amazing qualities such as simplicity, affableness etc! thezhiikkai – roaring.
panRiyAya venRi vIra – this abode of samsAram is not appropriate for your eminence. Yet, apart from reclining in the ocean for showering your mercy on your followers, you incarnated as a wild boar which is not shy of water and mud. Oh, the victorious warrior who dug out earth, during your incarnation as boar, defeating the monster hiraNyAkshan!
kunRinAl thuLLu nIr varambu seydha thOnRal – ocean throws out things which it has within itself, due to its strong and bouncing waves. Oh, the divine son of emperor dhaSarathan, who built a dam across that ocean with mountains which will immerse in water! thOnRal – king. The implied meaning in this is – while you have parama padham as your abode, for the sake of your followers, you recline in thiruppARkadal (milky ocean) manifesting your auspicious qualities of simplicity; you incarnate as a wild boar and lift earth which had been lost, defeating the enemies of your followers; you carry out activities which are beyond the capabilities of human race even when you incarnate as SrI rAma, in the human species; while you have no deficiency in your qualities of simplicity and omnipotence, do I need to have any means within me for you to sever my connection with this physical form?
onRu sollidE – you are without any deficiency in your auspicious qualities. I am incapable of carrying out my activities. When this is the case, this continuity of my physical form is only because you have not thought of this in your divine mind. Until you decide in your divine mind about me, you should mercifully tell me a word “We will do this act, in this manner, at this time” so that I could sustain myself. This is the only request that I seek from you.
The pAsuram has to be read as thezhikku nIrp paLLi mAya, panRiyAya venRi vIra, kunRinAl thuLLu nIr varambu seydha thOnRal, viLvilAdha kAdhalAl viLangu pAdhapOdhil vaiththu, uLLuvEnadhu UnanOy ozhikkumA – onRu sollidE to get cogent meanings.
Next, we will take up the 103rd pAsuram of this prabandham.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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