SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
In the previous pAsuram, AzhwAr requested emperumAn to tell him a way by which he could continuously recite emperumAn’s divine names. emperumAn tells AzhwAr in his divine mind “I have already shown in bhagavath gIthA the way to follow karmas (rituals) with sAthvika thyAgam (giving up results etc) just as it has been mentioned in bhagavath gIthA 9-27 “yath karOshi yadh aSnAsi yajjuhOshi dhadhAsi yath l yaththapasyasi kaunthEya thath kurushva madharpaNam ll” (Oh arjuna! Whichever deed you perform (to live in this world), whichever food you take (to survive), whichever rituals, donations or penance you carry out (which are based on vEdhas), dedicate those to me) and in bhagavath gIthA 4-28 “dhravya yagyAs thapOyagyA yOgayagyAs thathA’parE l svAdhyAya yagyAna yagyAScha yatha:samSithavrathA ll” (There are people who earn money and carry out rituals with materials (such as worshipping celestials, donation, yagyas (a type of ritual), hOmam (another type of ritual); there are people who carry out ritual based on penance (such as kruchra, chAndhrAyaNa etc); there are people who carry out rituals of yOga such as going on pilgrimage, residing in divine abodes; there are people who perform svAdhyAya rituals such as learning vEdhams; there are people who carry out gyAna yagyam such as discussing about vEdhAntham, the end portions of vEdhams which discuss about emperumAn. Thus, those who are firmly engaged with karmayOgam (path of deeds), will keep doing various yagyams (rituals) with firm belief) so that sins, which are hurdles in enjoying me, will disappear. I have also said that after such sins are removed, one could purposefully spend time in reciting my divine names, worshipping me, carrying out kainkaryam to me etc, just as in bhagavath gIthA SlOkam 9-14 “sathatham kIrthayanthO mAm yathanthaScha dhrudavruthA: l namasyanthaScha mAm bhakthyA nithya yukthA upAsathE ll” (Those who constantly recite my divine names, who are firm in carrying out kainkaryam to me and who worship me, desire to be with me always and carry out devotion to me). You could follow those methods“. AzhwAr says in this pAsuram “When you are capable of removing my hurdles, should I carry out karmayOgam and remove the hurdles? You should remove the hurdles and enable me to carry out reciting your divine names without any break and to enjoy you”.
kadum kavandhan vakkaran karan muran siram avai
idandhu kURu seydha pal padaith thadakkai mAyanE
kidandhu irundhu ninRu iyangu pOdhu ninna poRkazhal
thodarndhu viLvilAdhadhOr thodarchchi nalgavENdumE
‘Word-by-Word Meaning
kadum kavandhan – the cruel [demon] kabandhan
vakkaran – dhanthavakran
karan – karan
muran – muran, all these demons
siram avai – their heads
idandhu – breaking them
kURu seydha – made [their bodies] into pieces
pal – of many types
padai – weapons
thadam – cool, like a pond
kai – having [those weapons] in your divine hands
mAyanE – Oh one who has amazing powers!
kidandhu – reclining
irundhu – sitting
ninRu – standing
iyangu – roaming around
pOdhu – during those times
ninna – yours
poRkazhal – divine feet which are desired like gold
thodarndhu – desiring them
viLvilAdhadhu – without any interval
Or thodarchchi – the state of meditation
nalgavENdum – you should mercifully do (for me)
Simple Translation
Oh one who has amazing powers and hold many types of divine weapons in your hands which are like cool ponds! You severed the heads of demons such as kabandhan, dhanthavakran, karan, muran et al, breaking their bodies into pieces. You should mercifully grant me the benefit of meditating on your divine feet which are desired like gold, during the times whether we are reclining or sitting or standing or roaming around.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
kadum kavandhan vakkaran karan muran siram avai – the heads of demons such as cruel kabandhan, dhanthavakran, karan, muran et al. The reason for qualifying kabandhan alone as cruel is due to the fact that when SrI rAma was searching for sIthAp pirAtti, after being separated from her, in water bodies, forests, sky etc, this demon came to wage a war with perumAL. Feeling disgusted with that action, AzhwAr calls him as cruel.
idandhu kURu seydha – split their heads. Just as it has been mentioned in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdm 94-22 “chinnam bhinnam Sarair dhagdham prabhagnam Sasthra pIditham l
balam rAmENa dhadhruSur na rAmam SIgrakAriNam ll” (Everyone saw the army of demons being pierced by arrows, split, burnt and tortured. None saw rAma who was carrying out the deed at such a fast pace) one who cut the bodies of enemies into pieces. He indicates that just as emperumAn had destroyed the demons and monsters, he should destroy his hurdles of sins too.
pal padaith thadakkai mAyanE – Oh one who has amazing power, holding many types of weapons in your divine hands to destroy the demons, with which [the divine hands] you stroke your followers in order to remove their anguish! Isn’t it amazing that the same weapons which destroy the demons, also nourish the followers! The indication is tha t in order to remove my enemies, you do not have to hold weapons. It is enough if you take pity and show your mercy on me. The term thadakkai is a combination of thadam (cool) and kai (hand); thadam refers to water body, thus his divine hand is cool, like a water body. just as it has been mentioned in SrI vishNu purANam 5-17-28 “apyEsha prushtE mama hastha padhmam karishyathi SrImadh ananthamUrthi: l yasyAnguLi sparSa hathAkilAgai: avApyathE sidhdhirapAsthathOshA ll” (All the sins in people are removed through contact with the divine fingers of the divine hands of emperumAn and they attain mOksham (SrI vaikuNtam). Will krishNa, whose form is without an end, keep his divine lotus-like hands on my back and shower his mercy on me?) and in line with nammAzhwAr’s thiruvAimozhi pAsuram 10-3-5 “aNimigu thAmaraik kaiyai andhO adichchiyOm thalaimisai nI aNiyAy” (you should keep your divine, lotus-like hand on our heads, we are your servitors), isn’t his hand one which makes the followers comfortable by stroking them gently?
emperumAn asks AzhwAr “Yet, what is it that you want us to do?” AzhwAr responds further …
kidandhu irundhu ninRu iyangu pOdhum – in whichever state we are in, whether reclining or sitting or standing or roaming, as part of living our lives in samsAram, just as it has been said in nAradhIyam “AsInA vA SayAnA vA thishtanthOyathra kuthra vA l namO nArAyaNAyEthi manthraika SaraNA vayam ll” (We are those who hold on to the divine name of nArAyaNa as the means, whether we are sitting or sleeping or standing somewhere) …
ninna poRkazhal – the desirable divine feet of yours, our lord, appropriate for my nature. The term poRkazhal refers to desirable divine feet, since his feet are desirable like gold. The divine feet are such that they cannot be let go of, even while living in samsAram.
thodarndhu viLvilAdhadhOr thodarchchi nalga vENdumE – you should mercifully grant me the nature of coming forward on my own and continuously enjoying [your divine feet]. thodarchchi – the nature of enjoying abundantly. Through this pAsuram, AzhwAr has mercifully said “You should remove my hurdles in enjoying you; you should also make me to continuously enjoy your divine feet, which are apt to be desired at all times, without any break”
Next, we will take up the 105th pAsuram of this prabandham.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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