SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
Apart from protecting brahmA, rudhran et al, who are the heads of celestial entities, you [emperumAn] lowered yourself status by being the messenger of pANdavas and their charioteer, just as it has been brought out in mahAbhAratham dhrONa parvam SlOkam 183-24
“krishNASrayA: krishNa balA: krishNa nAthAScha pANdavA: l krishNa: parAyaNam chaishAm jyOthishAmiva chandhramA: ll” (pANdavas have krishNa as their refuge, their strength and their lord; just as moon is to other stars, krishNa is their supreme refuge). Through your unhindered sankalpam (vow), you destroyed the army of their enemies and reclaimed their kingdom. AzhwAr says “Will I consider anyone other than such you, as a deity?”
pAr miguththa bAramun ozhichchuvAn aruchchanan
thEr miguththu mAyamAkki ninRU konRu venRi sEr
mAradharkku vAn koduththu vaiyam aivar pAladhAm
sIr miguththa ninnalAlor dheyvanAn madhippanE
Word-by-Word Meanings
pAr – for the earth
miguththu – causing abundantly
bAram – burden
mun – taking to the forefront, on his own
ozhichchuvAn – in order to destroy
aruchchunan – arjunan’s
thEr – chariot
miguththu – conducting it fully
mAyam Akki – creating amazing acts (such as transforming day into night etc)
ninRu – remaining as charioteer
konRu – killing the enemies
venRi sEr – those who took pride [in themselves] as being victorious
mAradharkku – great warriors such as dhuryOdhanan et al
vAn koduththu – granting them heaven (for those who get killed in wars)
vaiyam – earth
aivar pAladhAm – making it attain the five pANdavas
sIr – (their) fame
miguththa – causing it to be huge
ninnalAl – other than you
or dheyvam – a deity
nAn – I
madhippanE – will I think as existing?
Simple Translation
emperumAn made himself to be in the forefront as the charioteer for arjunan in order to destroy the burden caused to the earth. He conducted arjuna’s chariot, carried out amazing acts (such as transforming day into night etc), killed enemies such as dhuryOdhanan et al who considered themselves as great warriors. He gave them the heaven slated for those who get killed in wars and returned the kingdom to the five pANdavas. Will I think as deity anyone other than you, who made the fame of pANdavas to grow abundantly?
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
pAr miguththa bAram – the burden which became excessive to earth who normally puts up with the harm created by people to a great extent. SrI bhUmAdhEvi herself appealed to emperumAn, as brought by three SlOkams in SrI vishNu purANam 5-1-23, 24 & 25 “kAlanEmir hathO yO’sau vishNunA prabhavishNunA l ugrasEna sutha: kamsa: sambhUtha: mahAsura: ll arishtO dhEnuka: kESI pralambO narakas thathA: l sundhO’suras thathAthyugrO bANAschApi balE: sutha: ll thathAnyE cha mahAvIryA nrupANAm bhavanEshu yE l samuthpannA dhurAthmAnas thAnna sankyAthumuthsahE ll” (kAlanEmi, the great monster who was destroyed by vishNu, has been born as kamsan, the son of ugrasEnan. arishtan, dhEnukan, kESi, pralamban, narakan, sundhan, bANan, the cruellest son of mahAbali as well as other monsters who are great warriors but wicked, have been born in many royal families. I (bhUmAdhEvi) am unable to even count them).
munnozhichchuvAn aruchchunan thEr miguththu – in order to eliminate this burden, emperumAn took to the forefront and conducted arjunan’s chariot to places where enemies were present. Being in the forefront, ahead of arjunan, relates to making arjunan who was reluctant to engage in war, just as it has been mentioned in bhagavath gIthA 1-47 “Evam ukthvA’rjunas sankhyE rathOpastha upAviSath l visrujya saSaram chApam SOkasamvignamAnasa: ll” (saying like this, arjunan dropped his bow together with arrows, with a despondent heart, and sat on the chariot) to listen to what bhagavAn said, just as it has been mentioned in bhagavath gIthA 18-73 “nashtO mOha: smruthir labdhA thvathprasAdhAn mayAchyutha l sthithO’smi gathasandhEha: karishyE vachanam thava ll” (Oh achyutha [one who does not let go of his followers]! My bewilderment (which was contrarian to knowledge) has been destroyed; with your mercy, true knowledge has been attained by me. I have been freed from doubts. I will engage (in war) as per your words). Also, among the four classes of army, namely foot soldiers, warriors on horses, warriors on elephants and warriors on chariots, the last mentioned is the most eminent. Thus, he took chariot to help the pANdavas, as it is most respected by enemies. Since he had promised dhuryOdhanan that he will not wield weapons during the war, he remained as the sArathy (driver) for arjunan and with the help of the chariot, he destroyed a major portion of the enemy’s army. Thus, he stood in the forefront and destroyed the burden of earth.
mAyamAkki – carrying out amazing activities – transforming daytime into night; taking to arms despite promising that he would not wield arms; for the sake of pANdavas, his followers, he changed his nature of seeing the boundary between day and night in war; of speaking only the truth etc.
ninRu konRu – to make everyone say that “arjunan killed” he remained as a driver of chariot and not as warrior in the war, and destroyed the enemies.
venRi sEr mAdharkku vAn koduththu – granting swargam, which is ordained for those who die in the war, to mahArathars (great warriors) such as kauravas like dhuryOdhana et al who thought that they were great warriors and hence they will win the war, keeping the kingdom with them, people like dhrONa et al who came to assist the kauravas.
vaiyamaivar pAladhAm sIr miguththa ninnalAl – dhuryOdhana et al were forcefully occupying the land of pANdavas saying “We will not yield even one foot of the land”; other than you who had redeemed that land and given it back to the pANdavas, increasing your fame. The word sIr refers to fame. It could also be said that he increased the fame of pANdavas by making people say that they won the war and made the land as theirs. Thus, it could be said that he was partial towards his followers and increased their fame.
or dheyvam nAn madhippanE – I know that you are partial towards your followers. When such is the case, will I think that any other deity, who does not have this fame, is apt to be worshipped?
Next, we will take up the 90th pAsuram of this prabandham.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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