SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
In the previous pAsuram, saying “empirAnum nI irAmanE” AzhwAr said that SrI rAmapirAn, who is totally independent, and is capable of granting the wishes of those who seek, is the means. In this pAsuram, he mercifully affirms his faith in that means. He says “You have removed my attachments towards worldly pursuits, created desire towards you and brought me to the position where I had sought kainkaryam towards your divine feet. Even if you let go of me such that I could engage with other benefits, I do not have any refuge other than you”
adakkarum pulangaL aindhum adakki AsaiyAm avai
thodakkaRuththu vandhu nin thozhilkaN ninRa ennai nI
vidakkarudhi mey seyAdhu mikkorAsai Akkilum
kadaRkidandha ninnalAlor kaNNilEn em aNNalE
Word-by-Word Meanings
em aNNalE – Oh one who is my swAmy!
adakkarum – difficult to control
pulangaL aindhum – five sensory organs
adakki – controlling them (such that they do not engage with other matters – worldly pursuits)
AsaiyAm avai – desire in other matters
thodakku – connection, with their scent
aRuththu – removing
vandhu – subsequently
nin – your
thozhil kaN – in the work of service to you
ninRa ennai – I, who stood firm
nI – you (who started with making me victorious over my sensory organs, until all these)
vidakkarudhi – thinking of giving up
mey seyAdhu – not completing till the end (the effort of uplifting me, which you had started)
mikkorAsai Akkilum – even if you create an interest in other matters
kadal – in thiruppARkadal (milky ocean)
kidandha – reclining (for my sake)
ninnalAl – other than you
or kaNNilEn – I do not have another controller
Simple Translation
Oh, one who is my swAmy! You had made me to control my five sensory organs, which are difficult to control, removing any desire in matters other than those related to you, including the scent in that desire. Subsequently, I stood firm in service to you. Even if you think of giving up on me, not completing the task of taking me till the end and you think of creating desire in me towards other matters, I do not have a controller other than you, who are reclining in thiruppARkadal, for my sake.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
adakkarum pulangaL aindhu adakki – if a chEthanan (one with knowledge) starts to control his five sensory organs, through an AchAryan (teacher)’s instructions and practising with SAsthrams (sacred texts), emperumAn controls his five senses from going towards other matters, manifests his divine form and attracts the sensory organs towards that form. He controls the chEthanan’s sensory organs this way, making the chEthanan to engage with him. If a query were to be asked – while the verse only says about controlling the senses, where is the mention about emperumAn manifesting his divine form and making the chEthanan to engage his senses with him – in the 90th pAsuram “pulangaL aindhum venRilEn poRiyilEn” since AzhwAr had expressed his inability to control his senses, it is clear that controlling of sensory organs mentioned here is only because of emperumAn. The difficulty in controlling sensory organs is clear from the fact that even arjuna, who had bowed down to Urvasi, considering her as his mother, mentioned to emperumAn in bhagavath gIthA SlOkam 6-34 “chanchalam hi mana: krishNa pramAthi balavadh dhrudam l thasyA’ham nigraham manyE vAyOriva sudhushkaram ll” (Oh krishNa! Mind is unstable, bewildering, strong (towards worldly matters) and wavering. I think that it is difficult to be controlled just as it is difficult to control the flow of wind).
AsaiyAmavai thodakkaRuththu – due to the sacred nature of emperumAn’s divine form, he removed all my desires in worldly pursuits, completely. Since the reason for desire in worldly pursuits is only the previous deeds of a chEthanan (virtues and vices), only emperumAn can sever that connection.
vandhu nin thozhil kaN ninRa ennai – me who had reached the outer boundary of the benefit that a chEthanan can attain, praying for kainkaryam (servitude towards your divine feet).
nI vidak karudhi – starting with control of sensory organs and reaching to the stage of praying for kainkaryam you had made me achieve these. If you think about giving me up ….
mey seyAdhu – instead of taking the activity which was started, till the end. mey seyyAmal iruththal (not doing the proper task) refers to the poor conduct of starting an AthmA towards being uplifted and making him to engage with the exact opposite pursuit midway. Hasn’t emperumAnAr (bhagavath rAmAnujar) mercifully said in gIthA bhAshyam 3-6? “anyathA sankalpya anyathAcharathIthi mithyA chAra: sa uchyathE” (after taking a resolve to act in a particular way, if a person acts in the exact opposite way, he is said to be acting with a false conduct)
mikkor Asai Akkilum – even if you create a great desire towards other matters; emperumAn, who started to guide the chEthana towards controlling his sensory organs, should not create desire in other worldly pursuits such as Sabdham, sparSam, rUpam, rasam, gandham etc. Even if he creates a desire..
kadal kidandha ninnalAlor kaN ilEn – even when I had not prayed for, you had left parama padham where you were ruling with your sceptre and came down to thiruppARkadal, which is in samsAram which is anathematic to you, for my benefit. Apart from such you, I have no else who can guide and conduct me.
em aNNalE – AzhwAr says that the reason for emperumAn to carry out benefit for him even when he had not prayed for it is because emperumAn is his swAmy (lord). The implied meaning is that being his natural lord, even if emperumAn were to give up on AzhwAr, AzhwAr will not let go of emperumAn.
Next, we will take up the 94th pAsuram of this prabandham.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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