SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction) – she beseeches kAman to grant her kainkaryam (service) to the divine feet of emperumAn, which will fit with her svarUpam (basic nature).
mAsudai udambodu thalaiyulaRi vAyppuRam veLuththoru pOdhumuNdu
thEsudaith thiRaludaik kAmadhEvA nORkinRa nOnbinaik kuRIkkoL kaNdAy
pEsuvadhu onRu uNdu ingu emperumAn peNmaiyaith thalaiyudaiththAkkum vaNNam
kEsava nambiyaik kAl pidippAL ennum ippERu enakku aruL(u) kaNdAy
Word-by-Word Meanings
thEsudai – having the radiance coming from uniting those who had separated
thiRaludai – having the strength to remove their enemies
emperumAn – being my swAmy [lord]
kAmadhEvA – Oh, manmatha!
mAsudai – dust settled
udambodu – along with the physical form
thalai – locks on the head
ulaRi – in disarray
(due to absence of thAmbUlam (betel leaves))
vAyppuRam – lips
veLuththu – becoming pale
oru pOdhu – one time alone
uNdum – eating
nORkinRa – observing
nOnbinai – this ritual
kuRikkoL kanDay – you should always keep in your mind
ingu – now
pEsuvadhu – to be told
onRu uNdu – there is a matter
peNmai – my existence
thalaiyudaiththu Akkum vaNNam – to attain primacy
kEsavan – one who annihilated the monster kESi
nambiyai – one who is full of auspicious qualities
kAl pidippAL – she will massage his feet
ennum – being mentioned
ippERu – this purushArtham [benefit]
enakku – for me
aruL kaNdAy – you should mercifully grant
Simple Translation
Oh manmatha, who is my swAmy! You have the radiance resulting from uniting people who had separated and the strength to destroy their enemies. You should always keep in your mind my ritual wherein with dust settled on my physical form, with hair in disarray, lips having become pale, I am eating only one time in a day. I have a matter to be told you. You should mercifully grant me the benefit that I will massage the divine feet of one who killed the monster kESi and who is full of auspicious qualities such that my existence will gain primacy.
vyAkyAnam
mAsudai udambodu – my conduct is such that I will not remain without taking a bath. Due to separation from emperumAn, since I am not taking bath, my physical form has become dirty.
thalai ulaRi – she had spoken of herself, in nAchchiyAr thirumozhi 9-10 as “surumbAr kuzhaRkOdhai” (ANdAL whose hair is surrounded by beetles (since it is fragrant and dripping with honey)). Now, her hair is dishevelled.
vAyppuRam veLuththu – her lips, which are always reddish due to taking betel leaves constantly, have now become pale since she has stopped using such materials of enjoyment, in separation.
orupOdhu uNdum – Due to separation from emperumAn, she does not desire food and wanted to stop eating. However, in the expectation “If we approach kAman, perhaps he may unite us with emperumAn”, she ate food once in a day, in order to sustain her life.
nORkinRa nOnbinaik kuRIkkoL kaNdAy – you should keep in your mind about the hardships that I am putting myself through, while observing the rituals. Since she is using the word nORkinRa, which is in present tense, this indicates that she is observing this ritual constantly, without any break. The underlying opinion here is that just as krishNa had said that dhraupadhi’s cry was constantly hurting his heart, just as it had been said in mahAbhAratham udhyOga parvam 47-22 “gOvindhEdhi yadhAgrandhath krushNA mAm dhUravAsinam l ruNam pravruththamiva mE hrudhayAnnApasarpathi ll” (The cry of dhraupadhi from afar, when she called out to me as ‘gOvindha’ does not leave my heart, just like a loan amount which keeps building up due to accumulation of interest), kAman should also constantly remember that she was observing the ritual.
thEsudaith thiRaludaik kAmadhEvA – you have the radiance born out of your fame that you will always unite those who had got separated, and the strength to destroy their enemies.
pEsuvadhu onRu ingu uNdu emperumAn – Oh one who is my swAmy! There is something which I have to tell you. When asked as to what it is, she reveals that through the remaining portion of the pAsuram.
peNmaiyaith thalaiyudaiththu Akkum vaNNam – this is the way in which my existence will gain eminence. The term peNmai refers to pArathanthryam (total dependence) which is peculiar to women. How will her existence gain eminence?
kEsavan nambiyaik kAl pidippAL ennum ippERu – her eminence comes through carrying out service by massaging the divine feet of emperumAn, who has as his nature annihilation of enemies such as kESi et al and who is full with his auspicious qualities. This is her purushArtham (ultimate goal).
ippERu enakku aruL kaNdAy– just as it had been mentioned in the previous pAsuram, she did not desire being hugged tightly on her bosoms. Right from the first line, she is desirous of carrying out servitude to emperumAn. You should mercifully grant me this ultimate benefit, which is apt for my svarUpam (basic nature) of SEshathvam (being a servitor).
Next, we will consider the 9thpAsuram of this decad.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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