SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction) – they tell him “Know that even if it is sugar candy, if the heart is bitter, that will not taste sweet”
vattavAych chiRu thUdhaiyOdu siRu suLagum maNalum koNdE
ittamA viLaiyAduvOngaLaich chiRRil Idazhiththu en payan?
thottu udaiththu naliyEl kaNdAy sudarch chakkaram kaiyinAl EndhinAy!
kattiyum kaiththAl innAmai aRidhiyEl kadal vaNNanE
Word-by-Word Meanings
sudar chakkaram – radiant sudharSana AzhwAn (divine disc)
kaiyil EndhinAy – Oh, kaNNapirAn who has donned it on your divine hand!
kadal vaNNanE – Oh, one who has the complexion of an ocean!
vatta vAy – having a circular mouth
siRu thUdhaiyOdu – with a small pot
siRu suLagum – a toy winnow [muRam, in thamizh]
maNalum koNdu – carrying sand too
ittamAga – as desired
viLaiyAduvOngaLai – we, who are playing, our
siRRilai – toy houses
Idazhiththu – destroying such that it cannot be of any use again
enna payan – what is the purpose?
thottu – touching with the hand and
udhaiththu – kicking with the leg
naliyEl kaNdAy – do not oppress
kaiththAl – if the heart becomes bitter
kattiyum – even a piece of sugar candy
innAmai – will not be tasty
aRidhiyE – don’t you know?
Simple Translation
Oh, kaNNapirAn who is donning the radiant sudharSanAzhwAn [divine disc] on your divine hand! Oh, one who has the complexion of the ocean! Along with a pot, which has a round mouth, and a small winnow, we are bringing sand and playing. What benefit do you get by destroying the sand houses built by us such that it cannot be used again? Do not harass us by touching us with your hands and kicking us. Don’t you know that when the heart is bitter, even candy will not taste sweet?
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
vatta vAy …. enna payan – Have you seen the peculiarity of these materials? The small pot which has a round mouth, to fill up the sand, the small winnow to separate fine sand from the pot, and the fine sand. See how beautiful they look. We would use these and play happily, with no one to bar us from playing. What benefit would you or anyone else get by destroying the toy houses built by us, completely, such that they cannot be used? Are we at such an age that we could take help from anyone else so that we could prevent you from destroying them? He came close to them asking “Could there be a benefit for a benefit?”, and touched them. They became red-faced in anger and asked him “Oh come, dear! We do not know the number of persons whom you touched before coming to us. Could such a person like you, touch us?” He kicked them saying “Even if you scold me, that will not trouble me”. Feeling hurt by that they say
thottu udaiththu naliyEl kaNdAy – do not indulge in mischiefs such as touching us and kicking us. Saying “If I touch you, does that become sorrowful for you? Am I not ISwaran [controller of everyone]?” just as he showed his cosmic form to arjuna, he manifested his divine form with Sankha (divine conch) and chakra (divine disc) to them. He tells them “nammAzhwAr had beseeched me saying in thiruvAimozhi 6.9.1 ‘kUrArAzhi veNsangEndhi vArAy‘ (Oh, you should come, donning the sharp, divine disc and the white, divine conch). Is such a form of mine, bitter to you?” They respond saying “This argument is specious; don’t you know that if the heart is bitter, even candy will be bitter?”
kattiyum ….. aRidhiyE – don’t you know that even a piece of sugar candy, if the heart is bitter, will not have sweet taste? With the meaning that he has become like that for them, they say kadal vaNNA
kadal vaNNanE – Isn’t the water of ocean such that it could only be seen, but is unfit to be used for washing one’s face or for drinking? The opinion is that he too has become like that, for them.
Next, we will consider the 9th pAsuram of this decad.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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