SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction) the girls were standing in the water for a long time, suffering from the chillness of the water and the fish biting their legs. kaNNan, unmindful of their suffering, was sitting atop the kurundham (wild lemon) tree, hiding their dresses which he had stolen. They tell him “While we are suffering in this water, could you remain there, without doing anything? Please return our clothes”. He tells them to come out of the water, onto the bank and that he will give their clothes. Believing his words, a few girls come out of the water. Looking at their limbs, he smiles and indulges in a few lustful activities. Looking at that, they recite this pAsuram.
ellE! Idhennna iLamai? emmanaimAr kANil ottAr
pollAngu IdhenRu karudhAy pUngurundhu Eri iruththi
villAl ilangai azhiththAy! nI vENdiyadhellAm tharuvOm
pallArum kANAmE pOvOm pattaip paNiththu aruLAyE
Word-by-Word Meanings
villAl – with a bow
ilangai – lankA
azhiththAy – Oh, one who destroyed!
ellE – hey! look
Idhu enna iLamai – what is this childish act!
em anaimAr – our mothers
kANil – if they see us
ottAr – will not allow (us to enter our houses)
(On the other hand, you)
Idhu – this (situation of making us to stand without any clothes on us such that everyone will despise us)
pollAngu enRu – that this is an act of mischief
karudhAy – you are not thinking
pU kurundhu – on the kurundham tree which has blossomed
Eri iruththi – you have climbed
nI vENdiyadhu ellAm – all, which you have desired
tharuvOm – we will give
pallArum – many (in the town)
kANAmE – without been seen
pOvOm – we will leave
pattai – (Our) silken clothes
paNiaththu aruLAy – you should mercifully give
Simple Translation
Oh, one who destroyed lankA with a bow and showered mercy on us! Hey, look! What a childish act is this? If our mothers see us like this, they will not allow us (to enter our houses). You do not think that this act of yours [wherein you have made us to stand in water without any clothes] is mischievous. You have climbed the kurundham tree which has blossomed. We will give you whatever you desire. Many will leave this place, without being seen. Please give us our silken clothes.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
ellE Idhenna iLamai – They tell him ‘How is this! What is this childish act!’. He responds “Let me remain a child. Are you acting like a fifteen-year-old? Aren’t you too behaving like children, keeping your clothes on the bank and taking bath? Thus, there is no difference between the two of us. Since both of us are of similar age, why are you not agreeing to embrace me?” They reply to him ….
emmanaimAr kANil ottAr – “If our mothers and other relatives see us like this, they will not tolerate it. This is the reason for our not agreeing”. He then says “Don’t I have parents and other relatives? Have I fallen down from the sky, like a fruit? Even when I have so many relatives, I have desired to embrace you. But that doesn’t seem to be the case with you all”. Hearing him, they say ”Are you like us?” to which he says “What is the difference between us?” They say that this is the difference…
pollAngu IdhenRU karudhAy – “You do not think of the blame from the people of the world as an abuse. If the people of the abuse you, you get exhilarated. We fear for the abuse. This is the difference between us”. He says “Even if you blame me, saying that I do not bother about abuses, I will not return your dresses” Saying so, he remained on the tree, without any thought of coming down from it, appearing like a flower which had blossomed on the tree. Seeing that they say …..
pUngurundhERi iruththi – the implied meaning is that he is looking like a flower on the tree which has blossomed. They remind him about how he had remained without food and sleep for the sake of a lady in SrI rAmAvathAram, going through an ocean for her sake and destroying lankA…
villAl ilangai azhiththAy – they tell him “For the sake of sIthAp pirAtti, you had, with a bow which is handled by people of the world, destroyed lankA which had been protected from any weapon including those held by celestial entities such as brahmA et al. How did that nature [of helping a lady in distress] change completely in you?” He says “Neither has my nature changed nor yours. I will do your bidding only if you have the nature of sIthAp pirAtti and your thoughts are in synchronisation with mine”. They tell him “There is no hurdle for us to act the way that you want us to”….
nI vENdihadhellAm tharuvOm – we will unite with you, as desired by you. As soon as they said this, he tells them “In that case, get onto my lap so that I could embrace you”. They reply to him..
pallArum kANAmE pOvOm – could we engage in such an activity in a public place like this? Should we not go to a secluded place where none could see us and then engage in that activity? He says “What does it matter whether many people see us or not? I have seen you; you go to the place where we can unite in privacy”. They tell him
pattaip paNiththu aruLAyE – mercifully give us our dresses so that we could walk in the presence of the people of this town.
Next, we will consider the 4th pAsuram of the this decad.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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