SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction) – she is beseeching beetles, ponds and lotus flowers to tell her a refuge.
thunga malarppozhil sUzh thirumAlirunjOlai ninRa
sengaN karumugilin thiru uruvam pOl malar mEl
thongiya vaNdinangAL! thogu pUnjunaigAL! sunaiyil
thangu sendhAmaraigAL! enakkOr saraN sARRuminE
Word-by-Word Meanings
thungam malar pozhil sUzh – surrounded by gardens which have rising flowers
thirumAlirunjOlai – in thirumAlirum sOlai
ninRa – mercifully remaining in standing posture
sem kaN karumugilin – emperumAn who has divine eyes which are like lotus and divine form which is like rain bearing clouds, his
thiru uru pOl – resembling his divine form
malar mEl thongiya vaNdinangAL – oh, swarms of beetles which have settled atop flowers!
thogu – being close
pU sunaigAL – oh, beautiful ponds!
sunaiyil thangu – present in those ponds
sem thAmaraigAL– oh, reddish lotus flowers!
enakku – for me
Or saraN sARRumin – tell me a refuge
Simple Translation
emperumAn, with divine eyes which are like lotus and divine form which is like monsoon clouds, is mercifully remaining in standing posture in thirumAlirum sOlai, which is surrounded by gardens which have rising flowers. Oh, swarms of beetles, which have a form similar to that emperumAn’s divine form and which have settled on the flowers! Oh, beautiful ponds, which are present there! Oh, reddish lotus flowers which are present in those ponds! You tell me a refuge.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
thunga malarppozhil sUzh thirumAlirunjOlai ninRa – In SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 28-17, ”ithIva dhEvi bahudhA vilapya sarvAthmanA rAmam anusmaranthI l pravEpamAnA pariSushkavakthrA nagOththamam pushpithamAsasAdha ll” ([sIthAp] pirAtti, crying like this, thinking of only SrI rAma, trembling, with mouth dry, reached an eminent mountain full of blossomed flowers), it has been said that for those who are inconsolable, and who reach places which are full of blossomed flowers, it is similar to entering fire. Just as it has been said in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 16-25 “naishA paSyathi rAkshasya: nEmAn pushpa paladhrumAn l Ekastha hrudhayA nUnam rAmamEvAnupaSyathi ll” (this pirAtti did not see the rAkshasis (female demons); she did not see these fruits and trees. It appears that with a single focus, she is seeing only SrI rAma), for sIthAp pirAtti, looking at trees which are with flowers and fruits is reason for being reminded of SrI rAma and being tormented due to that. Hence, it was impossible to look at the blossomed trees, being similar to looking at demon-like women. For ANdAL too it was impossible to look at thirumAlirunjOlai, which was surrounded by gardens with rising flowers.
sengaN karumugilin – entire mercy within the divine mind of emperumAn is manifested in his divine eyes. However, in order to enjoy that, one has to cross the fire of gardens with rising flowers.
thiru uruppOl malarmEl thongiya vaNdinangAL – Oh swarms of beetles, which have emperumAn’s divine form and which are settling on the flowers! To her, seeing them is similar to stepping on fire.
vaNdinangAL – You are together in swarms without any shortcoming; should you not overcome my deficiency of living alone?
thogu pUnjunaigAL – Oh ponds, which are closely together! Water in the ponds is reminding her of emperumAn’s divine form and is tormenting her.
sunaiyil thangu sendhAmaraigAL – red lotus flowers, which have blossomed in those ponds, remind her of emperumAn’s divine limbs such as eyes, hands, legs etc and are tormenting her.
enakku Or saraN sARRuminE – you should reveal the way by which I could escape from you all. In mahAbhAratha war, yudhishtra approached great warriors such as bhIshma, dhrONa et al, on the opposite side, and requested them “Teach me as to how I could kill you”. Similar to that, she is asking them, who are tormenting her, to tell her a way by which she could escape from them, due to excess anguish in her. She is telling them “bhIshma had told yudhishtra that he would drop his weapons if they keep SikaNdi, who is a lady, in the form of a male, in the forefront; dhrONa said that if he comes to know that his son aSvaththAma has been killed, he would stop fighting. In the same way, you too tell me the way by which I could escape from you”. She expects them to say “We are not present in such and such place; you could go there and sustain yourself”
enakkOr saraN sARRuminE – she is without any refuge such that she has to ask them to tell her a refuge.
Next, we will consider the 6th pAsuram of this decad.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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