SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> Fifth centum >> Eighth decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
AzhwAr is surrendering unto bhagavAn highlighting the story of the children of a vaidhika. In this pAsuram also, AzhwAr is highlighting the previously explained omnipotence – but the difference is: the ability of executing the task in spite of the distance in time and place.
pAsuram
vEdha vAymozhi andhaNan oruvan
endhai! nin saraN ennudai manaivi
kAdhal makkaLaip payaththalum kANAL
kadiyadhOr dheyvam koNdoLikkum enRazhaippa
EdhalAr munnE innaruL avarkkuch
cheydhu un makkaL maRRivar enRu koduththAy
AdhalAl vandhu un adiyiNai adaindhEn
aNipozhil thiruvarangaththammAnE!
Word-by-Word meanings
vEdham – vEdhas
vAy – with the mouth
mozhi – (always) reciting
oruvan – unique
andhaNan – a vaidhika who has purity in knowledge
endhai – my father
nin – you only
saraN – be (my) upAyam (means) (that is)
ennudai – my
manaivi – wife
kAdhal – dear (to me)
makkaLai – children
payaththalum – even at the time of giving birth
kANAL – she is not seeing
kadiyadhu – cruel
Or dheyvam – a dhEvathA
koNdu – taking away
oLikkum – hid
enRu azhaippa – requested in this manner
avarkku – for that vaidhika
EdhalAr munnE – in front of the enemies
in – (you) sweetly (considering that as your benefit)
aruL seydhu – showed your mercy
maRRu – further
un makkaL – your children
ivar enRu – saying that they are the ones who were brought by me
koduththAy – you mercifully gave
AdhalAl – in this manner, since you are omnipotent
vandhu – came to you, highlighting my offenses
aNi – decorative
pozhil – surrounded by orchards
thiruvarangaththu – mercifully reclining in SrIrangam
ammAnE – Oh lord!
nin adiyiNai – your pair of divine feet
adaindhEn – I surrender unto
Simple translation
A unique vaidhika who had purity in knowledge and was always reciting vEdhas with his mouth came to krishNa and requested “Oh my father! You have to be my means; even at the time of giving birth to children who are dear to me, my wife is not seeing them since a cruel dhEvathA took away and hid them”; in front of the enemies, you sweetly showed your mercy for that vaidhika and further said “here are your children who were brought by me” and mercifully gave them to him. In this manner I have to come to you since your are omnipotent, highlighting my offenses. Oh lord, who is mercifully reclining in SrIrangam which is surrounded by decorative orchards! I, who am your servitor and have come helplessly, surrender unto your pair of divine feet.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
vEdha vAymozhi andhaNan oruvan – Why is AzhwAr adding the adjective “vEdha vAy mozhi” instead of just saying “andhaNan oruvan“? AzhwAr is talking about a jIvAthmA’s utmost duty to fulfil ISvaran’s desire, due to his greatness. One who is having the speech which has learnt vEdham. One who is engaged in vEdha pArAyaNam (recital). With this – it is explained that he has svarUpa gyAnam (that is, being a servitor). One who has determined the essence of vEdham and is engaged in pArAyaNam of the same.
andhaNan oruvan – As said in thiruvAimozhi 1.7.1 “aRavanai Azhippadai andhaNanai” (who is most benevolent, who carries the sudharsana chakram and who is the purest supreme lord) – here his purity is spoken about. Purity for AthmA is the purity of [SEshathva] gyAnam which is said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 4.38 “na hi gyAnEna sadhruSam” (There is nothing as purifying as knowledge about self); it is not acquired from penance and going on holy yAthrAs [undertaking pilgrimage]. Previously sAndhIpini was said as andhaNan, due to his being “chAndhasan“; here it is said andhaNan, due to this brAhmaNa being vaidhika. chAndhasa means one who learns and recites vEdham for specific result; vaidhika means one who knows the essence of vEdham as said in sthOthra rathnam 11 “vaidhika: ka:” (which vaidhika (one who practices vEdham) cannot tolerate your aiSwarya (ability to control) which is natural and having boundless greatness?). One who is unique due to his purity. These two words explain svarUpa gyAnam elaborately.
endhai – My father. Unlike mother and father who take birth and die eventually, he is imperishable father as said in sahasranAmam “avyaya:pithA“. AthmA would think that bhagavAn is the benefactor, who gave existence to this AthmA and who gave svarUpa gyAnam to him.
nin saraN – You should be my upAyam (means); that brAhmaNa was not having any other means and any other goal.
When asked “If you consider me as the goal and means, what is your worry now?” He said “I have no worries, but”
ennudai manaivi – My wife; my sahadharmachAriNi (one who conducts dharma along with me). She is not the one who is to be abandoned as said in vihagEndhra samhithA 22 (and quoted in SaraNAgathi gadhyam) “pitharam mAtharam dhArAn puthrAn bandhUn sakIn gurUn l rathnAni dhanadhAnyAni kshEthrANi cha gruhANi cha ll sarvadharmAmScha santhyajya sarvakAmAmScha sAksharAn ll lOkavikrAntha charaNau SaraNam thE’vrajam vibhO ll” (Oh bhagavAn! Leaving aside father, mother, wife, children, relatives, friends, teachers, gems, wealth and food grains, fields, houses, all the means [to attain you] and all the benefits including kaivalyam [where the AthmA enjoys itself], along with any impression in these, I take refuge under your divine feet which had mercifully measured the worlds). When tears are seen in her eyes, she deserves to be helped out of compassion. Such is her nature.
kAdhal makkaLai – She has great love towards her children.
payaththalum kANAL – After doing everything it takes to carry the children in her womb, when it is time to see them after delivery, they are not to be seen.
What is the reason for that?
kadiyadhu Or dheyvam koNdu oLikkum – I have not seen such dhEvathA which steals children, previously. Even yama would leave the body and will only take the AthmA; even before being seen by the mother, like those who steal while being watched, this dhEvathA would take away the children with their bodies. This was done by nAchchiyArs (divine consorts of bhagavAn) to see krishNa’s bodily beauty.
azhaippa – Informing krishNa in this manner.
That is – krishNa had taken dhIkshA (vow) in a particular yAgam and was present, having all his divine limbs covered. At that time, the brAhmaNa went and said “My wife gave birth to three children; but before even she could see them, a dhEvathA took them away. Now, she is pregnant again and is due for delivery soon and you should protect this child”. When krishNa said “Alright! We shall do as you requested” and started rising, at that time arjuna told “Do your highness, who have taken a vow in this yAgam, have to go and take care of this? I will go and give the remedy to him”. krishNa gently smiled at him and said “Why don’t you do it?” arjuna reached the pregnancy [delivery] house and made a protective layer with his arrows; subsequently, as the crying sound of the child was heard, the child disappeared. The brAhmaNa caught hold of the frontal hair of arjuna saying “When krishNa came to help, why did you, who are an inferior kshathriya, cause further, huge problems?” and dragged arjuna by his hair, to krishNa. Then krishNa, understanding the situation, took the vaidhika and arjuna in his chariot, stopped at the end of mUla prakruthi, entered paramapadham, and brought back the four children and showed them with their earrings, sandalwood paste and turmeric which were applied on their bodies. Since paramapadham is not transformed by time, he brought them back with the same forms, without any change.
EdhalAr munnE – He brought them back in front of those who made fun of the vaidhika saying “The children were gone long ago; no one knows where they went; while this is the case, the vaidhika is going to bring them back with the help of krishNa!”.
EdhalAr – These are the words of AzhwAr [on observing the vicinity]. They are enemies who are in our proximity [i.e., they follow vEdham like us, but don’t understand bhagavAn’s greatness]. That is, those upAsakas (who believe in self-effort) will say – isn’t it said in pUrvamImAmsA 3-7-19 ‘SAsthrapalam prayOkthari‘ (One who carries out activities will reap the benefits mentioned in SAsthram)? He (vaidhika) does not have anything in his hand, but he is going to get something through someone else (bhagavAn).
in aruL … – He helped the vaidhika as if it is a help for self. Showing his mercy.
un makkaL maRRu ivar enRu koduththAy – You brought them back and gave them with the same limbs to make him accept “these are my children”.
AdhalAl vandhu un adiyiNai adaindhEn – I surrendered unto you thinking about your great ability. He [bhagavAn] asked “I brought those children from paramapadham back to this earth;; do you have such need?” AzhwAr responded “Isn’t it more difficult to take someone (me) from here to paramapadham?” It is easy to bring people from paramapadham to samsAram, since it happens purely based on bhagavAn’s desire; but when he has to take people from samsAram to paramapadham, he has to convince the individuals to go there. That is more difficult to do.
aNi pozhil … – Haven’t you come and reclined here to take the people from here to there? I am drowned in samsAra, being dhEhAthmAbhimAni (one who considers body to be self) and vishaya pravaNa (one who is desirous of worldly enjoyments). Haven’t your highness mercifully come here and reclined here, only to give svarUpa gyAnam (knowledge about the self) to me who is in such state and to create desire towards you in me, and to make me stay in the assembly of devotees where there is endless joy?
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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