SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> Sixth centum >> Second decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
No specific introduction.
pAsuram
maRandhEn unnai munnam maRandha madhiyil manaththAl
iRandhEn eththanaiyum adhanAl idumbaik kuzhiyil
piRandhE eyththu ozhindhEn perumAn! thirumArbA!
siRandhEn ninnadikkE thiruviNNagar mEyavanE!
Word-by-Word meanings
unnai – you who have to be remembered at all times
munnam – since time immemorial
maRandhEn – did not think (further)
maRandha – that I did not think about you
madhi il – not having knowledge (atonement)
manaththAl – being with the mind
eththanaiyum – very much (even more than achith)
iRandhEn – went away (became very lowly)
adhanAl – hence
idumbai – in the form of sorrow
kuzhiyil – in the womb
piRandhE – continuously having birth (and death)
eyththu – becoming weak (lacking strength)
ozhindhEn – I withdrew from engaging in self-effort;
perumAnE – Oh lord!
thirumArbA – Oh one who is having pirAtti (SrI mahAlakshmi) who is the purushakAra bhUthA, on your divine chest!
nin adikkE – for your divine feet
siRandhEn – I became qualified;
thiruviNNagar mEyavanE – Oh one who is eternally residing in the dhivyadhESam named thiruviNNagar!
Simple translation
I did not think about you, who have to be remembered at all times, since time immemorial and further I am with the mind which did not even have the knowledge that I did not think about you, and because of this I went away very much; hence, having continuous birth in the womb which is in the form of sorrow, becoming weak, I withdrew from engaging in self-effort. Oh lord! Oh one who is having pirAtti who is the purushakAra bhUthA, on your divine chest! I became qualified to exist for your divine feet. Oh one who is eternally residing in the dhivyadhESam named thiruviNNagar!
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
Did you only perform so many faulty activities as mentioned in previous pAsuram?
maRandhEn unnai munnam … – I did not support you somewhere in the corner of my mind, even as much as I supported such wealth and lust.
When asked “If he did like that then, has he atoned for that now?” AzhwAr says
maRandhEn unnai munnam – The matter which is to be meditated upon at all times, I forgot that alone. While explaining this in madhurai, oppilAdha perumAL (a SrIvaishNava) said “I forgot the aspect which is said as ‘dhyEyO nArAyaNas sadhA’ (Meditate upon nArAyaNa always)”. While I am engaged in other aspects, I forgot you in the beginning; alternative explanation – I have forgotten you since time immemorial. If this forgetfulness about bhagavAn has been there for a long time, should AzhwAr not say “Originally I did not forget you [but long ago I have forgotten]” Not necessary. Since when AzhwAr said “unnai” he remembered his eternal relationship with bhagavAn, and since that relationship is natural, though he had forgotten bhagavAn forever, it appeared to AzhwAr that he first remembered bhagavAn and then forgot about him.
When asked “AzhwAr did not forget about him in paramapadham which is known, as in mudhal thiruvandhAdhi 51 ‘kalangAp perunagaram‘ (paramapadham, the great town, which has no bewilderment), but forgot him while being in samsAram. That is nothing wrong [since it’s natural for us to forget bhagavAn here]”, AzhwAr is saying I did not even remain as a chEthana (sentient). If one is chEthana (conscious), one should feel atonement for having forgotten bhagavAn; achith is not qualified to say “maRandhOm” (We have forgotten). gyAthruthvam for chith (for an AthmA, being knowledgeable) is to be the abode of gyAna and other qualities. Since those qualities are not seen in self, the abode (AthmA himself) is not present. Since AzhwAr is saying “I have the heart which doesn’t even know it has forgotten” – the gate for feeling atonement is the heart, since that is not there,
iRandhEn eththanaiyum – I have become lower than achith (insentient). To start with, achith has no ability to think; but since chit has the ability and since I still did not meditate upon bhagavAn, I have become lower than achith. I came to be known, as said in pramANams (authentic texts) such as thaiththirIya upanishath, “asannEva” (non-existing). I reached a state where I can be declared as non-existing while I am existing.
adhanAl … – SrIvishNu purANam 6.7.11 “anAthmani Athma budhdhiryA asvE svamithi yA mathi: |
avidhyA tharu sambhUthi bIjamEthath dhvividhA sthithtam ||” (Considering that which is not AthmA (i.e., body) as AthmA and considering that which is not one’s property (i.e., AthmA and that which is owned by the AthmA which are fully owned by bhagavAn) as one’s own are the two seeds for this tree of samsAram (which is the cycle of birth and death based on one’s actions) – considering body etc to be AthmA and considering self to be owner, are considered to be the seeds for samsAram, in general; AzhwAr is considering that the lack of atonement is the seed for samsAram.
idumbai … – idumbai – sorrow. Entering the womb which will cause sorrow, I suffered repeatedly through death and birth.
piRandhE … – In this manner, while repeatedly going through death and birth, in between if one occasionally surrenders to bhagavAn, that will become an obstacle (block) for [more such] births; I did not see/show any such purushakAram and escape [from the suffering].
eyththu ozhindhEn – Though there are impressions of karma to take more births, I became so weak that there is no substance to take birth; though I have the impression of karma which forces me to take birth, I cannot do it anymore. Hence the time is ripe for the owners (bhagavAn) to take possession of me.
When asked “What are your reasons in you saying that the owners can take possession?” AzhwAr says
perumAn … – bhagavAn asks “If you think about your own abilities and are leaving, what can I do?”.
perumAn – AzhwAr says “Am I only there for me? Are you not there?” bhagavAn says “If you are talking about my SEshithva prApthi (the natural relationship due to being the lord), lords will have freewill to do, why are you expecting me who is completely independent?” AzhwAr says,
thirumArvA – pirAtti who will subdue your freewill and make you accept me, is present in close proximity to you. The one who says, as in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 116-45 “nakaSchin nAparAdhyathi” (there is none who has not committed a wrongful deed), is right next to you.
siRandhEn … – I have become qualified for your divine feet since both you who will not abandon me even if she finds fault in me, and she who will subdue your freewill and make you accept me, are present here.
thiruviNNagar …. – While your abode is paramapadham as said in mudhal thiruvandhAdhi 51 ‘kalangAp perunagaram‘ (paramapadham, the great town, which has no bewilderment), you left that abode and came to thiruviNNagar along with pirAtti, to uplift those who are suffering. I am suffering; isn’t there an apt connection between those who are suffering and those who have arrived to uplift the suffering ones?
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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