SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> Sixth centum >> Second decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
No specific introduction.
pAsuram
piRindhEn peRRa makkaL peNdir enRivar pin udhavAdhu
aRindhEn nI paNiththa aruL ennum oL vAL uruvi
eRindhEn aimpulangaL idar thIra eRindhu vandhu
seRindhEn ninnadikkE thiruviNNagar mEyavanE!
Word-by-Word meanings
peRRa – own
makkaL – children
peNdir – wives
enRu – said in this manner
ivar – these relatives
pin – for the end times
udhavAdhu – not being helpful
aRindhEn – I knew (then)
piRindhEn – I abandoned (them)
nI – you are a friend in need
paNiththa – mercifully spoke (to arjuna)
aruL ennum – charama SlOkam which shows bhagavAn’s mercy as the only means
oL – beautiful
vAL – sword
uruvi – bringing out from the pouch
aim pulangaL – caused by matters such as Sabdha etc and their means
idar thIra – to eliminate the sorrow
eRindhEn – I launched
eRindhu – destroying (them in this manner)
vandhu – I came to you
nin adikkE – at your divine feet
seRindhEn – remained in a fixed manner
thiruviNNagar mEyavanE – Oh one who is eternally residing in the dhivydhESam named thiruviNNagar!
Simple translation
As I knew that these relatives such as children, wives are not helpful for the end times, I abandoned them. You are a friend in need and mercifully spoke charama SlOkam which shows your mercy as the only means; I launched the beautiful sword of such mercy, after bringing it out from the pouch, to eliminate the sorrow caused by matters such as Sabdha etc and their means and destroyed them. Oh one who is eternally residing in the dhivydhESam named thiruviNNagar! I came to you and remained at your divine feet in a fixed manner.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
piRindhEn – A person helps others in this samsAra considering them as relatives, with the expectation that they will tell bhagavAn’s divine name in his ear during the last moments when he is helpless and to seek good path for him subsequently; but, they [those who got help from him] would usually do as in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 4.5.3 “sOrvinAl poruL vaiththadhu uNdAgil sollu sollu” (Have you forgetfully placed some wealth somewhere? Tell us! Tell us!); when he regains consciousness, he will make all his wealth to be at their disposal. They will insist on him to reveal anything which is hidden forgetfully; he is as inferior as they are. Even after his placing all his wealth at their disposal, they think that he is still having something more and stay put with him. suRRum irundhu – On one side yama’s servants are waiting and on the other side these relatives are present. When asked “How does he react when they do like this?” Ar vinavilum … – He is in his death bed such that he cannot respond to anyone – even if they bring his young (subsequent) wife to whom he gave all his wealth to marry her.
peRRa … – One’s own son and wife will remain the closest relative; even they will accept his help when it is necessary, and when they are expected to help him, they will leave. The relationship with them is similar to how an entity seen in the dream will disappear after waking up.
aRindhEn – piRindhEn – There is no need for separate timelines to acquire knowledge and abandoning such people [it should happen as soon as the knowledge is acquired].
Relatives here are not benefactors for us. Now, once we realise who will really help us for the ultimate aspects, there was a statement mercifully spoken by bhagavAn as in “Consider me as the only refuge”; now, that is coming to me and helping me.
nI paNiththa – His word as in SrI bhagavath gIthA 18.66 “mAmEkam” (Only me).
aruL – Why is AzhwAr saying “aruL” (Mercy)? Because, bhagavAn said “Be faithful that my mercy will be the means for your being uplifted”.
oL vAL – It is capable of eliminating all our doubts and making us say as in SrI bhagavath gIthA 18.73 “sthithO’smi gathasandhEha:” (being freed from doubts, I am standing firm, with realisation of truth). What was said in periya thirumozhi 3.9.10 “maruvalar tham udal thuNiya vAL vIsum parakAlan” (uses his sword to cut the enemies’ bodies to pieces) is seen in the context of upAyam (means).
aim pulan … – AzhwAr is thinking about all the superficial goals and superficial means. Alternative explanation – to be not touched by the activities which are built in with ahankAra (ego, misunderstanding body to be self) and mamakAra (possessiveness, misunderstanding self to be independent). Another explanation – to be not touched by the worldly pleasures which will make one think those to be the goal.
seRindhEn – I united with him so closely that even if he said “Not me”, it will be impossible to separate me from him even by a swan which can use its beak to separate milk and water, which are mixed together.
nin … – bhagavAn gave this special intelligence to AzhwAr by coming and being present in thiruviNNagar. thiruviNNagar has become like arjuna’s chariot [where krishNa instructed arjuna about important principles]. Whatever was mercifully said to arjuna, will be applicable for anyone who is having the same connection with bhagavAn like arjuna.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
archived in https://divyaprabandham.koyil.org
pramEyam (goal) – https://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org