SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> Sixth centum >> Second decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
No specific introduction.
pAsuram
pAN thEn vaNdaRaiyum kuzhalArgaL pallANdu isaippa
ANdAr vaiyam ellAm arasAgi mun ANdavarE
mANdAr enRu vandhAr andhO! manai vAzhkkai thannai
vENdEn ninnadaindhEn thiruviNNagar mEyavanE!
Word-by-Word meanings
pAN – singing
thEn – drinking honey
vaNdu – beetles
aRaiyum – humming
kuzhalArgaL – women who are having hair
pallANdu isaippa – as they pray for auspiciousness, more and more
(people of this world)
arasAgi – being kings
vaiyam ellAm – all the worlds
ANdAr – those who ruled
mun ANdavarE – those who ruled in this manner
mANdAr enRu – being known as “they have died”
(in this manner)
vandhAr – (since time immemorial) they are coming (no one is permanent)
andhO – alas! This wealth is temporary.
(Hence)
manai vAzhkkai thannai – enjoyment in samsAra
vENdEn – not liking it
nin adaindhEn – I surrendered unto you
thiruviNNagar mEyavanE – Oh one who is eternally residing in thiruviNNagar!
Simple translation
Oh one who is eternally residing in thiruviNNagar! As the women, who are having hair where beetles which have drunk honey are hummimg through singing, pray for more and more auspiciousness, those kings who ruled all the worlds came to be known as “Those who ruled in this manner have died”. Since time immemorial, such kings are coming. Alas! This wealth is temporary. Not liking the enjoyment in samsAra, I have surrendered unto you.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
pAN thEn … – For those kings who are having great wealth and kingdom already instead of having to gather elephants, horses, chariots and ground soldiers, destroying the enemies with the help of those, and through that the wealth of others have to be taken over, there is great desire to be praised by others in the form of mangaLASAsanam. The king, who doesn not need to gather any new wealth, is the one who is desiring to be praised by others. And, they desire to be praised by beautiful women who are having hair which has beetles which are singing and drunk fully with honey and are humming being in that drunk state.
ANdAr – Instead of being the king for a small region, as said in thiruvAimozhi 4.1.1 “oru nAyagamAy” (Being the distinguished ruler), being under the pearl umbrella, they ruled the whole world.
Those who ruled over previously like this, now
mANdAr enRu vandhAr – When his coronation was announced through a message, there will be not much time before the next message which says “he died” will be announced. Since this is the case, in the back side of the palm leaf having the message “He is coronated”, it will be already written “He has died”. We can’t say that those who ruled, ruled forever.
enRu vandhAr – This is how it is said all over the world. Even “ANdAr” and “mANdAr” sound very similar. As said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 2.13 “thathA dhEhAnthara prApthir” (In the same manner, begetting another body will also occur), these are all different states of body for the AthmA only.
ANdavarE mANdAr – While the king would think “All of these expansive world will remain permanently with me”, his life will end.
As AzhwAr is looking at such person’s desire and the temporary nature of such person’s kingdom, wealth etc, showing mercy and being unable to tolerate his suffering, AzhwAr is saying “andhO” (alas!). SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 105-24 “nandhanthi udhitha AdhithyE nandhanthi asthamithE ravau” (people are delighted when the sun rises and are happy when the sun sets) – as the sun sets, people will become happy that it is time to gather enjoyable materials and enjoy with lovers/spouses in seclusion; as the sun rises, people will become happy that it is time to gather wealth for such enjoyment later. Like water getting depleted by continuously being fetched from a pot, their life span is continuously getting depleted. Instead of knowing this and in the meantime trying to ensure that one does not get punished after the end of their lives, everyone is doing contrary to it. No one is trying to do what is ideal.
manai vAzhkkai – Only if one tries to rule like this, one will die; bhagavAn is coming to thiruviNNagar and standing there to negate that aiSvaryam (wealth) is perceivable by your senses and what you desire [that is, bhagavAn] is beyond your senses; this presence in thiruviNNagar is to grant kainkaryam sAmrAjyam (the kingdom of servitude). When you have come here and stood as my refuge, what I am going to do with them (those who praise)?
ANdAr mANdAr – These two words do not occur in two different persons – the same person who rules everything, dies soon after. AzhwAr is seeing the damage to dharma and saying “Alas!” just like a flood will be hot for the feet to bear [rare occurrence].
manai vAzhkkai thannai vENdEn – Only if one desires to rule, one will pray for continuous life; even if such enjoyment is permanent, I don’t need it [I only need to serve you].
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