SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> Sixth centum >> Second decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
No specific introduction.
pAsuram
vERA yAn irandhEn veguLAdhu manakkoL endhAy!
ARA vennaragaththu adiyEnai idak karudhi
kURA aivar vandhu kumaikkak kudi vittavarai
thERAdhu unnadaindhEn thiruviNNagar mEyavanE!
Word-by-Word meanings
yAn – I, who have been facing away from you, till date
vERA – being different from dhruptha prapanna (one who remains satisfied with mOksham at the end of the life)
irandhEn – I begged you
endhAy – Oh my lord!
veguLAdhu – without being angry
manakkoL – you should mercifully accept in your divine mind,
aivar – (that is) the five senses
ARA – continuously
vem – very cruel
naragaththu – in this hell known as samsAra
adiyEnai – me
ida – to keep here
karudhi – thinking
kURA – dividing me (among those senses)
vandhu – reaching me
kumaikka – as they hurt
kudi vittavarai – (to reform me, towards me) the senses which stay in me
thERAdhu – without depending
un – you
adaindhEn – I surrendered
thiruviNNagar mEyavanE – Oh one who is eternally residing in the dhivyadhESam named thiruviNNagar!
Simple translation
I, who have been facing away from you, till date, being different from dhruptha prapanna (one who remains satisfied with mOksham at the end of the life), begged you (for mOksham). Oh my lord! Without being angry, you should mercifully accept me in your divine mind. That is, my five senses which stay in me, thinking continuously to keep me here in this very cruel hell known as samsAra, are dividing me among them, reaching me and hurting me. Oh one who is eternally residing in the dhivyadhESam named thiruviNNagar! Without depending on them, I surrendered unto you.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
vERA yAn irandhEn – There are some begging where one can fulfil the request over time; there are some begging where one has to immediately fulfil the request; when it appears that the one who prays can remain patient if the result is given over time, that process will be tolerated (accepted); but when it appears that the one who prays cannot survive if the result were not bestowed immediately, that result needs to be bestowed immediately; in this, AzhwAr is saying “vERA yAn irandhEn” indicating that he is begging in a manner that his goal should be fulfilled immediately.
yAn irandhEn – You should mercifully see how the tables have turned [i.e., you should be craving to get me, but now I am doing so]. While you were trying to get me, as said in thiruvAimozhi 2.7.6 “edhir sUzhal pukku” (comes across from the opposite side and catches), I was rejecting that and roaming around. You should mercifully consider that lengthy period. I, who rejected you when you were begging me, am now begging you.
veguLAdhu – When your highness listens to my words, it will cause anger in your highness’ heart; it will make you angry at me when you look at my past acts, thinking “the one who is remaining without a refuge today, was evading me since I tried to catch him since time immemorial”. I am filled with all defects and you are omniscient; hence you may become angry thinking “He is neither seeing my qualities nor his faults, and is surrendering unto me as if he has no defects”. Don’t become angry like that.
manakkoL – At the time of delivering the results, one should not remain indifferent as if playing chess; please keep my prayer in your divine heart. It is not only that you should not be angry, you should also mercifully consider my prayer in your heart.
When asked “While you admit that you have defects, why are you asking me who is svathanthra (fully independent) ‘Mercifully accept my prayer instead of showing anger’?”
endhAy – With the relationship we have, which cannot be destroyed by me, you should tolerate my defects; do we have such a relationship that will make you abandon me counting my mistakes? It is said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 11.44 “pithEva puthrasya” (as a father dealing with his son’s mistakes).
When asked “When tolerating your mistakes, instead of becoming angry seeing your mistakes, to accept you seeing our relationship, what is happening to you now?” AzhwAr responds
ARA vennaragam … – The senses have a very evil plan. When the sins are reduced, yama’s punishment will stop and resume after some time. But this hell named samsAra is continuously tormenting me.
adiyEnai – Just as leaders [for example – maNiyakArar, who keeps time of all activities in a temple] will try to torment in close quarters [the senses are remaining with me and tormenting with me from inside]. While I am having relationship with bhagavAn to attain the reason after performing all the services to him as said in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 31-25 “aham sarvam karishyAmi” (I would carry out all tasks of servitude), the senses are planning to push me into samsAra where we will be bound by ahankAra and mamakAra.
kURA aivar vandhu kumaikka – The senses are not thinking that I am common for all of them; rather they individually try to torment me.
aivar – AzhwAr is not just thinking that these senses are just gateway for knowledge, but he is thinking about them to be individual chEthanas, who are having knowledge, due to the severe nature of the torment.
aivar kumaikka – Just as a weak person will be surrounded from 5 sides and will be attacked by 5 strong persons.
kudivittavarai – Those who you made enter inside me. You gave these senses to me thinking “He will surrender unto me with the help of these senses and attain me”; but that is in your thought only; they are taking me away from you and engaging me with worldly pleasures and are finishing me.
thERAdhu – Since those senses are not acting according to your thought, I am not going to believe them.
un … – While you, who are trustworthy, are present here, should I serve these senses which cause fear in me and roam around?
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