SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> Sixth centum >> Third decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
No specific introduction.
pAsuram
sAndhEndhu men mulaiyAr thadandhOL puNar inba veLLaththu
AzhndhEn arunaragaththu azhundhum payan padaiththEn
pOndhEn puNNiyanE! unnai eydhi en thIvinaigaL
thIrndhEn ninnadaindhEn thiruviNNagarAnE!
Word-by-Word meanings
thiruviNNagarAnE – Oh one who is eternally residing in the dhivyadhESam named thiruviNNagar!
puNNiyanE – Oh my sukrutham (good deed)!
sAndhu – vermilion
Endhum – wearing
men – tender
mulaiyAr – women having bosoms
thadam – vast
thOL – with shoulders
puNar – acquired by the embrace
inbam – bliss
veLLaththu – in the ocean of
AzhndhEn – (until now) I was immersed
aru – cruel
naragaththu – in the hell of samsAram
azhundhum – being immersed eternally
payan – result
padaiththEn – acquired
(while it is like this)
pOndhEn – (without any reason) I got your divine feet as the means
unnai eydhu – reaching you
en – my
thIvinaigaL – cruel sins
thIrndhEn – got them to be eliminated.
nin adaindhEn – I attained you.
Simple translation
Oh one who is eternally residing in the dhivyadhESam named thiruviNNagar! Oh my sukrutham (good deed)! I was immersed in the ocean of bliss which is acquired by embracing the vast shoulders of the women having tender bosoms which are applied with vermilion; due to that I got the result of being eternally immersed in the hell of samsAram. While it is like this, I got your divine feet as the means. After attaining you, I got my cruel sins to be eliminated. After that, I attained you.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
sAndhEndhum … – It is said as in “thadamulaich cheyya sAndhu” (reddish paste on the vast bosoms), here vermilion is spoken about. When bhattar was asked “Why is AzhwAr, who has abandoned worldly pleasures and engaged in bhagavath vishayam, speaking in a manner which will create desire even in those who are detached from worldly pleasures?” bhattar mercifully responded “thirumangai AzhwAr is so eloquent that even if he has to waste water of a dam, he will explain it beautifully”. [bhattar’s eloquence is glorified] kidAmbi ammAL would many times quote siRiyANdAn perumAL “One should not think that bhattar is also speaking the same words and meanings as I would do, there is special greatness for him; if I say “thUN” about a pillar which is in front of me, it will appear like a dead-wood; if he says the same think it will appear as a well grown tree”
men mulaiyAr – Women whose bosoms cannot tolerate separation from the beloved. Their,
thadam thOL … – As one would be bound by the ropes (shoulders) with the mountains (bosoms) and pushed into the ocean (samsAra), I drowned into the blissful ocean of embracing their shoulders, like drowning into a bottomless pit; hence, I became unqualified for your grace. AzhwAr, who truly realised bhagavAn who is said in thaiththirIya upanishath as “Anandhamaya:” (embodiment of bliss), is now narrating this worldly enjoyment as “inba veLLam” (ocean of bliss); this is due to the thought that they blocked AzhwAr from surrendering unto bhagavAn, thus far. AzhwAr is saying about this samsAra which is said as in jithanthA sthOthram “anantha klESa bhAjanam” (abode of unlimited sorrow), to be “inba veLLam“, seeing how this samsAra tormented him for a long time.
There is a purpose for this as well.
aru naragaththu … – I who am born to enjoy his auspicious qualities forever, got the result of being a nithya samsAri, forever (until now). AzhwAr is thinking “Attachment towards worldly pleasures is the seed for samsAra”.
pOndhEn – Unlike those who perform karma yOga, reduce their sins by that, and then acquire gyAnam and engage in gyAna yOga, and with the understanding of “This is good; this is bad” and reach bhagavAn through bhakthi, I reached bhagavAn’s divine feet suddenly just as those residents of SrI mathurA who went to sleep in the night and who woke up in SrI dhvArakA by bhagavAn’s grace.
When asked “All along, if you have not done any good deeds, how did you attain me?” AzhwAr responds
puNNiyanE – You are my principal, good deed to attain you.
unnai eydhi – Reaching you, who are superior to all, I eliminated all the sins which are hurdles for the attainment of the goal.
When asked “How did you attain me?” AzhwAr responds
thiruviNNagarAnE – Just as you presented yourself on the seashore as the refuge for SrI vibhIshaNAzhwAn who was tormented and made refugeless by rAvaNa, as you have arrived in thiruviNNagar, which is refuge for me who was tormented by the worldly pleasures in this samsAra, I escaped that samsAra and reached your divine feet.
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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