SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> Sixth centum >> Eighth decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
No specific introduction.
pAsuram
thUvAya puL Urndhu vandhu thuRai vEzham
mUvAmai nalgi mudhalai thuNiththAnai
dhEvAdhi dhEvanaich chengamalak kaNNAnai
nAvAyuLAnai naRaiyUril kaNdEnE
Word-by-Word meanings
thU Aya – faultless
puL – periya thiruvadi (garudAzhwAr)
Urndhu – rode
thuRai – on the banks (of the pond)
vandhu – went
vEzham – SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn
mUvAmai – to not suffer
nalgi – mercifully showing his grace
mudhalai – the crocodile (which was his enemy)
thuNiththAnai – one who broke it into two pieces
dhEvAdhi dhEvanai – being the lord of nithyasUris
sem kamalam – like reddish lotus flower
kaNNAnai – having divine eyes
nAvAy – in the dhivyadhESam named thirunAvAy
uLAnai – one who is mercifully residing in
naRaiyUril – in thirunaRaiyUr
kaNdEnE – I got to see
Simple translation
The lord of the nithyasUris rode on the faultless periya thiruvadi and went to the banks of the pond. He mercifully showered his grace on SrI gajendhrAzhwAn to stop his suffering and broke the crocodile into two pieces. He is having reddish lotus flower like divine eyes. He is mercifully residing in the dhivyadhESam named thirunAvAy. I got to see such bhagavAn in thirunaRaiyUr.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
thUvAya … – When sarvESvaran climbs on garudAzhwAr, nudges-kicks his back with the divine feet, he will become rejuvenated due to the joy of being touched by bhagavAn and will start praising “How joyful my dear lord’s touch is!” garudAzhwAr is having such pure mouth. Alternative explanation – having faultless Sabdham (vEdham) as his form. It is said in chathu:SlOki “vEdhAthmA” (garudAzhwAr is the soul of vEdham). Not being satisfied with gaurdAzhwAr’s natural speed, bhagavAn pulled him along in a super fast manner and reached the banks of the pond where SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn was suffering.
vEzham mUvAmai nalgi … – He showed his favouritism towards the elephant, so that it is not killed. That is, before the freshness of the flower changed, he accepted it at his divine feet.
mudhalai … – He averted his own suffering as well. When his devotee was in trouble, even if [the devotee] waited for a fraction of a second, his good qualities will be lost. He reached the banks of the pond where SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn was suffering, carefully pulled both of them out and placed them on the banks, and caused torment for the crocodile exclusively without harming the elephant. bhattar mercifully explained “Just as a prisoner who was hand-cuffed along with the prince, he will get milk and food which the prince gets. Here the crocodile also got liberated from its suffering (in this birth as a crocodile)”.
thuNiththAnai – Just as he would be angry at bhIshma et al, just as he would be angry at his enemies, though the crocodile is like a small insect, he angrily charged at it, due to its being inimical towards his devotee, considering it to a big enemy.
When asked “Who is the one who came with great anger to the banks of the pond where the elephant was suffering, without caring for him?” AzhwAr says
dhEvAdhi dhEvanai – The lord of nithyasUris who have no confusions.
sem kamalak kaNNAnai – sarvESvaran who is puNdarIkAksha (lotus-eyed).
nAvAy uLAnai – While he was having paramapadham as his divine assembly, he has come to thirunAvAy and is eternally residing here for my protection.
naRaiyUril kaNdEnE – He is residing very near in thirunaRaiyUr to make thirunAvAy look similar to paramapadham (in distance).
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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