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periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Second Centum >> Fifth decad
avathArikai (Introduction)
There is no specific avathArikai for this pAsuram.
undhi ezhundha uruvam malar thannil
chandhach chadhumugan thannaip padaiththavan
kondhak kuzhalaik kuRandhu puLiyatti
thandhaththin seeppAl kuzhal vArAy akkAkkAy! dhAmOdharan than kuzhal vArAy akkAkkAy!
Word-by-Word Meanings
undhi ezhundha – formed in the divine navel
uruvam – beautiful
malar thannil – in the lotus flower
chandham – having chandhas (vEdhic text) as his identity
chadhumugan thannai – brahmA, who has four faces
padaiththavan – one who created
kondham – being curled
kuzhalai – divine locks
puLi kuRandhu – adding civet perfume
atti – applying it well
thandhaththin seeppAl – oh, crow! Comb with a comb made of ivory
dhAmOdharan than – oh, crow! Comb the locks of dhAmOdharan [krishNa]
Simple Translation
emperumAn created brahmA, who has four faces, and who constantly recites the vEdhams, in the divine lotus flower, formed in his divine navel. Oh, crow! Comb his divine locks, after applying well the perfume of civet cat, to his divine locks! Comb the divine locks of dhAmOdharan.
vyAkhyAnam (Commentary)
undhi … – in the beautiful lotus flower which had formed in the divine navel. uruvam – beautiful.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says, in his svApadhESam, that in the beautiful lotus flower formed in the divine navel, which is the starting point for the creation of all the worlds.
chandham … – one who created brahmA during the time of creation such that one would have a doubt whether it was emperumAn who created the worlds or brahmA who did that. brahmA was created with such distinguished knowledge and power. Here, the term chandham would refer to beauty. Alternatively, the term could also refer to chandhas, reciting vEdham. Since brahmA has reciting of vEdhams as an identity for him, this would refer to the second meaning.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that just as it has been said in manthra praSnam “AthmAvai puthra nAmAsi” [the father is reborn as the son], due to the superficially close resemblance which brahmA has with emperumAn at the time of creation, AzhwAr says chandhach chadhumugan. AzhwAr remembers the earlier pAsuram [in the first centum, 1.5.3] nAviyuL naRkamala nAnmuganukku and follows that here too.
kondhak kuzhalaik kuRandhu puLiyatti – During the time of carrying out bath [as seen in the previous decad], it is customary to apply tamarind to remove the oil applied during bath. Due to this, the locks would get curled up and entangled. kondham – curling densely. Since this is not carried out during the time of combing the locks, it is certain that this had been done during the time of giving bath [to krishNa]. We had seen that yaSOdhAp pirAtti had carried eNNey puLippazham [as in 2.4.1] at the time of giving him a bath. Alternatively, kondhak kuzhalai would refer to curled up locks which happen when the fragrant material from trumpet flower, obtained from plants grown in houses, is applied to the locks. Thus, it refers to puzhugu, a fragrant material. Instead of kuRandhu puLiyatti, if the text were kuRandhu puzhugatti, this could be considered as the meaning.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai too says here that this follows the pAsuram mentioned in 2.4.1 eNNeyp puLip pazham, as accessories for giving bath.
thandhaththin seeppAl kuzhal vArAy – Appropirate to the distinction of the divine locks, comb the locks using comb made of ivory.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that thandhaththin sIppu refers to the firm belief in knowledge arising out of distinction [between what is to be carried out and what is to be avoided]. By carrying out kainkaryam to AchAryan, one will get firm belief in the knowledge of prapaththi [surrendering to emperumAn]. [thiruvAimozhip piLLai, in his pravESam for this thirumozhi, had already stated that sIppu [comb] refers to prapaththi. It is through this comb [prapaththi] that the fault [curled entanglement of locks] in emperumAn’s locks [our wrong belief that emperumAn is responsible for our sorrows] has to be removed. It is through this act that the faults in emperumAn’s prapaththi get removed [the affection which emperumAn shows towards one who surrenders to emperumAn is referred to as emperumAn’s prapaththi. Why should there be any fault in emperumAn’s prapaththi? It is our reasoning that emperumAn should grant mOksham to all [sarvamukthi praSangam], without our having to carry out anything, which is the fault that we heap on emperumAn. Through the act of combing his locks, which is our prapaththi to emperumAn, this fault is removed]. Since kuzhal results in bowing down of the head [due to its weight], this prapaththi [combing of the locks] is over the neck.
dhAmOdharan …– he is such an easy person to approach that he allowed a weak person such as me [yaSOdhAp pirAtti] to tie him down with a rope. Oh, crow! Comb the divine locks of such dhAmOdharan.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that emperumAn is paramapadhanilaiyan (one, who is the most eminent, residing in SrI vaikuNtam). Having been tied down with a rope by a weak herd-woman [yaSOdhAp pirAtti], even after being released, he had the scar of that rope on his divine waist [dhAmOdharan refers to the mark of rope on his divine stomach; he carries that as the affection shown by yaSOdhAp pirAtti]. This indicates that when yama removes our pASam [bondage] from samsAram, we should get rid of all the bondage [to worldly pursuits]. While we listen to the instructions of our preceptors, we do not always lead our lives within those instructions. Though we claim that we have not transgressed those instructions, in their minds [and in emperumAn’s mind], there will that thought that we have transgressed on occasions. Only then, when the final time times, could we remove ourselves from all the bondage. For AzhwArs, parrots are the most intimate [they will repeat only that which has been said to them and will not say a word more or less]. For us too, it should be like that.
We shall next consider the 9th pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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