SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> Eighth centum >> Second decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
No specific introduction.
pAsuram
theLLiyIr! dhEvarkkum dhEvar thiruththakkIr!
veLLiyIr! veyya vizhu nidhi vaNNar O!
thuLLu nIrk kaNNapuram thozhudhAL ivaL
kaLviyO! kai vaLai koLvadhu thakkadhE?
Word-by-Word meanings
theLLiyIr – being wise
dhEvarkkum – for nithyasUris
dhEvar – being the controller
thiru – for periya pirAttiyAr
thakkIr – being a match
veLLiyIr – being pure
veyya – molten
vizhu nidhi – like pure gold
vaNNar – (for you) having physical beauty
kai – present in (my daughter’s) hand
vaLai – bangle
koLvadhu – snatching
thakkadhO – is it apt?
ivaL – this girl
nIr – (non-sentient) water
thuLLum – joyfully residing
kaNNapuram – thirukkaNNapuram
thozhudhAL – performed an anjali
kaLviyO – is she deceitful?
O – How amazing is this!
Simple translation
Is it apt for you, who are wise, who are the controller for nithyasUris, who are a match for periya pirAttiyAr, who are pure, who are having physical beauty like that of pure molten gold, to snatch the bangle which is present in my daughter’s hand? Is she, who performed an anjali towards thirukkaNNapuram where even insentient water is joyfully residing, deceitful? [No. You are deceitful] How amazing is this!
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
theLLiyIr … – When she asked “Is it apt to snatch my bangle?” Saurip perumAL asked “What is not apt in my snatching your bangle?” She is telling further as to how it is inapt to snatch her bangle.
theLLiyIr – theLLimai – being wise. Aren’t you well capable of knowing the different aspects? perumAL (SrI rAma) is said to be as in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 1.18 “lOkE purusha sAragya: purushAnthara kOvidha:” (SrI rAma could grasp the essence of men and more skilled than others). Similarly, when you see individuals in this world you can estimate them as in “He is like this; his knowledge is this much”. Should you, who are like that, not understand the state of women? Does snatching the bangle from hand look apt for your omniscience?
Let that be.
dhEvarkkum dhEvar – As said in nAchchiyAr thirumozhi 4.1 “theLLIyAr palar kai thozhum dhEvanAr” (emperumAn is being worshipped by many nithyasUris, who have clear knowledge, in paramapadham, through anjali), you, who are the controller of nithyasUris who have acquired knowledge without any difficulty, are snatching the bangle from the hand of a helpless girl. Is this apt for your supremacy? As said in sAma vEdham “nAdhAthum dhEvAvaramarhanthi“, even inferior dhEvathAs in this world will grant boons for humans while being present in front of them, to be seen. nithyasUris are such that they are like gods and those dhEvathAs are like humans [seeking something]. It is said in purusha sUktham 18 “yathra pUrvE sAdhyA santhi dhEvA:” (He is the lord of nithyasUris, who have been there since time immemorial). Your highness is such that you can fulfil their expectations as well. She is asking “If those inferior dhEvathAs are granting the desires of their followers, should you take away or grant us what we need?” When perumAL left from SrI ayOdhyA and mercifully arrived at SrungibhErapuram, SrI guhap perumAL submitted honey from the mountains and fruits from the forest as offerings. Seeing that, perumAL told him “We did not take birth to accept from others; we took birth to give to others”; thus, is it apt for you to give or accept others’ possessions – she asks.
Let your supremacy be set aside.
thiruth thakkIr – Your highness is matching pirAtti, who is said in SrI sUktham “asyESAnA jagathO vishNupathni” (one who is the lord of the worlds and the divine consort of vishNu) and SrI sUktham “ISvarIm sarvabhUthAnAm” (the lord of all creatures). There are three types of chEthanas in the world – nithyar (eternally free souls), mukthar (liberated souls) and mumukshus (souls who are seeking liberation); samsAris are identified as non-existing as said in thaiththirIya upanishath “asannEva” (as good as non-sentient). In that, pirAtti is greater than nithyasUris and is comparable to your highness. She is matching you, as said in thiruvAimozhi 6.10.10 “alarmEl mangai” (the youthful pirAtti who is seated atop the lotus flower) and SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 16-5 “thulya SeelavayOvruththAm thulyAbhijanalakshaNAm l rAghavO’rhathi vaidhEhim tham chEyamasithEkshaNA ll” (for vaidhEhi who has (with SrI rAma) matching qualities, age and conduct, SrI rAma is well suited; with her well-matched lineage and characteristics, this black-eyed sIthA is also well suited to him). Still, a salute to your being a lover. Even while you are having a dear consort on your chest, is it apt to snatch away the bangle from a helpless girl’s hand?
veLLiyIr – Let your being a lover remain. Aren’t you the opposite of all defects? Isn’t it a defect to snatch away the bangle from the hand of a girl? Alternative explantion. You are naturally pure. Is it apt for your purity to steal others’ possession? As said in “yOrthE Suchissahi Suchirna mruthvAri SuchiSSuchi:“, purity means purity of the self and not just purity caused by soil and water. Another explanation. “veNmai” (being white) indicates Arjavam (honesty). With respect to the harmonious nature of mind, speech and body, what is the match between your words of “I won’t separate; even if I separate, I cannot sustain myself” and your action of abandonment?
veyya vizhu nidhi vaNNar – Let your svarUpam remain. She is saying “Having such form, is it possible for you to refrain from giving? Would you not always grant this form to those who desire for it?” veyya – molten. vizhunidhi – pure gold; with this, she is saying as said in thiruvAimozhi 3.1.2 “sutturaiththa nanpon un thirumEni oLi ovvAdhu” (even pure gold which has been melted in fire and polished on a grinding stone will not match your divine complexion). veyya correlates to sutturaiththa. vizhunidhi correlates to nanpon. Alternative explanation. “vaNNam” indicates nature, implying he has the nature of gold. In this case, she is saying “Will he snatch away others’ possession instead of being owned by others?” She is speaking about bhagavAn’s nature as herself; but while speaking about her daughter’s nature, she is speaking in her daughter’s words; she is saying “What a nature he is having? [Inferior] What a nature she is having? [Superior] What a mismatch?”
As she [mother] called out in this manner, Saurip perumAL ,who is prideful due to being the lord of nithyasUris as said in thiruvAimozhi 1.1.1 “ayarvaRum amarargaL adhipathi” thought “A woman is calling out. What is the reason for that?” and came out of his sannidhi entrance and asked her “Come! Why are you calling me?” She asks him “kaivaLai koLvadhu thakkadhE?” (Is it apt to snatch away the bangle from the hand?) He responds “You have told yourself ‘thiruththakkIr‘ about me; only if your daughter has SrI mahAlakshmi’s nature, it is inapt for me to snatch the bangle from her hand”. She asks “What is SrI mahAlakshmi’s nature?” Saurip perumAL stands firm and responds:
She remains, as said in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 39-30 ‘Saraisthu sankulAm kruthvA lankAm parabalArdhana: l mAm nayEdh yadhi kAkuthsthas thath thasya sadhruSam bhavEth ll’ (If SrI rAmapirAn, who annihilates the strength of his enemies, bewilders lankA with his arrows and takes me with him, it will be apt for him) for the attainment of her goal. But parakAla nAyaki thinks that she has to put in the effort to attain her goal. Further, you identified my nature to be “vizhu nidhi vaNNar“. Instead of accepting from such a wealthy person as he gives, isn’t pursuing oneself, the activity of those who are AthmApahAri (those who steal AthmA, i.e., those who consider themselves to be independent)? Thus, it is apt for me to snatch away her bangle.
thuLLu nIr kaNNapuram thozhudhALivaL kaLviyO? O – She is proclaiming “Cruel act! Cruel act!” Since this dhivyadhESam is a rejuvenating abode, she performed an anjali. Should she be thrown under elephant’s feet for that?
thuLLu nIr – In this dhivyadhESam, where, even water, which is non-sentient is joyfully residing, should she be blamed for performing anjali to manifest that consciousness?
kaNNapuram thozhudhAL – Did she worship paramapadhanAthan? Did she worship vyUha forms? Did she worship [vibhava] avathArams? Did she not worship you in the town where you are standing in archAvathAram?
thozhudhAL – Did you not identify her as an AthmApahAri? Does performing an anjali considered as an act of an AthmApahAri? Aren’t those who do not worship him remain as said in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 36-11 “na namEyam . .” (Even if I am broken into two pieces, I will not bend before anyone)? Her true nature is as said in yajur brAhmaNam 3.7 “yasyAsmi” (the one for whom I am a servitor). Isn’t your true nature as said in jithanthA sthOthram “bhakthAnAm … na thE rUpam” (Your form etc are present for the sake of your devotees only). She performed the anjali to manifest that she is your possession. Aren’t you the AthmApahAri, having snatched away her possession? The mother is saying – in this manner, you have only done svarNApahAram (stealing gold), AthmApahAram (stealing the self) and paramAthmApahAram (stealing bhagavAn), previously.
ivaL kaLviyO – She is saying “Is my daughter a cheat? Aren’t you the cheat?”
kaivaLai koLvadhu thakkadhE – Child, just as a person will sever the hands of someone who is saluting with those same hands, is there anyone who will snatch way the ornaments while performing anjali? Isn’t it apt to remove the bangles (ornaments) which were previously highlighted in periya thirumozhi 8.1.1 “silaiyilangu ponnAzhi” (The bow, radiant and desirable chakra), decorate them on her hands and enjoying that?
thakkadhE – Even lowly male-lovers will give some gifts to their female-lovers and accept some gifts. For you, who is the ultimate lover, is it apt to snatch away from her? Isn’t it apt for parakAla nAyaki’s hands to be similar to SrI mahAlakshmi’s hand as said in thiruchchandha viruththam 57 “sangu thangu munkai nangai” (The complete woman who has bangles in her forearm). She is saying “This is not apt”. She is saying as in jithanthA sthOthram “na thE rUpam” (Your form is not for your sake).
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