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periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Second Centum >> Tenth decad
avathArikai (Introduction)
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says, in his svApadhESam, that AzhwAr says that that it is not only that krishNa had annihilated his enemies, he had also carried out the activity of protecting his followers.
mAvali vELviyil mAN uruvAych chenRu
mUvadi thA enRu irandha immaNNinai
Oradi ittu iraNdAm adi thannilE
thAvadi ittAnAl inRu muRRum tharaNi aLandhAnAl inRu muRRum
Word-by-Word Meanings
mAvali – mahAbali’s
vELviyil – in the arena where he conducted the yAgam [ritual, with agni, fire]
mAN uru Ay – in the guise of a bachelor
senRu – reaching
mU(nRu) adi thA enRu – saying ‘Grant me three steps of land with my feet’
irandha – seeking alms, and accepting water, symbolically
im maNNinai – this earth
Or adi ittu – taking one step such that its [earth’s] entire area came under his control
iraNdAm adi thannilE – with the second step
thAvu adi ittAnAl – we will perish today, on account of the one who stretched such that all the upper worlds came under his control
tharaNi – worlds including earth
aLandhAnAl – we will perish on account of the one who measured
Simple Translation
emperumAn went in the guise of a bachelor, to the arena where mahAbali, the emperor, was conducting rituals with agni [fire]. He sought alms from mahAbali, saying “Give me three seps of land, measured with my feet” and accepted water as a symbol of mahAbali’s acceptance. With one step, he brought the entire area of earth under his control. With the second step, which he took by stretching out his divine foot, he brought all the worlds in the upper regions, under his control. We will perish today, on account of the one who stretched like that. We will perish today, on account of the one who measured all the worlds, including earth.
vyAkhyAnam (Commentary)
mAvali … – mahAbali seized the wealth of indhra [head of celestial entities] through his strength; just as it has been mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 9.8.7 “kOvAgiya mAvali” (mahAbali, who considered himself as he lord of all the three worlds), he thought that he is the king of all. He also had the indestructible quality of magnanimity. In such mahAbali’s ritualistic arena …
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that the term maN includes all the fourteen worlds [seven above the earth and seven, including earth, below]. Through the term Oradi ittu emperumAn severed the anyaSEshathvam [being servitors to deities other than emperumAn] of those on earth [and below]. Through the term iraNdAmadi he removed the vanity derived out of svAthanthryam [independent of others] of those in the upper seven worlds.
mAN uruvAych chenRu – Just as it has been mentioned in periya thirumozhi 5.1.2 “kaLLak kuRaLAy” (going deceptively as a dwarf), in order to divest mahAbali of all his wealth, emperumAn took on the guise of a dwarf, stole the heart of mahAbali through the beauty of his guise and his gait and made him do what he wanted.
mUvadi thA enRu irandha immaNNinai – emperumAn asked for three steps of land in order to make mahAbali to grant immediately, without thinking, and in order to imprison him with the third step. The term maN is representative of all the worlds, including earth.
Oradi … – In the way he measured, he ensured that the entire expanse of earth [including other words below it] came under his first step. Through the second step …
thAvadi … – [the herd-girls say] We will perish today because of the one, who stretched his foot such that all the worlds in the upper regions came under his control.
dharaNi …– We will perish today on account of the one, who, notwithstanding the tenderness of his divine feet, measured all the worlds with those divine feet in order to fulfil the task of his follower [indhra]. Through this, it is hinted that the one, who transformed himself in order to fulfil the expectations of his follower, did not carry out our expectations. Hence, we will perish today, because of him.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that the term dharaNi is representative of all the worlds. thAvadi – the divine foot which went as per his divine mind. Alternatively, it refers to the divine foot which went with his divine mind following it.
We shall next consider the 8th pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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