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periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Third Centum >> Fifth decad
avathArikai
In this last pAsuram of the decad, AzhwAr mentions the benefit which will accrue to those who learn it and brings the decad to its end.
aravil paLLi koNdu aravam thurandhittu aravap pagai Urdhiyavanudaiya
kuravil kodi mullaigaL ninRu uRangum gOvarththanam ennum koRRak kudai mEl
thiruvil poli maRai vANar puththUrth thigazh battar pirAn sonna mAlai paththum
paravu mana nangu udaip paththar uLLAr paramAna vaigundham naNNuvarE
Word-by-Word Meanings
aravil – on top of thiruvananthAzhwAn [divine AdhiSEshan]
paLLi koNdu – reclining (in milky ocean)
(leaving that, and incarnating in thiruvAyppAdi)
aravam – the snake, kALiyan
thurandhittu – driving him away
pagai – enemy for the entire clan of snakes
Urdhi avanudaiya – one who has [garuda] as his vehicle
kuravil – a type of tree
kodi – encircling that tree as a creeper
mullaigaL – jasmine flowers [on the creeper]
ninRu – firmly
uRangum – appearing as if taking rest
gOvarththanam ennum – having the divine name of gOvardhana
koRRam – being victorious, as it stopped the rains
kudai mEl – regarding that mountain, which was like an umbrella
thiruvin – due to the wealth of their servitude
poli – shining
maRai – for vEdham
vANar – those who live, having the capability to write treatise on vEdham, similar to vyAsa
puththUr – in SrI villibuththUr
thigazh – one who is splendorous
battar pirAn – periyAzhwAr
sonna – mercifully composed
mAlai – garland of words
paththum – these ten pAsurams
paravum – to recite
manam – heart
nangu – very well
udai – having
paththar uLLAr – those who are full of devotion
paramAna – that, which is the most distinguished
vaigundham – SrI vaikuNtam
naNNuvar – will get to attain
Simple Translation
emperumAn reclines on AdhiSEshan, in milky ocean. He left that and incarnated in thiruvAyppAdi, where he drove away the snake, kALiyan. He has garuda, which is an enemy for the entire clan of snakes, as his vehicle. In this gOvardhana mountain stands a kurava tree [a type of tree], with a creeper encircling that tree, with jasmine flowers on that creeper appearing to sleep firmly. About this mountain, which was victorious due to stopping rains from falling on herd and herd-folk, periyAzhwAr has mercifully composed ten pAsurams, which are like garlands of words. periyAzhwAr resides splendorously in SrI villibuththUr, where those, who have shining servitude towards emperumAn, and who are capable of writing explanatory comments on vEdhams, live. Those who have the hearts to recite these pAsurams very well, and who have devotion towards emperumAn, will attain SrI vaikuNtam, which is the most distinguished.
vyAkhyAnam (Commentary)
aravil paLLi koNdu – reclining in thiruppARkadal [divine milky ocean] atop ananthAzhwAn, who has the nature of tenderness, coolness and fragrance.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai, in his svApadhESam, says that it is in the divine milky ocean, which is gently stirred by the breathing of thiruvananthAzhwAn [AdhiSEshan] which is like a hammock, that emperumAn reclines.
aravam thurandhittu – just as it has been mentioned in harivamSam “nAga paryankam uthsrujya hyAgathO madhurAm purIm” (emperumAn left the mattress of AdhiSEshan and came to incarnate in the divine abode of SrI mathurA), emperumAn incarnated in thiruvAyppAdi [SrI gOkulam]. In that abode, kALiyan, a poisonous snake, had taken residence in a pond, which was used by the cows as well as the cow-herd people, as their source of drinking water. krishNa drove away that snake, kALiyan, from that pond.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that AzhwAr recalls the time that krishNa incarnated and grew up in thiruvAyppAdi, when he drove away the kALiyan, a poisonous snake, which had poisoned the pond there, just as it has been mentioned in thiruchchandha viruththam 89 “salam kalandha poigai” (it was a poisonous pond in which water had been added), a pond which was the source of water for the herds of cattle grazed by the herd-folk, in line with the duties of their clan.
aravap pagai Urdhi udaiya avan – emperumAn has garuda, which is the enemy of the clan of snakes, as his vehicle.
kuravil … – having the divine name of gOvardhana, the mountain had on it, the tree called as kuravu, around which jasmine creepers had spread, with jasmine flowers in them sleeping. Regarding that mountain gOvardhana, which was held as a victorious umbrella, to prevent rains from harming. If the text had been kuravakkodi mullaigaL – the meaning would change as: both the tree kuravu and the flowers on the creeper surrounding that tree, were standing and sleeping.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that it is natural for trees to wither away when there is no rain and to prosper abundantly, when it rains. It is due to lack of rains that the herd-folk in thiruvAyppAdi were carrying out worship of dhEvathAntharams [divine entities other than emperumAn]. Thus, it was normal for the trees to nurture and to wither. It is due to this that the pAsuram says that the flowers on the creeper around the tree would blossom as well as wither and sleep. Even the term aravappagai [inimical to snakes] is associated with this world [samsAram; the underlying fact is that in SrI vaikuNtam there is no enmity between snake and garuda].
thiruvil poli …– SrI villibuththUr is an abode inhabited by those who were abundant with SrI vaishnava SrI [servitude towards emperumAn and his followers] and who are capable of writing treatise for vEdham, like sage vyAsa. periyAzhwAr, who is the controller of such SrI villibuththUr, had strung a garland with words as flowers, into ten pAsurams.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that AzhwAr is the controller of SrI villibuththUr inhabited by those who shine with the rahasya vEdha SAsthrams [esoteric texts in vEdhams] which explain that the ultimate benefit of attaining emperumAn is to carry out mangaLASAsanam. sonna mAlai paththum – the garland of words in thamizh language, mercifully composed by AzhwAr. In other words, those who reside in SrI villibuththUr have the devotion which leads to mangaLASAsanam, who have the noble hearts to conduct themselves in the manner in which emperumAn has mercifully spoken of in SAsthrams such as SrI gIthai etc [where he had ordained that we should attain only him] the moment they hear those and that reciting these ten pAsurams which mercifully say that emperumAn would himself remove any harm wreaked by dhEvathAntharams when those who worship them, stop their worship, is the purushArtham [ultimate benefit].
paravu mana nangudaip paththar uLLAr – those who are devoted towards emperumAn and who have good hearts with which they speak, being full of affection towards emperumAn.
paramAna vaigundham naNNuvarE – through the faculties of their knowledge and affection, they will engage in service experiencing emperumAn and will get to attain the most eminent abode of SrI vaikuNtam, cohabiting with assemblies of followers of emperumAn.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai gives here the sequence of events which happen in samsAram: (1) while remaining in samsAram, a person worships other dhEvathAs and carries out servitude to them (2) On acquiring knowledge about emperumAn, the person starts rejecting these other dhEvathAs (3) Those other dhEvathAs, being impelled by their karmabhAvanai [mode of engaging with deeds, as opposed to brahmabhAvanai, which is the mode of engaging with emperumAn] look for means to harm the person who engage with emperumAn (4) emperumAn comes to their rescue through his activities which are beyond the realm of human beings. Instead of remaining here, wallowing in sorrow, those, who recite these ten pAsurams, will attain the abode [SrI vaikuNtam] where his supremacy shines without any shortcoming, bowing to his divine feet, and will get to climb on to his divine lap. Through dialogue such as “kOsi” [emperumAn asking of the jIvAthmA “Who are you?”] etc, and with emperumAn’s permission, the person will unite with those who surround emperumAn constantly, carrying out mangaLASAsanam to him.
We shall next consider the pravEsam of the next thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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