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periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Fourth Centum >> First decad
avathArikai
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says, in his svApadhESam, that AzhwAr is reminiscing about krishNa’s activity with rukmiNip pirAtti.
nIrERu senjadai neelakaNdanum nAnmuganum muRaiyAl
sIrERu vAsagam seyya ninRa thirumAlai nAdudhirEl
vArERu kongai uruppiNiyai valiyap pidiththuk koNdu
thErERRich chEnai naduvu pOr seyyach chikkenak kaNdAr uLar
Word-by-Word Meanings
nIr – SrI pAdha thIrtham [the divine water from emperumAn’s divine feet]
ERu – holding
sem sadai – having reddish matted locks
neela kaNdanum – rudhra, who has a black throat
nAnmuganum – brahmA, who has four faces
muRaiyAl – in the manner of SEshi-SEsha bhAvam [the established order of lord-servitor
relationship]
sIr ERu vAsagam seyya ninRa – to praise emperumAn, with distinguished words
thirumAlai – SrIya:pathi [divine consort of SrI mahAlakshmi]
nAdudhirEl – if you are searching for him, with intent
vAr ERu – donning bodice
kongai – having divine bosoms
uruppiNiyai – rukmiNip pirAtti
valiya – forcefully
pidiththukkoNdu – holding her
thEr ERRi – lifting her atop chariot
sEnai naduvu – standing in the midst of the army, sent by rukman [pirAtti’s brother]
pOr seyya – to engage in battle
chikkenak kaNdAr uLar – there are people who had firmly seen
Simple Translation
If you wish to see the divine consort of SrI mahAlakshmi, who was praised with distinguished words by rudhra, who sustained the divine water from emperumAn’s divine feet on his reddish matted hair, and who has black throat, and by brahmA, who has four faces, in the manner of lord-servitor relationship, he was firmly seen by people as he forcefully held rukmiNip pirAtti, who has divine bosoms donned with bodice. He lifted her atop his chariot and was standing amidst the army sent by rukman, fighting them.
vyAkhyAnam (Commentary)
nIrERu senjadai neelakandanum – just as it has been mentioned in Isvara samhithai “thadhambu pathitham dhrushtvA dhadhAra SirasA hara: pAvanArtham jatAmadhyE yOgyOsmIth avadhAraNAth” (Sivan, looking at the water falling from the divine feet of emperumAn, in order to get purified, took that water in the middle of his head, ascertaining that he is apt for that), when emperumAn mercifully measured the worlds with his divine feet, brahmA washed emperumAn’s divine feet. Looking at the water, which was falling from emperumAn’s divine feet, in order to make himself purified, rudhra held that water on his head. Being with water all the time, and carrying out penance for a long time, since he did not look after his locks, his locks became matted, with a reddish colour. During the time of samudhra mathanam [churning of the ocean to get nectar to enable celestial entities fit to fight with monsters], initially a concentrated form of poison came out. Just as it has been mentioned in ”nArAyaNAgyayA thEna neelakaNtathvam ApnuyAth” [on the orders of SrIman nArAyaNa, rudhra consumed that and had his throat become darkened], emperumAn told rudhra “Consume this”; since he was meditating on garuda at the time of consuming it, and since he had the rays of chandhra on his head [rays of chandhra are like amrutham, nectar], the poison stayed in rudhra’s throat, making it appear black.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says that rudhra is famously known as “gangAdharan, neelakaNtan” (one who has gangA on his head, one who has black throat). It is pertinent here to recall thiruchchandha viruththam 103 “salam kalandha senjadaik kaRuththa kaNdan” (rudhra has reddish matted locks, being together with waters of gangA; he has black throat). With brahma bhAvanai (thoughts about emperumAn and devotion towards him) coming to the fore, when brahmA washed the divine feet of emperumAn [during thrivikramAvathAram] with water, since rudhra was having karma bhAvanai [thoughts of deeds] to the fore, he took it on his head, without any devotion. Hence, the verse says nIrERu senjadai. nAnmugan thiruvandhAdhi 9 says “senni mEl ERak kazhuvinAn” (rudhra cleansed his head with the water from emperumAn’s divine feet).
nAnmuganum – brahmA has many faces in order to praise emperumAn.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that nAnmugan was praising emperumAn with all his four tongues, the auspicious qualities of emperumAn, until the tongues scarred.
muRaiyAl sIrERu vAsagam seyya ninRa – with devotion towards emperumAn gaining predominance, realising that emperumAn was SEshi [lord} and that they are SEsha [servitors], they praised emperumAn regarding his auspicious qualities.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says, for the term ninRa thirumAlai – since brahmA worshipped emperumAn with brahma bhAvanai, by washing his divine feet with water and since rudhra took that water on his head, the qualities of servitude would appear in their hearts. ninRa – they are not like nammAzhwAr, who told emperumAn, as in thiruviruththam 1 “ninRU kEttaruLAy” (You should mercifully be present and listen to my appeal). They praise emperumAn for their own benefits. thirumAlai – It is acceptable to mention the first term of the first line of dhvaya mahAmanthram where it is mentioned that pirAtti is forever with emperumAn [SrIman] without mentioning the other words, in public [it is said by our preceptors that the meaning of thirumanthram should not be spoken openly [to be shared with all] and that the words of dhvaya mahAmanthram should not be spoken openly. These were guarded as secrets]. Even the first word of dhvaya mahAmanthram could be uttered openly only to create knowledge about emperumAn. nAdudhirEl – if you are looking for him, for your ulterior benefit …
thirumAlai nAdudhirEl – If you are searching for that SrIya:pathi [consort of SrI mahAlakshmi], who grants the wishes of those who pray to him, to look at them together …
vArERu kongai uruppiNiyai – Considering “These are enjoyable for krishNa; others should not look at them”, and as mentioned in nAchchiyAr thirumozhi 12.4 “sengachchukkoNdu kaNNAdai Arththu” (covering the bosoms with good bodice), rukmiNip pirAtti had covered her bosoms with bodice.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that after rukmarAjA [father of rukmiNip pirAtti] through words and mind, had assured SiSupAlan that he would give his daughter, rukmiNip pirAtti in marriage to him, before the full activities for the marriage were underway, in line with rukmiNip pirAtti’s request, krishNa blew his pAnchajanyam, announcing his arrival to her as well as giving her life. In the midst of the kings who had arranged for the marriage, while SiSupAlan was looking up, with the pride of holding her hand, when she was not interested in it, considering the union of their hearts [krishNa and rukmiNip pirAtti], krishNa forcefully grabbed her, lifted her on to his chariot and married her such that those who are experts in pramANam [proof] could not say anything. There are people, who had seen this.
valiyap pidiththuk koNdu thErERRi – after convincing all the relatives that he was apt to marry rukmiNip pirAtti, SiSupAlan was readying himself to hold her hands as mentioned in nAchchiyAr thirumozhi 11.9 “kaNNAlam kOdiththu” (carrying out all the arrangements for the marriage). Even as he was looking at the sky, with pride, to make him feel ashamed, considering the union of their hearts as the reason, krishNa forcefully took her hand and lifted her on his chariot.
sEnai naduvu pOr seyya – rukman, the elder brother of rukmiNip pirAtti, unable to tolerate this insult, along with many kings [who had come to attend the marriage], surrounded krishNa’s chariot such that they [krishNa and rukmiNip pirAtti] could not go further. Standing amidst them, krishNa fought with them.
chikkenak kaNdAr uLar – There are many who saw that sight of his wedding and his valour.
We shall next consider the 6th pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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