SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: Sri varavaramunayE nama:
periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Fourth Centum >> Sixth decad
avathArikai
thiruvAimozhip piLLai, in his svApadhESam, says that AzhwAr instructs in this pAsuram that instead of keeping the names of others, with desire, and going to narakam [hell], name your children after one who has sired those who have sired all [emperumAn has sired other deities, who have sired all the others] so that you could avoid being under the control of yama [the lord of righteousness] and later, you could also attain higher level through the path of archis [light].
kAsum kaRaiyudaik kURaiyum angOr kaRRaikkum
AsaiyinAl angu avaththap pEr idum AdhargAL!
kEsavan pErittu neengaL thEniththu iruminO
nAyagan nAraNan tham annai naragam pugAL
Word-by-Word Meanings
kAsu(kku)m – for the sake of money
kaRai udai – having distinct borders in the end
kURaikkum – for the dress
angu – there
Or kaRRaikkum – for a bundle of paddy crop
AsaiyinAl – due to desire
angu – their
avaththam – very lowly
pEr – names
idum – keeping, for your children
AdhargAL – oh, those who are ignorant!
kEsavan – one, who removes the sorrows of his followers
nAyagan – one, who is the lord of all
nAraNan – nArAyaNan’s
pEr – divine names
ittu – keeping for your children
nIngaL – you people
thEniththu irumin – be with a happy frame of mind
tham annai – the mother of that child
(referring to mother here, is representative of the father, too)
naragam pugAL – will not enter hell
Simple Translation
Oh, those who are ignorant, who keep lowly names for your children, with desire, for the sake of some money, some dresses and some bundles of paddy crops! Keep the name of kESavan, who removes the sorrows of his followers, who is the lord of all, and who is nArAyaNan, and remain with a happy frame of mind. The mother of the child will not enter narakam [hell].
vyAkhyAnam
kASu … – The reason for keeping names of others [than emperumAn’s] is not because it is the name of a person, who they desire and which is a benefit by itself. It is not getting benefit of adhrishtam [unseen entities too, reaching other worlds]. It is due to the desire of attaining some benefits which are seen. Their [those, who keep the names of others] greed is such that for a few coins of money, for a few good dresses such as having good border on the ends of the dresses and for a bundle of foodgrains, whether their desire would get fulfilled or not …
angu avaththap pEr idum AdhargAL – Oh, those who are ignorant, who keep the lowly names of people, who are from samsAram! The term angu refers to the lowliness of matters which they consider as benefits. The term avaththap pEr conveys the meaning that even though the people [whose names are being chosen for the children] are lowly, if their names are distinguished, that would be acceptable. But even their names are lowly. AdhargAL – those who are blind and who are without any knowledge.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that if the term angavaththappEr is considered as a single term, it will refer to a very wicked name. If the term is separated as angu and avaththam, angu will refer to those, who give lowly materials, and the term avaththam will refer to the name, which even those, who live in such places, will feel shy to call.
kEsavan pEr ittu – harivamSam 3.131.4 says “ka ithi brahmaNO nAma ISOham sarvadhEhinAm -AvAm thavAngESam bhUthau thasmAdh kESava nAmavAn” ((rudhran says) brahmA is referred to by the term ka. I am ISan (the controller) of all the created entities. Both of us were formed from your highness’ divine form; hence, your highness is called as kESavan. Thus, Siva told perumAL). Thus, calling your child by the divine name of kESava, which refers to one who is the causative entity for all, one who removes the grief of all, as mentioned in “kESava: klESa nASana:” (kESavan is one, who removes others’ grief) …
neengaL thEniththu iruminO – you remain happy, by being affectionate towards your child. thEniththu irukkai – being dear to someone.
nAyagan nAraNan – the term nAyagan refers to being one, who is the lord for all. The term nAraNan refers to one who has all the auspicious qualities. Thus, he is one, who has the relationship and the auspicious qualities to protect the followers.
thammannai – one, who is the mother. It is similar to saying thamappan – (tham + appan, one’s father).
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says additionally here that, alternatively, the term thammannai would refer to all those, who live in the residence where the child named after nArAyaNan lives, thus confirming that none of the people, who call that child with the name of nArAyaNan, will come under the control of yama. The term is to be considered to have been mentioned in the plural number. Since the name kESavan will extend up to nArAyaNan [all the names will extend up to the name, nArAyaNan], this could also be assumed that AzhwAr is speaking to mAdhargAL [oh, women!], just like nangaigAL [oh, women, with completeness of qualities!]
naragam pugAL – When the name of the son is “nArAyaNan”, how will the mother come under the control of yama! Is it for going under the control of yama, that the son was sired and named as “nArAyaNan”! Since the pain of siring the child and affection towards the child is more for the mother, she is being indicated here as the primary beneficiary. This benefit will accrue to the father and others too, who have affection towards the child [and call him by that divine name).
We shall next consider the 2nd pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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