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periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Fourth Centum >> Seventh decad
avathArikai
There is no specific avathArikai for this pAsuram.
mUnRezhuththu adhanai mUnRezhuththu adhanAl mUnRezhuththAkki mUnRezhuththai
EnRu koNdiruppArkku irakkam nangudaiya em purudOththaman irukkai
mUnRadi nimirndhu mUnRinil thOnRi mUnRinil mUnRuvAnAn
kAn thadam pozhil sUzh gangaiyin karai mEl kaNdam ennum kadi nagarE
Word-by-Word Meanings
kAn – with fragrance blowing
thada – huge
pozhil – with gardens
sUzh – surrounded
gangaiyin karai mEl – on the banks of river gangA
kaNdam ennum kadi nagar – divine abode, called as kaNdam
mUnRu adi nimirndhu – nurturing thirumanthram as three words
mUnRinil – in those three words
thOnRi – creating AkAra thrayam (three aspects)
(AkArAthrayam – three aspects of ananyArha SEshathvam [being an exclusive servitor], ananya SaraNathvam [taking refuge only under emperumAn] and ananya bhOgyathvam [being an enjoyable entity only for emperumAn])
mUnRinil – as a counterpart to the three aspects of chEthanan [one, with thinking power]
mUnRu uru AnAn – having the three aspects of being SEshi [lord], SaraNyan [refuge] and
prApyam [goal]
mUnRu ezhuththu adhanai – the three letters [syllables] of a, u and ma
mUnRu ezhuththu adhanAl – with niruktham [text, one of the six limbs of vEdham], which has
three syllables
mUnRu ezhuththu Akki – separating them as three letters, which are the meanings of three
letters
mUnRu ezuththai – those three letters
EnRu koNdu iruppArkku – for those, who hold them in their hearts as “Our refuge”
nangu irakkam udaiya – having the compassion of thinking that they are for his benefit
em – our
purudOththaman – for purushOththaman
irukkai – is the divine abode
Simple Translation
purushOththaman, emperumAn, nurtured praNavam to three words. In these three words, he created three aspects of chEthanas, namely ananya SEshathvam, ananya SaraNathvam and ananyArha bhOgyathvam. He made himself as the counterpart for those three aspects, having the qualities of SEshi, SaraNyan and bhOgyan. He separated thirumanthram into three syllables, using the text niruktham, which is one of the limbs of vEdham, and which is composed of three syllables, into three letters, which are the meanings for the syllables. For those, who consider those three letters as “Our refuge”, emperumAn has the compassion of carrying out benefit, as if doing that for himself. For such emperumAn, kaNdam, the distinguished abode, located on the bank of river gangA, and surrounded by fragrant gardens, is the dwelling abode.
vyAkhyAnam
mUnRezhuththu adhanai – Just as it has been mentioned in atharvaNa vEdham gObrAhmaNam pUrvabhAgam “bhUrithi rigvEdhAdhajAyatha” (syllables bhU:. bhUva: and suva: came out of vEdhams), emperumAn created distinguished words from vEdhams, thus bringing out the three most sacred, distinguished syllables; through his vow, just as molten gold runs, from those three distinguished syllables, he created the single syllable Om [praNavam] through samhithAkAram [when the syllables are in combined state], which is a combination of the three syllables. The term adhanai has been used, in order to bring out the reverence for the syllable Om. manu smirithi 11.265 says “adhyanthu thraiyaksharam brahma thrayI yasmin prathishtithA l sa guhyO’nyasthrivruthvEdhOyastham vEdhasa vEdhavith ll” (the three lettered vEdham [praNavam] is at the beginning of all the vEdhams. All the essential meanings of all the vEdhams are contained within that syllable. This praNavam, composed of those three syllables, is distinct from all the vEdhams. One who knows this praNavam is considered to have known vEdhas). This is the eminence of praNavam.
mUnRezhuththu adhanAl – through niruktham (one of the six auxiliaries of vEdhams) which is the cause for explanation or etymological interpretation of any word, and which is composed of three syllables [ni, ruk and tha or tham]
mUnRezhuththAkki – during the time when meanings are assigned to syllables, assigning meanings to the syllables, through niruktham, that which is seen as three syllables and three meanings, during the time of asamhithA kAlam [when the syllables are in individual states]. praNavam, during samhithA kAlam [time when syllables are combined state], just as it has been mentioned in narAyANOpanishadh “OmithyEkAksharam” (the syllable Om is considered as single syllable) is a single syllable, with a single word [here, Om functions both as syllable and as word], reflecting a single meaning [that jIvAthmA is a servitor for emperumAn alone] gets transformed, during asamhithA kAlam into three syllables [a, u and ma], with three words [each of these syllables represents a word] and having three meanings [with a representing emperumAn, who is the causative factor for all, ma representing jIvAthmA, having knowledgeand u representing the connection between the two, conveying the meaning that the jivAthmA is totally subservient to paramAthmA [emperumAn], carrying out servitude to paramAthmA.
mUnRezhuththai EnRukoNdiruppArkku – for those who keep those three words in their hearts, considering “These are acceptable to us since they reflect the meanings which are our refuge”. In other words, the first syllable ‘a’, through its svarUpam [basic nature] says that emperumAn is kAraNam [the causative entity for all; just as ‘a’ is the first syllable for all the letters, nArAyaNa, who is the meaning for ‘a’ [and hence, for all the letters and words] is the cause for all]. Through dhAthunishpaNNa rUpam [manifesting, through the root] ‘a’ shows emperumAn’s rakshakathvam [that he is the protector; the root meaning for ‘a’ is avarakshaNE, one who protects; since ‘a’ stands for nArAyaNa, it is he who is the protector for all]. Through prathyayavEshENa [prathyayam refers to the hidden case, Aya, over the syllable ‘a’; prathyayavEshENa refers to its manifestation on account of the prathyayam], it refers to emperumAn’s SEshithvam [that he is the lord and we are his servitors]. Thus, the syllable ‘a’ stands for emperumAn having the kAraNathvam, rakshakathvam and SEshithvam. Since pirAtti has to be present when emperumAn is rakshakan [through her quality of purushakArabhUthai, one who has to recommend to emperumAn for protecting and uplifting the jIvAthmA] through the meaning for ‘a’, it is also established that emperumAn is SrIya:pathi. The third syllable ‘ma’ indicates jIvAthmA, reflecting the meaning that the jIvAthmA is a servitor to paramAthmA. The second syllable, ‘u’ reflects affirmation that the jIvAthmA is a servitor to paramAthmA; in other words, it says explicitly that the jIvAthmA is a servitor only to paramAthmA and to no one else; this is termed as ananyArha SEshathvam. The third syllable ‘ma’ reflects knowledge, through its root managyAnE [‘ma’ stands for knowledge; while both chith (one, with knowledge) and achith (one, without knowledge) are servitors of paramAthmA, since ‘ma’ stands for knowledge, the entity referred to by ‘ma’ in praNavam is chith only]. Thus, ‘ma’ refers to AthmA, who is distinct from achith and is also totally subservient to paramAthmA. This AthmA is the repository for ananyArha SEshathvam. Thus, the syllable ’ma’ indicates that AthmA is different from the physical form [within which he resides], he is full of knowledge, he carries out total subservience to emperumAn alone. Through all these, it is clear that one should know that aksharathrayam [the three syllables of a, u and ma] reflect the meanings which are refuge for us and keep these in the heart. For those, who are like this …
thiruvAimozhip piLLai, in his svApadhESam, says that for those, who have accepted emperumAn, who is represented by the syllable ‘a’, in their hearts
irakkam nangudaiya em purudOththaman irukkai – it [kaNdam] is the abode for emperumAn, who is my lord, and who showers his mercy on these people [as seen in the previous verse], treating that as his benefit.
mUnRadi nimirththu – praNavam is at the beginning of thirumanthram [which is composed of the three words], as mentioned in “OmithyagrEvyAharEth”. emperumAn expanded this praNavam, along with the other two terms of nama: and nArAyaNAya, into the full thirumanthram.
mUnRinil thOnRi – Through those three terms, emperumAn manifested AthmA’s aspects of ananyArha SEshathvam [through praNavam], ananya SaraNathvam [through the middle term, nama:] and ananya bhOgyathvam [through the third term, nArAyaNAya].
mUnRinil mUnRu uruvAnAn – in order to receive these aspects from AthmA, emperumAn created three aspects in him, becoming SEshi [to receive servitude from AthmA], SaraNyan [to be the refuge for AthmA] and prApyam [to be the ultimate goal for AthmA]. Thus, he made thirumanthram as three terms, he created three aspects in AthmA and the corresponding three aspects in himself to accept the three aspects of AthmA. On account of all these, AzhwAr mercifully attributes these qualities to emperumAn.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that this could also be interpreted as follows: more than creating three aspects within himself to accept the three aspects of the AthmA, emperumAn became three forms through his svarUpam of eminence, simplicity and divine physical form [these are termed as parathvam, saulabhyam and saundharyam respectively]. More than his eminence, his quality of simplicity is more distinguished, as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 2.7.4 “dhEvum thannaiyum” (manifesting his qualities of supremacy and special aspect of simplicity), thus bringing out the svarUpam which is most distinguished among the three auspicious qualities which he manifests towards chEthanas (those, with thinking power).
kAn thadam pozhil sUzh gangaiyin karai mEl – the term kAn refers to fragrance. The term thadam refers to eminence. Thus, located on the bank of river gangA, and being surrounded by gardens which have eminent fragrance …
thiruvAimozhip piLLai says here that the term kAn refers to stream which is present at the mouth of the ocean’s shore.
kaNdam ennum kadi nagarE – it is the distinguished abode, named as kaNdam.
We shall next consider the last pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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