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periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Fourth Centum >> Ninth decad
avathArikai
AzhwAr says that even if periya pirAttiyAr herself, who is the purushakArabhUthai [one who recommends jIvAthmAs to emperumAn to accept them] complains about fault in perumAL’s servitor, periya perumAL will counter her and protect his follower. When perumAL is like this, AzhwAr asks whether anyone could be a servitor to anyone else
thannadiyAr thiRaththagaththuth thAmaraiyAL Agilum sidhagu uraikkumEl
ennadiyAr adhu seyyAr seydhArEl nanRu seydhAr enbar pOlum
mannudaiya vibIdaNaRkAy madhil ilangaith thisai nOkki malarkkan vaiththa
ennudaiya thiruvarangaRku anRiyum maRRoruvarkku ALAvarE
Word-by-word meanings
thAmaraiyAL Agilum – even if it is pirAttiyAr, who is purushakArabhUthai
than adiyAr thiRaththagaththu – in the matter regarding self’s servitor [self – emperumAn]
sidhagu – their faults
uraikkum El – if she starts counting
en adiyAr – those who are my servitors
adhu – those faults, which are such that one would feel shy to name them
seyyAr – will not do
seydhAr El – [owing to carelessness, with the thought that emperumAn will put up with them)
even if they do
nanRu seydhAr – those acts are good only (they are enjoyable for me)
enbar pOlum – speaking a few indifferent words like that, countering her
man udaiya – having wealth
vibIdaNaRkAy – for the sake of SrI vibhIshaNAzhwAn
madhiL – having fortified walls
ilangai dhisai nOkki – looking in the direction of lankA
malarkkaN vaiththa – one who is reclining, with cool eyes
ennudaiya – one, who is my lord
thiru arangarkku anRiyum – apart from periya perumAL
maRRu oruvarkku – for anyone else
ALAvarE – will people carry out servitude?
Simple Translation
Even if periya pirAttiyAr herself, who recommends jIvAthmAs to periya perumAL for accepting them, were to speak about the faults of emperumAn’s servitors, emperumAn would counter her, saying that his followers will not indulge in such faults. Even if they carry out such faults, carelessly, thinking that emperumAn would put up with them, that would be good, being enjoyable for him. He would say such indifferent words, countering her. periya perumAL reclines, looking in the [southern] direction of lankA, which has fortified walls, with his cool eyes, for the sake of vibhIshaNa, who has wealth. Will people carry out servitude to anyone else, other than that periya perumAL?
vyAkhyAnam
[Translator’s note: The translation of the vyAkhyANam for this pAsuram is split into two parts, the first part being the translation of maNavALa mAmunigaL’s vyAkhyAnam. The second part will be the translation of thiruvAImozhip piLLai’s svApadhESam]
than adiyAr … – even if periya pirAttiyAr complains about emperumAn’s followers, his response to her would be “Did you mistake a good quality for a fault?” This conveys the overflowing bias which periya perumAL has towards those who have attained him. This mentions about the playful fight which the two of them have about the followers. More than emperumAn’s response of “My followers will not do like that”, it is pirAttiyAr’s words of “mentioning faults” which are apt to be accepted. Words which are spoken for not giving up someone are stronger than the words which are spoken, for taking up someone. The term adiyAr indicates absence of independence. The term than adiyAr indicates absence of dependence on someone else [viz. being dependent only on emperumAn]. The term adiyAr refers to those who have attained emperumAn as the master, as the means and as the benefit. For them, the term adiyAr itself is an identification. It is for the others that they have to identify through their clan, origin etc. Their identification will be based on a reason [of belonging to a specific clan etc] and will be transient while for the followers of emperumAn, the identification will be without a specific reason [being related directly to emperumAn] and will be forever. They will be identified as following such and such branch of vEdham as mentioned in thirumAlai 42 “palasadhuppEdhimAr” (those who are well versed in the four vEdhas), over a long number of births while for the followers, the identification will be as mentioned in “thirunAraNan thoNdar” (servitor of emperumAn). When the union of perumAL and pirAtti together is SEshi [master], should it not be said as tham adiyAr [their follower, instead of than adiyAr, his follower]? Since pirAtti is antharbhUthai of [one, who resides within] emperumAn, his basic nature, divine form, auspicious qualities, wealth etc are identified through her. Since the term adiyAr includes her too, she is a part of the group of jIvAthmAs. Since SrI rAma considers others as his friend, as mentioned in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 18.3 “mithra bhAvEna” (SrI rAma says “I will not abandon anyone who comes with the guise of a friend”) and as mentioned in periya thirumozhi 5.8.1 “ugandha thOzhan” (SrI rAma tells guhan “You are my affectionate friend”), she will not tell him “Our followers”. She too had said, as in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 21.19 “mithram aupayikam” (sIthAp pirAtti tells rAvaNa that it will be apt for him to approach SrI rAma as a friend); due to this too, she will not say “Our followers”. Just as vibhUthi are in plural [nithya vibhUthi and leelA vibhUthi], followers are also in plural, as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 5.1.8 “mElAth thEvargaLum nilath thEvarum” (nithyasUris, who are superior in all manners and followers of emperumAn on earth, who have radiant nature due to their knowledge about emperumAn). It is regarding the followers on earth that pirAtti is finding fault. This is the matter regarding followers who are as mentioned in iraNdAm thiruvandhAdhi 59 “aruL purindha sindhai adiyAr mEl vaiththup poruL therindhu kANguRRa appOdhu iruL thirindhu nOkkinEn ” (Keeping his) divine mind, focussed on mercy, on us, his followers, considering us to be entities, when we weren’t, when emperumAn showered his grace on us, getting rid of the darkness of ignorance, I analysed the nature of jIvAthmA and paramAthmA).
thiRaththagaththu – regarding their [followers’] matter
thAmaraiyAL Agilum – even if she were periya pirAtti. The syllable um [even if] denotes the soft nature of pirAtti, who cannot tolerate separation from those who have attained emperumAn. When such is the case, how could she find fault with followers, after having calling them as followers? Cold water is expected to cool down hot water; could that cold water itself become hot? Hence, is it possible for her to speak about their faults? pirAtti remains on the divine chest of emperumAn, as mentioned in nAchchiyAr thirumozhi 8.4 ”thannAgath thirumangai thangiya sIr mArvarkku” (to the one, who has the distinction of having a divine chest on which pirAtti has mercifully taken residence), and enjoys him only for sustaining herself. During the enjoyment, when she sustains herself, in order to carry out her role of purushakAram [recommendatory role], she has to get clarification. At that time, she has to get rid of the enjoyment. However, how will recommendatory role and enjoyment be together? Just like pirAtti, perumAL too has unlimited affection towards her, as mentioned in thirunedunthANdakam 18 “piththar panimalar mEl pAvaikku” (emperumAn is deeply infatuated with pirAtti, who resides on a lotus flower). The affection which each of them has on the other is known through SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 16.5 “na jIvEyam kshaNamapi” (SrI rAma says that he will not exist even for a moment, without sIthAp pirAtti) and in thiruvAimozhi 6.10.10 “agalagillEn iRaiyum enRu”(pirAtti says that she will not separate from emperumAn even for a moment). Even if emperumAn takes his viSvarUpam [encompassing all the worlds and entities] to enjoy her, she will control him through her auspicious qualities, her divine form and her activities. When emperumAn tells her “As an outlet for this enjoyment, what shall I do for you?” being unable to sustain himself without granting her whatever she desires, she too, thinking that he will suffer if she does not ask for anything, will tell him “You should put up with the trespasses of jIvAthmAs”. When emperumAn, forgetting his independence, the transgressions of jIvAthmAs and the limits expressed in SAsthrams [sacred texts], tells her “I shall condone their faults”, in order to analyse “Has he condoned them for our sake, for their sake or for the enjoyment with us?” when she starts telling him about their faults, he will tell her “My followers will not do those”. Just as your telling me their faults is not apt, their indulging in faults too is not apt. Even if you say “There is witness for their faults” [vAlmeeki’s SlOkams in SrI rAmAyaNam], they will not do. It is due to your bewilderment.
ennadiyAr adhu seyyAr – Will my followers carry out activities, indulged in by those who are svathanthrars [independent entities] and who are anyaSEshabhUthar [servitors to other entities]? If you still insist that they have done it, they are my followers and not yours. You could leave this subject of discussion. Before the followers attain emperumAn, she will plead on their behalf, while after they have attained him, he will plead on their behalf. emperumAn does not even want to mention the kind of faults which his followers have indulged in, naming them instead as “adhu”, just as it has been mentioned in nAchchiyAr thirumozhi 4.7 “anRu innAdhana sey sisupAlan” (at an earlier time, when SiSupAlan engaged with abominable activities) [without naming the abominable activities], and just as pirAtti said “sidhagu uraikkum” (she will speak about their faults) [without naming the faults], feeling shy to name the faults.
seydhArEl nanRu seydhAr – if the followers did something, thinking “emperumAn is there; there is an authentic example available to show that he will not punish; he will forgive us”, they have done good only. They did not say “There is nothing called as righteous or unrighteous; there is nothing called as paramapadham”. Did they not indulge in a fault, thinking “emperumAn is there for our carelessness”? In other words, activities such as indulging in riding madal [madal is an activity, in which one person (mostly the male, in some customs, the lady too] rides a horse made of palm leaves, takes a sketch of the beloved and tells all the people in the place that the beloved had not consented to marrying him (or her) and asking the elders in the place to unite them; thirumangai AzhwAr had indulged in this activity], or falling at the feet of kAman [the deity for love] asking for help to unite with the beloved [ANdAL had done this] or singing pAsurams such as thiruppAvai 2 ”seyyum kirisaigaL” (indulging in nOnbu, a ritual, to attain emperumAn] etc
enbar – emperumAn thinks that if he were to listen to periya pirAtti, keeping her words in his mind, without saying anything, then she will start heaping more faults on followers. Hence, he will mercifully speak out his mind.
pOlum – Without accepting her charges, he will tell her, with indifference, “It is alright; you may stop”
mannudaiya vibhIdaNarkkAy – AzhwAr sets out to prove the meanings given earlier. For vibhIshaNa, who is without any change in his wealth [wealth of servitude] [When sugrIva mahArAja went to wrestle with rAvaNa, seeing him from a distance, he seized all the crowns from rAvaNa’s ten heads, returned to SrI rAma, proffered them at his divine feet and stood behind. When SrI rAma queried him as to what it was, sugrIva told him that if he had brought the heads themselves, he would have stood in front of SrI rAma, but since it was only the crowns, out of shame, he had stood back. SrI rAma chided him for his impulsive action and told him that his [SrIrAma’s] victory over rAvaNa and redeeming sIthAp pirAtti would have been wasted if something had happened to sugrIva. Thus, SrI rAma was willing to give up even pirAtti, for sugrIva. He gave up such sugrIva when sugrIva said that vibhIshaNa should not be accepted, when vibhIshaNa came from rAvaNa’s court, to surrender to SrI rAma]. SrI rAma showed bias towards vibhIshaNa as mentioned in periya thirumozhi 6.8.5 “vibhIdaNaRku vERAga nallAnai” (SrI rAma has affection towards SrI vibhIshaNAzhwAn, in a distinguished manner). Thus, emperumAn will only listen to songs [words] of those who unite him with his followers and not those who separate him from his followers. He considered both the opinions of mahArAja who had said that “vibhIshaNa has faults” and those of thiruvadi [hanuman] and iLaiya perumAL [lakshmaNa], who had said that “vibhIshaNa does not have faults” as pUrvapaksha [those who raise objections] and said, as his opinion “He has faults, yet I will accept his surrender”. mahArAja’s words are considered as sidhagu uraikkum [stating faults]; thiruvadi’s and iLaiya perumAL’s words are considered as “ennadiyAr adhu seyyAr” [my followers will not do that]. sidhagu uraikkai [mentioning faults] is the activity of purushakAram [pirAtti]; adiyAr adhu seyyAr is the activity of the one who seeks refuge [vibhIshaNa]; nanRu seydhAr [they did the correct activity] is the activity of the one who grants refuge [emperumAn].
madhiL ilangai dhisai nOkki – he rests, constantly looking at vibhIshaNa, lankA, the fortified walls [of lankA] and that direction.
malarkkaN – the divine eyes of periya perumAL will blossom upon seeing follower. malarkkaN – the divine eyes blossomed upon seeing thiruppANAzhwAr, as mentioned in amalanAdhipirAn 8 “kariyavAgip pudai parandhu miLirndhu sevvari Odi nINda” (the divine eyes of periya perumAL, which are black, expansive, splendorous, with reddish lines, extended (till the ears)).
ennudaiya thiruvarangarkku – losing out to this activity [of emperumAn accepting SrI vibhIshaNAzhwAn], AzhwAr accedes defeat and gives in writing that he is his servitor.
maRRoruvarkku ALAvArE – will people be servitors to anyone other than periya perumAL,as mentioned in amalanAdhipirAn 10 “maRRonRinaik kANA” (my eyes will not see anyone other than periya perumAL, including paramapadhanAthan]. Thus, periya pirAtti, who listed faults, and periya perumAL, who pleaded saying that the followers did the right activity, were together as mother and father, as mentioned in thirumAlai 37 “anRE thandhaiyum thAyum AvAr” (periya perumAL himself will become the father and mother). The radiant periya perumAL himself, who is resplendent inside the temple at SrIrangam, is the one under whom all will take refuge as servitors.
ALAvArE – it is periya perumAL who will accept followers as servitors, as mentioned in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 4.9.3 “AtkoLvAn amarum Ur aNi arangam” (the one, who is taking me as the servitor, is residing forever at the beautiful SrIrangam) [thus, when he is there, will I go to anyone else?} This is similar to periya thirumozhi 11.8.8 “aNiyAr pozhil sUzh aranga nagar appA” (Oh, one who is like my father, who has mercifully taken residence in SrIrangam, which is surrounded by beautiful gardens! You should mercifully tell me a word now, that you will grant me servitude) [We will be a servitor to only one, who gives us kainkaryam].
We shall next consider the second part of 3rd pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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