SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: Sri varavaramunayE nama:
periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Fourth Centum >> Ninth decad
avathArikai
AzhwAr says in this pAsuram that SrIrangam is the divine abode where emperumAn, taking dhaSAvathAram (ten incarnations), protects the world.
In the svApadhESam, it is said that AzhwAr is enjoying the ten incarnations of emperumAn.
dhEvudaiya mInamAy AmaiyAy EnamAy ariyAyk kuRaLAy
mUvuruvil irAmanAyk kaNNanAy kaRkiyAy mudippAn kOyil
sEvalodu pedai annam sengamala malarERi UsalAdip
pUvaNai mEl thudhaindhezhu sembodi Adi viLaiyAdum punal arangamE
Word-by-word meanings
sEvalodu – along with male swan
pedai annam – the female swan
sem kamalam malar – on top of reddish lotus flower
ERi – climbing
Usal Adi – swaying, after moving it
pU aNai mEl – on the mattress of [lotus] flower
thudhaindhu – fighting with each other (hence)
ezhu – spreading
sem podi – in the pollen grains, which are like a reddish powder
Adi – immersing
viLaiyAdum – playing
punal – having abundance of water bodies
arangam – SrIrangam
dhEvu udaiya – having radiance
mInam Ay – as a fish
Amai Ay – as a tortoise too
Enam Ay – as a wild boar too
ari Ay – as a lion-human combination too
kuRaL Ay – as vAmana [dwarf] too
mU uruvil irAman Ay – as paraSurAma, as SrI rAma, as balarAma too
kaNNan Ay – as SrI KrishNa too
kaRki Ay – as kalki (incarnating) too
mudippAn – one who annihilated the clans of monsters and demons
kO – for emperumAn
il – it is the divine dwelling place
Simple Translation
SrIrangam has abundance of water bodies, in which a female swan, along with its male swan, is climbing onto reddish lotus flower. Inside that flower, which is like a mattress, the swans are engaging in friendly fights, due to which pollen grains from the flower are rising and spreading, like reddish powder. The big temple inside SrIrangam, is the divine dwelling place for emperumAn, who incarnated as mathsya [fish], as tortoise, as wild boar, as narasimha [torso of human and head of lion], as vAmana [dwarf], as paraSurAma, as SrI rAma, as balarAma, as SrI krishNa and as kalki, annihilating the monsters and demons.
vyAkhyAnam
dhEvudaiya – having radiance; this [radiance] is common to all the incarnations. Since the birth of chEthanas [entities, with ability to think] results from past deeds and is meant for their experience, as they keep taking birth, their radiance will keep getting decreased; on the other hand, since emperumAn’s incarnation happen due to his desire, and is meant for the sake of others, with each incarnation, his radiance will keep growing. thiruvAimozhi 1.3.2 “pala piRappAy oLi varum” (emperumAn appears in different incarnations, with radiance) reflects this. yajur AraNyakam says “sa u SrEyAn bhavathi jAyamAna:” (he himself incarnates, with distinction). Through the syllable u [called as avadhAraNam or exclusivity], this distinguishes him from chEthanas.
In the svApadhESam, it is mentioned that emperumAn incarnated with distinguished qualities, with the aim of protecting his followers from dangers, drying up the waters of deluge [as mathsya, fish], bearing the world [as kUrmam, tortoise], digging out the earth from deluge [as varAha, great boar], manifesting himself when his follower pointed out to him [as narasimha, half-lion, half-human], taking alms to get back his possession [as vAmana, dwarf], annihilating the clan of warriors [as paraSurAma], burning lankA [as SrI rAma], supporting krishNa [as balarAma], being the charioteer for pANdavas [as krishNa] and destroying the worlds [as kalki]. To ensure that those who came after those incarnations did not lose, he has come to SrIrangam to dwell here forever.
mInamAy – incarnated as a fish, as mentioned in periya thirumozhi 8.8.1 “vAnOraLavum mudhu munnIr vaLarndha kAlam – vandhu uyyakkoNda” (bhagavAn came and incarnated as strong bodied mathsya (fish) when the ancient, ocean water rose up to the land of the celestial beings)
AmaiyAy – during the time when he undertook a task for the benefit of celestial entities [to give them nectar such that they could fight with the monsters and demons], he supported the manthara mountain, when the mountain was lowered in milky ocean as a churning staff, by remaining as a tortoise, under the mountain.
EnamAy – when earth was immersed in the waters of deluge, he lifted her from the walls of the universe, with a suitable form of wild boar.
ariyAy – In order to annihilate the monster hiraNya kashyap, who had taken a boon “I shall not be killed by any of the four species of celestials, humans, animals and plants”, he incarnated as narasimha [head of lion with the physical form of a human being].
kuRaLAy – as vAmana [a dwarf] appropriate to recover the worlds lost by indhra, from mahAbali and to return to indhra.
mUvuruvil irAmanAy – this refers to his incarnation as paraSurAma, to kill wicked regal kings [for twenty-one generations], as SrI rAma, the son of dhaSaratha chakravarthi, to kill demon rAvaNa and as balarAma, to kill warriors who behaved like monsters. Among these three, the incarnation mentioned in the middle [of SrI rAma] is important. Here, emperumAn incarnated with his svarUpam [basic nature] while the first and last were AvESAvathArams [where he had given his power to an AthmA, for fulfilling a purpose]. What is the reason for combining these secondary incarnations with the primary incarnation? This is due to the distinction of svarUpAvESam [emperumAn entering with his svarUpam]. Among these, since paraSurAma avathAram was one in which emperumAn entered a jIvAthmA who had high level of ahankAram [egoistic], he is not worshipped by mumukshus [those who are interested in reaching mOksham]. On the other hand, in the case of balarAmAvathAram, the person, on whom emperumAn entered, was without any ahankAram. Also, since he was very much desired by emperumAn, this incarnation is acceptable to followers, similar to the other distinct incarnations [such as SrI rAma, krishNa et al]. Why did AzhwAr mercifully mention about an incarnation which is not considered apt to be followed? Since AzhwAr was going to mention the ten incarnations, and since the annihilation of enemies of followers was dear to him [in paraSurAma avathAram], he mentioned mercifully about this incarnation too. He is going to say, as in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 5.4.6 “mannadanga mazhu valam kaikkoNda irAma nambI!” (Oh, one who incarnated as paraSurAma, with completeness of auspicious qualities, holding the divine axe in your divine right hand, in order to annihilate the evil kings such that they disappeared without a trace!)
kaNNanAy – as krishNa, in order to reduce the burden on earth
kaRkiyAy – as kalki, in order to kill those who were wicked and with blemishes, during the time of kali [present epoch]
mudippAn – thus, incarnating like these, in order to bring to an end, evil and wicked people.
kOyil – even after the time of incarnation, one who came and is residing forever, in order to protect those who came subsequent to the time of incarnation
sEval … – a female swan, with its beloved male swan, climbed onto a reddish lotus flower, engaging in its activities with the male; it shook the flower.
pUvaNai … – after uniting with the male on the mattress of the flower, it immersed in the reddish pollens which came from the flower, as a reddish powder. SrIrangam has abundance of water bodies, in which such playful activities were going on.
The svApadhESam says in the end, the following: through this, it is shown that being capable of taking the essence [swans are capable of separating water from milk and consume only milk], having noble qualities [this refers to swans being white in colour], AchAryas and Sishyas [male and female swans] will live with devotion [this refers to the red coloured pollen grains which come out when the swans are engaging with each other, with red being the colour of devotion], living in the divine abode.
We shall next consider the 10th pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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