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periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Fifth Centum >> First decad
avathArikai
In the previous pAsuram, AzhwAr had manifested his ananyaprayOjanathvan (the quality of not desiring any benefit other than emperumAn) through the verse “punmaiyAl unnaip puLLuvam pEsip pugazhvAn anRu kaNdAy”’. Through this [4th] and next [5th] pAsuram, AzhwAr mercifully explains this. In the previous pAsuram, prApthi [refuge] and rakshakathvam [being protected] were mentioned [by mentioning about kOyilil vAzhum vaittaNavan, AzhwAr had explained his prApthi; through OvAdhE namO nAraNA enban, he had explained about emperumAn’s rakshakathvam]. This pAsuram mentions ananyaprayOjanathvam [not desiring other benefits].
nedumaiyAl ulagu Ezhum aLandhAy ninmalA! nediyAy adiyEnaik
kudimai koLvadhaRku aiyuRavENdA kURai sORu ivai vENduvadhillai
adimai ennum akkOyinmaiyAlE angangE avai pOdharum kaNdAy
kodumaik kanjanaik konRu nin thAdhai kOththa van thaLai kOL viduththAnE!
Word-by-Word Meanings
nedumailyAl – through incarnation as thrivikrama
ulagu Ezhum – all the worlds
aLandhAy – as one who had measured with divine feet
ninmalA – as one who is pure
nediyAy – as sarvAdhikan [the controller of all]
kodumai – one, who carried out cruel karmas [deeds]
kanjanai – kamsan
konRu – killed
nin thAdhai – your father, SrI vasudhEvar’s
kOththa – connected to his feet
van – strong
thaLai – lock of the chain
viduththAnE – oh, one who snapped it!
adiyEnai – me, your servitor
kudimai koLvadhaRku – to make as a servitor
aiyuRa vENdA – do not have any doubt
kURai sORu ivai – requirements such as dress, food
vENduvadhu illai – I do not desire to get from you
adimai ennum – being called as ‘dhAsyam’ (servitude)
akkOyinmaiyAlE – since I enter that regal clan
avai – that dress and food
angu angE – in those births
pOdharum kaNdAy – will come, you would see
Simple Translation
Oh, one who measured all the worlds as thrivikrama, with your divine feet and one, who is pure! After killing kamsan, who indulged in cruel deeds, oh, one who had snapped the strong lock which had been applied on the chain, which was used to bind the legs of your father SrI vasudhEvar! Do not have any doubt about making me as your servitor. I do not desire for dress and food, from you. Since I am going to enter the regal clan of “servitude” the dress and food [mentioned earlier], would come in those births.
vyAkhyAnam
nedumaiyAl ulagEzhum aLandhAy – while seeking, emperumAn went with a short form, while for measuring, he increased his form substantially. thiruppAvai 3 says “Ongi ulagalandha” (the one, who grew tall and measured all the worlds). He is said to have a divine form which is unique; it was that divine form which he transformed; [normally] he gives to his followers all the time with his divine hands; [but, as the dwarf, vAmana] he took, with those divine hands. It was not with lengthened divine feet that he measured; it was with greatness [the word nedumai has several meanings such as height, length, extension, greatness etc].
In the svApadhESam, it is mentioned as follows: Oh, one who transformed your divine form, which does not change, to make it beyond estimation of anyone and pervaded all the worlds, measuring them!
ninmalA – Since this was done for the benefit of others, the two defects mentioned earlier [changing his form and taking something with his hands from someone, which have only given to others] do not apply for him.
nediyAy – this [increased] form was unapproachable for those who are inimical towards him and easily approachable for those who are his followers. thiruvAimozhi 10.5.9 says “amararkku ariyAnaith thamargatku eLiyAnai” (he is difficult to attain for those, such as brahmA et al, who desire other benefits while he is easy to attain for those who desire to serve him).
adiyEnai – I did not desire the quality of magnanimity, like mahAbali, and neither did I desire the three worlds, like indhran. My svarUpam [basic nature] is one of servitude. If you accept that and grant it, it would suffice.
kudimai – to take me as a servitor. You should mercifully accept my servitude, which is in line with my svarUpam. While accepting …
aiyuRa vENdA– you need not suspect any svAthanthryam [that I am independent of you] and svaprayOjanam [that I desire a benefit other than you]. I am ananyaprayOjanan [not desiring any other benefit]. emperumAn tells him “Since you have a physical form, you would need water, food etc to sustain and nourish it.”
kURai sORu vEnduvadhillai – Since I have entered the regal clan [of servitors], I get all my tastes fulfilled in the taste of servitude. One’s sustenance, nourishment etc are based on the svarUpam that one considers to be one’s. Since I am distinct from my physical form, sensory pursuits such as Sabdham etc [sound, feel, vision, taste and smell, which are for aiSvarya kAmar or those who desire wealth] are not my end-goals. Since I am parathanthran [dependent on you], svAnubhavam [kaivalyam or AthmA enjoying itself instead of enjoying emperumAn] is not my end-goal. Since my svarUpam is permanent, the svarUpam will not get destroyed [the philosophy of adhvaithis is negated here]. Since my gyAnam [knowledge] and guNam [qualities of AthmA] are permanent, the qualities will not get destroyed [the philosophy of naiyAyika is negated here]. AzhwAr says that for a SEshabhUthan [servitor], SEshavruththi [engaging with activities of servitude] alone is the ultimate goal. emperumAn says “If that is the case, what should we do for you?” AzhwAr says that emperumAn should remove any attachment towards worldly pursuits and should remove karma, which is the basis for attachment. He gives examples for each of these two hurdles, further.
In the svApadhESam, the following has been mentioned: I do not sustain myself with food, water etc. I sustain myself only through kainkaryam [servitude].
kodumaik kanjanaik konRu – just as you had killed kamsan, who had killed six infants by hitting them against stone, you should kill my attachment towards worldly pursuits.
nin thAdhai – just as you had incarnated in order to sever the chains from the feet of your father, you should remove my karma, which is the bondage with samsAram. Here, the term karma refers to avidhyA [ignorance], karma [past deeds], vAsana [footprints in the mind gathered over countless births], ruchi [taste in worldly pursuits] which are all bound together in our nature. You should sever these from me.
kURai sORu ivai vENduvadhillai – he negates any desire in these. He also negates any expectation from emperumAn regarding these. emperumAn asks him “What is it that you desire?” AzhwAr says that he desires servitude, which is his purushArtham [end-goal or ultimate benefit].
kOyinmai – purushArtham [the ultimate benefit]
anagangE kURai sORu ivai – pOdharum – angangE – in whichever place I am in; in whichever birth I have taken, starting from celestial, human etc species. Since he says adimai – pOdharum it is evident that his kURai, sORu will come from his servitude itself. It is pertinent to recall perumAL thirumozhi 5.9 “ninnaiyE thAn vENdi” (just as wealth will attain a person, even if the person is not interested in it, I will remain desirous of attaining you, even if you disregard me).
We shall next consider the 5th pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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