SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
periya thirumozhi >> Ninth centum >> Sixth decad
Highlights from avathArikai (Introduction)
No specific introduction.
pAsuram
akkum puliyin adhaLum udaiyAr avar oruvar
pakkam niRka ninRa paNbar Ur pOlum
thakka maraththin thAzh sinai ERith thAy vAyil
kokkin piLLai veLLiRa uNNum kuRungudiyE
Word-by-Word meanings
kokkin piLLai – a crane chick
thakka – able to climb (by it)
maraththin – tree’s
thAzh sinai – on the lower branch
ERi – climbing
thAy vAyil – present in the mother’s mouth
veLLiRa – the fish named “veLLiRA” [white prawn]
uNNum – eating
kuRungudiyE – the dhivyadhESam known as thirukkuRungudi
akkum – bones
puliyin – tiger’s
adhaLum – skin
udaiyAr – one who is wearing
avar oruvar – someone named rudhran
pakkam – on one side [of his body]
niRka – to remain
ninRa – mercifully present in standing posture
paNbar – emperumAn who is having qualities such as Seelam (simplicity) etc, his
Ur pOlum – is the divine abode.
Simple translation
The dhivyadhESam named thirukkuRungudi is the place where the crane chick climbs on a tree which is appropriate for it, on a low-lying branch, and eats white prawn from its mother’s mouth; this is the abode of emperumAn who is having qualities such as Seelam (simplicity) etc to have someone named rudhran who is wearing bones and tiger’s skin, on one side of his divine body and is mercifully present in a divine standing posture.
Highlights from vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
akkum … – AzhwAr is saying “There is none who is not wanted by bhagavAn”. One who is presenting himself even to those who consider themselves to be the lord. Should we even talk about him presenting himself to us who approach him favourably? There is no end to the forbidden items which are carried by him [rudhran] such as bones, tiger skin, erukkam pU (crown flower), ashes etc, instead of coming with favourable signs as said in thiruppaLLiyezhuchchi 10 “thodai oththa thuLavamum kUdaiyum polindhu” (manifesting the shining shoulders which carry the flower-basket that contains properly prepared thiruththuzhAi (thuLasi) garlands).
avar oruvar – Though bhagavAn cannot avoid anyone, since AzhwAr has no interest in him [rudhran], he turns away and says it without any interest.
pakkam niRka ninRa – bhagavAn is mercifully standing with rudhran on one side and not stopping with that, he is having simplicity to call out for even lowlier people. The abode of such emperumAn.
thakka … – The nature of the one who is standing there, is present in the immovable entities there as well.
thakka maraththin – It is well-known that bhattar mercifully explained this as “Instead of being a thorny tree, the trees there are easily climbable even for crawling children”. Alternative explanation – some explain this as in the tree which is having the same name as the crane since it is said as “kokkin piLLai“; mango is also known as kokku in thamizh as seen in periya thirumozhi 5.2.6 “kokkin pazham vIzh kUdalUrE” (thirukkUdalUr where mango fruits are falling); climbing on the apt tree, on the low-lying branch.
thAy vAy … – The crane chick will eat the whie prawn from the mother crane’s mouth. The mother crane will bring such small fish which will be easily consumable by the crane chick. The crane chick will eat them properly. As the mother brings and feeds them, the baby will survive. Thus, the abode where the rakshya-rakshaka bhAvam (the protected-protector relationship] thrives on properly. The abode of the one who is SeelavAn (simple). Azhwar is saying even the trees of the dhivyadhESam have his nature [being simple].
In the next article we will enjoy the next pAsuram.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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