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periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Fifth Centum >> First decad
avathArikai
In the earlier pAsuram, AzhwAr had mentioned about sAdhAraNa rakshakathvam (protecting all, as the causative entity) and asAdhAraNa rakshakathvam (distinguished protection, for SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn, cows, herd people et al). In this pAsuram, he prays to emperumAn to mercifully protect him such that in his last days, AzhwAr could recite emperumAn’s divine names; he tells emperumAn that [emperumAn], who is the most trustworthy, should protect him [AzhwAr].
In the svApadhESam, it is mentioned that emperumAn, who is the protector and refuge, should mercifully remove AzhwAr’s enemy which is preventing him from attaining emperumAn.
nambanE navinRU Eththa vallArgaL nAdhanE! narasingam adhAnAy
umbar kOn ulagEzhum aLandhAy Uzhi AyinAy Azhi mun Endhik
kamba mA kari kOL viduththAnE! kAraNA! kadalaik kadaindhAnE!
empirAn! ennai ALudaiththEnE! EzhaiyEn idaraik kaLaiyAyE
Word-by-Word Meanings
nambanE – being trustworthy for all
navinRu – speaking to their mouth’s content
Eththa vallArgaL – for those who are capable of praising
nAdhanE – as their lord
narasingam adhu AnAy – as one, who mercifully incarnated as narasimha
umbar – for nithyasUris
kOn – as controller
ulagu Ezhum – all the worlds
aLandhAy – as one, who had measured
Uzhi – after deluge (to uplift the chEthanas)
AyinAy – as one, who had created the worlds
mun – earlier
Azhi – divine disc
Endhi – holding in your divine hand
mA kambam – trembling to a great extent
kari – SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn’s
kOL – harm, resulting from crocodile
viduththAnE – as one, who had removed
kAraNA – as the protector of all the worlds
kadalaik kadaindhEnE – as one, who had churned kshIrAbdhi [milky ocean]
empirAn – as my benefactor
ennai – me
ALudai – as one, who had made as servitor
thEnE – one, who is enjoyable like honey!
EzhaiyEn – me, who desires [to carry out mangaLASAsanam]
idarai – distress
kaLaiyAy – you should mercifully remove
Simple Translation
You are the most trustworthy for all; you are the lord for all who are capable of praising you, to their satisfaction; you had mercifully incarnated as narasimha; you are the controller of nithyasUris; you had measured all the worlds; you had created all the worlds, after deluge; you had earlier held the divine disc in your divine hand and removed the severe trembling of SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn; you had churned the ocean; you are my benefactor. Oh, one who is like the most enjoyable nectar for me, who you had made as your servitor! You should mercifully remove my distress.
vyAkhyAnam
nambanE – oh, the most trustworthy! I am not my protector, and neither is anyone else. That, which I carry out, considering it to be a benefit form, turns out to be unfavourable for me. Others will look after their own benefits and will not bother about me.
navinReththa vallArgaL nAdhanE – Oh, one who is the lord for those who praise you, with affection! Oh, one who does not let go of them, since they are your possession!
narasingam adhAnAy – this implies that apart from ISvaran [emperumAn], even father will not be a protector. hiraNya kashyap could not tolerate hearing the divine name of one, who is the trustworthy of all, who is the lord, for people to praise him and who is the causative entity for all.
In the svApadhESam, it is mentioned that since hiraNyan could not tolerate hearing the divine names of emperumAn, emperumAn incarnated as narasimha, which was not within the boons which hiraNyan had obtained [hiraNyan had got the boon that he would not be killed by any of the four species of celestial, human, animal and botanical; emperumAn took the form combining human and animal, which was outside the four species]. The term adhu signified beauty of the divine form of narasimha.
navinREththa vallArgaL nAdhanE narasingam adhAnAy – hiraNyan committed offence in the matter regarding emperumAn, who should have been praised and celebrated, as mentioned in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 4.4.9 “nambanai narasinganai navinREththuvArgaLaik kaNdakkAl empirAn thana chinnangaL” (If I see those, who recite the divine names of narasimha, who is the most dependable, I will consider them as various identifications for emperumAn) and as mentioned in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 4.4.6 “nAdhanai narasinganai navinREththuvArgaL uzhakkiya pAdha dhULi padudhalAl ivvulagam bAkkiyam seydhadhE” (Due to the formation of divine particles on the footprints of those who recite the divine names of chokka nArAyaNan and theRkAzhwAr, to the full satisfaction of their mouths, praising him, as they roam about in that divine abode, this world has become fortunate).
umbar kOn – those in samsAram praise him out of fear for their svarUpam [basic nature of being a servitor for emperumAn] and due to fear of yama’s punishments. However, only those who are in paramapadham praise emperumAn out of their affection, as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 3.6.3 “paravi vAnavar Eththa ninRa paramanai” (one, who has the supremacy to be praised by celestial entities, about his glories).
In the svApadhESam, it is mentioned that this would refer to emperumAn measuring the seven worlds as well as to emperumAn being the lord of nithyasUris and measuring the seven worlds, after coming down here, from paramapadham. All the bottom worlds [earth and the seven nether worlds] would be counted as one, and along with the six worlds above, it would add up to seven worlds.
ulagEzhum aLandhAy – thiruvAimozhi 2.2.11 says “Eththa Ezhulgaum koNda” (emperumAn placed all the worlds under his divine feet, out of happiness of being praised)
umbar kOn ulagEzhum aLandhAy – this would also mean that emperumAn measured all the worlds for the sake of indhran [umbar kOn – head of celestial entities, indhran]. Just as it has been mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 7.5.1 “nAnmuganAr peRRa nAttuLE” (in the universe created by brahmA), emperumAn measured all the fourteen worlds which are under the control of brahmA.
Uzhi AyinAy – Uzhi – kAlam [time]. The time of creation. thiruvAimozhi 3.1.7 says “vAzhththuvAr palarAga” (There are many who exist, who praise you).
Azhi mun Endhi – holding the divine disc, in preparation for the arrival of enemy.
kamba mA kari kOL viduththAnE – completing the task with the help of the divine disc, as mentioned in mUnRAm thiruvandhAdhi 99 “kOL mudhalai thunjak kuRiththeRIndha chakkaraththAn” (one who aimed the divine discus, without losing the target, to kill the powerful crocodile). kambam – tembling; this refers to the elephant, which was trembling. It refers to one, who was moving. While the crocodile tried to pull the elephant into water, SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn tried to pull the crocodile to land. This movement is referred to here. mA – eminence. Oh, one who annihilated the enemy [crocodile] to remove the sorrow of SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn! periya thirumozhi 4.6.1 says “thadamalarp poygai pukku … nAgaththin nadukkam thIrththAy” (Oh, one who eliminated the fear of elephant which entered a pond to get a huge flower!) siRiya thirumadal 50 says “ennAridarai nIkkAy” (You should mercifully come and remove my great sorrow). kOL – prison; releasing SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn from his imprisonment.
kAraNA – this is one among the three dangers [the three dangers are: the first is for prahlAdhAzhwAn, from his father, hiraNya kashyap; the second is for indhran, from mahAbali; the third is for SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn, from crocodile]. Now, this is related to his kAraNathvam – quality of creating all the worlds [when SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn appealed to emperumAn, he specifically said that the one, who created the worlds and who does not have a creator for himself should come and remove his hurdle]. Protecting SrI gajEndhrAzhwAn is equivalent to establishing his ISvarathvam [being the controller of all].
kadalaik kadaindhAnE – churning the ocean, as he was being praised by the celestial entities, as mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 1.3.11 “amarargaL thozhudhu ezha alai kadal kadaindha” (one, who churned the ocean with waves, even as the celestial entities were performing anjali).
empirAn – Oh, one who made me as your servitor, for that activity!
ennai ALudai – one who brought me to this extent
thEnE – Oh, one who is the most enjoyable for me, without any limits, like honey!
ennai ALudaith thEnE – AzhwAr admits that he has lost out to the enjoyability of emperumAn. This is similar to perumAL thirumozhi 2.1 “thEttarum thiRal thEninai” (emperumAn is difficult to seek and attain, who gives sufficient strength to (his followers to) enjoy him and who is enjoyable like honey).
EzhaiyEn – one who has desire. Earlier, I had desire in worldly pursuits. Now, the desire is there in the divine names, which are in the form of enjoyment.
idaraik kaLiyAyE – for AzhwAr, the distress is in the inability to recite the divine names of emperumAn in his last days. It is only in fear of this that he had said in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 4.10.1 “appOdhaikku ippOdhE solli vaiththEn” (I have said now itself, when my senses are under my control, instead of in my last days when they will not be under my control]. This is similar to thiruvAimozhi 2.9.3 “aiyAr kaNdam adaikkilum nin kazhal eyyAdhu Eththa” (Even when my throat is filled with mucus and I become speechless, you should mercifully bless me to praise your divine feet without getting tired). His fear is not that he will have distress in his last moments; his fear is as to what he should do if he is unable to recite the divine names of emperumAn in the last moments.
In the svApadhESam, it is mentioned as follows: You should mercifully remove my enemies, with the scent, who hinder my activity of carrying out mangaLASAsanam for you, since I am desirous of your divine quality of enjoyability.
We shall next consider the last pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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