amalanAthipirAn - 10

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I consider it my great fortune in being able to

submit the last translation of our poorvacharya

vyakhyanams to Thiruppanazhvar's Amalanathipiran,

on nam Pana Nathar's thirunakshaththiram day.

No doubt, that adiyEn must have done something

worthwhile along the way, though I know not what,

to be able to do this. The encouragement of the

many learned members of this group was essential

and the occasional questions were truly

inspirational. Any and all errors in this work so

far are again only mine.

 

It is equally important that something is said

about the Azhvar and Acharyas whose monumental

works adiyEn tried to translate as well as my

poor abilities would permit. I need not write

about Thiruppanazhvar as Sri Satakopan Swami

has recently written a wonderful biography

recently in this list of our azhvar (as a

preview of the new CDROM). To attempt to even

write about Sri Vedantha Desikar, with all the

phenomenal resources available in the net, would

be naive. Therefore, I will try to write

something about Sri Periyavaccan Pillai and Sri

Azhagiya Manavalap Perumal Nayanar, again based

on previous works, in this forum soon.

 

I bow to Sri Thiruppanazhvar, Sri Vedantha Desikar,

Sri Periyavaccan Pillai, and Sri Azhagiya Manavalap

Perumal Nayanar for what they did and continue to

do to guide us all.

 

Azhvar Emperumaar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam.

 

--

 

Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

 

--

 

amalanAthipirAn PaththAm pAsuram

 

koNdalvaNNanaik kOvalanAyveNNai

uNdavAyan ennuLLam kavarnthAnai

aNdarkOnaNiyarangan ennamuthinaik

kaNdakaNkaL maRRonRinaikkANAvE

 

--

 

Meaning:

My eyes which saw Him, who has the form of a

moisture laden cloud, who has the mouth with

which He ate butter when born as a yadava,

who stole my heart, who is the Lord of the

nithyasooris, who rests in Srirangam which

is an ornament to this world, who is nectar

to me, will not see anything else.

 

--

 

Essence:

 

Azhvar was living outside of Srirangam near

people who were caught in the rajas and thamas

guNams and he did not have access to the proper

Acharyas; while those living in Srirangam were

enjoying the company of Periya Perumal and

having the nectar of His service. Azhvar seeing

that the land of Srirangam was such that it

added greatness even to Him, decided that he was

not worthy of stepping in there. Thus, because

of the drawbacks of those outside Srirangam he

would not live them, and because of his own

drawbacks he would not step into Srirangam; so

he stayed near the southern banks of the

Cauvery river directly under the view of Periya

Perumal. Periya Perumal seeing this turned His

grace on Azhvar and set His feet in his mind.

Azhvar's mind then meditating on His thiruvadi

moved on to enjoying His dress, His navel, the

ornament around His waist, His chest, His neck,

His lips, His weapons, His eyes and His whole

body. Upon seeing Azhvar's mind do this and

hearing his words stating this enjoyment, He

decided that He wanted to invite Azhvar near

Himself because of His interest in not being

separated from His devotees. Since He was in

archavataram He could not invite him directly;

and Azhvar would not come himself. So, He had

to send a representative. Since Azhvar was

concentrating on Him with his mind ("senRathAm

enasinthaniyE", "adiyEn uLLaththinnuyirE",

"ennuLLaththuL ninRulAkinRathE", niRaikondath-

ennenjinaiyE"), He decided to send Sri Loka

Saranga Muni (LSM) whose mind was also set on

Him. And so, LSM noting that "izhikulaththavar-

gaLElu memmadiyArgaLAgil thozhumineer kodumin

koNmin" went and got Azhvar into Srirangam.

Azhvar not wishing to decline His command, came

in as munivAhanar and worshipped His thiruvadi.

Emperuman had come to Prahalada at his time of

need and helped him and later gave him a

kingdom; whereas Azhvar never had any interest

in worldly matters and so He came to Azhvar and

showed Himself. Azhvar then sang about His para,

vyooha, vibhava and archa forms together showing

his disinterest in worshipping His different

forms separately. When Azhvar saw Periya Peyumal

thus he realized that with Periya Perumal he had

seen everything in Him and stated that He cannot

enjoy anything else and even if he could his

eyes could not see anything else, in this song.

Azhvar completes his songs here without

referring to himself and unlike most other

Azhvars, he does not complete his work speaking

of his name and his place. Azhvar's experience

with Him was such that he forgot his name and

place and Periya Perumal has now made it such

that nothing would deviate him from that

experience.

 

--

 

koNdalvaNNanai:

The subject for Azhvar's eyes.

Azhvar is speaking of His help in destroying

the mere flesh of his eyes such that he could

see Him.

Azhvar is speaking of His help in being in his

mind in para, vyuha, vibhava and archa forms

so that Azhvar can experience them all.

He is like the moisture laden dark clouds that

removed Azhvar's thirst in being caught in this

samsaram.

His form that destroys all difficulties.

Like a dark cloud that picked up all the water

in the oceans and settled in the midst of the

Cauvery.

He has the nature of the dark clouds in pouring

His mercy and removing the thirst of all beings.

 

kOvalanAy veNNaiyuNdavAyan:

The clouds simply float across the sky and pour

rain; He became a yadava and mingled with them

as one of them and poured His beauty on them.

When He was born as Rama, He could not steal

butter; as Krishna He could do that.

Just as Sri Dasaratha prayed for a son to eat

the kingdom's treasures (that is, rule the

kingdom) so did Sri Nanda pray for a child to

eat his treasures (the butter).

By being as one with the yadavas He showed His

guNam of protecting all beings in all worlds.

By eating their butter, He shows His guNam that

He would accept and enjoy anything that His

devotees give to Him.

 

veNNaiyuNdavAyan:

He got caught stealing butter and is now hiding

here. If one were to smell Periya Perumal's

mouth, they would be able to smell the butter

even now.

Just as He was caught when stealing butter

then, He is now caught by His devotees (by

their love) and so the butter smell still

lingers.

 

ennuLLam kavarnthAnai:

Just as he stole butter as kOvalan, He has

stolen Azhvar's heart as koNdalvaNNan.

What He did to Yasoda's heart, He has now

done to Azhvar's heart.

He would steal the butter without destroying

the containers in Ayppadi and He has now

stolen Azhvar's heart while leaving his

body alone.

Even great people fail when they try to place

their heart in Him because of the mind's ego

and its vacillatory nature. He has removed

Azhvar'sdifficulties and even without Azhvar

realising it He has taken over his heart.

Azhvar's heart has become the butter that He

relishes.

Even after gnyAnam is born, one's mind might

have ego. He has attracted Azhvar's heart by

showing His beauty and glory and forever

removed the ego from it by taking it over.

 

aNdarkOn:

aNdar refers to the "idayars" and He is the

leader of the Ayppadi idayars.

He is the leader of the beings of all worlds.

He was simple enough to be tied to the yadavas

even while being the Lord of Brahma and all

the Devas ("kaNNik kuRunkayiRRAl kattuNdAn-

akilum eNNaRkariyanimaiyOrkkum").

 

aNiyarangan:

After stealing Azhvar's heart He did not go

to His home in the sky; instead He is resting

in the temple that is an ornament to samsara.

Azhvar got to enjoy Him at a place that is so

beautiful that even the nithyasooris leave the

other place to come and worship Him here.

 

ennamuthinai:

The nectar of the Devas is in an unattainable

place. Azhvar's nectar is attainable to all.

The nectar that is the premier to Brahma and

all other Devas and that has given immortality

to Azhvar.

Not being the nectar that is attainable only

to those at paramapatham and the milky ocean,

but being the nectar that is attainable to

everyone despite their lowly status ("neesanEn

niRaivonRumilEn") in this world.

Not being the nectar that even the Devas had

to work hard to get, but being the nectar that

anyone can get.

 

amuthinaikkaNdakaNkaL:

The eyes that have tasted nectar.

The eyes that saw Him till the thirst was gone.

Azhvar's eyes that wouldn't see anything else

even if it had not seen Him; his eyes that

wouldn't see anything else even if they only

saw part of Him; his eyes that have seen Him

completely.

 

kaNdakaNkaL:

Azhvar not saying "en kaNkaL", makes it clear

that his ego has been destroyed. Previously,

he had said "en kaN", "ena sinthanai",

"adiyEnuLLam", "ennuLLam", but for those who

have been selected by Him to see His glory,

their ego is not a dOsham like it would be for

those who have not been enlightened.

The eyes that up to this time was seeing material

things and having interest in them are now like

a born-beggar who saw a huge treasure.

 

kaNdakaNkaL maRRonRinaikkANAvE:

After tasting nectar would his eyes taste milk

and rice (that is, things of this world).

When Azhvar said "ennuLLam kavarnthAn" he is

talking about Him stealing his mind. When he

says "maRRonRinaik kANAvE" he is talking about

Him stealing his sight.

Azhvar has forgotten himself in the sweetness

of seeing Him that he has not named himself

in completing the song.

Because He is the goal and Azhvar has attained

that, Azhvar has left the song with words only

about Him.

Having seen Him, Azhvar's eyes would not see

anything or anyone else even in the other world.

 

Some Acharyas have even interpreted this as that

having seen Periya Perumal thus, Azhvar's eyes

would not even see Him were He to show Himself

again to Azhvar. Having seen in Periya Perumal

several archa roopams and several vibhava roopams,

were He to show His paravyoohavibhava roopams

together it would not be tasty to Azhvar's eyes.

 

--

 

amalanAthipirAn vyAkyAnam niRaivuRRathu

 

--

 

AthimaRai yenvOngu marangaththuLLE

yaruLArunk kadalaikkaN davan enpANan

OthiyathO rirunAngu miraNdumAna

vorupaththum paththAga vuNarnthuraiththOm

neethiyaRi yAthnilai yaRivArkkellA(m)

nilaiyithuvE yenRunilai nAdininROm

vEthiyarthAm viriththuraikkum viLaivukkellAm

vithaiyAgu mithuvenRu viLambinOmE.

 

kANbanavu muaraippananvu maRRonRinRik

kaNNanaiyE kaNdiraiththa kadiyakAthal

pANperumA LaruLseytha pAdalpaththum

pazhamaRaiyin poruLenRu paravukinROm

vE(vee)Nperiya virithiraineer vaiyaththuLLE

vEdAntha vAriyanen RiyambaninRO(m)

nANperiyO mallOmnA(m) nanRuntheethu(m)

namakkuraippA ruLarenRu nAduvOmE.

 

--

 

thiruppANAzhvAr thiruvadigaLE saraNam

srI periyavAccAn piLLai, srI azhagiya

maNavALap perumAL nAyanAr, srI vEdAntha

dEsikar thiruvadigaLE saraNam

 

--

 

adiyEn madhurakavi dAsan

T.C.A. Venkatesan

 

 

 

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