manavalamAmunigal s commentary VIS A VIS OUR ATTITUDE

[Guest guest]

DEAR BHAKTHI GROUP MEMEBRS

This is regarding the various types of interpretations given in contrast to

vyAkyAnams. I would like to give hereunder following vyAkyAnam by srE manavAla

mAmunigal for periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 3-9 pAsuram" mARRuththAi" wherein two

interpretations are given. There is an arguement both in favour and against of

the two interpretations and instead of just going on to give the commentary

greatest regard is given to coherence and cogence and other germane factors.

 

Text: periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 3-9-4" mARRuththAi chenru vanam poghE enrida

ERRuththAi pinthodarndhu

embirAn enru azha

kORRuththAi sollak kodiya

vanam pOna

sERRam ilAdhAnaip pAdip

paRA sEthai maNALanaip padip paRA"

 

Summary: Interpretation1

.. mARRuththAi = Almost like mother. Mother like. SumithrA dEvi. When kaikEyi

ordains srE rAma to go to the forest for 14 years, and when srE lakshamanA also

starts along with srE rAma, sumithrA dEvi expresses to srE rAma that

"You need not have the kingdom which somebody else desires for her son. You may

go the forest which nobody desires"

This is refereed in, "vanam pOghE enrida"

ERRuththAi= The Mother who gave birth= kowsalyA dhEvi who followed srE rAma when

he started for the forest and cried thinking of the separation.

kORRuththAi= kORRam pOnRa kodiyavaLAna kaikeyiyagira thAi solla ; Without

thinking the difficulties in the forest the ordain by kaikEyi to go to the

forest for 14years.

 

Interpretation II

mARRuththAi=kaikEyi.How? As per srE rAmAs thinking kaikEyi is also mother like

and hence mARRuththAi indicates kaikEyi.

Further, bharadhAzhwAn thinking mARRAn thAi = replaced mother.

kORRuth thAi= kORu = portion. sumithrA dhEVi who consumed a portion of the havis

Further, sumithrA dhEVi who shares the status of queen.

The words by sumithrA is mentioned as" Yes you may go to forest as the kingdom

is being desired by somebody else" Such kind of words are like kORRam and hence

sumithrA termed as kORRuththAi.

 

Thus it may be seen that in the first instance mARRuththAi is indicated as

sumithrA and kORRuththAi as kaikEyi and in the

second interpretation mARRuththAi is indicated as kaikEyi and kORRuththAi as

sumithrA.

 

It is very pertinent to note that the vyAkyAna kartha could have left the

vyAkyAnam but he adds further which not only gives justice to the commentary but

also proves his greatness.

First interpretations is asper nAlOr pillai s commentary.

SEcond interpretation is as per pillai bhattar.

First interpretation also fits in with a". dhandagam noRRuval sol koNdu pOghi"

periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 3-9-8 and b. "kulakkumarA kAduraiyap pO enru vidai

koduppa"3-10-4.

Since, nAlOr pillai =first interpretator= was a disciple of sirizhAzhwAn pillai

kumarar who in turn was a disciple of nampillai this interpretation is more

popular. Further, it is also mentioned that first interpretation was written

first and second later on.

Moreover, though in the both the thinking , the words of sumithrA dhevi is not

mentioned in srE rAmAyanam .Notwithsatnading this fact, we have to take this as

a base as these words have been blessed by periyAzhwAr who is blessed by the

LOrd himself=mayar vaRA mathi nalam arulap peRRavargaL irE"

 

Conclusion:Instead of just reproducing the commentary, manavAla mAmunigal giveus

prominence to the coherence and other factors. The fact that the interpretation

is in conjunction with other pAsurams is emphasised. These things should be kept

in mind before just going on to explain the meanings as one thinks .

vAnamAmalai padmanabhan