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Thirumaalai(18)

Sri Parthasarathi thunai,

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha



Mattrondrum vEinda Maname Madhilarangar
Kattrinum meitha kazhalinai keezh- uttra
Thirumaalai paadum seer Thondaradipodi
Emperumaanai Eppozhudum peesu

Srimat Krishna samahvaya Namo yaamuna soonave

yetkadAkshai kalakshyAnAm sulabha: Sridara: sadaa

Pranams,


Paasuram-5


“penderAl sugangal uippan pEriyathOr edumbaipoondu

vundu erAkidakkum pOdu vudalukkE karaindu naindhu

than thuzhAi mAlai mArban tamarkalAi pAdiAdi

thondu poondu amudhamunnA tozhumbar sOru vugakkumAre”


penderAl sugangal uippan pEriyathOr edumbaipoondu: Now alwar talks
about a lokayathan who is more involved in kamam. People think that life
is only for enjoying the lowkika pleasures. They don’t mind being in
debt. Even when they are burdened with loans and debts they want to
live a lavish life. They never turn towards bhagavan or bhagavat
vishayam. They live a selfish life not even caring for their own friends and
relatives. For their self joy they even sacrifice their parents and
close relatives. They are not grateful and never care for papam or
punyam. These people are called lokAyathargal. Alwar says those who enjoy
the pleasure with women get themselves into great danger but they never
realise it and think it to be the greatest bliss.

vundu erAkidakkum pOdu vudalukkE karaindu naindhu: The next thing
those people are concerned is about their physical appearance and strength.
They eat fully and various items to build their body. But still they
are not satisfied they assume themselves to have lost weight and always
worry about their body.

Whenever anyone asks them, how they are doing they have something to
complain about and never satisfied with what they have. Either they
worry about reducing their weight or increasing it. Then they spend time
in beautifying their various features to attract others. They always
worry about the body and never think that this body is temporary and
there is a soul which is permanent and if we tell them there is going to be
one day when we all will die they are in no position to listen to us.
In the case of bhAgavatAls they don’t hesitate to do kainkaryam to
bhagavan even at the age of 90. They never worry about their body on the
contrary these lokayatha people even at the age of 30 they feel they are
very old and have to be extra cautious about their body’s welfare. That
is why alwar says ‘vudalukkE karaindhu naindhu’.

than thuzhAi mAlai mArban tamarkalAi pAdiAdi: In the first two lines
alwar spotted how a person should not be, thereby condeming the lOkayatha
matham. Now he proceeds to say how a Srivaishnavan should be. He now
establishes our philosophy. He says we have to become the servants of
the emperuman who is adorned with a thulasi garland in his chest.
Considering ourselves belonging to the lord what should be do? We have to
sing the praise of the lord and dance with joy.

thondu poondu amudhamunnA tozhumbar sOru vugakkumAre: when we sing and
dance the praise of the lord and become his dasas we enjoy the
sweetness of bhakthi. Instead, alwar feels sorry for those who enjoy their
food roming about lazily without having bhagavat/bhagavata anubhavams.
Any food becomes amudam if it is bhagavat prasAdam and any food eaten
without bhagavat ArAdanam is equal to poison. For bhAgavatas kainkaryam
is like a bhooshanam(jewellery). Sri PVP explains this as follows:

“namperumAlukku sEra sundara pAndiyan tampiran padaikkam pOlE”

Namperumal wears a padhakkam(one sort of jewel, something like a
dollar) which he never removes whether he is in AstAnam(inside the
temple/sannadhi) or if he is out on a purappadu, he always wears it. Similarly a
bhagavatan’s jewel is thondu or kainkaryam. If we take food which is
not offered to bhagavan we become a mahA pApi. Atleast we should utter
the bhagavan nAma ‘govinda’ before eating. It is common to see
bhagavatas asking ‘emperuman nalla amudhu seidhirukkara”. This is the mode
used to ask if the prasadam was good. They never taste it themselves
instead look for the face expression of the bhagavan. This is the
characteristics of a bhAgavatan.

Let us continue in the next posting.

AzhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigaLE saraNam

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai

Sumithra Varadarajan

 

 
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