Thirumaalai(40)

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,

 

  engalmAl eraivan Esan kidanthathOr kidakkai kandum:  In the previous
two lines alwar explained the great scenery and beauty  of the
Srirangam divyadesam.  Now he says, the beauty of the place is actually
rewarded only due to the emperuman, who gave nature this beauty, lying in
between them.  Thinking about the lord lying in Srirangam, alwar remembers
his connection with the lord and he hence says, he is not a third
person but ‘my lord’, Asmat swamin, engalmAl eraivan.  Though each and every
jeevatma has the same connection with the lord still we alone feel him
to be ours and he also has a soft corner for us.  Geethacharyan says
that he loves his bhakthas.  Many type of people come to the temple.  It
is nice to see a crowd waiting to have darshan of Namperumal but
sometimes it is difficult for us to digest when people consider visiting the
temple as also part of their entertainment or pastime.  Without
understanding emperuman and his vaibhavams some people even do business with
him.  “If you do this for me I will do this for you”, they say to the
bhagavan who is our father waiting to do everything for us without asking
anything from us.  But people think him to be some third person and
demand help for some prarthanai they do.  That is why alwar says engal,
including all bhakthas who really do kainkaryam to bhagavan for the
pleasure of it, in his group.  MAl actually means head or a person who is
very crazy.  Emperuman is our head and he is also crazy when it comes to
his bhakthas.  He being the supreme sometimes even considers him to be
his bhaktha’s servant, that is why alwars call him mAl.                   

Alwar says kidanthathOr kidakkai kandum. … Sri PVP’s vyakhyanam is
excellent in this place.

“yesOdhai piratti madiyilE saiyindArpOlE Ayitru kAveriyin naduvE
kanvalandarulugira padi”

Some are beautiful when they sit and some are beautiful in the standing
posture but emperuman is beautiful whether he stands, sits or lies
down.  Though all his postures are beautiful still he is excellent when he
lies down.  Sita pirAtti enjoyed perumal when they roamed here and
there in the forest.  She was more interested in enjoying the beauty of
perumal than any other nature.  When Sri rAmar sat on a rock she found his
sitting pose more cool to the eyes.  Now that perumal was very tired he
lied down on piratti’s lap and she kept on enjoying the beauty of
perumal’s lying posture.  Even when kakasuran came and hurt her she didn’t
even move because even if she moved slightly ramapiran’s sleep will be
disturbed and then she cannot enjoy his lying beauty after that.  So due
to her liking to see perumal lying down she even didn’t care blood
bleeding from her breast.

“evarganthan nindrAnAgil nilaiyAga nindrAn enbargal; kidakka kAndAl
pirAn erundhavai kAttineer enbArgal; sAyakkandAl kidandhadhOr kidakkai
enbArgal;

evargal refers to the crew of bhakthas(alwars and acharyas) who are
always involved in the anubhavams of emperuman.  PVP here says that these
bhakthas enjoy whatever emperuman does with fullest satisfaction.  If
he stands then they say ‘Oh! How beautifully he is standing’. 
Thirumangai Alwar says, “pArthan than thEr mun nindrAnai thiruvallikeni kandEnE”
enjoying the way Sri Venkata Krishnan, geethacharyan stands in
thiruvallikeni.  If emperuman sits down then they say this is the excellent
posture.  And if emperuman finally feels very tired and lies down then
they wonder, ‘can there be anything better than this!’ Each and every act
of bhagavan has their own special importance in the minds of the
bhakthas and hence they enjoy each one of them separately.  They never feel
tired of enjoying the bhagavan and his gunams.  They don’t feel hungry
or sleepy.  In krishnAvatAram when Krishna stood 7 days holding up the
govardhana giri, at that time none of the gokula vasees ate anything nor
they slept.  They kept on seeing Krishna and enjoying. 

enganam marandhu vAzhkEn? YEzhaiyEn yEzhaiyEnE:  After having these
anubhavams once, then it never leaves our minds.  We cherish what ever we
got and want to have more and more.  That is why alwar says, “how can I
forget Namperumal and his divine beauty?  How can I forget the way
periya perumal is lying down as if he is lying on the laps of his mother
yesodha?  Alwar says, earlier I was very much involved in lowkikam and I
was having some problems.  Some people adviced me to go to Srirangam to
get rid of my problems.  But you know what happened after I came here? 
My problems increased further”.   We were all surprised to hear this,
so we questioned alwar why he is saying so,  since emperuman only
reduces our problems and never increases the same?  Alwar replied,” Earlier I
had samsaric problems and was crying for the same.  But now my mind
seeks a very very valuable thing and hence iam crying.  Atleast earlier
the treasure I wanted was only money and wealth which could be possessed
at some point of time.  But now I want only the greatest treasure,
emperuman and hence am weeping for reaching him.  Earlier if I didn’t get
the lowkika wealth remembering the fox and grapes story I used to think
that the wealth beyond my reach to be tasteless and hence get away from
it.  Similarly I tried to get away from emperuman and came out of the
sannadhi but his beautiful thirumEni never leaves my mind.  I do not
know a way to forget it, cries alwar. 

AzhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigaLE saraNam

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai

Sumithra Varadarajan