2857. (Oh, what a pity!) the Lord, gracious and immaculate, Sporting the effulgent discus, is tenaciously sought By those votaries wanting no more than to liberate Themselves from the miseries of birth and death and get lost in a state of ‘Self-enjoyment’ (of the Soul in its free state).
Explanatory Notes
Oh, what a pity! After ail the rigours of their disciplines, the ‘Kevalas’ rest contented with mere liberation from the cycle of birth and death, followed by4 ātmāvalokana’ (i.e.) enjoyment of their own selves in the disembodied state. The tragedy of it is heightened by the fact that they invoked the Lord’s grace for attaining this state but failed to be enthralled by
+ Read more
Word by Word (WBW) meaning
(The words may be rearranged to facilitate conversion from poetry to prose (Aṉvayam). Please read the meanings (in black) continuously to form the sentence and understand the simplified meaning based on the Divyārtha Dīpikai for the verse.)
பிறவித்துயர் — பிறவித் துன்பம் மட்டும்; அற — நீங்கும்படி கைவல்யார்த்திகள்; ஞானத்துள் நின்று — ஆத்ம ஞான நெறியில் நின்று; துறவி — அனைத்து உபாதிகளையும் விட்டவனான; சுடர் — ஆத்மாவினுடைய ஸாக்ஷாத்காரத்தின்; விளக்கம் — விளக்கம் அது மட்டுமே கைவல்யார்த்திகள் விருப்பம்; அறவனை — தருமத்தின் உருவானவனும்; ஆழிப்படை — சக்கரத்தைக் கையிலுடையவனும்; அந்தணனை — பரம பாவனனான எம்பெருமானை; தலைப் பெய்வார் — பெற விரும்புகின்றவர்கள்; மறவியை இன்றி — மறத்தல் இன்றியே அப்பயனை அடைய; மனத்து வைப்பாரே — உபாஸிக்கின்றார்களே! அந்தோ!
piṛavith thuyar — sufferings which arise out of birth; aṛa — to remove; gyānaththil — in knowledge (to see āthmā); ninṛu — having conviction; thuṛavi — being discharged from all bindings; chudar — the radiant āthmā-s; vil̤akkam — manifestation; thalaippeyvār — ones who are interested in; aṛavanai — most benevolent (due to his bestowing the results for such persons); āzhippadai — one having the sudharsana chakram (which purifies the heart); anthaṇanai — the purest īswara (supreme lord); maṛaviyai inṛi — having him as means; manaththu vaippār — how they are meditating! (accuses them)
2858 வைப்பு ஆம் மருந்து ஆம் * அடியரை * வல்வினைத் துப்பு ஆம் புலன் ஐந்தும் * துஞ்சக்கொடான் அவன் ** எப்பால் எவர்க்கும் * நலத்தால் உயர்ந்து உயர்ந்து * அப்பாலவன் * எங்கள் ஆயர் கொழுந்தே (2)
2858. The Lord is, unto His devotees, the treasure fine
And the unfailing drug; unto the senses five
He shan’t make them succumb; of towering bliss,
He’s above one and all, in all places,
Beyond speech and thought and yet He’s (our Gopāla), the shepherd chief!
Explanatory Notes
Having decried and detested, in the preceding stanza, the ‘Kevalas’ seeking from the gracious Lord the inferior stature of Kaivalya, the Āzhvār now depicts the Lord in relation to those who seek Him as the goal, to the exclusion of everything else. Towering above all, beyond speech and comprehension, He still condescended to come down here as Gopālakṛṣṇa, of amazing simplicity.
Word by Word (WBW) meaning
(The words may be rearranged to facilitate conversion from poetry to prose (Aṉvayam). Please read the meanings (in black) continuously to form the sentence and understand the simplified meaning based on the Divyārtha Dīpikai for the verse.)
adiyarai — (bhagavān-s distinctive) sĕshabhūthar (servitors); val — popular; vinai — karmas; thuppām — capable; pulan aindhum — senses (which control); thunjak kodān — one who does not let them perish; vaippām — being the wealth (that is their purushārththam [goal]); marundhām — medicine (that is the means to remove the obstacles to accomplish that goal); eppāl — all places (starting from ānandham of humans up to brahmā); evarkkum — all chĕthanas (jīvāthmās); nalaththāl — bliss; uyarndhu uyarndhu — in large quantity; appāl avan — unreachable (for the words and mind); engal̤ — being for us (who are fully for him) alone; āyar — (ignorant) cow-herd clan; kozhundhu — leader
2859. I drank and drank, without intermission, the nectar pure,
The dazzling gem, the mystic Lord of wondrous deeds,
(Gopāla) the shepherd chief, bound and beaten by cowherds
(For theft of butter) and got my nescience, matter-born, severed.
Explanatory Notes
(i) Speaking about Gopālakṛṣṇa, in the last song, the Āzhvār had before him the entire panorama of His mysterious deeds and by merely meditating on them, he got all his accumulated nescience, born of age-long material contacts, eradicated in toto, root and branch.
(ii) In the by-gone days, the Devas got nectar subject to various conditions. Even so, it is by no means
+ Read more
Word by Word (WBW) meaning
(The words may be rearranged to facilitate conversion from poetry to prose (Aṉvayam). Please read the meanings (in black) continuously to form the sentence and understand the simplified meaning based on the Divyārtha Dīpikai for the verse.)
āyar — for the cow-herd boys; kozhundhāy — being the leader; avarāl — (for stealing butter etc) by those; pudaiyuṇṇum — beaten; māyap pirānai — performing amaśing acts (such as crying due to being beaten etc) and giving them joy; en māṇikkach chŏthiyai — one who presented his (well polished) carbuncle-like radiantly shining form (due to his being submissive towards cow-herd boys) for me; thūya amudhai — pure nectar (which is not mixed with supremacy and only presenting simplicity); parugip parugi — eternally enjoying; en — (just like for the one who drinks milk as a medicine will be cured of indigestion) my; māyam — that which is caused by prakruthi; piṛavi — due to the birth; mayarvu — ignorance; aṛuththĕn — finished
2860 மயர்வு அற என் மனத்தே * மன்னினான் தன்னை * உயர்வினையே தரும் * ஒண் சுடர்க் கற்றையை ** அயர்வு இல் அமரர்கள் * ஆதிக் கொழுந்தை * என் இசைவினை * என் சொல்லி யான் விடுவேனோ? (4)
2860. Oh! what pretext can I find, from Him to part,
The first Lord of Celestials ever alert,
A beautiful bundle of brilliance, heaping on me continually,
Torrents of knowledge and wisdom, who brought me
Round and to root out my ignorance lodged in me firmly?
Explanatory Notes
(i) In the preceding song, the Āzhvār acknowledged the Lord’s benevolence in rooting out all his ignorance. This is exactly what he had prayed for in his supplication to the Lord in the very first song of his first work (Tiruviruttam). Having achieved his purpose, can the Āzhvār now afford to forget the Lord? No, having removed all the vestiges of ignorance in the Āzhvār,
+ Read more
Word by Word (WBW) meaning
(The words may be rearranged to facilitate conversion from poetry to prose (Aṉvayam). Please read the meanings (in black) continuously to form the sentence and understand the simplified meaning based on the Divyārtha Dīpikai for the verse.)
mayarvu — ignorance; aṛa — to remove; en manaththĕ — into my heart/mind; manninān thannai — residing eternally; uyarvinaiyĕ — increasing my gyānam, bhakthi etc; tharum — one who gives; oṇ — being infinitely enjoyable; sudark kaṝaiyai — having a radiantly shining form; ayarvu — forgetfulness; il — not having; amarargal̤ — for the nithya sūris; ādhik kozhundhai — being the leader (who sustains them etc); en isaivinai — one who has full control over my acceptance (to approach him); en solli — what reason can ī say; yān — me (who knows about him); viduvĕn — give up
2861 விடுவேனோ? என் விளக்கை * என் ஆவியை * நடுவே வந்து * உய்யக் கொள்கின்ற நாதனை ** தொடுவே செய்து * இள ஆய்ச்சியர் கண்ணினுள் * விடவே செய்து * விழிக்கும் பிரானையே? (5)
2861. The amorous Lord who, by His sweet looks,
Enticed away the young damsels (of Gokula)
Is my Soul, the beacon light, Who unto me reveals
All things; how can I from Him separation brook,
My Saviour grand who did on me alight, all on a sudden?
Explanatory Notes
The damsels of Gokula would even spurn spiritual world, but not give up the inseparable company of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The Lord having enthralled the Āzhvār likewise, there is no question of his giving Him up.
Word by Word (WBW) meaning
(The words may be rearranged to facilitate conversion from poetry to prose (Aṉvayam). Please read the meanings (in black) continuously to form the sentence and understand the simplified meaning based on the Divyārtha Dīpikai for the verse.)
en vil̤akkai — ŏne who lights up the lamp of knowledge which makes me understand the nature of my true self; en āviyai — my soul; naduvĕ — in-between; vandhu — entered (seeing the right time/opportunity); uyyak kol̤ginṛa — uplifting me (so ī don-t perish); nādhanai — being the master; thoduvĕ — mischievous pastimes; seydhu — performed; il̤am — having youthful state (which is not qualified to be used by anyone); āychchiyar — cow-herd girls-; kaṇṇinul̤ — inside [their] eyes; vidavĕ seydhu — engaged in cunning/subtle acts (which are known to krishṇa and gŏpis only); vizhikkum — glancing/meeting of eyes; pirānai — the one who gives favours; viduvĕnŏ — can ī leave him?
2862. How low can I at all survive, if the Benefactor great
Who once retrieved the Earth from the ocean,
On whose crown is the tulacī garland of aroma sweet,
The wonder-Lord whose arrow sped thro’ the trees seven,
Should desert me and stay not in my heart?
Explanatory Notes
This is the Āzhvār’s reply to a question supposed to have been put to him as to what he would do, in case the Lord forsook him once again. The Āzhvār rules out such a contingency, seeing that the Lord is a self-less Benefactor like Sandal paste, flower, southerly breeze and the Moon, catering to the happiness of others, seeking nothing in return. Surely, the Āzhvār would
+ Read more
Word by Word (WBW) meaning
(The words may be rearranged to facilitate conversion from poetry to prose (Aṉvayam). Please read the meanings (in black) continuously to form the sentence and understand the simplified meaning based on the Divyārtha Dīpikai for the verse.)
pirān — being a upakāraka (benefactor); peru nilam — great earth; kīṇdavan — one who dug it up; pinnum — combined (prepared as a garland); virāy — mixed; malar — with flowers; thuzhāy — using thul̤asi leaves; vĕyndha — covered fully; mudiyan — one who has a crown; marāmaram eydha — shot the peepal tree (to instill confidence in sugrīva mahārāja); māyavan — amaśing personality; en — my; ul̤ — in the heart; irān enil — when he would not stay; pinnai — subsequently; yān — me (who cannot sustain without him); ottuvĕnŏ — will ī allow? will ī sustain (being separated)?
2863 யான் ஒட்டி என்னுள் * இருத்துவன் என்றிலன் * தான் ஒட்டி வந்து * என் தனி நெஞ்சை வஞ்சித்து ** ஊன் ஒட்டி நின்று * என் உயிரில் கலந்து * இயல் வான் ஒட்டுமோ? * இனி என்னை நெகிழ்க்கவே? (7)
2863. In my mind I lodged Him not, on my own;
Pledged to get in, the Lord did, on His own,
Enter my mind imperious, unsought,
Stuck avidly to my body and soul and wrought
A silent change in me, drawing me unto Him, so well.
To part from me hence, will such a One agree at all?
Explanatory Notes
(i) The Lord entered the Āzhvār’s mind, pledged, as it were, to do so. This would show that the Āzhvār took no initiative in the matter. On the other hand, self-reliant and imperious that he was, he stood aloof, very much away from Him. But once a determined Lord took possession of the Āzhvār, the latter came under His magic spell, just like the miser who yielded to the
+ Read more
Word by Word (WBW) meaning
(The words may be rearranged to facilitate conversion from poetry to prose (Aṉvayam). Please read the meanings (in black) continuously to form the sentence and understand the simplified meaning based on the Divyārtha Dīpikai for the verse.)
2864. With his sinewy shoulders in Piṉṉai nestled,
The joyous Lord Who unto the hoary Celestials
Is all in all, cannot from Him separate, with all His might,
My chastened mind, in Him entwined so well, albeit He.
His grip on me, loosens and makes me stay apart.
Explanatory Notes
The Āzhvār avers that history will not repeat itself. Even if the Almighty Lord, in His unbridled independence, tried His utmost to keep the Āzhvār away, He wouldn’t succeed in putting aside his chastened mind, inseparably steeped in Him. This robust confidence has indeed the solid backing of Piṉṉai (Goddess Nappinna) the unfailing Intercessor through whose good offices the Āzhvār courted the Lord.
Word by Word (WBW) meaning
(The words may be rearranged to facilitate conversion from poetry to prose (Aṉvayam). Please read the meanings (in black) continuously to form the sentence and understand the simplified meaning based on the Divyārtha Dīpikai for the verse.)
ennai — me (who was bestowed with gyānam (knowledge), prĕmam (love) by bhagavān himself and one who cannot look at anyone else); negizhkkilum — push me aside; nal — well-wishing (captured by emperumān to be partial towards him); ennudai nenjam thannai — my heart; agalvikka — to separate from him; thānum — himself (who is sarvasakthi (omnipotent)); ini killān — will not do it; pinnai — (he is) nappinnai pirātti #s [nappinnai is an incarnation of nīl̤ā dhĕvi and is one of the foremost wives of krishṇa]; nedum — wide; paṇai — well-rounded; thŏl̤ — being embraced with such shoulder; magizh — joyful; pīdu udai — having the greatness; munnai — ancient; amarar — nithyasūris; muzhu — for their sustenance etc.,; mudhalānĕ — isn-t he the only primary person?
2865. The Primate Who unto Celestials is the fountain source
Of all felicities, Who unto Amarar (Devas) delivered ambrosia,
The Chief of the cowherds got into my soul, in tight embrace,
With pleasure immense; Could He from me be apart anymore?
Explanatory Notes
Unto the Devas, who wanted ‘Amṛt’ (ambrosia), the mere extract from the ocean and not the Lord Himself, He gave the Amṛt; He, however, gave Himself to the Cowherds in whose midst He was born, because they wanted Him, the real ‘Amṛt’ and not that artificial stuff. The Āzhvār’s soul got steeped in Him to such an extent and in such a manner that the one couldn’t be told from the other and hence there was no question of separation, as if they were two different entities,
Word by Word (WBW) meaning
(The words may be rearranged to facilitate conversion from poetry to prose (Aṉvayam). Please read the meanings (in black) continuously to form the sentence and understand the simplified meaning based on the Divyārtha Dīpikai for the verse.)
அமரர் — நித்யஸூரிகளுடைய; முழுமுதல் ஆகிய — எல்லாச்செயல்களுக்கும் காரணமானவனும்; அமரர்க்கு — தேவர்களுக்கு; அமுது — கடல் கடைந்து அமுதம்; ஈந்த — எடுத்துக் கொடுத்தவனும்; ஆயர் — ஆயர்களின் தலைவனான; கொழுந்தை — பெருமானை; அமர அழும்ப — எனது ஆத்மாவானது அருகில் சென்று; துழாவிய — எங்கும் புகுந்து அநுபவித்து ஒருபொருள் என்று; ஆதியை — கூறலாம்படி பெருமானைத் தழுவி; அமர — இனிமேல் ஒருவராலும் பிரிக்கமுடியாதபடி; என் ஆவி தழுவிற்று — என் ஆத்மா கலந்தது; இனி அகலுமோ? — இனிமேல் பிரிய வழியுண்டோ?
amarar — nithyasūris-; muzhu — (svarūpa- true nature, sthithi #existence, pravruththi #actions etc) all; mudhalāgiya — have it as cause; ādhiyai — being the primary/leader; amararkku — for the dhĕvas; amudhu — nectar (which they desired for); īndha — one who gave; āyar — for the cow-herd boys (who were related to him); kozhundhai — one who is the leader; en āvi — my āthmā (soul); amara — becoming fit (to be only existing for emperumān); azhumba — mixing with him (to eliminate the hurdles such as svāthanthriyam (independence) etc); thuzhāvi — analysed (through many aspects such as svarūpam etc); amara — being together (without separation); thazhuviṝu — embraced him; ini agalumŏ — is there any scope for separation?
2866. Apart from them who from Him keep apart,
Close to them who unto Him get close,
Beyond approach (to the ungodly) but easy of access
(To devotees); entranced do I sing His glory peerless,
Day and night and never feel satiate.
Explanatory Notes
In the immense struggle between the Lord on the one side and the worldlings on the other, the latter, swayed by the stronger pull of earthly pleasures, stray away from Him. Indeed, the Lord grieves over this state of affairs. Unto those who seek Him exclusively, He responds so well that it is said, when man walks towards God, He runs towards him. When man ascends to the
+ Read more
Word by Word (WBW) meaning
(The words may be rearranged to facilitate conversion from poetry to prose (Aṉvayam). Please read the meanings (in black) continuously to form the sentence and understand the simplified meaning based on the Divyārtha Dīpikai for the verse.)
அகலில் — உயிர்கள் அகன்று போக நினைத்தால்; அகலும் — தானும் அகன்றே நிற்பான்; அணுகில் — தன்னைச் சார்ந்து நிற்பராகில்; அணுகும் — அவர்களோடு சார்ந்தே நிற்பான்; புகலும் அரியன் — பிரதிகூலர்க்கு அணுக முடியாதவன்; பொரு அல்லன் — அநுகூலர்க்குத் தடையற்றவன்; எம்மான் — எனக்கு ஸ்வாமியானவன்; நிகரில் அவன் — இப்படிப்பட்ட ஒப்பில்லாத பெருமானின்; புகழ் பகலும் இரவும் — புகழை பகலும் இரவும்; படிந்து — எப்போதும் எங்கும் உட்புகுந்து; குடைந்தே — அன்புடன் கலந்து; பாடி — விடாமல் பாடி; இளைப்பு இலம் — பிரிவு இன்றியே இருப்போம்
agalil — for those who leave him (after being fulfilled with ulterior benefits); agalum — he also will be interested in leaving them (since there is nothing more to do); aṇugil — for those who pursue him (without any other benefit); aṇugum — he will mix with those (just like water mixes with water); pugalum ariyan — (for those with ulterior motives) he is difficult to reach; poruvallan — (for those who want him alone) there are no obstacles to reach him; emmān — (for such auspicious quality) being my master; nigaril avan — (for such quality) having none comparable to him; pugazh — his glories; pagalum iravum — day and night without break; padindhu — entered in me; kudaindhu — mixing everywhere; pādi — singing (with love); il̤aippilam — never stops doing it (not taking rest at all)
2867 * குடைந்து வண்டு உண்ணும் * துழாய் முடியானை * அடைந்த தென் குருகூர்ச் * சடகோபன் ** மிடைந்த சொல் தொடை * ஆயிரத்து இப் பத்து * உடைந்து நோய்களை * ஓடுவிக்குமே (11)
2867. These songs ten, out of the well-knit thousand.
Composed by Caṭakōpaṉ of Teṉkurukūr, in worship bound
To the Lord, wearing on His crown tulacī garland,
Whose honey the swarming bees partake, will all our ill disband.
Word by Word (WBW) meaning
(The words may be rearranged to facilitate conversion from poetry to prose (Aṉvayam). Please read the meanings (in black) continuously to form the sentence and understand the simplified meaning based on the Divyārtha Dīpikai for the verse.)
vaṇdu — beetle; kudaindhu — submerged; uṇṇum — eating the honey; thuzhāy — thul̤asi; mudiyānai — sarvĕsvaran who is having it on his head; adaindha — (by all means) rich; then — most benevolent; kurukūrch chatakŏpan — nammāzhvār-s; midaindha — closely knit; sol — words; thodai — having poetic meter; āyiraththu ippaththu — this decad among the thousand pāsurams of thiruvāimozhi; nŏygal̤ai — great disease (of actions which are result of ahankāra, wealth, lust); udaindhu — breaking them; ŏduvikkum — will make them leave instantaneously