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amalanAthipirAn - 10

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Venkatesan Ananth • December 11, 2000 


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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