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manavalamAmunigal s commentary VIS A VIS OUR ATTITUDE

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Padmanabhan • September 25, 2002 


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




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