MoondrAm thiruvandhAdhi-Paasuram-11

Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha

Srimad Vara Vara MunayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

 

Paasuram 11

"nankOdhum nAl vEdathth thuLLAn naRaviriyum

  ponkO dharuvip punal vaNNan-senkOdhap

  pArkadalAn pAmbhanaiyin mElAn payindruraippAr

  nooRkadalAn nuNNaRi vinAn"

"நன்கோதும் நால் வேதத்துள்ளான்  நறவிரியும் 

 பொங்கோ தருவிப் புனல்வண்ணன் -சங்கோதப் 

 பாற்கடலான் பாம்பணையின் மேலான் பயின்று ரைப்பார் 

 நூற்கடலான் நுண்ணறிவினான் "

nangu Odhum nAl vEdaththuLLAn – One who is acknowledged by the blemishless Vedas, learnt without flaw;

naravu eriyum – That which has the sweetness that will win over honey;

pongu Odhum aruvi punal – that which is like the ocean/like the waterfall;

vaNNan – divine body;

sanku Odha pAl kadalAn – One who reclines on the milky ocean with waves packed with conches;

pAmbhu anaiyin mElAn – One who reclines on top of the adhisEsha.

payindRu vuraippAr nool kadalAn – The lord who is established by the ocean like divine works of the vaidhikas, filled with divine knowledge.

nuNNarivinAn – (For those who depend on self effort) he cannot be realized.

Introduction

In the previous paasuram, pEyAzhvar told 'For tbose who chant his divine names he shows himself and gives all the results' In this paasuram azhvar explains the difficulty for all others to reach him.

Commentary

(nankOdhum nAl vEdhaththu vuLLan) He is present in the 4 vedas that are well learnt under a preceptor without any deviation in the svarA or varNa or otherwise learning the Vedas along with seeKsha and other 6 angas.

"vEdaischa sarvai: ahamEva vEdhya:" [geetha 15-15] [I am the lord known from all the vedas]   Though the ultimate essence of the vedas concentrates on the supreme lord the vedas are confusing at many places.  So here azhvar confirms 'vEdhaththu vuLLan' thereby highlighting the fact that it is not that easy to understand the supreme lord through the pramanas.   Further, azhvar proceeds to talk about comprehending through the pramEya

 

(naravu eriyum vaNNan) One who has a nectarine body sweeter than honey;

(ponkOdharuvip punal vaNNan) The divine physique similar to a flooding ocean or rushing waterfall.   Can just one simile signify the divine physique of the lord?

 No thought azhvar and tried 2 but still not satisfied.

 

Appillai writes, "nara viriyum" as 'nandrAga viriyum' expanding largely.

Where do we find that lord?

 

(sankOdha pArkadalAn) He reclines on top of the divine milky ocean, with the waves overflowing with conches

(pAmbhanaiyin mElAn) ananthasayana (on the divine serpant bed)

What is the pramanam to know him as ananthasAyee?

 

(payindRu vuraippAr nooRkadalAn) Those rishis like manu, vyAsa, parasara understand Him by their dharmaveerya jnAnA after diving deep into the Vedas and not stopping with self realization for the benefit of the whole world they have given inner secrets in the form of divine works, smrithis, Ithihasas, puranas etc.   From those deep, elaborate, extended, wide, vast oceans of knowledge we can know the greatness of the lord.

(nuNNarivinAn) Thereby it is clear that He cannot be understood or visualized by one's self effort but can be realized only by his divine grace.

Interesting points from DivyArthdeepikai of kanchi swamy

Azhvar in the last paasuram stated all the benefits one attains on chanting the divine names of the supreme Lord.  Then is it possible to realize the greatness, the svarupa (self) and svabhava (characteristic) of the Lord also? Azhvar in this paasurams instructs the intricacy in knowing the Lord.

The Lord who is talked about by the complex Vedas, one whos form is as sweet as honey, and one who reclines on a serpant bed in the milky ocean, one who is eulogized by manu and the other rishis in the smrithis, ithihasas and puranas can be realized only by profound knowledge (nun arivinAn-only through sooshma jnana and not by stula jnana that we possess)

Note in the second line Odham+aruvi should have become Odhamaruvi but has become Odharuvi.  This is called ‘thoguththal’ in Tamil grammer.

Azhvar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam

Jeeyar thiruvadigalE sharNam