MoondrAm thiruvandhAdhi-Paasuram-23

Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha

Srimad Vara Vara MunayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

 

Paasuram-23

“virumbhi vin mannalandha anjiraiya vaNdhAr

  surumbhu thulaiyil sendroodha-arumbhum

  punanthuzhAi mAlaiyAn ponnan kazharkE

  manam thuzhAi mAlAi varum”

"விரும்பிவிண் மண்ணளந்த  அஞ்சிறைய வண்டார் 

  சுரும்பு துளையில் சென்றூத -அரும்பும் 

  புனந்துழாய் மாலையான் பொன்னங் கழற்கே 

  மனந்துழாய் மாலாய் வரும்" 

Photo courtesy:srinivasagovinda.com

am siraiya vandu – Lady bees with beautiful wings;

Aar sirumbhu – Male bees ever in the union of their spouses;

thulaiyil sendru voodha – reside in the veins and sing (thereby);

arumbhum – blossoming;

punam thuzhAi mAlaiyAn – The supreme Lord adorning the ever fresh (ever like the time of sprouting) thulasi garland;

virumbhi viN maN aLandha pon am kazharkhE – Those divine golden feet that with great desire measured the  cosmos and the earth;

manam – my mind;

thuzhAi – gets involved;

mAl Ay varum – and deeply engrossed;

Introduction

Even before azhvar completed his advice to his mind to desire to see the lord (“kAna virumbhu”) azhvar was astonished to see his mind jump and run to show its deep love towards the Lord’s divine feet.

Commentary

(am siraiya vaNdu Ar virumbhu) The lady bees with their beautiful wings and its spouse that never leaves each other.

Please note that though the word “bees(vaNdu)” can refer to either sex since there is a separate reference to the male bees (“surumbhu”), “vaNdu” here refers to the female bees.

(virumbhi thulaiyil sendru voodha) Aspiring to extract maximum honey targets the appropriate veins and sucks with required effort

The word “virumbhi” can be read with “virumbhi voodha” (to suck with wish); “virumbhi aLandha” (to measure with desire); “virumbhi mAlAi varum”(get deeply engrossed with love)

(arumbhum thuzhAi mAlaiyAn) The supreme Lord who adorns that tulasi garland blossoming at each node aided by the sucking bees;

(punanthuzhAi mAlaiyAn) The thulasi garland adorned by His supremacy is unlike other flowers/leaves that wither when plucked from their home ground, this garland is ever fresh ever enjoying the union with the Lord’s divine body.

(virumbhi viN maN aLandha pon am kazharkE) With great desire the Lord measured the two worlds as he was able to grant Indra’s wish without harming/killing Mahabali with His magnificient golden feet.

The adjective “virumbhi viN maN alandha” is added to “pon am kazharkhE” for a more interesting feel (anubhavam).

Otherwise, if we read the words in order “viN maN aLandha anjiraiya vaNdu” the meaning goes as “The bees with beautiful wings that wander in the sky and earth”

(manam virumbhith thuzhAi mAlAy varum) My mind with extreme desire to reach the Lord gets entangled and struggles to proceed forward and immerses in His divine feet.

Thereby, azhvar in this paasuram expresses his surprise visualizing his mind jumping to reach the Lord whilst azhvar completed his advice.

Azhvar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam

Jeeyar thiruvadigalE sharNam