And Now The Perfect Ending For The Perfect Love Story!

Sriniketan,

I am simply amazed at the enormous confidence you have reposed in me. I, a poor mofussil accountant attempting to explain the meaning of these paasurams is in itself a blasphemy. The only qualification I have for that is that I have enjoyed the verses a few times.

With that dismally low qualification let me make an earnest attempt.
Azhwar Emperumaanar Jeeyar thiruvadikale sharanam.

Now I am not giving a word by word meaning as that would be found in any standard text. But just pointing out places where you can enjoy the richness of the meaning.


In the first three lines of the paasuram he talks about the glories of God, Thiruvarangan.
Paanar uses the same set of words and gets out so many rich meanings out of them. You know that "mala" is a blemish. That's why Amala means a girl who is without any blemish. In Sanskrit from which these Tamil words are dervied a, vi, and ni have negative connotations. So first he calls God Amalan, one who is without fault. Vimalan also means the same. But our Acharyas have explained that Amalan means not having even the slightest of faults. They say the word Amalan with which the paasuram starts describes Him as sinless, ageless, deathless, grief-less, without hunger or thirst, one having everything one needs, one who can do whatever he wants to do. All these qualities reside only in Him.

One explanation says the Azhwar called him Amalan because the God made him His own. And he called Him Vimalan because He made the Azhwar belong to His devotees. Did not Sarangar carry him? The Lord in a single stroke of genius endeared the Azhwar to Him as well as to His devotees. It was as if the Headmaster of a reputed school took in his fold a good child and made the other thousand children of the school love him.

And again the word Nimalan is used by the Azhwar because God came to Him without any efforts on the part of the Azhwar. Actually God never comes by virtue of our efforts.
By doing penance for fifty years we can't go a millimetre closer to him than without doing such a penance.

God is not attainable by effort or work.

We have a beautiful tradition during the Shastiabda poorthi celebration. Today that has degenerated into an excuse for partying. But in those days Shasthiabda poorthy marked the end of the grahastha phase of life. Thereafter the old couple would retire to the peace of a forest and start "Vanaprastha."
It is customary to chant a verse from Aitreya Upanishad.

na karmanaa na prajaya dhanena thyaganeika amruthathvan aanashuhu..

Neither by work, nor by children, or by wealth can you attain God (or enlightenment, or wisdom whatever we choose to call) It is only by thyagam, by renouncing the fruits of action can we attain immortality (or enlightenment or God)

If we remember that we cannot reach Him by efforts, then all reasons for spiritual pride would go out through the back door. When you cannot reach him by your efforts, there is no difference between a person who knows the entire Bhagavad Gita by heart and a person who cannot even pronounce the word Rama correctly.
And believe me, Sriniketan, in His eyes, there is absolutely no difference at all. For will a mother favour a child more than the other?
Mothers of this world might do at times; but not our Universal Mother.
Now with ninmalan the other word used to describe Him there is another beautiful story. We'll reserve it for our next class.

Let me make it clear that whatever I write here is translated from the Tamil texts and commentaries I have. But for a few comparisons which I have inserted here and there, none of the words are mine.

Azhwar emperumaanar Jeeyar thiruvadikale charanam.

love,

 

dear sowpar,
Yes, please do it. If you go through the paasurams when the story is still warm in your heart, you can easily memorise them. Tonight we'll see about ninmalan.
love,
sridhar

 

Sriniketan,
These paasurams are to be slowly savoured and enjoyed like a delicious item of food.

Now let's start the class.

God gets the epithet ninmalan because when He bestowed His Grace on the Azhwar, when He sent His love to the Azhwar, He did not think that he was helping the Azhwar. To say it other words God never has a tone or manner of condescension. At times when we get help from a rich and egotistic man, he would make us feel humiliated and insulted. And you know about the lady who lent her precious silk saree to another woman to attend a marriage. But then unduly worried about her saree the woman went with the borrower to the wedding and ordered her that she should sit here and should not stand there, as the saree would get stains.

Just think of that Sriniketan. If a woman who has just lent her saree is so
possessive and condescending, God, who has given us whatever we have, our bodies, minds, our wealth,the food we eat, the air we breathe...can afford to be condescending. But God is love. It is Him who made the Azhwar come near to him. It is by His grace that the Azhwar sang the paasuram. Yet the Perumal thinks that it is His fortune to have blessed the Azhwar. Can you ever see this kind of saulabhyam and vatsalyam?

That's why the Azhwar says in the last line,
Thirukkamala paadham vandhu en kannil ullana okkinrathe.
To the Azhwar it seems that the God out of his own volition, grace and love and without being asked as such by the devotee, has planted his Lotus Foot in Azhwar's eyes.
With this we complete the first paasuram. Before you come to the next class please read the second paasuram. Try to grasp the word meaning. Then we go through the intricacies together.
Azhwar Emperumaanar Jeeyar Thiruvadikale Saranam!
regards,
sridhar

 

Sriniketan,
Thanks. Read the second one and post the meaning as understood by you.Wecan take it forward from there.
But there may be some delay on my part. I am into so many things. It may be a while before I reply.
regards,

 

Dear Veda Vyasan,
Thanks. Paana's story is one of bliss and eternal happiness. Very few stories would give this kind of fulfillment and compassion.

Thanks for remembering the Rich Uncle syndrome we practise with God. I have written a whole book on it. That is due to be released before the end of this year.

You are right about love. One should not expect anything. That's why our Azhwars and Nayanmars say, that once you take refuge in God, you should not even expect Him to accept you. There is a chance that God might reject you. Even then you should fall at his feet. That's the essence of their teachings.
Thanks for the fb, Veda Vyasan.
regards,