Swami Namam
AzhwAr emperumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigale SaraNam
jeeyar thiruvadigalE saranam
ponnadikAl
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nOATRa NOnbu-First PAsuram -EDu

nOtranOnbilEn

To hear the paasuram with divine music Click Here listen

avatharikai for first pAsuram:

I dont have anything from my side to help me attain the pEARu (the ultimate result). Therefore, the desire to be rescued exists.  OH EmperumAn! You being the Complete one - paripUrNan- are looking with longingness for such AThmas. Therefore, You should fulfill my desire -appeals AzvAr.

nOATRa nOnbilEan nuN aRivu ilEan: (na dharma nishtOsmi-nacha AthmavEAdhi-na bakthi mAndvath charaNAravindhEA) (Refer note 1) says AzvAr.
na dharma nishtOsmi- People think that he will do something (AzvAr); On observing that "For us this will not be suited" and being alarmed resulting in the Lord dropping the idea of rescuing AzvAr ( Refer note 2)

nachAthma VEADhi: Subservience is also absent. Knowledge of ESvaran is also absent.

na bakthimAn- This need not be specified as bakthi follows karmA and gnAnam.

NOATRA nOanbilEan nuN aRivu ilEan: 
Have not performed the penance: Is it not enough to say no penance - should one say not performed penance? This is to emphasize that AzvAr had  not followed any means and also reaped any fruits.
This is unlike Sri Chakravarthi or vAsudEvar who had indeed seen the fruits.

nuN aRivilEan:No Sharp knowledge.What is this sharp knowledge? Is it not enough to say 'no knowledge"? The knowledge of realising the nature of AtmA upto the knowledge of realising the nature of paramAtma.This is termed as sharp knowledge.

na bakthimAn: As said in thirumAlai -nin kaNum bakthan allEan- why does not AzvAr explicitly express the lack of bakthi like lack of karmam and knowledge?( Refer note 3)
Bakthi follows as karmam and gnAnam emerges. Lack of karmam and knowledge automatically eliminates bakthi.
Therefore, there is no need to specifically point of lack of bakthi. (Refer note 4)

But, likewise why should lack of knowledge also specifically be spelt out? Will it also not automatically be understood on the absence of karmA? Well, in earlier janmAs if karmA had existed but the physique had fallen,there is a chance that knowledge may spring now based on the earlier effects.  In that case, bakthi can also spring from earlier effects, is it not? No bakthi's emergence pre-supposes the existence of both karmA and gnAnam. Therefore, bakthi cannot be equated with knowlege insofar as the emerging order is concerned.

But AzvAr says " I am not able to survive without YOu! OH! Lord - vunnai viTTonRum ATRA kiRkinRilEan- (Refer note 5)Does it not point out to existence of Bakthi? No that bakthi is that which emerges as a fall out of karmA and gnAna.This is what is spelt out in Sasthram-s as a means.
Here, however, AzvAr -s longingness for the Lord emerges not out of karmA or gnAnam but because of His separation and it is not means as prescribed in sAsthram-s but nature of Athman.

Besides,karmA, gnAna and bakthi are considered as mutually exclusive means in purANAs. If that is considered, then this lack of karmA and gnAnam spelt out by AzvAr can be construed to be spelling out bakthi also-upa lakshaNam.(Refer note 6)

Agilum: Despite the fact, the lack of the afore mentioned. In spite of absence of karma, gnAnam and Bakthi.
Here AzvAr-s longingness despite lack of these three means is not the point but the state of longingess because of EmperumAn's causeless mercy.

AzvAr! Were you then in composure all these days?

ini- Those were days when I did not realise neither Yourself nor myself.Now should I lose this after realising both.Your completeness and my incompleteness being realised, should I lose now also? One person is having food and He is ready to give it and the other is hungry, should one still suffer at that stage?

ini-Am I waiting for harvest after doing something? Having lost innumberable period and having realised today the truth, should I still be losing?

vunnai vittu: Having realised that You are complete unlike me, is there any need for me to perform anything?

vunnai vittu:Can one live without life?

onRum ATRA kiRkinRilEan:  The realisation of nature of the Lord does not help but is a deterrent in enduring the separation.

pirATTi: -thathasthath sathru sambavEath-the obstacles will be removed gradually.This was observed in the case of pirATTi.
In case of AzvAr there is no need for constructing bridge across the sea and demolishing ravANA (Refer note 7)

aravin aNai ammAnEA: This relects the para bOgyathvam of Lord.anantha sayanatvam.Having realised the parama BOgyathvam, AzvAr is not able to withstand the separation.

SETRuth thAmarai sen nel vUdu malar: The beautiful lotus blossom amidst the red-paddy.These lotus wonderfully decorate the paddy fields.

SrEvara mangala nagar: Lord has descended here in preference to Parama padham. To rescue the samSAris the Lord has settled down here.

VETRirundha: Having donned Parama padham-the Lord is residing here majestically. This is akin to a person who was a prisoner earlier now crowned here.(Refer note 8)

enthAi: The paramapadham is meant for nithya sUris. Here it is meant for me (AzvAr).

vunakku migai allEan: It is understandable if I am not able to reach YOu if you are in the parama padham which is way distance afar. However, being so nearby how can i lose?

The benefit of outcome of rescuing me is also Yours. This is akin to making the infant drink milk by the mother. Like the mother, perfoming kainkaryam is to the benefit of the SEshi (the Lord)  

Notes:1 Sri NampiLLai quotes Sri ALavandhAr stotram which specifies lack of karma gnAnam and Bakthi.

2.If people think that AzvAr will perform something to attain salvation and if AzVar is not able to fulfill that, EmperumAn will not do the needful. This is because, if we resort to some means in preference to EmperumAn as means, then EmperumAn will leave us to depend on those means.

3.AZvAr says nORRa nOnbu -indirectly referring to karma yOgam and nuN aRivu -indirectly referring to gnAna Yogam. AzvAr does not say bakthi ilEan?This is explained by SvAmi NampiLLai.

4. This is based on the premise that karma, gnAnam and bakthi are single element with three componens.

5.SvAmi NampiLLai questions why should not AzvAr lack of endurance on separation from the Lord - vunnai viTTonRum ATRAkillean-be considered as Bakthi yOgam -extreme devotion. This is clarifed by  the commentator.

6.Unlike stated earlier, these three are considered as mutually exclusive means- by purANAs. If that is the case, why does not azvar mention lack of Bakthi, as in this case, Bakthi does not follow on existence of previous two. This is explained as lack of karma,gnAnam being upalakshaNam and implies mentioning of lack of bakthi also.

7. SeethA pirATTi having withstood 10 long months. AZvAr explains the difference in his case and that of SEthA pirATTi.

8.If a person leaves his house and stays at another place, He cannot be as happy as in His place.Did Lord frown upon settling down in srivaramangaLa nagar? No infact, He is with more happiness and glee here and this is explained by SvAmi NampiLLai with an example.



 

Swami

HH Sri Vanamamalai Kaliyan Ramanuja Jeeyer Swamy