thEttarum thiRal
Devotion to Sri Ranganatha's devotees
AzhwAr is going to say in these pASurAs how he is mad about the BAgavata sanga. Those who are Bagavat dAsAs cannot but be BAgavata dAsAs too. The love for BagavAn will not fructify unless there is love for BAgavatAs. AzhwAr has more love towards BAgavata sambandha.
tETTarum tiral tEninai tenaranganai tiru mAdu vAzh
vATTamil vanamAlai mArvanai vAzhtti mAl koL SindaiyarAi |
ATTam mEvi alandu azhaittu ayarvu eidum meyyaDiyArhaL tam
eeTTam kaNDiDa kooDumEl adu kANum kaN payanAvadE || One ||
The BAgavatAs do mangaLASAsana to BagavAn. Their minds are fully occupied by the thought of Him and His guNAs. They dance and jump as if mad; they cry out His names loudly; they become exhausted by doing these. These are the BAgavatAs lakShaNAs. AzhwAr says the purpose of having eyes is to see these BAgavatAs and their chESTitAs. BaktAs normally praise BagavAn and say the eyes are only to see Him etc. But AzhwAr says the eyes are there to see BAgavatAs. This is a very high siddhAnta.
tODulA malar mangai tOLiNai tOindadum SuDar vALiyAl
neeDu mAmaram seTTradum nirai mEittadum ivaiyE ninaindu |
ADi pADi arangavO enru azhaikkum toNDar aDippoDi
ADa nAm peril gangai neer kuDaindu ADum vETkai ennAvadE || Two ||
The BAgavatAs always think of His actions, guNAs and roopAs. They talk of the same with other BAgavatAs. They dance and sing and cry out the BagavAn nAmAs loudly. i want to take bath in the dust of their feet. i don’t have any desire to take dip in ganga water. i consider the toNDar aDi poDi holier than ganga.
Eru aDarttadum EnamAi nilam keeNDadum mun irAmanAi
mAraDarttadum maNNaLandadum SollippADi vaN ponni pEr |
Aru pOl varum kaNNa neer koNDu arangan kOyil tiru muTTram
SEru Sei toNDar SEvaDi chezhumSEru en Sennikku aNivanE || Three ||
The BAgavatAs of Sree rangam temple keep talking of the various avatAra of BagavAn – Sree rAma, kriSNa, varAha, trivikrama and so on. Out of their Bakti anuBava the tears flow from their eyes incessantly like the river kAvEri and make the place muddy. Then they dance and jump out of ecstasy stamping the mud. AzhwAr says the mud is holier than the oordwapuNDra (red nAma on the forehead). Hence he says he will wear it as tilaka on his forehead.
tOitta taN tayir veNNai pAl uDan uNDalum uDanru Aichchi kaNDu
Artta tOLuDai embirAn en aranganukku aDiyArhaLAi |
nA tazhumbu ezha nAraNA enru azhaittu mei tazhumba tozhudu
Etti inburum toNDar SEvaDi Etti vAzhttum en nenjamE || Four ||
kaNNan always stole butter, curd, milk and ghee all at a time and ate when no one was looking. yaSOda would get angry not because that she lost them but fear for His indigestion. She would beat Him and bind Him with a rope. These chESTitAs the Sree vaiSNavAs sing and call nArAyaNa! nArAyaNa! Till the tongue thickens; prostrate till their bodies pain. To such BAgavatAs’ tiruvaDi i sing pallANDu says AzhwAr.
poi Silai kural ETTru eruttum iruttu pOraravu eertta kOn
Sei Silai SuDar SoozhoLi tiNNa mA madiL tennaranganAm |
mei Silai karu mEham onru tam nenjiL ninru tihazha pOi
mei Silirppavar tammaiyE ninaindu en manam mei SilirkkumE || Five ||
kaNNan defeated the bulls and kALiya. These are feats which only He can do. The BAgavata think and talk of these things alone and feel their hair stand on end out of Ananda. AzhwAr says when i think of such BAgavata hairs on body stands on end.
Adi andam anandam arbudam Ana vAnavar tambirAn
pAda mA malar SooDum pattiyilAda pAvihaL uindiDa |
teedil nanneri kATTi engum tirindu arangan emmAnukkE
kAdal Sei toNDarkku eppirappilum kAdal Seiyyum en nenjamE || Six ||
BagavAn is the root cause of all creations; He exists even after total dissolution; He is all pervasive and an object of wonder and astonishment. But people are not devoted to Him because they are ignorant. To make them take to the path of Bakti, the BAgavatAs travel from place to place giving lectures and showing by their AchAra. Thus they make nonbelievers as believers. Thus they serve the cause of BagavAn. i love those Sree vaiSNavAs who love not only God but the people too. i don’t mind being born again and again for their sake.
kArinam purai mEni nar kadir mutta veNNahai cheyya vAi
Ara mArvan arangan ennum arum perum SuDar onrinai |
SErum nenjinarAhi chErndu kaSindu izhinda kaNNeerhaLAl
vAra nirpavar tALiNaikku oru vAramAhum en nenjamE || Seven ||
Sree ranganAtha is like a dark clouds; has a handsome form; has enchanting smile; red luscious lips; wears a pearl garland and highly effulgent. The Sree vaiSNavAs want to enjoy Him. When their desires get fulfilled they are not able to see You for, the tears flow incessantly and hides His form from their vision. i seek such Sree vaiSNavAs’ tiruvaDi says AzhwAr.
mAlai uTTra kaDal kiDandavan vaNDu kiNDu narunduzhAi
mAlai uTTra varai perum tirumArvanai malar kaNNanai |
mAlai uTTru ezhundu ADi pADi tirindu arangan emmAnukkE
mAlai uTTriDum toNDar vAzhvukku mAlai uTTradu en nenjamE || Eight ||
The hearts of Sree vaiSNavAs go insane on seeing ranganAtha with tuzhasi mAla and lotus-like eyes. But my heart goes mad when i see these richness of Bakti of these BAgavatAs. When they jump, dance and sing my heart feels it should also do so. But can i have such an experience as theirs?
moittu kaN pani SOra meihaL Silirppa Engi iLaittu ninru
eittu kumbiDu naTTamiTTu ezhundu ADi pADi irainji en |
attan achchan aranganukku aDiyArhaLAhi avanukkE
pittarAm avar pittarallarhaL maTTraiyAr muTTrum pittarE || Nine ||
The signs of the climax of Bakti are enumerated as – kaN pani SOra, meihaL Silirppa, Engi, iLaittu, kumbiDu, naTTamiTTu, ADi, pADi , irainji etc. They look like fools, but are in fact great BaktAs of BagavAn. Those who don’t have these signs are indeed mad (about worldly matters like money, men etc.,).
alli mAmalar mangai nAdan arangan meyyaDiyArhaL tam
ellaiyil aDimai tirattinil enru mEvum manattanAm |
kolli kAvalan kooDal nAyahan kOzhi kOn kulaSEKaran
Sollin in tamizh mAlai vallavar toNDar toNDarhaL AvarE || Ten ||
AzhwAr has sung these pASurAs on Sree ranganAtha and His dAsAs. AzhwAr has more liking towards the dAsAs rather than even on BagavAn. So he says those who read these pASurAs will find pleasure in becoming dAsAs of these BAgavatAs.
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