Amalanadipiran — D.Ramaswamy Iyengar

    Third Verse

“மந்திபாய் வடவேங்கடமாமலை வானவர்கள்
சந்திசெய்யநின்றான் அரங்கத்தரவினணையான்
அந்திபோல்நிறத்தாடையும் அதன்மேல் அயனைப் படைத்ததோர் எழில்
உந்திமேலதன்றோ அடியேனுள்ளத்தின்னுயிரே”  

     The Lord reclining on the Serpent conch in Srirangam is the Lord who stood on the great Vengada mountain in the north, with monkeys running hither and thither, -in order that the celestials may meet Him there;
     The twilight – coloured garment of theat Lord and the shining navel above it which created the (four faced) Brahma, -on them rest my mind’s sweet soul.
                    ___________________

             Enjoyment of the Peetambaram persists and also leads to the enjoyment of the Navel above it.

 
                அரங்கத்தம்மான் of the first two verses gives place to அரங்கத்தரவினணையான்.  The Navel of the Lord projected a lotus upwards when the Lord, who was in Sayana pose during pralaya, bethought himself of ச்ருஷ்டி or creation.  Moreover the நாபி or navel of a standing or sitting person cannot be seen to go up into the form of a lotus.  So pointed attention is now focused to the அரவின் அணை on which Lord Ranganatha lies stretched.

            Here He is seen stretched on the Serpent Couch.  But earlier He was seen standing on the top of Tiruvengadam Hill in order to give audience to the celestials who wanted not being full.  There it was transcendent glory only.  Here it is easy accessibility – Saulabhya and Sauseelya.  The Nityas and Muktas come to Tirumalai to enjoy this pleasing aspect of the Lord denied to them in Vaikunta.

               When the Alwars refer to வான் they do not think of swarga and the devas there, but only of Paramapada and the nityas and muktas there.
               The high hill of Vengadam is referred as the “north Vengada hill” north of Tamilnadu, the region where all the Alwars took birth. 
             

           Vengadam is also referred to as the hill wherein monkeys jump from place to place, tree to tree, or hill to hill.  The reference to monkeys must be taken to be a reference to fickle-minded men who jump from one vishaya sukam (material pleasure) to another restlessly and ceaselessly. 
             

              My mind which was engaged in monkeying with wordly pleasures all these days has now got fixed up in one place – the navel of the Lord.

 
             A steady contemplation of the Peetambaram to which the mind was drawn in the previous verse leads to the enjoyment of the navel above it (அதன்மேல்).  It is an எழில் உந்தி and beautiful.  It is great as it gave birth to அயன், Brahma.  We see Desika translating these sentiments into Sanskrit in his Bhagavat dhyana sopana –sloka 5.

           The reference to the ஆடை garment in this verse is even more significant and enjoyable than in the previous verse.  The garment that is like twilight with its ruddy glow.  Which twilight? Morning or evening?  Desika says both.  It is morning twilight destroying the darkness of ignorance and heralding the dawn of gnana.  It is the evening twilight putting an end to our taapatraya and bringing in its wake coolness, quiet and peace.

 
    அடியேன் occurs for the first time in this verse.  The first two verses used only என்.  As reference is made in this third verse to உயிர் or soul, its daasya aspect impels the Alwar to use அடியேன் and not நான் or என்.  ஆத்மதாஸ்யம், ஹரே : ஸ்வாம்யம்– our servitude and Hari’s overlordship have been ordained to be always kept in mind (ஸதா ஸ்மர)

        உள்ளத்தின்னுயிர்  The sweet soul or core of my heart is now on that navel.    (3)
                _________________________

                        (Pausing here for a moment we shall enjoy certain beauties emerging out of the opening words of the first three verses.  The letters அ,உ, and ம are the first three letters in that very order.  (The first verse of Tiruvoimozhi  gives them as உ – ம – அ).  Put together they constitute the mystic letter ஓம் known as Pranava.  Vedanta Desika draws attention to this fact in his Munivahana bhogam and states that Amalanadipiran is not only a poem of ecstatic enjoyment but an esoteric treatise dealing with the meaning and significance of the three chief mantras, Ashtakshara, Dwaya and Charamasloka: and in his usual masterly way demonstrates how it is so in the course of his commentary.. That is how and why his commentary Munivahanabhogam is regarded not merely as a vyakhyana grantha, but as Rahasya (esoteric treatise), – one out of 32. 
      If we take the opening words of the first three verses we get அமலன் உவந்த மந்தி– the monkey that the Lord very much liked, or the moneky that greatly loved the Lord.  Who but Hanuman can answer  to that description? Indirectly the verses appear to contain a veiled reference to that great Bhakta who is the ideal of unflinching love and devotion to the Lord.  As the Prabandham in its closing words echoes Hanuman’s fine sentiment பாவோநாந்யத்ரகச்சதி (my feelings do not turn towards any one or anything else than my Lord Sri Rama) we can very well enjoy the indication even if the Alwar did not intend it.
    Moreover the first letters of the next four verses make for another idea சபாதுகை.  “ச” in Sankstrit is the conjunction “and”. அமலன் உவந்த மந்தி சபாதுகை . Or even அ.உ.ம.ச. பா.து.கை (taking the first letters alone are very meaningful.)

அமலனாதி பிரான் 3

Amalanathi piran

Second verse 

உவந்தவுள்ளத்தனாய் உலகமளந்தண்டமுற
நிவந்த நீண்முடியன் அன்று நேர்ந்த நிசாசரைக்
கவர்ந்தவெங்கணைக் காகுத்தன் கடியார் பொழில் அரங்கத்தம்மான் அரைச்
சிவந்த ஆடையின்மேல் சென்றதாம் என்சிந்தனையே                                 .3.

             The Lord of Arangam with tall and erect head-ornament which pierced the higher worlds when with great delectation is His heart, He measured the world ; Who is the scion of the race of kakut(an early king in the solar race) whose sharp and stinging arrows devoured the rakshasas who confronted Him (then), my mind has gone towards the reddish Peethambara worn by Him in His waist.

________________

          After the lotus feet, as the Alwar looks up, the Lord’s Pitambaram in His waist attracts his attention, the enjoyment here being from foot to head ஆபாதசூடம். That is the order in which a devote has to look at the Lord. The first verse referred to the Lord’s feet coming and settling in the Alwar’s eye ; and this verse shows how the Lord’s dress drags the attention of the Alwar’s mind, and how the mind leaves the Alwar and goes towards it.  சென்றதாம், The ஆம் suffix shows to us that the Alwar did not see, and was not aware of, his mind going towards the Pitambaram. He suddenly finds that such a thing has happened.

          என் சிந்தனை My mind. O! After how many dresses, costumes and sarees did my mind go in the past dragging me thither. Even such a mind has gone by His grace to revel in the beauty of His Pitambara. A sense of satisfaction and happiness must have crept over the Alwar when he sang thus.

           Lord Ranganatha (moolavar) is like a மரகதமலை, an emerald hill. The reddish Pitambaram is like a halo of மாணிக்கம் wound round that hill. மரகதகிரிமேல் மாணிக்கவொளி சூழ்ந்தாப்போல்—a feast for any eye and any mind.

         The earlier portion of the verse refers to Trivikrama avataram and Ramavataram and equate them with Lord Ranganatha,an Archavataram.

        உவந்த உள்ளம் with heartfull of pleasure. The Lord was touched by Mahabali’s munificence and liberality which he would not permit even his guru to put down.Further, was not Mahabali a descendent of Prahlada, His premier devotee!
       The நீள்முடி or tall கிரீடம் is one among the insignia of the Lord bespeaking His overlordship of the Universe. In trivikramavatara, it became erectand grew and grew like Him, and pierced the upper regions. அம்பர மூடறுத்து ஓங்கி உலகளந்த as Andal put it.

       நிவந்த – உயர்த்திய elongated (Another reading is நிவந்த – நிமிர்ந்த ,held erectand aloft)

        Rama is here referred to as காகுத்தன் a descendant of ககுத் one of the Suryavamsa kings who earned that name by vanquishing foes riding on the hump சுகுதம் of a Vrishabha (bull)

         The prowess of Sri Rama with bow and arrow is referred to here as being such that His arrows swallow the rakshasas who come before Him.

         That Trivikrama and that Rama are now here in Srirangam as Lord Ranganatha. அரங்கத்தம்மான். He has a fascination for this sthala because of the fragrant groves கடியார் பொழிலரங்கம், கடி is fragrance.

        It is His reddish Pitambaram that has dragged my mind and riveted it into itself.

        The grip that the Pitambaram has on tha Alwar’s fancy is seen in the next verse also.

அமலனாதி பிரான் 2

FIRST VERSE

அமலனாதி பிரான் அடியார்க்கு என்னையாட்படுத்த
விமலன் விண்ணவர்கோன் விரையார்பொழில் வேங்கடவன்
நிமலன் நின்மலன் நீதிவானவன்நீள்மதிளரங்கத்தம்மான் திருக்
கமலபாதம் வந்து என்கண்ணினுள்ளன வொக்கின்றனவே.                  .1.

    He, (1) the ever pure, (2) the primordial Being (3) the great Benefactor, (4) the ever –blemishless One consigning me to the service of the devoted, (5) the  Lord of the Celestials, (6) the Resident of Vengadam with fragrant groves (7) the One who has no fault, (8) the One ever remaining unaffected by (the) faults (of devotees), (9) the One residing in righteous Paramapadam, (10) my Lord and Leige of Arangam with long ramparts —
        His radiant lotus Feet appearas if they have come into, and are, in my eyes.
———————————————————————————————————————–

             This first pasuram enjoys the lotus Feet of lord Ranganatha. It refers to them as Tiru-k-kamala-padam. kamalam is lotus. Tiru stands for all that is sacred and beautiful. These feet are soft, fragrant and lovely to look at. Tiru also means Lakshmi. These are the feet which are the lotuses caressed by Lakshmi. Desika has elaborated this sentiment in his Bhagavad—dhyanasopaana sloka 2. லக்ஷ்மீபூம்யோ:கரஸரஸிஜை: லாளிதம் – பாதோம்போஜம், திருக்கமலபாதம் is all that is said here about the Feet.

              The rest of the verse refers to Lord ranganatha in ten epithets.
          (1) Amalan
                             The verse uses  four words Amalan, Vimalan, Nimalan, and Ninmalan — all having the same meaning malam (மலம்) is impurity, blemish. Absence of மலம் in a person makes him as Amalan, Vimalan etc.
                             The Alwar has evidently left it to the ingenuity of the Commentator, be it Periyavachan Pillay or Vedanta Desika, or any other, to give suitable meanings to the four words in the context in which each word is used.
                         Amalan has been taken to signify and indicate Purity in excelcis. He is பவித்ராணாம் பவித்ரம் in the words of Bhishma. That great purity is reflected in His capacity to make the impure pure.
                (2) Aadi
                        The first and foremost. He is the first and primordial cause (காரணம்)
                 (3) Piran
                               He is the only true benefactor. பிரான்! உன் பெருமை பிறராரறிவார்? (Poigai Alwar) Who can adequately understand your helpful tendencies?
                 (4) Adiyarkennai – aatpadutittha Vimalan
                        He who makes me a slave to His true devotees. The faultlessness suggested by the use of the word Vimalan lies in His being so unselfish as not to appropriate me and my servitude to Himself alone, but makes me a servant of the true and faithful devotees of His (அடியார்கள்). The  Seshatvam or servitude of a chetana should not stop with the Lord but must extend to His devotees. This is known as புருஷார்த்த காஷ்டை in Vaishnavism. A true Vaishnavite hankers to serve not only the Lord, but as  a corollary to his பகவத் கிங்கரத்வம் he wants to serve a devotee’s devotee’s devotee’s devotee (seven stages)  Vide Kulasekara’s த்வத் பரிசாரக ப்ருத்த்ய ப்ருத்த்யஸ்ய  and   Nammalwar’s அடியார் அடியார் தமக்கடியார் and so on.

                                Panarpiran enjoys the quality of the Lord that has made a பாகவத கிங்கரன் out of himself.  The reference obviously must be to his having obeyed the behest of Loka Saranga Muni and agreed to ride on his shoulders-an apparently audacious act, but understood by the Alwar as a mere obedient act.

                             (5)   Vinnavar-Kone. The Overlord of the celestials in Paramapadam or vaikunta.

                             (6)   Virayaar-pozhil vengadavan. The Lord of Tiruvengadam, Tirumalai-Tirupati, famous for its fragrant groves.

                                       The Lord left Sri Vaikunta, sojourned at Tirumalai on the way, and finaly came to Srirangam and laid Himself down. Vengadam is a stepping stone to Srirangam.

                              (7)   Nimalan.  The blemish that is negatived by this term is unapproachability. He the great and transcedent Lord, if he thought only of that aspect , will be unapproachable, and that will be a blot on Him. But here He is easily accessible.     

                             (8)  Ninmalan.  He may be easily accessible; but what about our sins, sinfulness and lowliness?  Will they not prevent us from apporaching Him? The answer is no. for He has not in Him the fault of putting our sins against us. He is Avignata  ( அவிஜ்ஞாதா 483rd name in Sahasranama).  One who does not know about His devotees’ sins அடியார் பிழைகள் நின் கருத்தடையா– Vedanta Desika in Mummanikkovai 4.

                            (9)  Neethi-Vaanavan.  He who  pertains and appertains to Sri Vaikunta the celestial region above cosmos in which Neeti or righteousness reigns supreme.

                           (10)  நீள்மதிள் அரங்கத்தம்மான்   Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam which has long and lofty மதிள்l or rampart.  அம்மான் is a term signifying intimate relationship, a father, mother, a சர்வ வித பந்து.

                                    The first nine epithets are descriptive of this Lord of Srirangam. It is His கமலபாதம் that resides in my eyes now,  என் கண்ணினுள்ளன.   The பாதம் in my eye.  The பாதம்  must be taken to mean both feet, as the predicates உள்ளன and ஒக்கின்றவே  are in the plural. ஒக்கின்றவே appears as if that பாதம் is in my eye, having come into it (வந்து).  The impression is so strong and intense that the Feet will not leave my eyes:  என் கண்ணுள் நீங்கா, நெஞ்சுள்ளும் நீங்காவே,  as Nammalwar has put it.  The கண்ணுள் நீங்கா is given expression to here by Panalwar.  Desika completes the idea in his Bhagavat-dhyana-sopana by singing  பாதாம்போஜம் ப்ரதிபலதி மே பாவநாதீர்க்கி காயாம்.  The lotus Feet are reflected in the lake of my mind.

                                     It is noteworthy that this Prabandham begins with a  reference ot the eye (of the Alwar) and ends with another kind of reference to the selfsame eye.

 

அமலனாதிபிரான் — D. ராமஸ்வாமி அய்யங்கார் வ்யாக்யானம்

||ஸ்ரீ:||
ஸ்ரீமதே நிகமாந்த மஹாதேசிகாய நம:
ஸ்ரீமதே ராமாநுஜாயநம:
ஆழ்வார் திருவடிகளே சரணம்.

திருப்பாணாழ்வார்
அருளிச்செய்த
அமலனாதிபிரான்.
—————–

Out of the 24 Prabhandhas that go to make up the “Nalayira Divya Prabhandham” this is the 17th in chronological order. It is the shortest of allthe twenty-four, containing as it does only 10 verses. Its name is taken from the opening words of the work. There is Prabhandham, kanni-nun-siruthambu having its opening words as its name. Incidentally it is the next shortest Prabhandha. It has 11 verses. These two Prabhandhas are the last two out of the 9 that go to make up முதலாயிரம் (the first part though not exactly the first thousand) out of the 4000. The only other Prabhandham that derives its name from its opening word is Nanmugan Tiruvandadi நான்முகன திருவந்தாதி.

The Alwar who has given to us this அமலனாதிபிரான் is Tiruppanalwar. In common with the first four Alwars, Poigai Alwar, Bhoothathalwar, Peyalwar and Tirumalisai Alwar, he also appears to have been an Ayonija, born of no one. He has this in common with Tirumalisai Alwar,viz., tha the was brought up by persons who were regarded in those days as of inferior caste. Tiruppanalwar’s foster-parents were of the Panar (பாணர்) caste, a sort of wandering minstrels or songsters. Tiruppanalwar’s birth place is said to be உறையூர் (Woraiyur), now a suburb of Tiruchirapalli. It is known to Vaishnavites as Nichulapuri (நிகளாபுரி) It is also known as கோழி and is celeberated by that name by Tirumangai Alwar who came after Tiruppanalwar.

Tiruppanalwar is believed to be an amsam (part-incarnation) of Srivatsa (the mole on the Lord’s chest). The ten Alwars are referred to by vedanta Desika as an அபிநவதசாவதாரம் (Neo-Dasavatharam) of the Lord Himself. The Alwars came into the world  with the set purpose of spreading the Bhakti cult among mankind. Both by precept and example they turned men’s attention Godward. Each achieved this purpose in a different way. Tiruppanalwar’s method is simple, short and straight.

A great love towards God seized the Alwar’s soul even while he was quite young. Accustomed to song and music he came to the banks of the River Kaveri flowing near, and facing Srirangam in the North, used to meditate upon the Lord of that shrine about whom , whose beauty, and whose grace he had heard from elders , and he sang His praises. Not being able to cross the Kaveri and step into Srirangam because of social barriers, he was content to stand on the other side of the sacred river, and sing about the glory of the Lord to his heart’s content. Sometimes in the fulness of his love he used to go into trance and remain in that state for some hours. On one such occasion it happened that the Temple Paricharaka from Srirengam, who used to fetch water from the Kaveri for the Lord’s Abhishekam and worship, found him near the slender stream that was running in the southern edge of the bed of the River Kaveri and shouted him to take himself away. Being in a trance the Alwar did not stir.The Paricharaka took a pebble and hurled it at the Alwar. It struck him in the face above the eyebrow and caused bleeding. Startled out of his trance, the Alwar realised what had happened and hurriedly went away from the spot profusely apologising for his unwitting apachara (fault). The paricharaka took the water from the River to Srirengam, happy and complacent at the thought that he had been able to carry pure water unpolluted. But his happiness and complacency were very short-lived, for when he went into the Sanctum Sanctorum, he was shocked and dismayed beyond words to see blood trickling from the face of the Lord at the exact spot in the face where his pebble had hit the devotee. He realised the great sin he had committed and was struck with remorse. That might be the Lord of rangam appeared in his dream and reminding him of the heinous sin committed that morning, made him understand that the only way of expiating for it was to somehow bring the great devotee to His presence.As soon as day dawned, the paricharaka rushed to the spot where the devotee used to stand and sing, reckoned himself lucky when he found him there ,approached him and delivered to him the Lord’s own command in the dream. The Panar-devotee felt exhilerated and happy beyond words, but politely refused to comply with it because it was unthinkable that he could step on the sacred soil of Srirengam. The Temple priest – his name was Loka- saranga – mamuni –who was very anxious to make amends for the heinous crime committed by him the previous day , came out with a ready solution. “O! Bhaktha so dear to the Lord! You need not do what you felt is wrong –stepping on Srirengam soil. I shall carry you on my shoulders and take you to the Lord’s presence within the shrine”. Panar did not know what to do. On the one hand there was the Lord’s command that he do come to Him. On the other, the prospect, none too pleasant, of having to ride on the Priest’s shoulders – an act which was not only distasteful but also sinful in his eyes. Ultimately the priest’s importunities prevailed and after crossing the River-bed and before entering Srirengam he allowed himself to be carried by Lokasaranga Muni, thereby earning the appellation – Munivahana –one riding on a Muni as on a vehicle. He closed his eyes tight and opened them only when he was made to descend from the shoulders of the Muni, straight in front of the Lord – that Sleeping Beauty of Srirengam alongwith the Smiling Beauty (Uthsava) in front, with His two Consorts. And what he saw then has been described in the Prabhandham he then sang, and which made him an Alwar.The enjoyment vouchsafed by the Lord to the Alwar of His superb Thirumeni from Foot to Head ஆபாதசூடம் is enshrined in the 10 verses of the Prabhandham.The first 9 verses enjoy respectively the பாதகமலம்,நவ்வாடை, உந்தி, உதரபந்தம், திருமார்வு, கண்டம், செவ்வாய், வாட்டமில் கண்கள், and the மேனி in that very order. (Lotus feet, Garment, navel, Waistband, Chest, neck, red mouth, eyes and the whole body) The last verse states how his eyes which saw that Nectar அமுது will never see anything else. And they did not; for the Alwar immediately thereafter merged into the Lord, his individual soul being swallowed up by that Parama purusha, All-Soul.

Acharyas have found several excellences in this Prabhandham. Vedanta Desika was so deeply impressed with it that he wrote a commentary on it, a compliment which he has not paid to any of the 23 other prabhandhams. His commentary which goes by the name of muni-Vahana-bhogam (முனிவாஹனபோகம்) or the enjoyment of the Muni-Vahana (another name for Tiruppanalwar as mentioned above) refers to the Prabhandham as an overflow of ecstatic enjoyment அனுபவ பரீவாஹம். It is also said there that this Prabhandham is neither too long and tiresome, nor too short and cryptic. It does not indulge in being didactic or polemic. That emperor among commentators – vyakyana Chakravarthi – Periyavachan Pillay also refers to these and several other merits. Vedanta  Desika draws particular attention to an excellent feature of this Prabhandahm viz., that even the Alwar’s name does not find mention at the end or anywhere in the work. அடியேன் என்னுமதொழிய இப்ரபந்தம் தலைக்கட்டுகிறவளவிலும் தம்முடைய பேரும் ஊரும் பேச மறக்கும்படி தாம் பெற்ற அனுபவம். That is the extent of the intense enjoyment vouchsafed by the Lord to this Alwar.

Let us now go to the Prabhandham itself, and try to understand somewhat the meaning and message of the verses.