SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
Now, piLLai lOkAchAryar is elaborately explaining the nature of iLaiyaperumAL (lakshmaNa) who is the foremost among the personalities who are examples for being well established in upEyam (kainkaryam).
sUthram 83
pasiyarAy iruppAr atta sORum uNNa vENum adugiRa sORum uNNa vENum ennumAppOlE, kAttukkup pOgiRapOdhu iLaiyaperumAL piriyil dhariyAmaiyai munnittu “adimai seyya vENum, ellA adimaiyum seyya vENum; EvikkoLLavum vENum” enRAr; padai vIttil pugundha pinbu kAttil thaniyidaththil svayam pAgaththilE vayiRRaip perukkina padiyAlE, oppUN uNNa mAttAdhE, oru thirukkaiyAlE thiruveN koRRak kudaiyaiyum oru thirukkaiyAlE thiruveN sAmaraththaiyum dhariththu adimai seydhAr.
Simple Explanation
Just as a very hungry person would say that he needs the food which is already cooked and the food which is being cooked, while going to the forest, iLAiiyaperumAL, being unable to bear the separation, said “I would like to serve, serve in all ways and you should order me”; after returning to SrI ayOdhyA, having enjoyed service to SrI rAma fully in the forest just as someone who would cook and eat abundantly, being unable to eat only as much as the quantity which others eat, he served by holding the divine white umbrella in one divine hand and holding the divine chAmara (whisk) in the other divine hand.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
pasiyar …
That is – a person who is hungry, due to his severe hunger, will desire to eat the food which is already cooked and will also desire to eat the food which is being cooked; similarly, when perumAL mercifully started his journey towards the forest, iLaiyaperumAL who is as said in SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 18-28 “bAlyAth prabhruthi susnigdha:” (amiable since childhood), observed SrI rAma’s departure from SrI ayOdhyA and he too started following SrI rAma; seeing that SrI rAma mercifully forced lakshmaNa to remain in SrI ayOdhyA; he said as in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 31.22 “kurushva mAm anucharam vaidharmyam nEha vidhyathE | kruthArthOham bhavishyAmi thavachArtha: prakalpathE ||” (To serve and to give happiness to your highness and sIthAp pirAtti, you should mercifully order me to follow you; there is nothing wrong in this matter; by that, I, the servitor, will become satisfied); after crossing over gangA, perumAL again gave many reasons for iLaiyaperumAL’s return to SrI ayOdhyA and iLaiyaperumAL responded as in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 53.31 “na cha sIthA thvayA hInA nachAhamapi rAghava – muhUrtham api jIvAva:” (Oh rAghava! I too will not sustain in separation from you just as sIthA would not – we will stay alive for only a moment after separating from you); in this manner, being unable to bear the separation,
- he prayed to perform kainkaryam matching his servitude as he said in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 31.23 and 31.24 “dhanurAdhAya saguNam kanithra pitakAdhara: | agrathathE gamishyAmi panthAnam anudharSayan || AharishyAmithE nithyam mUlAnicha palAnicha | vanyAni yAnichAnyAni svAhArANi thapasvinAm ||” (Carrying the bow which has good qualities, carrying a shovel and a basket on my head, showing the path in front, I will walk before you; I will gather roots, fruits and other forest foods and will offer them to your highness on a daily basis) after saying “kurushva mAm” (order me)
- in that too, he prayed to perform all kainkaryams instead of one or two kainkaryams, as said in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 31.25 “bhavAmsthu saha vaidhEhyA girisAnushu ramsyathE – aham sarvam karishyAmi jAgratha svapathaSchathE” (While you enjoy with sIthA in the foothills of the mountain, I will serve you both in all the ways whether you are sleeping or awake).
- while mercifully remaining in panchavati, when perumAL said to build a hermitage in a location where there is abundance of water and shade, iLaiyaperumAL became too worried thinking that perumAL has abandoned him by giving independence to him [on choosing the location etc] as said in SrI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam 15.6 “Evam ukthasthu rAmENa lakshmaNas samyathAnjali: | sIthA samAksham kAkuthstham idham vachanam abravIth ||” (iLaiya perumAL who was ordered by perumAL in this manner, stood with joined palms and spoke the following words towards perumAL in the presence of pirAtti) and spoke with joined palms in front of sIthAp pirAtti as in SrI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam 15.7 “paravAnasmi kAkuthstha thvayi varshaSatham sthithE | svayanthu ruchirE dhESE kriyathAm ithi mAm vadha ||” (Oh son of emperor dhaSarathi! Even if your highness lived forever, I will be your servitor. You yourself should mercifully say exactly how and where this hermitage should be built). By this, it is said that iLaiya perumaL prayed to perumAL “while I serve, you should order me so that my independence does not manifest”.
padai vIttil …
After perumAL returned to SrI ayOdhyA, the divine capital city, and accepted the divine coronation ceremony, since iLaiya perumAL increased his desire to perform kainkaryam manifold due to serving alone in the forest, just as someone who cooked himself and ate for a long time would have increased appetite, being not satisfied with the same amount of service done by SrI bharathAzhwAn et al, he simultaneously performed two kainkaryams namely 1) holding the divine white umbrella and 2) holding the divine white whisk.
This incident is not seen in SrI rAmAyaNam. When asked – is this not seen in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 12.32 “chathra chAmara pANisthu lakshamaNOnuja kAmahA” (iLaiya perumAL followed perumAL carrying the whisk and umbrella)? Since this incident is occurring in ayOdhyA kANdam, while perumAL was to be coronated before he left for the forest, where he was decorated for coronation and was leaving from his private quarters, where iLaiya perumAL was following him, it will not align with the narrative here.
So, how did piLLai lOkAchAryar mercifully explain this? He has narrated this based on pAdhma purANam. This incident of iLaiya perumAL performing multiple kainkaryams after returning from the forest, is explained in great detail in pAdhma purANam.
Starting with pAdhma purANam uththara kANdam 2.49, this [coronation after returning from the forest] is described in detail:
atha thasmin dhinE puNyE SubhE lagnE SubhOdhayE |
rAghavasya abhishEkArtham mangaLam chakrirE janA: ||
Subsequently, on the divine day of coronation, at the auspicious time, in the best muhUrtham (the exact hour), people of ayOdhyA, performed auspicious activities for the divine coronation of SrI rAma.
…
manthra bhUtha jalais sudhdhair munayas samSitha vrathA: |
japanthO vaishNavAn sUkthAn chathurvEdha mayAn SubhAn ||
abhishEkam subham chakru: kAkuthstham jagathAmpathim ||
The sages (who meditate) who are having pure vows, chanted the sacred manthras of vishNu which are auspicious and are in the form of four vEdhas, with the pure water which were sanctified with the manthras from vEdham, performed the divine coronation of SrI rAma, who is the lord of the universe.
thasmin subhadhamE lagnE dhEvadhundhubayO dhivi |
ninEdhu: pushpavarshAni vavashuScha samanthatha: ||
In that auspicious time, on the sky, musical instruments such as dhEvadhundhubi were tumultuously played. Flowers were showered from all directions.
dhivyAmbarair bhUshaNaiScha dhivya gandhAnulEpanai: |
pushpair nAnAvidhair dhivyair dhEvyAsaha raghUthvaha: ||
alankruthaScha SuSubhE munibhir vEdha pAragai: ||
SrI rAma who was with the sages who were chanting vEdhams and who was with sIthAp pirAtti, being decorated with divine garments, divine ornaments, divinely fragrant sandalwood paste. divine and variety of flowers, was shining radiantly.
chathrancha chAmaram dhivyam dhruthavAn lakshmaNas thadhA |
pArSvE bharatha Sathrugnau thALavrundham vivEjathu: ||
At that time, iLaiya perumAL served by carrying the divine white umbrella and divine white whisk; SrI bharathAzhwAn and SathrugnAzhwAn remained on either side of SrI rAma and served him with hand-held fans.
dharpaNam pradhadhau SrImAn rAkshasEndhrO vibhIshaNa: |
dhadhAra pUrNa kalaSam sugrIvO vAnarESvara: ||
vibhIshaNAzhwAn who has the wealth of kainkaryam and who is the king of rAkshasas offered a mirror; sugrIva mahArAjar who is the king of vAnaras carried the pUrNakumba (sacred pot) and served..
jAmbavAmScha mahAthEjA pushpamAlAm manOharAm |
vAli puthrasthu thAmbUlam sakarpUram dhadhau priyAth ||
The very honourable jAmbavAn offered flower garlands which are pleasing to the mind; angadha lovingly offered betel nuts, betel leaves and camphor.
hanumAn dhIpikAm dhivyAm sushENas thu dhvajam Subham |
parivArya mahAthmAnam manthriNas samupASirE ||
hanumAn served by carrying divine lamp, sushENan served by carrying the flag and the ministers surrounded SrI rAma and worshipped him.
All of these are explained in pAdhma purANam uththara kANdam 49th adhyAyam. As per “chathram cha chAmaram dhivyam dhruthavAn“, piLLai lOkAchAryar mercifully said “thiruveN koRRak kudaiyaiyum thiruveN sAmaraththaiyum dhariththu“.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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