Adiyarkennai-aatpadtittha Vimalan.

FIRST VERSE.

 

He, (1) the ever pure, (2) the primordial Being, (3) the gteat 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 appear as if they have come into, and are, in my eyes.

 

This first pashuram enjoys the lotus Feet of Lord Ranganatha. It refers to them as Tiru-k-Kamala-paadam.

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. Deshika has elaborated this sentiment in his Bhagavad-dhayanasopaana shloka2.

……… 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, Ne and Ninmalan — a}] having the same meaning. Malam ….

is impurity, blemish. Absence of web in a person make him an Amalan, Vimalan etc.

The Alwar has evidently left it to the ingenuity of the Commentator, be it Periavachan Pillay or Vedanta Deshika, of ‘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 ……… 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 (……….),

(3) Piraan.

He is the only true benefactor, ………..!

……….? (Poigai Alwar). Who can adequately understand your helpful tendencies ?

 

He who makes me a slave to His (rue 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 make me a servant of the true and faithful devotees of His …... The Sheshatvam or servitude of a chetana should not stop with the Lord but must extend to His devotees. This is known as ………

………………. in Vaishnavism. A true Vaishnavite hankers to serve not only the Lord, but as a corrollary to his …………..

…………. he wants to serve a devotee’s devotee’s devotee’s devotee (seven stages) Vide Kulasekara’s …………

………….. and Nammalwar’s …………

……… and so on.

Panarpiran enjoys the quality of the Lord that has made a ……… 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.