அமலனாதிபிரான்

 

       அமலனாதிபிரான் 

    பல்லவி

   அரங்கத்தம்மானின் அரவிந்த பதமலர் 

  அடியேனை ஆட்கொள்ள தவமென்ன செய்தேன் !

   அனுபல்லவி

   நரர்சுரர் பணிந்திடும் தேவாதி தேவன் 

    சரணடைந்தோர் நலம் காக்கும் வைகுண்ட வாசன் 

     சரணம் 

      கமலமலர் நாபன் நின்மலன் கேசவன் 

     நிமலன் திருமலையில் தானாக எனக்கருளும்
 
     அமலனாதிபிரான்  என்னைத் தன்னடியார்க்கு

     தெரியவைத்த விமலன் திருவரங்கம் தனில் விளங்கும் 


  Amalanadipiran adiyarkkennai atpatutta

Vimalan vinnavarkon viraiyar polil venkatavan

Nimalan ninmalan nitivanavan nilmatin Arangattamman

Tirukkamala padam vanten kanninullana okkinrate! ||1||

Translation:

Wonderful this, the lotus feet dainty, of our immaculate sire

At Arangam, amid ramparts high, first and foremost Sire, great and pure,

The Benefactor who did me enlist in the service of the devout,

Overlord of the celestials in high heaven, just and upright,

Who did atop Venkatam amid fragrant orchards alight,

Did, on their own, into my distant eyes project. ||

Notes:

Amalan: The immaculate. Immaculate that He is, Lord Ranganatha cleanses the massive dirt of ignorance of the worshippers and imparts purity to them. Indeed He is the purest of the pure and the most auspicious among the auspicious – Pavitranam pavitram yo mangalanam ca mangalam. The manner in which Lord Ranganatha drew the Alvar unto Him is indicated here. In this song, the Alvar also refers to the Lord asVimalan, the same as ‘Amalan’ etymologically but with this difference (as brought out by the Commentator), namely this refers pointedly to the Lord’s magnanimity in putting the Alvar on to the feet of His devotees for rendering them spotless service, ever and anon, a rare trait (gesture), not noticeable in anyone else. In this particular context, this refers to the manner in which Panan, who was keeping himself studiously aloof from the likes of Lokasaranga Mahamuni, was induced by the Lord to be submissive as not to disobey and flee from the Mahamuni, as in the past. Yet another appellation, bestowed on the Lord by the Alvar, in this song itself, isNimalan, also meaning the same as Amalan etymologically, but used in a different sense, as highlighted by the Commentator. The special connotation of Nimalan is: it denotes the Lord’s extra-ordinary gesture in redeeming the Alvar, even unasked and unsolicited, enhancing His greatness still further.

[The reader is now invited to go through Sri Parasara Bhattar's commentary on Names 157 and 252 (sucih): of Sri Vishnu Sahasranama. 157-Sucih: Pure (unsullied). Visnu Bhagavan is pure since He does not expect anything in return for all that He does to the subjects (in dire contrast to minor deities, who when sought after invariably seek something in return from the recipients); 252-Sucih: He, who is pure, the purity being natural to Him (innate), not induced or cultivated, as such. It is noteworthy that Lord Narayana, the Supreme Brahman is not only big (brhat) Himself but also makes His votaries big.]

What more ? In this very song the Alvar also refers to the Lord as ‘Ninmalan‘, the same as ‘Amalan’ etymologically, but in an even superior light, namely, the Lord looks upon the redemption of the Alvar as but His own job, for His benefit, that is, as a matter of supreme personal satisfaction – the benefactor redeeming Himself the beneficiary, once again redounding to His unique greatness and glory.

The way the Alvar has put it, in this song, the Lord’s limbs literally vied with one another to attract the Alvar, even when he was very much outside the Sanctum, the feet being the pace setter. They are said to have (figuratively) sallied forth from the Sanctum and got into his eyes (a forward, feast, as it were, ahead of the diner entering the dinning hall!)

Venkatam: Mounted on Lokasaranga Mamuni’s shoulders, Panan is on his way to the shrine of Lord Ranganatha. Why then, this reference to the Deity, atop the holy Mount Tiruvenkatam? It is only to remind us that the Lord descended from heaven and alighted at Venkatam, enroute to Arangam. Venkatam, the mountain-top came in handy for the Lord as a springboard from where He could jump down to Arangam and rest there. It is comparable with His stepping down to Madhurampuri (spelt as Mathura, these days) from the Milk-ocean, the Lord’s seat of creative activities whence His avatars take place and then moving further on to Gokul (Tiru Ayppadi). [Saint Nammalvar also refers to the Lord's stepping on to Mount Venkatam as an intermediary stop-over, and thence jumping into the Alvar's mind 'Malaimel tan ninru en manattul iruntanai' Tiruvaymoli X-4-4]. With their deep insight and uncanny perception, the Alvars as well as some of our ancient preceptors could envision (1) the celestials moving down from the high heaven to Mount Tiruvenkatam to see for themselves and appreciate the Lord’s amazing simplicity (not so well discernable in heaven, that glorious setting with all its pomp and pageantry), His loving condescension to stay in the midst of monkeys and hunters, (2) their (celestials) going back to heaven where His Supremacy (Paratva) is very much in evidence, a feature which shone, all the more, in the eyes of the celestials, in sharp contrast with His amazing simplicity (Soulabhya), witnessed by them below, (3) their coming again to Venkatam, only to find that the Lord had by then moved to Arangam and (4) their further move to Tiruvarangam where they beheld the Lord reclining on the Serpent Counch, vowing as it were, not to raise up and go back to the celestium till the uplift to heaven of the last being down below].

Nilmatil Arangattamman: Reference to the lofty boundary walls by Pan Perumal seems to be an anachronism. Actually, the walls were built by Tirumankai Alvar (tenth in the chronological order), who must have taken cue from his immediate predecessor and rendered his vision realistic.

Arangattu Amman: The Lord at Arangam is presented as our kinsman. Yes, He is intimately bound to everyone through every conceivable relationship – father, mother, husband, son and so on. He is also our master, friend, donor, judge, so on and so forth. It behoves us, one and all, to take due note of this omnibus relationship binding us to Him intimately so that we do not run astray. See also 28th Song of Andal’s Tiruppavai.

Tirukkamala padam vantu en kanninullana okkinrate: The Lord’s lovely (Tiru) pair of feet, silken-soft and delicately massaged by Tiru, the Divine Mother, Herself, the very picture of softness and elegance, sallied forth from the Sanctum, straight inside Pan Perumal’s eyes, when he was still on his way to the temple. Earlier on, Panan was running away, in self denouncing humility, but now the Lord’s feet run after him, in keeping with the Lord’s inclination and get implanted in his eyes!

In sum, The opening song brings out (1) the Sovereignty of the Lord over the heaven (Nitya Vibhuti – the Eternal Land) as well as the worlds below (Lila Vibhuti – the sporting arena) – ‘Ubhaya Vibhuti aisvarya‘, (2) He is, at once, the goal of attainment (upeya), the means of attaining that goal (upaya) and also the beneficiary [Bhokta - who revels in the redemption of the individual soul (cetana labha)] and (3) in Him alone is the unique blending of unrivalled Supremacy, exhibiting Him as higher than the highest (Paratparan) and His astounding simplicity, presenting Him as lower than the lowest (soulabya parakastai); but for the latter aspect, His ‘Paratva‘ (Supreme Sovereignty) would just scare away His devotees and distance them from Him, irretrievably.