based on the vyakhyanam of Sri Periyavaccan Pillai
by Smt Sumithra Varadarajan

engalmAl eraivan Esan kidanthathOr kidakkai kandum: In the previous two lines alwar explained the great scenery and beauty of the Srirangam divyadesam. Now he says, the beauty of the place is actually rewarded only due to the emperuman, who gave nature this beauty, lying in between them. Thinking about the lord lying in Srirangam, alwar remembers his connection with the lord and he hence says, he is not a third person but 'my lord', Asmat swamin, engalmAl eraivan. Though each and every jeevatma has the same connection with the lord still we alone feel him to be ours and he also has a soft corner for us. Geethacharyan says that he loves his bhakthas. Many type of people come to the temple. It is nice to see a crowd waiting to have darshan of Namperumal but sometimes it is difficult for us to digest when people consider visiting the temple as also part of their entertainment or pastime. Without understanding emperuman and his vaibhavams some people even do business with him. "If you do this for me I will do this for you", they say to the bhagavan who is our father waiting to do everything for us without asking anything from us. But people think him to be some third person and demand help for some prarthanai they do. That is why alwar says engal, including all bhakthas who really do kainkaryam to bhagavan for the pleasure of it, in his group. MAl actually means head or a person who is very crazy. Emperuman is our head and he is also crazy when it comes to his bhakthas. He being the supreme sometimes even considers him to be his bhaktha's servant, that is why alwars call him mAl.

Alwar says kidanthathOr kidakkai kandum. … Sri PVP's vyakhyanam is excellent in this place. "yesOdhai piratti madiyilE saiyindArpOlE Ayitru kAveriyin naduvE kanvalandarulugira padi" Some are beautiful when they sit and some are beautiful in the standing posture but emperuman is beautiful whether he stands, sits or lies down. Though all his postures are beautiful still he is excellent when he lies down. Sita pirAtti enjoyed perumal when they roamed here and there in the forest. She was more interested in enjoying the beauty of perumal than any other nature. When Sri rAmar sat on a rock she found his sitting pose more cool to the eyes. Now that perumal was very tired he lied down on piratti's lap and she kept on enjoying the beauty of perumal's lying posture. Even when kakasuran came and hurt her she didn't even move because even if she moved slightly ramapiran's sleep will be disturbed and then she cannot enjoy his lying beauty after that. So due to her liking to see perumal lying down she even didn't care blood bleeding from her breast. "evarganthan nindrAnAgil nilaiyAga nindrAn enbargal; kidakka kAndAl pirAn erundhavai kAttineer enbArgal; sAyakkandAl kidandhadhOr kidakkai enbArgal; evargal refers to the crew of bhakthas(alwars and acharyas) who are always involved in the anubhavams of emperuman. PVP here says that these bhakthas enjoy whatever emperuman does with fullest satisfaction. If he stands then they say 'Oh! How beautifully he is standing'. Thirumangai Alwar says, "pArthan than thEr mun nindrAnai thiruvallikeni kandEnE" enjoying the way Sri Venkata Krishnan, geethacharyan stands in thiruvallikeni. If emperuman sits down then they say this is the excellent posture. And if emperuman finally feels very tired and lies down then they wonder, 'can there be anything better than this!' Each and every act of bhagavan has their own special importance in the minds of the bhakthas and hence they enjoy each one of them separately. They never feel tired of enjoying the bhagavan and his gunams. They don't feel hungry or sleepy. In krishnAvatAram when Krishna stood 7 days holding up the govardhana giri, at that time none of the gokula vasees ate anything nor they slept. They kept on seeing Krishna and enjoying.

enganam marandhu vAzhkEn? YEzhaiyEn yEzhaiyEnE: After having these anubhavams once, then it never leaves our minds. We cherish what ever we got and want to have more and more. That is why alwar says, "how can I forget Namperumal and his divine beauty? How can I forget the way periya perumal is lying down as if he is lying on the laps of his mother yesodha? Alwar says, earlier I was very much involved in lowkikam and I was having some problems. Some people adviced me to go to Srirangam to get rid of my problems. But you know what happened after I came here? My problems increased further". We were all surprised to hear this, so we questioned alwar why he is saying so, since emperuman only reduces our problems and never increases the same? Alwar replied," Earlier I had samsaric problems and was crying for the same. But now my mind seeks a very very valuable thing and hence iam crying. Atleast earlier the treasure I wanted was only money and wealth which could be possessed at some point of time. But now I want only the greatest treasure, emperuman and hence am weeping for reaching him. Earlier if I didn't get the lowkika wealth remembering the fox and grapes story I used to think that the wealth beyond my reach to be tasteless and hence get away from it. Similarly I tried to get away from emperuman and came out of the sannadhi but his beautiful thirumEni never leaves my mind. I do not know a way to forget it, cries alwar.