venRi

venRi

thiruveLLaRai

venri mAmazhuvEndi mun maN miSai
mannarai moovezhukAl
konra dEva nin kuraikazhal tozhuvadu
Or vahai enakaruL puriyE |
manril mAmbozhil nuzhaitandu
mallihai mouvalin pOdalartti
tenral mAmaNam kamazhtaravaru
tiruveLLarai ninrAnE ||

In tiruveLLarai the cool southern breeze blows through the mango trees, mallihai and mullai flowers carrying the scent along. BagavAn in His paraSurAma avatAra went round the world killing wicked kings of twenty one generations. He resides in this divya dESa. AzhwAr pleads that he should be shown the way to worship His ‘kurai kazhal’

vaSaiyil nAnmaraikeDuttu ammalarayarku
aruLi mun parimuhamAi
iSaikoL vEdanoolenru ivaipayandavanE
enakkaruL puriyE |
uyarkoL mAdavi pOdoDulAviya
mArudam veediyin vAi
tiSaiyellAm kamazhum pozhil Soozh
tiruveLLarai ninrAnE ||

When brahma lost the four vEdas BagavAn took hayagreeva avatAra and brought the vEdas. He resides in tiruveLLarai where the breeze blows through the mAdavi trees full of flowers and brings the scent to all the streets of the city.

AzhwAr pleads that He should show compassion on him as He showed to brahma.

veyyanAi ulahEzhuDan nalindavan
uDalaham irupiLavA
kaiyil neeLuhir paDaiyadu vAittavanE
enakkaruL puriyE |
maiyinAr taruvarAlinam pAya
vaN taDattiDaikkamalangaL
deivanArum vaN poihaihaL Soozh
tiruveLLarai ninrAnE ||

In tiruveLLarai which is the city full of beautiful lotus ponds the vALai fish jump and play shaking the flowers, spreading the fragrance everywhere. Here resides the emberumAn who split open the chest of wicked ad troublesome hiraNyAsura into two halves with His sharp long nails. AzhwAr requests Him to show such anugraha as He did to prahlAda.

vAmpariyuha mannar tam uyir Seha
aivarhaTkaraSaLitta
kAmbinAr tiruvEngaDaporuppa
ninkAdalai aruLenakku |
mAmbozhil taLirkOdiya maDakkuyil
vAyadu tuvarpeida
teembalangani tEnadunuhar
tiruveLLarai ninrAnE ||

emberumAn killed the horses etc of the foes and was instrumental in the death of the kings. Thus He helped the pANDavas in be-getting the kingdom from duryOdana. He resides in tiruveLLarai where the cuckoos that tasted the tender mango leaves found them bitter and sought the sweet jack fruits to drink the honey.

vAyadu tuvaruppu eida teembalangani tEnadu nuhar—suggest that the wise man renounced the kAvyas, nATakas and other literary works to seek the study of vEdas, SAstras, itihAsas and purANas.

mAnavElONkaN maDavaral maNmahaL
azhunga munneer parappil
EnamAhi anru irunilamiDandavanE
enakkaruL puriyE |
kAnamAmullai kazhaikkarumbEri
veNmuruval Seidu alarhinra
tEninvAi malar muruhu uhukkum
tiruveLLarai ninrAnE ||

Oh! vAmana! You lifted Boomi pirATTi who has beautiful spear-like eyes and wonderful characteristics of a woman, from the aNDa Bitti. Oh! tiruveLLarai emberumAn! You reside in this divya dESa where the mullai creepers wind round the sugarcanes shedding their honey right into the mouth of the bees.

poonguneeNmuDi amararhaL tozhudezha
amudinaikkoDuttaLippAn
angOrAmaiyadAhiyaAdi
ninaDimaiyai aruLenakku |
tangu pEDaiyODu ooDiya madukaram
taiyalAr kuzhalaNaivAn
tingaLtOi SennimADam SenraNai
tiruveLLarai ninrAnE ||

You churned the pArkaDal to get amruta in order to give the dEvas who came to beg You with their crowns intact. AzhwAr says He resides in tiruveLLarai where the pair of bees were sleeping in a flower. Suddenly the male became angry and left the side of its mate to go and hide behind the dark hair of the woman who live in the tall buildings the top of which reach the moon. AzhwAr requests emberumAn to employ Him to do His kainkarya.

ArinODu orunAnguDai neDumuDi
arakkan tan SiramellAm
vEruvEruhavilladu vaLaittavanE
enakkaruL puriyE |
mAril SOdiya marahada pASaDai
tAmarai malarvArnda
tEralmAnda vaNDinniSai mural
tiruveLLarai ninrAnE ||

Oh! Sree rAma! You cut off all the ten heads of rAvaNa which fell down with their tall crowns. You achieved this wonderful fact with Your kOdaNDa bow. You reside in tiruveLLarai where there are lots of lotus ponds with bright lotuses. The bees drink honey from the flowers to their hearts content and sing happily.

munnivvEzhulahu uNarvinri iruL miha
umbarhaL tozhudEtta
annamAhiyanru arumarai payandavanE
enakkaruL puriyAyE |
mannukEdahai Soodahamenrivai
vanattiDai SurumbinangaL
tennavenna vaNDinniSaimural
tiruveLLarai ninrAnE ||

In the forest of tiruveLLarai there are mango trees and tAzham poo bushes full of flowers with honey. The Surumbu and the common bees come in groups to drink the honey and sing sweetly. Thus the city is a nice place for emberumAn to reside. He took hamsa avatAra when the vEdas were lost and the worlds were immersed in the darkness of ignorance and stupidity. The dEvas requested Him to rescue the vEdas.

Surumbu is generally used as synonym for bees. In that case there will be the fault of repetition in this pASura. Hence it is interpreted as two different species of honey bees.

angumAvali vELviyilirandu Senru
AhaliDamuzhudinaiyum
pAnginArkoNDa parama ninpaNindezhuvEn
enakkaruL puriyE |
Ongu piNDiyin SemmalarEri
vaNDuuzhitara mAvEri
tEnguyil mizhaTTrum paDappai
tiruveLLarai ninrAnE ||

Assuming a vAmana roopa He went to the yAga Boomi of mahA bali and begged three feet of land. When He got it He measured the whole span of earth and took possession of them immediately. He resides in tiruveLLarai where there are tall aSOka trees with flaming red flowers. The bees are afraid to approach them as they think the tree is on fire—“tAdu malhiya piNDi viNDu alarhinra tazhal purai ezhil nOkki pEdai vaNDuhaL eriyana venru varu piridi Senru aDai nenjE” (periya tirumozhi). The cuckoos sitting on the nearby mango tree fear the safety of the bees that come boldly to sit on the flowers by sweetly singing a warning note to them.

manjulAmaNimADangaL Soozh
tiruveLLaraiyadinmEya
anjanam puraiyum tiruvuruvanai
Adiyaiyamudattai |
nanjulAviya vElvalavan
kalikanri Sol aiyiraNDum
enjalinri ninrEttavallAr
imaiyOrkaraSAvarhaLE ||

tirumangai AzhwAr has sung these ten pASuras on emberumAn who is Adi, amudam and anjana mEniyan residing in tiruveLLarai where there are tall buildings whose tops touch the clouds and whose walls were studded with gems. Those who read and meditate on these pASuras will be honoured by nitya sooris in paramapada.