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Pasuram

 

Saadu sanattai naliyum kanjanai saadippadarku

      Aadiyanjodi uruvai angu vaittu ingu piranda

Veda mudalvanai paadi veedigal torum tulladaar

      Odi unarndavar munna en savippar manisare

            (Nammazhvar Tiruvoimozhi 3.5.5)

 

Translation

 

What can they chant before the learned, iff they do not dance through the streets singing the glory of the hero of Vedas, Sriman Narayana, who incarnated here, assuming a brilliant divine body as in Srivaikuntha, to end kamsa who was cruel to the pious?

 

Explanation

 

Nammazhvar narrates the glory of chanting and singing His holy names (Nama sankirtana) in this verse and indirectly spells the purpose of Bhagavan's incarnation. He incarnated to relieve the pious from the clutches of the wicked. Sri Nanjiyar opined "isvaran avatarittu pannina anaithozhilgalellam bhagavata apacharam poramaiyale" (All the incarnations and deeds of Isvara are as a furious response to the offence committed against the pious by the wicked) i.e. dushta nirasanam is the prime purpose. But Sri Ramanuja felt that all His deeds are to protect the virtuous i.e. saadhu parithranam is the prime purpose. These two statements apparently contradict but in fact supplement each other. One cannot happen without the other. Eventually both these actions together establish dharma in this world. We now have three purposes for His incarnation as mentioned in Bhagavat Gita in the sloka "paritranaya sadhoonam vinasaya ca dushkrtam dharma samsthapanaarthaya sambhavaami yuge yuge"

The sweeter but subtler purpose is to make His divine attributes useful to all in this world.