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Slokam 13
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Today , adiyEn will cover the Thirteenth slOkam
of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan
touches on the JaayamAna KaDAksham of SrIman
NaarAyaNan as opposed to those of ithara dhaivams.
He points out that Lord ViLakkoLi PerumAL's glances
falling on one at the time of their birth would
result in the growth of Satthva guNam as opposed
to RajO and TamO GuNams :
janthOramushya jananE vidhi-sambhu-dhrushtou
raagAdhinEva rajasA tamasA cha yOga:
dhvaipAyana-prabhuruthaya: Thavadh-avkshithAnAm
satthvam vimukthi-niyatham bahvathI ithyusanthi
--SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai: SlOkam 13
(Meaning): Oh ViLakkoLi PerumALE! It is known that
a chethanan during the moment of birth is seen
first by BrahmA or Sivan or SrIman NaarAyaNan .
The glances of one of the above three has to fall on
the newly born. This is the kramam or MuRai.
When BrahmA's ( Chathur Mukha BrahmA's) glances
fall on the chEthanan , RajO guNam becomes dominant
in him. When Siva"s glances fall on the chEthanan,
the TamO guNam envelops him. The RajO and TamO guNams
attach themselves to the chEthanan and they engage in
karmAs leading to the gaining of narakam and Svargam
and are born again and again .In contrat , when Your
glances fall on a chEthanan at birth (JaayamAna KaDaksham),
that chEthanan is endowed with Sathtva GuNam and that
grows further and further. That blessed chEthanan engages
himself in saadhanais (Bhakthi or Prapatthi) that result
in Moksham at the appropriate time .Swamy Desikan points out
that Sages like VyAsa BhAgavan have alaborated on this tatthvam
( DhvipAyana Prabhrudhaya: ithi usanthi).The dominance of
satthva guNam due to SrI ViLakkoLi PerumAL's galnce on
chEthnam at the time of birth surely grants Moksham
( Thvath avEkshithAnAm Janthu: Satthvam vimukthi
niyatham ).
Additional Comments :
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In ths slOkam Swamy Desikan salutes the Upadesams of
GithAchAryan (ViLakkoLi PerumAL ) in the 14th and
the 16th chapters of SrImath Bhagavath Geethai.
Those who have recieved the JaayamAna katAksham of
the Lord , they come to partake of His nature and
become garbha SrImAns . The prakruthi-sambhava guNams
attach to them based on whose glances fall on
the chEthanan:
satthvam rajas-tama ithi guNA: prakruthi-sambhava:
nibhadhnanthi MahAbAhO dEhE dEhinmaavyayam
--GIthai 14.5
(mening): Satthva, Rajas , TamO guNams arise from
Prakruthi.These three guNams bind the immutable Self
in the body .
Satthva guNam results in Jn~Ana and Sukha sangam
(attachment to true happiness and knowledge).
RajO guNam is of the nature of passion and that
results when the JaayamAna kadAksham of BrahmA falls on
the chEthanam ; then attachment(bonding) to action
takes place. Thirst for sensual and gross passion
results and one is engaged in ceaseless chasing of them
to the detriment of the pursuit of higher goals of life.
Greed , ceaseless activity leading nowhere, unrest
and longing results(Githai: 14.12) . This chEthanam
is born again & again among those attached to work
and passion. The fruit of rajas is pain arising from
attachment (Vishaya sangam)and restlessness.
The result of the glances of ShivA falling on a chEthanam
at the time of birth is attachment to TamO GuNam , which
is the cause of false knowledge (Vasthu YaaTAthmya viparItha
vishaya Jn~Anam in AchArya RaamAnujA's words ). Erroneous
jn~Anam (nescinece), indolence and sleep results. The chEthanam
engages in every thing other than what it should do for sathgathi.
Firm bondage to samsAram results.That chEthanam is born in
the wombs of beings lacking intelligence ( MooDA:).The fruit of
TamO guNam is thus ignorance.
The one who crosses beyond the three guNAs through
bhagavath anugraham is alike in pleasure and pain
(Sama Dukkha: Sukha:). He is the same in handling
honor and dishonor (maana -apamAnam).He is the same
to friend and foe ( GIthai: 14-24 & 25). He recognizes
the Lord as the ground (prathishtA) of Brahman ,
the eternal and changeless , the embodiment of eternal
dharmA and of perfect bliss (GIthai: 14-27). These
result from the eye glances of Madhusoodhanan falling
on the chEthnam at the time of birth.
In the 16th chapter, GIthAchAryan discusses further
the Divine and Demoniac types of beings.He classifies
them in to the categories of those with divine destiny
(DhaivI )and demoniac destiny (AasurI)and discusses at
length the charactrestrics of these two types of chEthanams.
DhaivI sampath vimOkshAya nibhandhAya AasurI mathA
Maa Sucha: samphadham Dhaiveem abhijAthOsi PaaNDava
--GIthai: 16.5
In the final two slOkams of this chapter (16.23 & 24) ,
GIthAchAryan pints out the way to get over RajO and TamO
guNams and grow Satthva GuNam with the Help of His
SaasthrAs :
Ya: Saasthram uthsrujya varthatheE Kaamakaamasu
na sa siddhim avApnOthi na sukham na ParAm gathim
TasmAth Saasthram pramANam tE karyakAryAvasTithou
Jn~AthvA Saasthra vidhAnOktham karma karthum ihArhasi
--GIthai 16.23 & 24
(meaning): He who rejects/abandons the injunctions
of My SaasthrAs and acts under the influence of
desire neither attains perfection or the Sathgathi.
Therefore , use My SaasthrAs as Your authority and
guiding light (ViLakkoLi) on what should be done and
what should be rejected . With the prakAsam of that
Saasthra DhIpam , Oh ArjunA , You should engage in
the KarmAs here.
That desire for Saasthra Jn~Anam arises from the Lord's
dhrushti falling on a chEthanam at the time of birth and
leads one to a sadAchAryan first and thru that sadAchAryan's
tapas and anugraham leads one on to the Thiruvadi of
GIthAchAryan Himself.
This is the greatness of Swamy Desikan and His
SrI Sookthis , where He distills the essence of
Sath SampradhAyam in slOkams abundant in deep
meanings . That is why the uninterrupted continuation of
NithyAradhanams out of gratefulness for Swamy Desikan
at His birth place and for His sontha agrahAram
PerumAL (DhIpa PrakAsan) is so important for us all.