You are here: SriPedia - Oppiliappan - Archives - Aug 2003

Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00002 Aug 2003

 
Aug 2003 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


Sri:

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

Dear Bhaktas,

On this most sacred Tiruvadi Pooram day, the Tirunakshatram of 
Andal, adiyen wishes to share the following reflections. 
Srivilliputtur, the birth place of Andal is sanctified because, 
Andal chose to incarnate there. Unlike avatarams of the Lord where 
He incarnated through GarbhavAsam, Andal was found by Periya Azhwar 
in his flower garden. Therefore, Her birth was Avirbhava. It is 
significant to note that two months of the year designated as Shoonya 
masams are -Adi and Marghazhi. Significantly, both of these months 
have been rendered sacred by Andal-Adi due to Her incarnation and 
Marghazi due to the brilliant delivery of the Tiruppavai verses, at 
the end of which She attained eternal union with Lord Narayana. 
Significantly, Lord Krishna Himself declares in the Bhagavad 
Gita "mAsAnAm marghashIrshOsmi"(among the months I am the 
MargashIrsha) in anticipation of His union with Andal. For Andal, 
expression of Her pangs of separation from Her Beloved (Lord 
Narayana) came naturally. Therefore, She did not need to adopt Nayaki 
Bhavam in her outpourings like Swami NammAzhwar or Tirumangai Azhwar. 

Andal, being an Amsham of Bhumi Piratti is the epitome of 
compassion. This is glorified in the Purusha Sooktam rk "HrIscha thE 
lakshmIscha pathnyoU". The term Hri denotes compassion- Andal's 
compassion. Since Lord Narayana is the father of the entire universe, 
Andal as His consort becomes the mother of the entire universe. Her 
limitless compassion for Her children (erring baddha jIvans, who are 
subject to a seemingly endless cycle of births and deaths), who 
perform SharaNagati manifests itself in the form of Her impassioned 
appeals to Lord Narayana to forgive their sins. The act of granting 
refuge to a Prapanna is a yajna performed by Lord Narayana. The term 
Patni is reserved for exclusive use in the context of yajna. Andal's 
elevated role in this yajna of protecting Prapannas is glorified in 
the Bhu Sooktam Rk "shrungE shrungE yajnE yajnE viBhishaNIi"

A remarkable feature of Andal's incarnation is the harmonious unison 
of theory and practice underlying SharaNagati. We may remember that 
when Bhumi Piratti was rescued from the depths of the ocean by Lord 
Narayana, in his incarnation as Varaha (jnAna Piran), her 
overwhleming compassion for Her Children (errant baddha jivans) took 
the form of a question seeking the upayam for redemption. The 
response from Bhagavan Varaha is the famous Varaha Charma Shlokam, 
which briefly outlines the theoretical principles underlying 
SharaNagati. We may observe that Swami Desikan dedicates an entire 
Chillarai Rahasyam entitled "rahasya shiKhamaNi" to the discussion of 
the esoteric meanings underlying the Varaha Charma Shlokam. 

Not satisfied with this, Andal's extreme compassion for Her children 
is such that She undertook the performance of the Vratam (nombu ) of 
SharaNagati to illustrate the jiVatma-ParamAtma relationship. The 30 
verses of Tiruppavai contain a consummate description of this 
relationship, which has been elaborated upon in the Upanishads and in 
the Bhagavad Gita. It is instructive to note that recitation of Vedic 
hymns have significant restrictions in that one must be aware of the 
time and place to recite these hymns. Furthermore, not everyone is 
qualified to recite these hymns. Some hymns can be recited only by 
Gruhastas, while some are the privy of Sanyasis alone and so forth. 
Whereas no such restrictions apply to the recitation of verses from 
Tiruppavai. Also, the Vedas are quite cryptic in their reference to 
the margam of SharaNagati. Therefore, they are often termed as Marai 
(that which is not visible to the naked eye). However, Andal being an 
Amsham of Bhumi Piratti beautifully intuited the nuances and 
prescriptions of SharaNagati from the Vedas and described it a simple-
to-understand language using 30 delectable verses of Tiruppavai. The 
following important messages are contained in this outstanding 
literary masterpiece.

(1) Every jivAtma is irrevocably the property of the ParamAtma, Lord 
Narayana, who is its Sheshi, ruler, Swami.
(2) The existence and activities of every jivAtma are solely for the 
pleasure of Lord Narayana.

Andal illustrates (1) and (2) through the "ariyAdha piLLaihaLO" 
salutation in the Tiruppavai.

(3) The surest way to restore the property (jivAtma) to its rightful 
owner is through the path of unconditional, total surrender to the 
Lord's Lotus Feet, i.e., SharaNagati
(4) The performance of sharaNagati is simply Atma vivAham, i.e., a 
wedding between the jivAtma and the Paramatma
(5) The rules underlying the performance of this nOmbu are clearly 
stated in the Tiruppavai. For example, verse 2 elaborates on the 
yama and niyama exercises. The term yama means that which must be 
given up, whereas the term niyama means that which must not be given 
up, i.e., that which must be followed. Some of the rules contained 
here are significant in that they echo important upanishadic 
messages. First, upon waking up one must recite the name of Lord 
Narayana-this seems to be the basis of Swami Desikan's Vaishnava 
Dinasari, where he notes that upon waking up one must recite the name 
Hari 7 times. Next, Andal discusses that which must be given up-
neyyuNNOm pAluNNOm. This is not interpreted to mean that one must 
give up partaking of ghee and milk. However, it is merely an 
instruction that these should be partaken only upon offering to Lord 
Narayana. Further, Andal discusses what must be given in charity. 
This is a remarkable echo of the Taittriya Upanishad 
salutations "shraddaya DhEyam" and "shriyA DhEyam" and the Dharma 
Shastras (Manu Smriti for example) which contain stipulations for 
setting apart a percentage of one's income for 
charitable/philanthrophic purposes. Exponents of Yoga have also 
commented that verse 2 is a prescription for faciliatating the 
realization that Lord Narayana who resides in the milky ocean is 
forever resident in the lotus of one's heart. This illustrates the 
Mahanarayana upanishad salutation "yOanta samudhrE kavayO vayanti"
(6) The thirty verses of the tiruppavai represent the condensed 
essence of the esoteric messages contained in the three Srivaishnava 
rahasyams. The gist of these three rahasyams is that (i) Lord 
Narayana is the supreme being-Tattvam (ii) Performance of 
SharaNagati (unconditional, total surrender) at His Lotus Feet is the 
surest way of redemption-Hitam (iii) Upon performance of SharaNagati, 
one must take delight in performing Kaimkaryam for Lord Narayana, His 
Bhagavatas, and Acharyas. Nithya Kaimkaryam at the behest and for 
the pleasure of the Divine Couple follows at the end of one's earthly 
existence-PurushArtham
(7) It may be questioned as to what is the authority for performing 
this Nombu of SharaNagati? Andal answers this through the 
salutation "melayAr seyvanagal", i.e. treading the path established 
by elders. The reference here is to the mahOpakaram of Swami 
NammAzhwar-the Prapanna jana Kootasthar, who established the 
efficacy of SharaNagati beyond doubt. 
(8) The salutation "unakkE nAmAchaIvOm" is the condensed essence of 
the sAma vedam, which glorifies Lord Narayana to the exclusion of 
all other deities. 
(9) The glorification of Lord Narayana as dhamOdharanE is a succinct 
illustration of the Bhrahma 
Sutra "janmAdhyasyayathOnvayAdhitharaThaschArthEshva vijnya svarAt"

Swami Desikan's Goda Stuthi seems to follow the path of Andal's 30 
verses in letter and spirit. Specifically, Swami Desikan's opening 
contains a surrender to the Lotus Feet of Goda ". In the concluding 
verse of this Stuthi, Swami Desikan elqouently describes the fruit 
of this surrender through the salutation "charaNa kamala sevAm 
shAshvatIm abhyupAishyan". The bountiful blessings arising from the 
performance of SharaNagati are also described by Swami Desikan as he 
echoes the message of Andal's "shara mazhai pOl" salutation in the 
Daya Shatakam verse "shArnga DhanvAnukampa" It is instructive to note 
that in the war against Ravana, after the killing of Indrajit, Ravana 
was grief stricken and orderd his fiercest hordes of demons to launch 
a full scale offensive on Lord Rama and the Vanara army. The Vanara 
army suffered heavy casualties as a result of this attack by the 
asuras, who used the darkness of the night to full advantage. Lord 
Rama entered the fray at this juncture and rained an unending stream 
of arrows from his bow, which effortlessly repelled the attack of the 
Asuras. Adikavi, Valmiki, states in the Ramayana that the arrows came 
so swiftly from Lord Rama's bow that it appeared as if a multitude of 
Ramas were present on the battlefield. This is illustrative of the 
fact that every baddha jIvan is unaware of its true swaroopam and is 
thus steeped in the darkness of ignorance on account of its bondage 
to samsara by the rope of Karma. Sri Sookthis from Acharyas 
bestow the light of knowledge upon the Baddha jIvan causing the 
baddha jivan to realize its true swaroopam (eternal servitude to Lord 
Narayana), resulting in the performance of Prapatti. The bountiful 
fruits arising from the performance of Prapatti are akin to the 
copious stream of arrows from Lord Rama's bow. This is indicative of 
the Vedic messages "tamasOmA jyOtirgamayA" and 'mruthyOrmA amruthanga 
mayA". The bliss arising from the performance of eternal Kaimkaryam 
at the behest and for the pleasure of the Divine Couple is described 
in the VishNu Sooktam Rk "Tad vishNO: Paramam padagam sadhA 
pashyanthi soorayaha" and the Taittriya Upanishad salutations "sa 
yEkO brahmaNa Ananda:", "AhamannAdO" and the Chandogya Upanishad 
salutation "na cha purnarAvarthathE na cha purnarAvarthathE".

Happy Birthday Amma!

Namo Narayana,

SriMuralidhara Dasan






[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
oppiliappan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list