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srI:
SrI  upakAra  sangraham ? 64
--- 
adikAram ? 1
poorva upakAra paramparai
(The Foremost Series of Favours) 
---   
SECTION ? 5 (20) [continued] 
(27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for
MOKSHAM)  
-----   
        We have been studying the points made by Swami
Desikan in this sub-section:

(20) ivaRRilE pothintha
paratattva-paramahita-parama-puruShArthangkaLAkiRa
mahAnidhikaLaith thiRanthu kAttinathuvum;

        Of the three points, the first one, the Tattva, in
particular, the para-tattva, was shown by the Lord in
the earlier part of this sub-section, a favour
conferred by Him on us. Now, of the remaining two, we
must first take up the third one, namely, the
Parama-puruShArtam, the highest goal a person must
attain. This will be followed by the second, namely,
Parama-hita. 

Parama-PuruShartam ? the Highest Goal

        After a general knowledge about the three Tattvas,
one must come to the firm conclusion on who is the
best fitted to be the Para-tattva. Without this
fixation, it is no use in talking about the means of
attaining the ultimate reality. For this, the only
authority is shAstra on the basis of which it is
possible to decide the highest goal one should attain.
Similarly, it is only from the scriptures we can know
about the best means of attaining the goal.
        
This fact is clearly stated in the following
statements:

?mAyAm na sEvE bhadram tE na vruthA dharmam-AcarE /
 shuddha-bhAvam gatO bhaktyA shAstrAd vEdmi janArdanam
//?                                                
(MahAbhArata, UdhyOga Parva, 68-15) 

(This was told by Sanjaya to DrudarAShtra: ?I do not
enjoy material things. I don?t perform dharmic rites
unnecessarily. I attained the nature of purity though
bhakti and came to know of JanArdana from the
scriptures.?)

        The Lord, SrI KriShNa Himself says in the
Bhagavadgita:
                                                
?tasmAcchAstram pramANam tE kAryAkArya-vyavasthitau /
  j~nAtvaA shAstra-vidhAnoktam karma kartum-ihAharsi
//?                               (Gita,16-24)

(Therefore, the scripture alone is the authority to
know what ought to be done and what not.)

        It is also from the shAstra, we come to know that
SrImaN nArAyaNa, the Consort of Sri, Who is of the
nature of limitless bliss and knowledge, without any
blemishes, full of numerous auspicious qualities, with
a divine auspicious form, having both the vibhootis
(the leelA and the nitya vibhootis) as His body and
for Whom creation, maintenance and the like of this
Universe are just a play, is the Parabrahman. And it
is He, one?s ultimate goal. 
        The highest goal, however, a little further and that
is, to do service at the feet of the Lord. Still, it
does not end there. It extends further as far as the
service of those who are dear to Him, that is,
BhAgavatas. It has been stated in the scriptures too: 

 ?ArAdhanam sarvEShAm viShNOr ArAdhanam param /
 tasmAt parataram prOktam tadeeya ArAdhanam param // ?
          (PAdmOttaram, 29-81)

(Of all the forms of worship, the worship of ViShNu is
the best; but superior even to this is the excellent
worship offered to ViShNu?s devotees.) 

        ?When we study these passages, it becomes clear that,
of all forms of service which a shESha of the Lord may
render, that which is rendered to the BhAgavtas is the
most important and is the most pleasing to the Lord,
in the same way as the fondling of the prince is most
pleasing to the king.? (SwAmi Desikan in
Srimad-rahaShya-trayasAra)

        SrI ThiruppANAzhvAr, says:

?adiyArkk ennaiyAtpaduttha vimalan? 
(amalanAdipirAn,1)

(The Lord Who is spotless, and Who has made me the
servant of His devotees.)

        SrI Thirumangai AzhvAr says:

?maRRum Or deivam uLathenRu iruppArOdu uRRilEn,
uRRathm unnadiyArkkadimai.?
                                                      
                                        (Periya
Thirumaozhi, 8-10-3)

(I will not remain in the company of those who think
there is another deity deserving of worship than Thee;
I have accepted with delight the duty of serving Thy
devotees.)

        SrI KulashEkara AzhvAr, who was a ruler, yearns for
the service to the BhAgavatas, in several pAsurams in
his PerumAL Thirumozhi:

?vanperu vAnakam uyya amararuyya
     maNNuyya maNNulakil manicar uyya
  thunbamiku thuyarakala ayarvonRillAc
     cukam vaLara akamakizhum thondarvAzha
  anbodu thenthisai nOkkippaLLi koLLum
    aNiyarangan muRRatthu adiyArthangaL
 inbamiku perungkuzhuvu kaNdu yAnum
    isainthu udanE enRukolO irukkum nALE??            
    (PerumAL Thirumozhi, 1-10)

(In order that the large worlds to survive; that the
devas to survive; that this earth to survive; that the
people of this earth to survive; to remove the sins
that give misery; to increase the happiness without a
trace of misery; that the devotees survive happily;
the beautiful SrIranganata is lying on the snake-bed
at SrIrangam facing the southern direction. His
devotees are assembled in His temple premises; When
will I be able to see that big crowd of devotees and
be with them?)

?vanponnip pErARupOl varum kaNNaneer koNdu arangkan
kOyil thirumuRRam
 cERucey thoNdar cEvadic cezhum cERu en
cennikkaNivanE?? (PerumAL Thirumozhi, 2-3)
(When can I adorn my head with the mud touched by the
feet of the devotees of Sri ranganAta assembled at His
temple, where that muddy water is flooding the
premises, like the river kAvEri out side SrIrangam?)

        SrI ThoNdaradip-podiyAzhvAr speaks about the
greatness of a devotee of a devotee of a devotee ??.
Of the Lord:

?mEmporuL pOkavittu meymmaiyai mika uNarnthu
  Amparisu aRinthukoNdu aimpulau akatthatakki
  kAmpaRatthalai ciraitthu unkadaitthalai
irunthuvAzhum
  cOmparai ukatthi pOlum coozhpunal arangkatthAnE!?   
        (ThirumAlai, 38)

(Oh, Lord surrounded by waters (of KavEri)! There are
those who subdue their senses, sever attachments,
concentrate on the spirit and realize the truth. There
are others who shave their heads and live at Your
portals like idlers. You seems to be pleased with
them.)
        Here, the AzhvAr, who has a name which means ?the
dust of the feet of Lord?s devotees, points out whom
the Lord loves. He says that the Lord seems to love
the person who is lazy, remaining inactive in respect
of the Lord Himself (mEmporuL), but living at the feet
of a devotee who is at the end of chain of His
devotes. 

        Satrughna and KidAmbi AcchAn, a close disciple of SrI
rAmAnuja are the notable examples for such persons
deserving the Lord?s love.
        The ParamapuruShArtam doesn?t stop there too. The
real form of BhAgavata service is puruShArtha-kAShtai,
the dead-end of puruShArtam , as stated by SrI
PeriyAzhvAr: 

?pEsuvAr adiyArkaL enthammai viRkavum peRuvArkaLE? 
                                                      
                   (PeriyAzhvAr Thirumozhi, 4-4-10)
(These who are the servants of the Bhagavatas, and who
utter the names of BhagavAn are entitled even to sell
us!)
        SwAmi Desikan makes a clear statement in a verse:

?nAthE nastruNmanyadanyadapi vA tannAbhi-nAleekinee-
         nAleeka-spruhaNeeya-saurbhumucA vAcA na
yAcAmahE /
  shuddhAnAm tu labhEmahi sthiradhiyAm
shuddhAnta-siddhAntinAm
        muktaishvarya-dina-prabhAta-samayAsattim
prasattim muhuh //?
                                         (SrImad
rahasyatraya-sAram, PuruShArtha-kAShtAthikAram, 37) 

(With our words which emit a fragrance that would be
eagerly desired by the lotus which arose in the pond
of the Lord?s navel, we do not beg of the Lord the
pleasures of this world and of heaven, which are like
a straw, nor kaivlaya, nor even mokSha. We only pray
that we should have the grace of the pure and
firm-minded BhAgavatas, who are like the chaste wives
in the royal harem; for their grace is like the dawn,
which heralds the day of the splendour of mOkSha.)
        This is the highest goal to be attained by a sAttvika
jIva, as revealed by the Lord, as the essence of the
three mantras.
(To continue)
dAsan
Anbil S.SrInivAsan
------- 
        



      
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