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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00147 Jul 2008

 
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srI:
SrI  sAra  sAram â I (38)
-- 
I â ThirumantrAdhikAram 
                -- 
The Significance of ânArAyaNanAyaâ   
--- 
SwAmi Desikan next takes up the third and final word in the Tirumanthiram, 
ânArAyaNAyaâ. Till now, he showed that the previous word, ânamahâ 
indicates prapatti, surrender of the self, as the best means to captivate the 
Lord. The next word deals with the target of that means, says Swami Desikan:
The Meaning of ânArAyaNaâ
 âippaDi namas-sil thORRina vaSeekaraNatthukku ilakkAi rakshakanAi niRkiRa 
paDiyai nEtrutvAdi-mukh-tthAlum, vaSeekartthAvAi rakshaNeeyanAi niRkiRa 
Sesha-bhoota-n paDiyai niyAmyatvAdi-mukhatthAlum veLiyiDukiRathu nArAyaNa 
Sabdam.â â  
        Thus, the object of captivation through the means of prapatti, 
surrender, which is shown by the ânamahâ, is -- the Supreme Lord. He is the 
Seshi (Master) as well as the Protector. He also conducts everyone through the 
virtuous path. These and other meanings are being derived from the word, 
ânArAyaNaâ 
            The same word also reveals the jIva as the Sesha (servant), as 
being protected by the Lord and as being ruled by Him. 
The Meaning of ânAraâ and âayanaâ
        SwAmi Desikan now analizes the word, ânArAyaNaâ, which consists of 
ânAraâ and âayanaâ:
 ânaran pakkalilE piRanthavai nArangkLenRum ivan nEtA-vAi gati-yumAi 
irukkiRAnenRum, ivaRRai vAsasstthAnamAka uDaiyavanenRum collukaiyAlE prathama 
aksharatthil thORRina kAraNatva-rakshakatva-SeshitvangkaLum ingE 
viSadamAkinRana.â  
        ânaranâ has one meaning â a person who has no annihilation. Here, 
it refers to the Lord. The verbal-root, ârIngâ, in Sanskrit means to 
destroy. The syllable âraâ is obtained from this root and when it is added 
to the negative syllable, ânaâ, the emerging word, ânaranâ indicates 
the person ho has no destruction. There is nothing odd in this. From the root, 
ânruâ, if the word , ânaraâ is coined, it indicates the person who 
leads all on the virtuous path and in turn will indicate the Supreme Lord Who 
conducts all on the good path. All those which emerged from the Lord are known 
as ânAra-sâ. The Lord is the âayanaâ of ânAra-sâ. That is, He is 
the Ultimate Destination for the jIvas, that is, ânAra-sâ. 
        âayanamâ means upAya, that is, the means for the ânAra-sâ, the 
jIvas. âayanamâ also means a residential place. The word, ânArasâ, 
refers to both sentient beings and non-sentient objects, both have appeared 
from the Lordâs body.  Both these categories are His places of residence, as 
He enters into them, remains inseparably in them and controls them as well. 
Hence, that the Lord has them as His residence is derived from the word, 
âayanamâ. 
        As SwAmi Desikan earlier showed, the praNava indicates that the Lord is 
the Cause, the Protector and the Seshi (Master) of all. Now, by this word, 
ânArAyaNaâ, as everything appeared from the Lord, it is clear that He is 
the Cause of all; as He conducts all on the virtuous path, it is established 
that He is their Protector; and as He is the means as well as the indweller, it 
becomes very clear that He is THE SESHI. Hence, it is established that all the 
aspects of His greatness indicated by the praNava, are shown by this word, 
ânArAyaNaâ. 
        Between the praNava and ânArAyaNaâ, the only difference is that 
while the former showed these aspects briefly, the latter word reveals them in 
detail. Yet, there is a difference in the two approaches, says SwAmi Desikan:
 âis sangraha vivaraNangkaLilE Sesha-Seshi-kaLuDaiya niroopaNam,
ârAmAnujam lakshmaNam caâ enkiRa krmatthilE niRkiRathu.â 
        In the above sentence, SwAmi Desikan shows the different approaches of 
the praNava and the word, ânArAyaNaâ in highlighting the significance. The 
praNava gives importance to the jIva by revealing the fact of his being a Sesha 
(servant) of the Lord, while ânArAyaNaâ highlights the importance of the 
Lord by showing Him as being the residence of the jIva. This reversal in the 
order of importance between the Lord and the jIva is reflected in the manner 
followed in Srimad rAmAyaNa of Sage VAlmIkI. SwAmi Desikan gives a reference to 
the relevant SlOka in the epic as quoted above. We shall see the SlOka in full:
 ânoonam sa kAlO mrugaroopadhArI mAmalabhAgyAm lulubhE tadAnIm /
  yatrAryaputram visasarja mooDA rAmAnujam lakshmaNapoorvajam ca //â 
(RAmAyaNa, sundara kANdam, 28-10)
        This is spoken by sItA while in aSOka forest, unable to bear the 
torture of the ogresses. She says, âIt was certainly the kAla dEvata 
(Time-spirit) who in the guise of a deer, charmed me, a woman of scanty 
fortune, and to whom I, a foolish woman, despatched the two Arya Princes, the 
younger brother of SrI rAma (LakshmaNa) and the elder brother of LakshmaNa (SrI 
rAma).â
        Here, LakshmaNa is mentioned first but as the younger brother of Sri 
rAma. Later, SrI rAma is mentioned as the elder brother of LakshmaNa. It is 
well known that LakshmaNa is the Sesha, while SrI rAma is the Seshi. It is in 
the same way as the praNava, which refers to Sesha prominently, comes first and 
the word, ânArAyaNaâ which refers to the Lord Who has his residence in the 
Sesha, comes later. This is in a reverse order as normally the master comes 
first followed by the servant. This order is reversed in the Tirumanthiram, 
says SwAmi Desikan. 

(To continue)
dAsan
anbil S. SrInivAsan
------------- 




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