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srI:
SrI  sAra  sAram â I (26)
-- 
I â ThirumantrAdhikAram 
-- 
The Significance of  ânamahâ   
--- 
        After explaining the praNava which is the first word in the 
Tirumantram, SwAmi Desikan now discusses the meaning and significance of the 
second word, ânamahâ: 
âvAkkiyangkaLukku avadhAraNatthilE tAtparyam koLLukai ucitamAkaiyAlE 
praNavatthil avadhAraNatthODE thuvakki madhyama-padam udikkiRathu. 
ânama ityEva vAdinahâ, ânama ityEva yO brooyAtâ enRu vicEshitthu 
AdaraNeeyamAna ippadatthukku âsthoolamâ, âsookashmamâ, âparamâ enRu 
arthabhEdangkaL bhagavat-SAstrangkaLilE collappaTTana. ivaTRil 
sookashma-yOjanai virOdhi-j~nAnatthukkum, anishTa-nivrutti-prArthanaikkum, 
paratantra-svaroopa-nishkarshatthukkum, bhAgavata-SEshatva-pratipattikkum, 
upAya-viSEsh-siddhikkum upyukta-mAkaiyAlE itthai vicEshitthu AchAryarkaL 
anusanthippArkaL.â
        There is a general rule in the scriptures that a sentence, while 
conveying its direct message which is positive, also has the capacity to deny 
firmly the opposite view. This is what SwAmi Desikan says through this sentence:
 âvAkkiyangkaLukku avadhAraNatthilE tAtparyam koLLukai ucitamAkaiyAlE 
praNavatthil avadhAraNatthODE thuvakki madhyama-padam udikkiRathu.â â 
When a sentence is uttered, it conveys only a particular thought. That excludes 
other ideas. In the praNava, it was stressed that the jIva, signified by the 
syllable âmâ is SEsha to the Lord, Who is signified by the first letter 
âaâ. This by implication also conveys the denial of any opposite view. The 
opposite view could be that jIva is SEsha to others too besides the Lord. The 
denial of this statement is also contained in the praNava as a sentence. That 
is a rule followed in the SAstra, scriptures. This exclusiveness of jIvaâs 
SEshatvam to the Lord, Sriyah-patih, is openly confirmed now in the middle 
word, ânamahâ. 
        In support of this, Swami Desikan gives two quotes:
 âânama ityEva vAdinahâ, ânama ityEva yO brooyAtâ enRu vicEshitthu 
AdaraNeeyamAna ippadatthukkuâ â 
        The first quote is from Mahabharata and here is the full SlOka:
âsahitaScAbhyadhAvanta tatastE mAnavA drutam /
  baddhAnjalipuTaa hrushTaa  nama ityEva  vAdinah //â (Mahabharata, SAanti 
Parva, 344-45)
(Those people were happy and joining their hands in worship said ânamahâ.) 
        The second quote, ânama ityEva yO brooyAtâ (source is not known) 
means: whoever says ânamahâ.. â. Though the quote is incomplete, Sri 
vangeepuram navaneetam SrIrAmadESikAcaryar SwAmi has given in his edition the 
following meaning in the foot: âWhoever says ânamahâ will have limitless 
benefits.â 
        Thus specially honoured word is ânamahâ. It has different shades of 
meaning, says SwAmi Desikan:
âippadatthukku âsthoolamâ, âsookashmamâ, âparamâ enRu 
arthabhEdangkaL bhagavat-SAstrangkaLilE collappaTTana.â â 
        In SrI pAncaratra scriptures, three types of meanings have been given 
for this word (namah); they are: gross meaning, subtle meaning and higher 
meaning.  
The gross meaning is called âsthoolamâ, which is the general meaning 
obtained according to vyAkaraNam (grammar). By this, we get the gross meaning 
of a person bowing low before the Supreme Lord and performing prapatti with all 
its auxiliaries.   
The subtle (sUkshma) meaning is given by the niruktam, one of the six VedAngas. 
This meaning is obtained by the association of letters in the word. By this, 
one gets to know that he and his belongings do not belong to him and that he is 
not independent. 
The higher (param) meaning is derived by nighanTu, a vocabulary of Vedic words, 
which deal with the statements contained in the rahasya scriptures. By this, it 
is derived that the cEtana (animate being), by adopting the important means of 
surrender, attains the Supreme Lord, Who is the readily available means for the 
Bliss. 
Thus there are different shades of meaning for this word, ânamahâ. 
Among these, AcAryas favour only one, says SwAmi Deikan:
 âivaTRil sookashma-yOjanai virOdhi-j~nAnatthukkum, 
anishTa-nivrutti-prArthanaikkum, paratantra-svaroopa-nishkarshatthukkum, 
bhAgavata-SEshatva-pratipattikkum, upAya-viSEsh-siddhikkum upyukta-mAkaiyAlE 
itthai vicEshitthu AchAryarkaL anusanthippArkaL.â â 
        Out of these three types of meanings, our AcAryas specially supported 
the second type â the subtle meaning. There are several reasons for this: 
1) âvirOdhi-j~nAnamâ â The subtle meaning is useful to find out who are 
the adversaries to the jIva-svarUpa. The jivaâs nature is being a servant of 
the Lord and his devotees. 
2) âanishTa-nivrutti-prArthanaiâ --  The knowledge of this subtle meaning 
paves the way for us to pray to the Lord to remove these evils and adversaries. 
 
3) âparatantra-svaroopa-nishkarshamâ â The knowledge of the subtle 
meaning leads us to certainty that the jIvaâs nature is firmly under the 
control of the Lord alone.  
4) âbhAgavata-SEshatva-prtipattiâ  -- It also creates a feeling within one 
that he is the humble servant to BhAgavatas (the Lordâs devotees) too.
5) âupAya-viSEsh-siddhiâ  -- From this subtle meaning, the best means for 
mOkaha is firmly known to be prapatti. 
        As so many benefits are obtained, our AcAryas have specially preferred 
this subtle meaning of the middle word, ânamahâ of the Tirumantram, 
concludes SwAmi Desikan.


(To continue)
dAsan
Anbil S.SrInivAsan
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