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srI:
SrI  sAra  sAram â I (56)
-- 
I â ThirumantrAdhikAram 
                -- 
The Significance of ânArAyaNanAyaâ   
--- 
        Now, another question is likely to rise in our minds. The question is: 
A mukta jIva, a liberated soul, has no chance of suffering in SrIvaikuNTam and 
he also knows that the Lord too has no chance of being subject to any 
ill-effects; then, why should he wish the Lord to live long, as expressed in 
his âpallANDu, pallANDu!â? SwAmi Desikan takes up this question for 
discussion:    
 âmuktanukku anishTa-prasangkamum bhrAnti-prasangkamum inRikkE ISvaranum 
nitya-niranishTanAi avAptha-samstha-kAmanAyirukka âsoozhnthirunthEtthuvar 
pallANDEâ enna vENDiRRu ennennil, ithu anishTa-nivruttyAdikaLai 
prayOjanamAkak koNDAthal ajnAtthaik kAraNamAkak koNDAthal varumathanRu. 
Ivanukku SrutikaLiR conna sAmagAnAdikaLaip pOlE ithu oru 
svacchanda-pravrutti-viSEsham.â ----    
For a jIva who has attained mukti and attained SrIvaikuNTum, there is 
absolutely no prospect of his having to face any misfortune. Nor is there any 
likelihood of suffering any misconception. The Supreme Lord is also beyond any 
evil effects. There is no desire of His that remains unfulfilled. This being 
the case, where is the need for the muktas surrounding Him to sing âLong live 
the Lord!â, as stated by SrI PeriyAzhvAr in his Thirumozhi: 
âsoozhnthirunthEtthuvar pallANDEâ? Let us see the verse in full:      
âpallANDenRu pavithranai paramETTiyai sArngamennum
 villANDAn thannai villipuththoor viTTucchitthan virumbiya sol
 nallANDenRu navinRuraippAr namO nArAyaNAya venRu
 pallANDum paramAtmanaic coonthirunthEtthvar pallANDE.â (PeriyAzhvAr 
Thirumozhi, 1-1-12)
Meaning:
These verses are sung by SrI VishNuchittha of SrIvilliputthoor wishing a long 
life for the Lord Who is holding the sArnga bow in SrIvaikuNTam; the devotees 
who recite these verses and utter the Thirumanthiram, will ever be singing in 
praise of the Lord in SrIvaikuNTam also, wishing âLong live the Lord!â. 
        If it is asked, where is the need for them to wish Him a long life, it 
should be kept in mind that they sing this neither out of fear of any harm nor 
because of their ignorance. It should be considered as a spontaneous act 
rendered out of their free will, just as reciting the metrical hymns of the 
sAma vEda in praise of the Lord, as stated in the Upanishads. The muktas are 
not performing an act for any particular benefit. They do it with full 
enthusiasm on their own. In the same way, they sing this hymn wishing the Lord 
a long life for limitless number of years, âpallANDuâ. Traditionally it is 
known as âmangaLASAsanamâ. 
        Here, another question is raised: The mukta jIvas are part of the 
assembly of nitya sooris in SrIvaikuNTam, singing âmangaLASAsanamâ for the 
Lord. Nitya sooris are those jIvas, who have never been affected by karmas 
unlike the mukta jIvas, who had been caught in the cycle of births and deaths 
in material world before their liberation. Elders say that the ever-free souls 
(nitya sooris) are highly alert in protecting the Lord. Hence, it appears 
inappropriate for them to worry about anything untoward befalling Him and 
planning how to protect Him. SwAmi Desikan clears this doubt too: 
 âasthAna-rakshA-vyasanikaL enRu nityasoorikaLaic connathuvum 
asthAna-bhayaSamkai-yuDaiyArkkuLLa parivuDaiyavarkaL enRapaDi.â ---   
        In this world, people worry about the well being of dear ones even when 
there is no prospect of any danger to them. This is out of their deep affection 
for them. They also go to the extent of arming those persons with an amulet in 
order to get rid of the oncoming danger, which is never likely to happen. This 
is called âasthAna-rakshAâ â needless-protective appliance. 
Similarly, the nitya-sooris too utter the protective hymns for the Lord for 
Whom they have such great affection as to make them appear as though they are 
afraid of non-existing danger to Him. 
With this in view, ancestors like the AzhvAr have sung these verses, says SwAmi 
Desikan:
 âingu uLLArkku asthAna-bhayaSankai uNDAmathu bhakti-viSEshamaDiyAka 
varukaiyAlE guNamAm.â  --- 
        SwAmi Desikan says, even in this world, people who are caught in the 
samsAra get such a fear about the likelihood of some danger for the Lord. This 
baseless fear comes to them because of the extreme bhakti they have towards the 
Lord. Hence, it should be considered a virtue.  It is a virtue which should be 
welcomed.
        SwAmi Desikan stresses that it is appropriate to provide protection for 
the Lord in His archa (idol) form and in His incarnations: 
 âarccAvathArAdikaLil prANikaLuDaiya karma-anuroopamAka prAdur-bhAvamum 
upEkshaiyum naDakkiRathAkaiyAlE, âstriyO vruddhAstaruNyaScaâ 
ithyAdikaLiRpaDiyE mangkaLASAsanmum saphalam.â --- 
        In temples, the Lord is present in idol form which is known as archa. 
It is one of the five states of the Lord, the other four being Para (Supreme 
state), Vyoohas (emanations), Vibhavas (Incarnations) and antaryAmi 
(Inner-soul). There is this tradition of elders praying during worship for the 
benediction of Lord in His idol Form. Similarly, they also do the benedictory 
prayer for rAma, KrishNa and other incarnations of the Lord. Such prayers have 
been mentioned in scriptures also. As an instance, SwAmi Desikan quotes from a 
verse in SrImad rAmAyaNa, âstriyO vruddhAstaruNyaScaâ. The SlOka in full:
 âstriyO vruddhAstaruNyaSca sAyam prAtah samAhitAh /
  sarvAn dEvAn namasyanti rAmasyArthE manasvinah //â (ValmIki RAmAyaNa, 
Ayodhya KaNda-2-52)
Meaning:
Morning and evening, all women, old as well as young, as they are deep hearted, 
devoutly bow to the gods in the interest of SrI rAma. Let that entreaty of 
theirs be fulfilled by your grace, Oh Lord! 
        Not only the common people but even the knowledgeable do similar 
prayers, says SwAmin Desikan:
 âappOthu nipuNarAi iruppAr, ârakshatu tvAmâ ityAdikaLiRpaDiyE avan 
thannayE koNDu mangaLASAsanam paNNuvArkaL. ippadi engum kaNDukoLvathu.â  --
        SwAmi Desikan remarks that even the enlightened persons are susceptible 
to getting into such a state of apprehension and praying for the protection of 
the Lord during His incarnations. He, however, points out that their plea is 
that the Lord should take care of Himself. He gives the example of NandagOpa, 
quoting from VishNu PurANa:
 ârakshatu tvAmaSEshANAm bhootAnAm prabhavO harih /
  yasya nAbhisamudbhootapankajAdabhavajjagat //â (VishNu PurANa, 5-5-14)

Meaning:
O Harih! You, Who created the world from Your navel and Who is the source of 
all beings, must take care of Yourself. 
        The difference between the common people and such knowledgeable persons 
like NandagOpa is clearly shown in these two quotes. Ordinary people seek the 
blessings of other gods to protect the Lord from any possible harm, while the 
knowledgeable persons place the request before the Lord Himself, saying, 
âThou should take care of Thyselfâ and they  will not seek the help of 
other gods. This is the best way.
        SwAmi Desikan says, we should keep the above explanation in mind when 
we come across such prayers for the protection of the Lord in scriptures as 
well as in Temples. 


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




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