Vol 01.005 1 November, 1997
In this Issue:
1. Works of Swami Vedanta Desika - Part - 5 Abheeti Sthavam Part 2 - Anbil Ramaswamy
2. Acharya Vamsa Vriksham- Part 5 : SRI NAATHA MUNI AND HIS TIMES - Anbil Ramaswamy
3. Prapanna Parijatham - Part 2 - V.Sadagopan
4. Saranagathi - Part 4 - "pidiththEn koL sikkenavE" - Sampath Rengarajan
1. WORKS OF SWAMI DESIKA : ABHEETI STHAVAM - Part 2.
(Anbil Ramaswamy)Dear Bhagavatas,
Given below is a brief summary of the 29 Slokas of Abheeti Sthavam. In none of the Slokas, can one detect any clue to suspect that Swami Desika composed it "in fear of death" as was sought to be made out by some a while ago.
Sloka Summary
Swami Desika says to us -
1. If you surrender to Ranga, he will remove the fear of Samsara. Addressing the Lord, he continues-
2. As Sri Rama, you promised publicly protection for those who surrender unto you..
3. Though I did not do this poem conscious of your saving grace, I beseech you to be merciful enough to accept this as an act of dedication.
4. Vayu, Surya, Agni, Indra , Yama and others do their duty being afraid of disobeying your commands. Those who surrender to you, however, need have no fear even these Devas.
5. For the one who does anyone of the following viz., praises, prostrates, meditates, sings your names, circum-ambulates your Praakaarams, or thinks even one of your innumerable Kalyana Gunas, there can be no fear from anywhere, at any time.
6. Did you not declare in Varaaha Avataaram that even if the Prapanna does not remember you at the time of death, you would remember him and take him to Moksha ?
7. For one who recites anyone of your names or anyone of your six prime qualities- Where is the fear of Naraka ?
8. You make the place where a Bhaagavata (who turns away from worldly pleasures and turns to you only) lives as your very headquarters fit for performance of Punyakarmas like Bhagavad, Bhaagavata Kainkaryam without interruption.
9. Even if a Prapanna should err in carrying out his duties, you have vowed to remove the fear related to his lapses and to extend your hand of protection.
10. Due to Karma Vasanas, Chetanas get deeply involved in Samsara and are afraid of even your benign intervention and prefer to fall for the bait of Samsaric pleasures like fish that get hooked in the fishermans net. 11. I know why you are carrying weapons. Since you have yourself declared in Bhagavad Gita that the one who loves you is a Gnaani and your very Antaryaami. You need the weapons in protecting your Antaryaami. This amounts to Self- defense. Right ?
12. Only when one realizes that wife, sons, brothers, other relatives, servants and wealth are so transitory and fear generating that one turns to you for enjoying- the only permanent entity.
13. Garbhavaasam before birth, the hell after death, the miseries in between, the body made of flesh, blood, fat, bones etc.,- are all really nauseating. Compared to your Srivaikunta, even Swarga looks a veritable hell. Which of these does not cause fear ?
14. If you do not show mercy, who else can ? If I am not the most worthy of your mercy, who else is ?So, you should protect me.
15. Did you not give out a solemn vow as Sri Rama that if one surrenders to you even ONCE, you will guarantee full protection form all beings- Sarva Bhutebhyo? In fact, unlike Vibhishana and Sugriva who had their own vested interests in seeking your protection, I have none and nothing to call my own. So, I am the fit object for your grace. How can you repudiate your own solemn vow ?
16. Several Prayschittas are prescribed in the Sastras for the expatiation of sins. One falters and commits errors of commission and omission even while performing these Prayaschittas, thereby being incapable of completing even these. I am a classic example. I have no go. Only you have to exercise your Sankalpa to save me.
17. I am unable to give up the Vishaya Sukham which I know full well to be bad and impediment to enjoying your grace. Though I am afraid of continuing in this, I am unable to get out of the rut. Only you have to make up your mind that since despite all this, I am wholly dependent on you, it is your duty to save me.
18. The Upanishads declare that you have no Papa and so you have nothing to fear. But, even you have one fear ! You are scared of forfeiting the goodwill of a Prapanna whose wish you fail to fulfill !19. You relieved Prahlada of the fear from his father; You relieved Kakasura from the fear of your own Brahmastra; You relieved Gajendra of his fear from the crocodile; You relieved Draupadhi from the fear of disgrace at the hands of Dussaasana and his gang; You relieved Vibhishana from his fear of Ravana; You relieved Kaalinga from the fear of being crushed to death when you danced on his hoods; you protected the cowherds from several dangers; You saved Ambarisha from the wrathful curse of Durvaasa. And, many others got rid of fears by surrendering at your feet. So, we will also be freed from all fears by placing ourselves at your feet.
20. The Paramaikantins living in your Tiruvarangam are now distressed that they are not able to perform their Nitya Aradhana and enjoying your Swayam Vyakta Archa murthi- thus, enjoying in this Bhooloka Vaikuntam what Nityasuris are enjoying in your Paramapadam. Please restore us this Bhaghyam.
21. Conscious of the fact that our divine mother is on our side to recommend and secure your protection for us, we have surrendered to you both. You should employ your resplendent Chakra and other weapons to dispel the distress of your Bhagavatas not only in Srirangam but in every other of your shrines. [ Note: That is why in all shrines of the Lord anywhere in the World, we recite not once but twice the words " Sriman ! Sriangasri, Anubadravam Anudinam Samvardhaya"]
22. Oh! Lord ! Buddhists and Charvakas tried to destroy our Siddhanta at intellectual and emotional levels by presenting their faulty tenets; The Turushkas and Yavanas , like the very messengers of Kalipurusha, are trying to destroy by physical force. Please save the situation if need be by using violence with all your five powerful weapons and restore peace of mind for us.
23. Your Chakra combines the brilliance of Agni, Chandra and Surya and is capable of dispelling the darkness both internal and external. It is your Chakra that should restore Vaidhika Dharma once again in Srirangam- your Headquarters on earth.
24. Your "Sri Ranga Vimaanam" has been propitiated by great souls like Manu and Maandaata. There is fear that these marauders who are worse than Asuras might cause damage to this Vimaanam. You have to dispel THIS fear.
25. You have a powerful retinue for whom nothing is impossible.-Anantha, Garuda, Vishwaksena, Kumuda and his hordes, Cityfathers who guard your Nityavibhuti, the Dwarapalakas who stand guard at your gates et al. Each one of them is capable of protecting not only Srirangam but the entire world. You may depute anyone of them to accomplish the task. Cant you ?
26. Neither Brahma, Nor Siva, Nor Indra, Nor Agni, Nor Yama nor any combination of these can save the one who commits Apacharams to you or your Bhagavatas. If you are determined to protect someone, none of these Devas either alone or in combination can cause the least harm to that person. Cant you quell these infidels who interrupt our seva to you ?
27. You measured the 3 worlds with just 3 steps; Kaitabhaasura fell like darkness before the Sun; Madhu was like a particle of dust caught swirling in the midst of a thunderstorm; You broke the hard mountain like heart of Hiranyakasipu; Kaalanemi was felled like a tree. There is no end to your acts of valor. Cant you quell those who prevent us from performing our daily chores of service to you ?
28. Oh! Lord ! I have spent my whole life in enjoying the sweet Srisuktis of Sri Bhaashyakaara; I have become old; the hairs on my head have turned milky white. All that I seek in the evening of my life, is to place me either in Srirangam or any other Divyadesam where there will be no enemies to prevent us from doing service to you. Place me amidst Satviks who always think of universal welfare without any tinge of jealousy or other base intentions. Finally, Swami Desika turns to us and advises-
29. " Read this ! Bhagavatottamas ! I Venkatanathan, have composed this Sthavam with the blessings of great Acharyas. The great ocean of mercy, Tiruvarangan will destroy all your fears. May you enjoy Mangalam"
2. ACHARYA VAMSA VRIKSHAM - PART 5
PERIOD C: SRI NAATHA MUNI AND HIS TIMES
(Anbil Ramaswamy)INTRODUCTION:
Whenever the Vaishnavas refer to 'Muni Trayam'- the three sages, they are paying homage to the three extraordinary preceptors of the philosophy- Natha muni, Yamuna muni and Ramanuja muni. We will consider very briefly a few facts about of these Acharyas who have bequeathed to us a rich and vibrant heritage. This does not purport to be exhaustive in point of coverage of all the Acharyas or of the details in full even of those referred in here.
NATHA MUNI.
If Vaishnavism has a global appeal today, it is due to the great Nathamuni who literally recovered from oblivion the hymns of the Alwars and inaugurated devotional Vaishnavism.
Ranganathamuni as Nathamuni was originally called was born at Veera narayana puram near Kattu Mannar Koil. His other names are Shadamarshana Kula Tilakar and Sottai Kulathu Arasar. He is believed to be the Amsam of Gajaananar, one of the Nityasuris in Paramapadam and one of the ministers of Vishwaksena -( not to be confused with the elephant headed son of Siva).(PPM)
His period has been placed at Kaliyuga 3684 (according to Katapayati Samkhya) which corresponds to 584 AD of Christian era . PTA, however, places him at Kali 3264 which corresponds to 164 AD. All are, however agreed, that he was born in the year Sobakrit, Ani month, in the constellation of Anusham in Krishna Paksha, Thithi 7, a Wednesday (GLE and PRA).
The following passage foretells his birth: " There will arrive one Natha, a great Yogi who by his yogic power will restore to the world the long lost sacred collect of Sri Satakopa" (Vriddha Padma Purana quoted by PPV and referred in GLE) According to PPM, he lived for 340 years from 593 AD to 933 AD.
It was a period when the reign of Buddhism and Jainism had lost their influence due to the glorious efforts of the devotional hymnology of Alwars and Nayanmars. People had retired in smug satisfaction forgetting the Alwars and their monumental works.
While Nathamuni was worshipping at the local temple, he heard a few pilgrims reciting a decad of Nammalwar's Tiruvoimozhi praising Lord 'AraVamudhan'- the unsatiating nectar. This concluded saying " those who recited these ten which formed part of my 1000 psalms "would become the darling of the Gods." Nathamuni was so impressed with the poetic beauty of the decad and asked them whether they knew the full text of Tiruvoimozhi or at least point out anyone who could help. They directed him to one Parankusa daasa in Kurugur who was a disciple of Madhura kavi.
Natha muni made straight to Kurugur but Parankusa daasa also could not help. But, he suggested that if Natha muni could recite the " Kanni nun Siruthambu" of Madhura kavi 12,000 times at one stretch in front of the famous tamarind tree in Adhi natha temple, he might get an insight into the original verses. This Natha muni did with utmost devotion. He obtained in his trance a vision of Nammalwar himself who personally taught him not only his own compositions but also those of all the other Alwars. Since he got his insight into the Divya Prabandhams through the Paasuram on Aravamudhan, he came to be known as Aaraaa Amudh Aazhwaan"
Natha muni promptly codified the treasure of devotional hymns as the 'Nalayira Divya Prabhandam'. He set them to melodious music and rhythm and taught them to his two nephews Sri Krishnan and Sri Varadan also known as Keezhai Agathu Alwan and Melai Agathu Alwan and brought to the forefront the long lost Divya Prabandham.(PPM). He also revived the Adhyayana Utsavam instituted by Tiru mangai Alwar. The tradition of reciting these had been established by him and kept alive these 1000 years and more . He also institutionalized the tradition of 'Arayar Sevai' before the Lord on special occasions -( a form of dance performed by male dancers specially trained for the purpose) in the Srirangam temple even today. Similarly, it was he who revived the propagation of Rahasyas and Vyasas Brahma Sutra. It was from his time only that our Sampradaya began to shine like a beacon light. He had 8 Sishyas. After a long life of 340 years , major part of which was spent in yoga (meditation), he ascended to his Heavenly abode during the lifetime of Manakkaal Nambi. (PPM)
Naatha muni wrote 3 scholarly works
( 1 ) Nyaya Tattva which contains the following 5 chapters viz.,
( i ) Jnaana (Knowledge), (ii) Prameya ( Objects of cognition), (iii)Pramaatru (the Cognizer),(iv) Karma (Action) and (v) Nyaaya (Logic)
( 2 ) Yoga Rahasya which is said to have contained the nuances of devotion (Bhagavad Upaasana) to the Lord through Dhyaanam (meditation) and
(3 ) Purusha Nirnaya. But none of them is available today. He also composed the Tanian for Tiruvoimozhi called "Bhaktaamrutham".
His grandson, Yamuna muni later known as Aalavandaar was just 12 years of age when Natha muni passed away. And, it is this Aalavandaar who inaugurated the matrix of Sri vaishnavism by his spiritual leadership.
Sri, Natha Munis Tanian reads as follows:
Naathena Muni Naathena Naathavaahanam |
Another Tanian runs as follows : (SAA)
Yasya Naikamikam Tattvam Hastha Aamalakathaam Gatham ||Namoh Chintayaathbhutha Aaklishta Gnaana Vairaaghya Raasaye |
Salutations to Naatha muni who is having single minded devotion to the Lord and who is the treasure of both Gnaana and Vairaaghya.
Naathaaya Munaye Ekaantha Bhagavad Bhakti Sindhave ||
3. Prapanna Parijatham- Part -2
(V. Sadagopan)Sri PraNathArthihara Varadha Para BrahmaNE Nama:
SrimathE RaamAnujAya nama:
SrimathE Vaatsya VaradhArya GuravE nama:VandhEham VaradhAryam tham vathsAbhijana BhUshaNam |
Dear Fellow Sri VaishNavAs :
BhAshyAmrutha pradhAnAth ya: sanjeevayathi maamapi ||On the eve of the DeepAvaLi celebration , when the Lord banished the anthakAram that surrounded the world by destroying Narakaasuran , it is my bhAgyam to write about Prapanna PaarijAtham and reflect upon the links between the above grantham and what happened on that Naraka Chathurthi day at Indra Lokam and Dwarakai .
Let me salute Sri VaasudevA first with the words of the mother of NarakAsurA , Sri Bhumi Devi :
namO BhagavathE thubhyam VaasudEvAya VishNavE |
After NarakAsura Vadham , Lord KrishNA went to Indra"s house and returned the earrings of Adithi , the mother of IndrA . Narakaasuran had stolen them . SathyabhAma , who had accompanied and assisted her Lord in the battle with Narakaasura desired to have the divine PaarijAtha tree flourishing in the garden of Indra. Lord KrishNA uprooted that tree to please His consort and had it transported to DwarakA on the back of GarudA . That PaarijAtha tree was transplanted at the garden of Lord KrishNA at His city and the honey bees of Vaikuntam ( prapannAs ) shifted their residence to Dwaraka to enjoy the fragrance of the flowers of the PaarijAthA tree and its nectar , which became even sweeter because of their proximity to the Lord Himself .
PurushAya Aadhi bheejAya PurNa bhOdhAya thE nama: ||This is an appropriate occasion to remember the Bhaktha ParipAlanam and Dhushta Nigraham of the Lord as the Prapanna Paarijaatha Vruksham blessing us all with His auspicious boons .
The Grantham of Prapanna PaarijAtham Today , Prapanna PaarijAthA(PPA) is an extraordinary source grantham for us . It was also for Swami Desikan and other AchAryAs that followed him as well . It has been pointed out that the topics covered in the ten chapters of this grantham provided the inspiration for Swami Desikan's magnum opus , Srimadh Rahasya Thraya Saaram(RTS) . Thus PPA is considered a " a forerunner of RTS " . Indeed , Swami Desikan's prAchAryA was none other than Vaatsya Varada Guru ( NadAdhUr AmmAL ) the author of PPA .
The above situation is somewhat similar to the influence of AlavandhAr's Siddhi ThrayA and Aagama prAmANyA on the concepts elaborated by Sri RamAnujA later in his Sri Bhashyam .There , AchArya RaamAnujA elaborated on the teachings of his prAchAryA (AlavandhAr) along with those of his five direct AchAryAs .
I will follow closely the commentary of the Late Abhinava Desika UttamUr VeerarAghavAchAryar , whose centenary we celebrated this year . He has examined many Sri Kosams of Prapanna PaarijAtham to bless us with his most valued commentary .
The first six slOkAs of PPA cover salutations to AchAryAs , Sri Lakshmi Hayagreevan , BhagavathAs and serve as prefatory remarks to the content of this grantham .
In the first slOkam , the author offers his humble salutations to his AchArya paramparai consisting of twelve Gurus (i-e) ., YengaLAzhwAn , Thirukkuruhai pirAn- piLLAn , BhashyakArar , Periya nambhi , ALavandhAr , MaNakkAl nambhi , UyyakkondAr , Natha Muni , SatakOpan , VishvaksEnar , Periya PirAtti and Periya PerumAL .
The slOkam is as follows :
achAryAryama pAdhEpyO namasyA santhathim dhadhE |
Aryaman means the Sun ; The Acharya aryama or the AchAryA is equated to the Sun ( Aryaman ) for number of reasons . The meaning of this verse is : " I extend my countless salutations to the sacred feet of the AchAryAs , who are the equivalent of many Suns . The contact (sambhandham ) with their charaNams makes the minds of men blossom forth just as the rays of the lights of the SUN ( Surya KiraNams) make the lotus bud bloom .
yadhAsanga vasAdh pumsAm mana:padhmam prabhudhyathE ||Sri AmmAL compares the luster of the revered feet of the AchAryAs to the rays of Suns because of their wealth of effulgence ( tEjO Nidhi ) , sacredness ( pAvanathvam ) , capacity to reveal the Supreme One ( paraprakaasam ) , being the embodiment of the VedAs ( Vedamayam ) and residence of the Lord in them ( Bhagavadh adhishtitham ) .
AchAryA's role in prapatthi is unique and unparalleled . Hence, it is appropriate that Sri AmmAL starts off with a glowing tribute to the charaNa kiraNams of the holy feet of the AchAryAs and compares them to the benevolent rays of the Sun .
Tribute to BhagavAn HayagreevA The second slOkam is a salutation to Sri Lakshmi Hayagreevan , as the aadhAram for all vidhyAs . Here , Sri AmmAL invokes the Lord , who is known for bahupradha VadhAnyam ( fluent and munificent speech ) . Later , Swami Desikan will start off his many works with the salutation to this Murthy of Para VaasudEva as " Vaagg Isa aakhyA "( the God of true knowledge ) in the sampradhAyam set by his PrAchAryA . In the earlier slOkam , Sri AmmAL compared the holy feet of the AchAryAs to the purifying rays of the Sun . Here , he refers to the cool and bright rays arising from the sacred feet of the suddha Spatika varNa murthy , Hayagreevan , and associates them with those of the purNa chandran rising in the horizon .
The slOkam containing the above thoughts is as follows:
abhangura kalaadhaana sthUla lakshthvameeyushE |
The vidhyAs that the Lord with the equine face confers to His upasakAs are imperishable ( abhangura kalaa dhAna paramAchAryan ) . Those boons result in munificent and fluent " Vedic " speech .
ThungAya mahasE tasmai ThurangAya mukhE nama: ||Salutation to the MatsyAvathAran In the third slOkam , Sri AmmAL thinks about the Lord , who took the form of the giant fish to restore the stolen VedAs for the benefit of His son , Brahma Devan . Later , he took Hamsa and HayagreevAvathAram to instruct the VedAs to His son , who had lost them .
The verse is a beautiful one celebrating the Eka seshithvam of the Lord and His inseparability from His consort:
Lakshmee Chakshu : anudhyAnAth tath saarUpyamupEyushE |
(Meaning ) : Salutations to the Lord , who by unceasing meditation on the eyes of MahA Lakshmi has attained the sameness of form ( SaarUpyam ) and has thus become fish-bodied ( Meena Vapu: ) . That MatsyAvathAran freed the knower of VedAs (Veda vedhi/Brahmaa) from calamities .
namOsthu Meena VapushE Vedavedhi vipanmushE ||Fourth Verse : Here, Bhagavatha PaadhAngri ReNU's ( Rajas') effect on the rajO guNam is remembered At the very start of his work , Sri NadAthUr ammAL takes shelter under the dust ( rajas ) of the sacred feet of BhagavathAs to heal the disease of ego and passion ( RajO guNa janitha vipareethams) . " RajO Raja Prasamanam -- Prapanna PaarijAthAkhya Prabhandham yathAmahE " is the passage from the fourth verse .
Sri AmmAL states here that His grantham will have the same effect as the sacred dust has on the controlling of the rajO guNam and transform the readers into prapannAs .
Sri Vaatsya VaradhArya GuravE nama:
Oppilaippan Koil VaradachAri SadagOpan
4. SaraNAgathi - "pidiththEn koL sikkenavE" - part 4
(Sampath Rengarajan)In physical terms the word charaNAgathi may mean that one is fixing ones soul firmly at the thiruvadi of periya perumAL. This "eternal state of being" for the soul is explained in the original pAsuram from DSP (*) "nin aruLAm" as "un charaNE saraN eNru" (ie)., this is the relationship between the jivan and paramAtmA. An attempt is made to discuss two fundamental questions prior to dealing with the of the pAsuram "nin aruLAm" in detail.
Why must one call that such attachment with lord's holy feet is "firm" and how one can hold on to it for ever ? Sri namAzwAr explains in thiru vAymozhi (2.6.1) that his soul firmly gripped vAmanan's thiruvadi, in the lines "thiruk kuRaLA,.... unnai nAn pidiththEn; koL sikkenavE".
One of the meanings for this line from our poorvachAryAL's vyAkyANam is that, azhwAR is saying "thiruvadigaLai nanRAga pidiththukkuoNdEn" (ie)., I have clung to your feet fast and firm. Even if you think of leaving, I will not let you." The other meaning of the same line when we use the emphasis for "koL" as an act of peruMAL (ie)., in this line koL precedes sikkanavE and hence it is an adaimozhi for how one must keep or "koL" one at HIS feet. "pidiththEn" means my aatman gripped your holy feet. "kurAL" means the thiru uruvam of vAmanA (kurAL also is known as dwarf).
The other key words to note here are unnai nAn and pidiththEn koL "sikkenavE". "sikku" means "agappadu" or agap paduththu ie "agam" means "inside" , "padu" means "get caught" or paduththu means "keep me caught up with" i.e. get caught in it or in this context "koL sikkanevE" means keep me caught up with you or keep me entangled with you. "sikku" also means get tangled. (i.e.)., azhwAr claims that he gets himself entangled at the thiruvadi or "contact point" for kuraL OR Vamanan. The only "contact point" with Lord vAmanan for everyone in all the 3 lOgams were HIS thiruvadi. Thus in this pAsuram azhwAr indirectly tells that HE got himself attached to the holy feet of Lord vAmanA. However, in the same lines azhwAr also says explicitly that he wants the Lord to hold him so firm that He Himself got entangled in it.
1. Philosophers may question as to why one must condition oneself to realize such a state. Is it not the nature of aatman to be unbounded and free ? As such, the human's nature is to be subservient to the paramAtmaa. Due to karma vaasam human soul assumes that it is free to act of its own. By "undertaking" saraNAgathi or baraNyAsam at the feet of an achAryAL, the human soul realizes and attains its original state of being. Since the aatma is eternal in its existence, (Srimadh bagwath Geetha "na boothvA bavithA vA na booya" i.e. this never non-existent that it had to be created), it can never be "independent" of paramAtmA in its eternal state of existence. From DSP (*) amirtha ranjani, the jivan's nature is revealed as "nAn thanakkuth thAn thanakku enRu" ie..the jiva swaroopam is such that adiyEns jivan is only for BhagvAn (i.e.) i am his vatsu or owned by HIM eternally) and BhagwAn HIMself gave this nyAnam that HE HIMself owns me eternally.
2. The second question is that can any action from this atomic soul really cause any response from the Universal paramAtmA ? Is the paramAtmA bound by humans actions that certain action of the human can invoke a reciprocative action in certain way ? The human soul is eternally attached always to the paramAtmaa through the antharyamitvam and the additional attachments that it acquires due to karma vasam makes it think that it is somewhat independent of its attachment to paramAtmA and that it has to seek this afresh. Sri nammAzwAr in thiru vaay mozhi 1.7.6 delivers that "marA maram eytha mAyavan ennuL irAn enil pinnai yAn ottuvEnA ?". The vyAkyANam by Sri Vedantha desikan is that "If HE wants to leave this seat that HE has in my heart, will I allow it to happen ? i.e., If HE were to prescribe a different rule to me as compared to HIS other devotees, can I, will I suffer it with endurance ?". This conveys as to how azhwAr is firmly attached to perumAL in HIS heart and cannot survive any separation. i.e., the firmness of attachment is once again conveyed here.
One of the other meanings for this line is that "when i realize that the mAyan (*) is within me and is always attached to my aatman will i ever attach myself (soul) to the bOgam that comes due to vinais? (* HE is maYavan for me in this state because HE has HIS sway of mAYA over the soul that the soul is unable to see that this mAYAN HIMself is in its inner layer and causes everything). As such, the awarding of this eternal attachment is *also seen as* a state of realization of what it already possesses in its antharyAmitvam in a "suththa saththva" state. Hence it is understood that no action of a jivatma can evoke a desired response from the paramAtman and it is the thiru uLLam or bagwath niyamanam that one gets to know the truth about their soul's current state and intended state and the eternal state of its dependence on paramAtmA.
The state of being fixed to perumALs thiruvadi is not a constrained state that one may feel shy about it. ONLY at such a the aatman is completely free and enjoys the superior degree of freedom in full, also known as the aruT suthanthiram of the Lord. i.e the freedom of perumAL's arUL or grace. In this pAsuram from DSP (*) it is referred as "nilai kazhinthEn".
What are the possible things that these souls apparently possess that they surrender and realize this absolute state of freedom in its entirety known as aruL sudanthiram of the Lord. ?
1. The feeling of dEha sudanthiram as mine and me (feeling for the needs one's body needs and thinking themselves as the body itself)
2. The feeling of My bOga sudanthiram (feeling that one's actions are his own and not due to his punniyam and pAvam karmas)
3. The feeling of My jeeva sudanthiram (feeling that the jivan is free of its existence)
These 3 apparent freedoms are awarded by the aruL of Lord and this knowledge that these freedoms are awarded by the Lord Himself, occurred due to the grace or aruL of the Lord. And that only such arUL or grace of Lord can award us the final state of being at Lord's thiruvadi eternally in moksham. Having said that, it is important to note that perumAL'a aruL is the sole reason for even getting this knowledge on the current and intended state of jivans and the upAyam for achieving the intended state.
Having briefly analyzed the key words and their context, the original pAsuram "nin aruLAm" from SDP (*) is analyzed again in the next part.
Swami dEsikan thiruvadikaLE saraNam
Sri BoomidEvi thAyAr samEtha Sri Oppiliappan thiruvadikaLE saraNam
Sampath Rengarajan