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SrI:
SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //
SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha //
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya//
KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /
SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//
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SRI RANGA SRI VOL.10 / ISSUE # 02 dated 2nd November 2008
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IN THIS ISSUE:

1. VEDIC WEDDING ? Sri ANBIL RAMASWAMY
2. TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 56- SLOKAM 21 ? Part 2 to 4
(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)
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27 Issues of Vol. 9 
02 Issues of Vol. 10
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1. VEDIC WEDDING (By Anbil Ramaswamy)
AN INTRODUCTION

Marriage is a religious ceremony and is an important "Samskaaram". 

"Samskaaram" is meant   "to purify" There are 40 Samskaaras 
prescribed in the Saastras. 26 of them relate to wedding and post-
wedding periods. This shows the importance of the role of Grihasta 
(householder) who is considered to be pivotal in Society. Also, the 
others belonging to Brahmacharya (The Celibate), Vaanaprasta (The 
Anchorite) and Sannyasa (The Renounced) are not qualified to perform 
any rites involving the use of fire (agni Karyam) and they are 
prohibited from begetting progeny.  "Dharma prajaartham vriNeemahE" 
says the mantra which means that marriage is primarily for begetting 
progeny. It is therefore the duty of the house-holder to enter this 
Aasrama with due respect.  Marriage is, no doubt, primarily for 
begetting children but it was also required for the proper 
performance of worship. 
To drive home this point during the first four days after the 
wedding function, the couple is supposed to share the same bed but 
is not supposed to indulge in sex. 
Marriage is not only a contract between individuals but also a 
contract between families. Marriage is in NOT a license for sexual 
pleasures but a holy and irrevocable contract not only between the 
man and wife but also casts the burden of ensuring it to be so, till 
the very last, on the community comprising of the families of both 
sides. 

"Marriage is marriage" and is not a mere "love affair" which is 
nothing but an infatuation. Love affair is a relationship just for 
pleasure and when the pleasure wears out, the affair is gone. But, 
marriage is a lifetime commitment to yourself, to your other half 
and represents the prime concern of your life. 

If you make a sacrifice, you are not sacrificing to that person. It 
is a sacrifice to a permanent relationship. If pain there is in such 
relationship, there is also life in it. Love bears all, endures all. 
If the relationship has pains, remember that life is also not all 
that blissful all through all the time. The stronger the love, the 
more pain it is prepared to bear and ultimately the pain would turn 
out to be even enjoyable.

Partners who enter in wedlock are not 'paragons of virtue' as they 
appear in the first flush of enthusiasm. None is perfect and to seek 
for perfection in the partner is like `seeking a mirage in the 
desert'. Perfect relationship is created by conscious effort and not 
discovered all on a sudden. The incompatibilities have to be 
resolved by a continual mutual adjustment and reconciliation by a 
willing attitude of 'give and take'.   

1.    Samaavartanam 
After completing studies in "Gurukula Vaasam" (Residential school in 
the teacher's home) learning the Vedas and other scriptures, the 
student proceeds to marry with the permission of the preceptor. 

2.    Kaasi Yatra
The bachelor is now in a dilemma. He has to decide whether to remain 
a confirmed bachelor (naishTika Brahmachari) for the rest of his 
life or to get married and become a Grihasta. His first inclination 
would be to choose the former. He would plan to be a mendicant and 
go on a "Paadayatra" to holy places. He would prefer to start with a 
journey to Kaasi (Vaaruna-asi). At that time, the father of a 
prospective bride would intervene to persuade him to marry his 
daughter and start a family of his own offering him a lot of gifts 
to start the Aasrama. He would consult his parents and other elders 
in his family. The bachelor would be convinced, when they give the 
green signal!

3.    KANYAA SULKAM
A few representatives of the boy would be deputed to meet with the 
parents of the girl. An offer would be made by the boy's party to 
the girl's party for conducting the marriage. This is known 
as "Kanyaa Sulkam"

In the good old days, the practice of "Vara dakshiNai" now enforced 
ruthlessly on the parents of the brides with disastrous consequences 
was practically unknown and is nowhere contemplated in the Saastras.

4.    VARA PRESHANAM 
When once the parents of the bride accept the offer, the groom is 
deemed to be a replica of Mahaa VishNu himself and treated as such 
and is shown due courtesies by the bride's party.

5.    NANDI and VARA POOJA

Nandi is a ceremony in which, the two families solicit the blessings 
of their ancestors for formalizing the marriage.
When once the parents of the bride accept the offer, the groom is 
deemed to be a replica of Mahaa VishNu himself and treated as such 
and is shown due courtesies by the bride's party.
The priest announces three generations of the ancestry of both the 
bride and the groom.

6.    VRATAM
This consists of several preliminary Samskaaras like NaamakaraNam, 
Jaata karaNam etc. For boys, all these would have been done already 
during Upanayanam. For girls, however, this is required to be done 
immediately before the marriage. Usually, it is done on the previous 
morning or on the morning of the wedding day. 

7.    VISHWAKSENA ARADANAM / LAKSHMI POOJA
Before the commencement of the rites, the first event in any 
religious ceremony will be to seek the blessings of Vishwaksena who 
removes all obstacles in the way of successful conduct of the 
function. Lord Mahaalakshmi is invoked by placing at the feet of the 
Goddess, a gold pendent and other jewelry of the bride seeking her 
blessings for a long and happy married life for the young couple.

8.    PUNYAHAVACHANAM
VaruNa, the Lord of waters with appropriate mantras is then invoked 
in a vessel containing holy waters and decorated with a coconut, 
flowers, kumkum and turmeric. Invoking Lord VishNu and the nine 
planets, the place is sprinkled with this water as a means of 
purification to make the venue fit for the functions that follow.

9.    AnkuraarpaNam
Some seeds of paddy, black gram, green gram, sesame and mustard are 
soaked in water and filled in small mud bowls. The sprouts are 
carefully nursed and kept intact till the completion of the wedding 
functions. This is known as "Paalikai". The sprouting is symbolic of 
the intended production of progenies of the couple.

10.  BOY AND GIRL MEET
At the time of the first meeting, several mantras are chanted by the 
prospective groom praying for the removal of any blemishes that the 
girl might have contracted knowingly or unknowingly.

11.  EXCHANGING GARLANDS 
The boy and the girl exchange flower garlands and shower each other 
with rice mixed with turmeric as a token of their coming together 
for the holy wedding. This indicates that free exchange of ideas 
between them after the marriage and that neither of them would keep 
back anything from the other.

12.  OONJAL
They are made to sit on a swing. The swing symbolizes the ups and 
downs of life, which the couple may have to face united and with 
confidence and full faith in each other. Ladies sing songs in 
lilting tunes to add a festive fervor of the occasion.

13.  Parting is painful
Any parting is painful. The bride is about to leave her parent's 
home where she had grown up all along and is about to enter a 
totally new and alien surrounding of her would - be husband. Both 
the girl and her parents would feel the pangs of prospective 
separation and the uncertain atmosphere in which the girl would have 
to lead her life post-marriage, tears might roll down their cheeks. 
Since it would not be proper to shed tears on such an auspicious 
occasion, a special mantra is uttered to ward off any evil effects 
of such feelings.

14.  PRATISARA BANDHAM / RAKSHA BANDHAM
A string soaked in turmeric is tied around the left wrist of the 
girl and on the right wrist of the boy, probably to indicate a 
resolution of loyalty to each other. This is known as Pratisara 
Bhandham.

15.  YOKE
To reassure them, a ritual is prescribed in which one side of a 
miniature yoke is placed on the head of the bride signifying that 
the boy and the girl would act in unison in carrying out their new 
life like a pair of bulls dragging a cart. The Mangalyam is placed 
in the hole in the yoke and water is poured drop by drop through the 
hole on the bride. There are other interpretations of this ritual 
linking it to the story of one "Apaala" (daughter of Sage Atri) who 
was rescued by Indra (the Lord of Gods) through a yoke of his 
chariot as a result of which she became relieved of disease and 
shone in full luster.

16.  MANGALA SNAANAM
The bride is then given a ceremonial bath called MangaLa Snaanam. 
The bridegroom has a shave and bath. He wears a "Panchakachcham" and 
two sacred threads (yagjnOpaveetam)

17.  AGNI PRATHISHTA 
Fire god is deemed to be the intermediary between the devotees and 
Gods. He is the Chief witness to the entire proceedings. So, fire is 
ignited in the fire pit (hOma kuNDam) into which the offerings 
(Mainly ghee (Clarified butter) are offered with a request to the 
Fire God to carry the offerings to satisfy the Gods. 

18.  MADHUPARKAM
The bride and the groom are then offered some pieces of fruits and 
honey to indicate that their married life would be sweet all the way.

19.  KOORAI PUDAVAI
The groom presents an expensive sari (with blouse) to the girl. She 
returns to the hall wearing this sari and fully bedecked with jewels 
befitting the occasion. The groom ties a string of reeds around the 
waist of the girl, perhaps indicating that she is "tied" to him!

20.  THE GIRL IS ALREADY MARRIED!
According to Saastras, a spinster is euphemistically said to have 
married the celestials called Soman, Chandran, and Agni before 
marrying a human! In other words, she has been blessed by these 
celestials. The groom recites a mantra to this effect and proceeds 
to go through the rest of the rituals.
[To be continued] 

dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
(To be continued)
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2.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 56 - SLOKAM 21 -PART 2-4
(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)
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SrImate Ra'nga RAmAnuja MahA DeSikAya namaH.
tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submssion 56 - Slokam 21 Part 2, 
tiruvAimozhi 1.10 - pASuram-s 1.10.3- 1.10.10.

pASuram 1.10.3:
 
empirAnai endai tandai tandaikkum
tam pirAnait taN tAmaraik kaNNanai
kombarAvu nuN nEr iDai mArbanai
empirAnit tozhAi maDa ne'njamE.
 
maDa ne'njamE!  empirAnai, endai tandai tandaikkum tam pirAnai,   
taN tAmaraik kaNNanai, kombu arAvu nuN nEr iDai mArbanai, empirAnait 
tozhAi! - Oh my mimd that is under my control!  Continue to worship 
that empirAn who is my Lord, the Lord of all my ancestors, has 
beautiful lotus-like reddish beautiful eyes, and has pirATTi with 
the slender waist on His chest.  
 
svAmi deSikan captures the gist of this pASuram through the words - 
vyakta pUrvopakAram - endai tandai tandaikkum tam pirAn - He who is 
known to have been One who has provided help and sustenance to our 
ancestors from time immemorial.  Note the mention of pirATTi by 
AzhvAr in this pASuram where he sings the praise of bhagavAn's guNam 
of being a paropakAran - always helping His devotees.  AzhvAr 
meditates on the cause for this Mercy of His, and sings about 
pirATTi who is the cause of this mercy.
 
pASuram 1.10.4:
 
ne'njamE nallai nallai unnaip peRRAl
en SeyyOm, ini enna kuRaivinam?
maindanai malarAL maNavALanait
tu'njum pOdu viDAdu toDar kaNDAi.
 
Oh my mind! Since I possess you who were good (by seeking Him alone 
with full dedication) even before I asked you to be good, and since 
you continue to be good after I asked you, there is nothing that is  
beyond my ability to accomplish.  I have no unfulfilled wish 
whatsoever.  Even when I sleep or can't worship Him for any reason, 
I ask you to be with the ever-youthful Consort of PirATTi. 
 
svAmi deSikan describes the gist of this pASuram with the 
words 'svAntasya aikAgRya hetum  ( 'svAnta - mind, heart; aikAgRyam -
 intentness on one object)  -  BhagavAn who is the cause for our 
mind to be with Him without interruption (again because malarAL or 
pirATTi is with Him) - ne'njamE malarAL maNavALanai tu'njum pOdum 
viDAdu tuDar kaNDAi.  
 
The interpretations given by different AcArya-s for svAmi deSikan's 
words to describe the gist of this pASuram differ slightly, and are 
given below:
 
Ve'nkaTeSAcArya - manas tanniDattilE tAnE aikAgRyattai aDaivadaRku 
hetu bhUtanAi - He who facilitates the mind of the devotee to dwell 
on Him with full devotion.

SrImad TirukkuDandai ANDavan - manasu avaniDattil aikAgRyattai 
aDaivadaRkuk kAraNa bhUtan - He who is the Cause that drives our 
mind to meditate with full dedication on Him.
PBA - manam eppOdum viDAdu toDarum paDi iruppavan - He who has the 
guNam that ensures that the devotee's mind is fixed on Him without 
interruption.  
tanniDattil ASritaruDaiya manassu vandu vizhum paDi Seigai - He who 
makes the devotee's mind get drawn to Him and fall at His feet 
naturally (handwritten manuscript by SrI V. K. Ramanujachariar, 
kindly provided by SrI Srinivasan of Delhi)
 
Several examples of His drawing the mind towards Him come to mind.  
The fact that BhagavAn is a sulabhan who ensures that the mind of 
the devotee is directed towards Him at the time of the final parting 
of the soul from the body is convyed in the varAha carama Slokam - 
aham smarAmi mad-bhaktam nayAmi paramAm gatim - where PerumAL 
assures BhUmi PirATTi that even if the devotee is unable to have 
last thoughts on Him while leaving this body, He will enter the 
devotee's thoughts and ensure that the devotee has the last thoughts 
about Him and attains His feet.  
 
While BhagavAn will ensure that the devotee attains His feet as 
assured to BhUmi PirATTi, note that there is a small requirement -
  'madbhaktam' - to My devotee.   We should be devoted to Him with 
ananya bhakti, with advesham, with the five a'nga-s of prapatti as 
instructed by svAmi deSikan in his nyAsa daSakam etc.  While 
nammAzhvAr's mind was totally subservient to him - as he reveals in 
this pASuram (ne'njamE nallai nallai), the minds of most of us 
are 'anything but nallai'.  This pASuram should remind us of the 
importance of training our minds and getting them under control to 
think of His divine feet constantly.
 
The importance of training one's mind to meditate on Him while we 
are in good physical and mental condition itself, is emphasized by 
many AzhvAr-s.  PeriyAzhvAr sings "?appOdaikku ippOdE Solli vaittEn 
ara'ngattu aravaNaip paLLiyAnE! (4.10.1) - Oh Lord! I am seeking 
Your protection at the time of the final moment right now, since I 
won't be able to remember you at the final moment".  In fact, in all 
ten pASuram-s of this tirumozhi, PeriyAzhvAr directs his mind to 
think of Him while it is in a p;osition where it can think of Him, 
so that BhagavAn will ensure that the mind thinks of Him in the last 
moment.  
 
Similar feelings are echoed by SrI Kulasekhara AzhvAr in his Mukunda 
mala stotram:  
 
KRshNa tvadIya pada pa'nkaja pa'njrAntam 
adyaiva me viSatu mAnasa rAjahamsaH  | 
prAna prayANa samaye kapha vAta pittaiH
kaNThAvarodhana vidhau smaraNam kutaste  ||
 
'When I am in my final moment, I am sure I won't be able to think of 
You.
 Therfore, my Lord KRshNa!  Let my mind dwell on your lotus feet 
right now.' 
 
In his PerumAL tirumozhi 4.5 - taru tuyaram, Kulaseshara AzhvAr 
again sings the need for thinking of His divine feet always - 'there 
is no other choice'.  
 
For those who thus make effort to think of Him constantly and who 
are devoted to Him with simple but unswerving devotion, He displays 
His 'sva-vitaraNa mahA audAryam' - He reveals Himself to them 
because He is a sulabhan when it  is a devotee who is seeking Him

pASuram 1.10.5:
 
kaNDAyE ne'njE! karuma'ngaL vAikkinRu Or
eN tAnum inRiyE vandu iyalumARu
unDAnai ulagu Ezhum Or mUvaDi
koNDAnaik kaNDu koNDanai nIyumE.
 
ne'njE!  ulagu Ezhum uNDAnai, Or mUvaDi Ezh ulagum koNDAnai, nIyum 
kaNDu koNDanai.  karuma'ngaL vAikkinRu Or eN tAnum inRiyE vandu 
iyalumARu kaNDAyE - Oh my mind! You are enjoying along with me the 
empirAn who swallowed all the seven worlds and kept them in His 
stomach during the pralaya, and took over all the seven worlds by 
measuring them with His three strides.  Now you have seen for 
youself the way by which untold benefits are bestowed on us without 
our even thinking about them. 
 
svAmi deSikan describes BhagavAn's guNam sung in this pASuram with 
the words - svayam udaya jusham - He who chooses to appear of His 
own choice (svayam - By Himself; udayam - appearance;  jush - to 
choose) - Or eN tAnuminRiyE vandu iyalumARu.  AzhvAr tells his 
mind:  I was not expecting or counting on having His darSanam, nor 
were you.  But both of us saw Him in person.  This is just like His 
keeping all things in His stomach during pralaya, which no one was 
expecting; and also similar to His extending the purification 
extended to all the jIva-s by the touch of His feet during His 
trivikrama incarnation, which nobody knowingly sought or expected.  
These are proofs that He is One who offers His protection of His own 
choice without our least expecting it.    
 
It should be kept in mind that the benefits that one derives 
certainly are related to one's karma-s, and not independent of it - 
karuma'ngaL vAikkinRu.  The time when they bear fruit is purely up 
to Him - they will come when we least expect it - Or eN tAnum inRiyE 
vandu iyalum.  It is not independent of our karma-s or actions.  So 
one should strive for good karma-s all along.   Also, it is not 
worthwhile comtemplating and worrying about all our karma-s in our 
countless previous births, but instead, we should dedicate ourselves 
to devotion to Him uninterruptedly here and now.  He will give the 
benefits without any constraints at the most unexpected time, and 
they will exceed all our expectations. 
 
pASuram 1.10.6:
            
nIyum nAnum in-nEr niRkil mEl maRROr
nOyum SAr koDAn ne'njamE SonnEn
tAyum tandaiyumAi iv-ulaginil
vAyum ISan maNivaNNan endaiyE.
 
ne'njamE! nIyum nAnum in-nEr niRkil, mEl tAym tandaiyumAi iv-
ulaginil vAyum ISan endai maNivaNNan maRROr nOyum SAr koDAn SonnEn - 
Oh my mind! If you and I stand steadfast resorting to Him, then He 
who is our Mother and Father retrieves us from the ocean of samsAra, 
the Lord of all, and is blue-hued like a shining blue precious 
stone, will ensure that no negative attributes such as desire, 
anger, etc., come anywhere even close to us - and that is a promise.
 
If we hold on to Him, then He will never let go of us.  Even though 
the true devotee will have the natural disease of longing for union 
with Him constantly, the real diseases such as kAma and krodha - 
lust, anger, etc., won't come even near that devotee.  He will do 
what is pleasing to us like a mother, and what is good for us like a 
father.  He takes incarnations in which He has His powers intact, 
just to be accessible to us.  His tirumEni is beautiful like a 
beautiful, precious, blue diamond, just to attract us to Him.  He is 
maNi vaNNan, beautiful and easy to handle - like a small beautiful 
bead.    
 
svAmi deSikan describes the key aspect of this pASuram that reflects 
BhagavAn's guNam of  "His magnanimity in giving Himself without 
constraint to His devotees" - 'sva vitaraNa audAryam' - through the 
words 'bandha mAtra upayAtam' - He who helps us purely based on His 
connection to us like the mother and father help their child - tAyum 
tandaiyumAi iv-ulahinil vAzhum ISan.  A mother or father who see 
their child falling in a well will jump into the well instantly, 
without thinking about their safety.  Similarly, BhagavAn will 
ignore all our faults, and help us just because He is our Lord and 
we are His possession (the Sesha-SeshI relationship, He being the 
Lord and we being His possessions).
 
Again, note that AzhvAr stresses the need for our devotion to Him - 
nAnum nIyum in-nEr niRkil - if we continue to be steadfast in our 
devotion to Him, then He will not let anything happen to us.  
Otherwise, does He not help?  Of course, He does - He gives us 
another opportunity through another birth and a fresh body, with its 
sense organs, etc., according to our karma.    But what AzhvAr is 
talking about is the state where one's thought, word and deed are 
unswervingly dedicated to Him; for those, He ensures that the 
disease of being infected with desire and anger, and all other such 
diseases do not come anywhere near them.  
 
ASuram 1.10.7:
 
endaiyE enRum em perumAn enRum 
SindaiyuL vaippan Solluvan pAviyEn
endai em perumAn enRu vAnavar 
SindaiyuL vaittuc collum SelvanaiyE.
 
VAnavar endai em perumAn enRu SindaiyuL vaittuc collum Selvanai, 
pAviyEn endaiyE enRum em perumAn enRum SindaiyuL vaippavan Solluvan -
 The same Lord whom the nitya sUri-s call their Father and Master 
and are meditated upon in their minds, is being called by me as "my 
Father" and "my Master", and being meditated upon by me also and 
sung about, though I am a lowly sinner myself.  
 
svAmi deSikan captures the essence of this pASuram through the 
words - cintA stutyAdi lakshyam - He who will be visible through the 
thoughts and praises of the bound souls in this world at the same 
level that He is accessible to the nitya sUri-s of SrI vaikunTham -
 .  vallavarAna vAnavarin cintnaikkum stutikkum pOla nam cintA 
stutikkum vishayamAginRavanai .  In other words, He is easily 
accessible to the mind and thought of the true devotee, irrespective 
of whether it is nitya sUri or a bound soul.  SrI UV prefers the 
pATham - nIca stutyAdi lakshyam - He who is recognized by the praise 
and worship of even the lowly people, to the same extent that He is 
accessible to the nitya sUri-s of SrI vaikunTham.  
 
In this pASuram, AzhvAr sings the saulabhyam (easy accessibility) of 
the Lord of the nitya sUri-s, towards even the lowliest of bound 
souls of this world.  The nitya sUri-s who are equal to BhagavAn in 
most respects, and who can't separated from Him even for a moment, 
feel free to address Him as 'Our Father', "Our Lord', etc., and that 
is a reflection on His unlimted aiSvaryam - wealth.  AzhvAr notes 
that this greatness of His extends to the level that He gladly gives 
the same level of liberty of closeness to the lowliest of the bound 
souls of this world as well. 

pASuram 1.10.8:
 
Selva nAraNan enRa Sol kETTalum
Malgum kaN paNi nADuvan mAyamE
allum naR-pagalum iDai vIDinRi
nalgi ennai viDAn nambi nambiyE.
 
Selva nAraNan enRa Sol kETTalum kaN pani malgum;  nADuvan;  mAyamE.  
nambi nal allum pagalum iDai vIDu inRi nambi nalgi ennai viDAn - My 
eyes fill with tears of joy the moment I hear the name SrIman 
nArAyaNan, and I keep seeking Him.  BhagavAn who is overflowing with 
infinite kalyANa guNa-s is trying day and night without stopping, 
with great attachment to me, and with full confidence, to get me 
under His control.  The word nambi occurs twice in the pASuram.  The 
first nambi means 'paripUrNan' - One who is full in all respects; 
the second nambiyE means 'trusting'.  Even when a devotee feels that 
he is too flawed and inferior to aspire for BhagavAn's feet, 
BhagavAn won't rest, and will ceaselessly hold on to that devotee 
and take Him to His feet.    
 
svAmi deSikan captures the principal bhagavad guNam sung in this 
pASuram as 'nata jana satata SleshINam' -   BhagavAn seeks His 
devotees and holds on to them without any let-up (nata jana - those 
who have bowed to Him, who have surrendered to Him; Slesha - 
clinging to, adhering to; satata - always, without interruption - 
allum naR-pagalum).   SrI UV suggests the alternate pATham - pravaNa 
jana bhRSa SleshiNam' - (pravaNa - favorably disposed; bhRSa - 
intensely), which seems to give the same meaning.
 
pASuram 1.10.9:
 
nambiyai ten-kuRu'nkuDi ninRa ac-
SemponE tigazhum tiru mUrtiyai
umbar vAnavar Adi am-SOdiyai
empirAnai en Solli maRappanO.
 
ten-kuRu'nkuDi ninRa nambiyai, ac-SemponE tigazhum tiru mUrtiyai, 
umbar vAnavar Adi am-SOdiyai, empirAnai, en Solli maRappan?  -  What 
flaw can I attribute to forget that great nambi (paripUrNan - One 
who is full in all respects) who resides in ten-kuRu'nkuDi, shines 
with the tirumEni that shines like freshly molten pure gold, is the 
cause of eternal joy for the nitya sUri-s, and keeps helping me 
always? None.
 
One cannot find any excuse to forget Him - One cannot say that He is 
not full in all auspicious qualities - because He is;  one cannot 
say that His tirumEni is not beautiful - because It is; one cannot 
say that He is too far away to access - because He stands right here 
in tirukkuRu'nkuDi and other places; one cannot say that He does not 
help His devotee - because He always does.  So there is no 
justifiable reason one can conjure up to keep away from Him.    
 
svAmi deSikan expresses the gist of this pASuram with the 
words 'darSita arcam' - He who displays all His attributes to the 
people of this world by taking the arcA tirumEni such as in ten-
kuRu'nkuDi - ten-kuRu'nkuDi ninRa ac-SemponE tigazhum tiru 
mUrtiyai.  
 
pASuram 1.10.10:
 
maRappum j~nAnamum nAn onRu uNarndilan
maRakkum enRu Sen-tAmaraik kaNNoDu
maRappaRa ennuLLE manninAn tannai
maRappanO ini yAn en maNiyaiyE.
 
maRappum j~nAnamum onRu nAn uNarndilan;  maRakkum enRu maRappaRa Sen-
tAmaraik kaNNoDu ennuLLE manninAn tannai, en kaN maNiyai ini yAn 
maRappanO! - I did not get my dharma bhUta j~nAnam - my ability to 
recognize or forget the outside objects - by my own free will; 
BhagavAn with the beautiful red lotus eyes, has taken His seat in my 
mind to ensure that I will never forget Him, and He is in me as if 
He is subservient to me.  Based on both counts, there is no way that 
I, who am only interested in full and uninterrupted enjoyment of 
Him, will ever forget that dear and precious Gem of mine.  
 
svAmi deSikan captures BhagavAn's guNam sung in this pASuram 
as 'smRtyai citte mishantam' -  BhagavAn keeps eternally glittering 
in the mind of the devotee so that the devotee always thinks about 
Him - maRappaRa en uLLE manninAn tannai (mishantam - mish - to 
shine, to glitter; mannudal - to stay permanently).   Most of us 
have only imperfect memory;  btu in the case of His devotee, 
BhagavAn keeps eternally glittering in the mind of the devotee and 
ensures that the devotee will always think of Him, and the flaw of 
lack of memory won't come in the way and make the devotee ever 
forget Him - such is His udAra guNam - generosity of giving Himself 
freely to His devotee.    
 
Summarizing the subject of this tiruvAimozhi, AzhvAr sings 
BhagavAn's guNam of "His magnanimity in giving Himself without 
constraint to His devotees" - 'sva vitaraNa audAryam' - through the 
following guNa-s of BhagavAn in the ten pASuram-s of this 
tiruvAimozhi:
 
-         BhagavAn extended His sacred feet to as far out as it was 
necessary to cover wherever there was a devotee in His trivikrama 
incarnation and sanctified them (1.10.1)
-         He is a sulabhan for those who chant His nAma-s repeatedly 
with devotion (e.g., while doing japa mantra-s) (1.10.2)
-         BhagavAn has been providing help and sustenance to all of 
us and to all our ancestors for time immemorial (1.10.3)
-         BhagavAn helps the devotee's mind to be fully concentrated 
on Him with full dedication (1.10.4)
-         BhagavAn is One who bestows benefits without the least 
expectation from us with regard to the timing when He bestows the 
benefits, the extent of the benefits etc. (1.10.5)
-         BhagavAn offers His help to all His devotees because of 
His inseparable relationship with them, just as a mother and father 
offer their help to the child because of that relationship between 
them (1.10.6).
-         BhagavAn provides the same ease of accessibility to the 
lowliest of bound souls of this world when they meditate on Him and 
sing His praise with devotion, as He provides to the nitya sUri-s of 
SrI vaikunTham who constantly think of Him without interruption, and 
who are almost equal to Him in most respects (1.10.7).
-         BhagavAn will not allow Himself to be separated from His 
devotee even for a moment (1.10.8)
-         BhagavAn displays all His kalyANa guNa-s to the people of 
this world by taking the arcA tirumEni in different places, and is 
close to His devotees and keeps attracting them to Him (1.10.9)
-         BhagavAn keeps eternally glittering in the  mind of His 
devotee, and ensures that there is no way that the devotee will have 
any problem of not remembering Him even momentarily (1.10.10).

Regards
dAsan kRshNamAcAryan
(To be continued)
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