Sri:
Dear ThiruvAimozhi RasikAs :
At the outset, adiyEn
wishes to state that this series of essays on
Bhagavth Vishayam is not focused solely on Thirukkuruhai PiLLAn's 6000 Padi . It
is on ThiruvAimozhi at large with particular emphasis on Swamy Desikan's
DramidOpanishad Taatparya RatnAvaLi . The readers are referred to a 249 page
ebook on Taatparya RatnAvaLi Mudal Patthu released by Sriman N.KrishNamAchAri as
the 104th ebook in the Ahobilavalli ebook series ( http://www.Ahobilavalli.org ) . This
introduction to Bhagavad guNams ealborated in the ten Satakams
and
a detailed study of the First satakam of
ThiruvAimozhi would be most valuable to study first .adiyEn will cover the
insights of ten scholars on " Bhagavad Vishayam " in these special postings
linked to the celebration of Srimad Azhagiya Singar's upcoming 82nd
Thirunakshatram.
The ten Thiruvaimozhi authorities who cover
the different aspects of Swamy NammAzhwAr's UpadEsam in these series of Postings
are :
1. Sri YeasayanUr Sridhara SatakOpAcchAr Swamy: Over all
Introduction to all the ten Patthus and the specific commentary on the First
Patthu .
2.Second Patthu: Sri VaduvUr VeerarAghavAcchAr
Swamy
3.Third Patthu: Sri UdayampAkkam KodhaNda RaamAcchAr
Swamy
4. Fourth Pattu: Sri Thirukkudanthai Srirama
DesikAcchAr Swamy
5. Fifth Pattu: Sri MannArkudi RaajagOpAlAcchAr
Swamy
6. Sixth Pattu: Sri KoottapAkkam RanganAthAcchAr
Swamy
7. Seventh Pattu: Sri VillUr NadAthUr KaruNAkarAcchAr
Swamy
8. Eighth Pattu: Sri Kuruchci NaarAyaNAcchAr
Swamy
9. Ninth Pattu: Sri PaathUr-PurANam RangarAjAcchAr
Swamy
10.Tenth Pattu: Sri NaattEri Srihari
LakshminrisimhAcchAr Swamy
the attachment has a short introduction on
the scope of coverage .
YEKAM ARTHE
SAHASRA:
It was stated earlier that " Deva:
SrIman svasiddhE : karaNam iti-vadhan Yekam artham sahasrE ". Acording to this , there is only ONE GUNAM that is elaborated in
the one thousand ThiruvAimozhi Paasurams of Swamy NammAzhwAr . That GuNam is :
Devan Sriman NarayaNan Himself becomes the UpAyam
(Means) for attaining Him . The ten Satakams ( Patthus) making up the sahasram
(Thousand Pasurams) have ten connected themes to establish this GuNam
:
1) sEvyatvam : He is fit to be worshipped and enjoyed ( sEvA yOgya:)
.The very first Paasuram of Thiruvaimozhi (1.1.1) sets the tone for His
sEvyatvam .The meaning of this Paasuram is:
(Meaning of TVM 1.1.1 according to Dr.
V.N.Vedanta Desikan/VNV): "Oh , My Mind !
Worship, for being elevated, the effulgent
feet , which will remove our sufferings,of the One Lord, who possesses auspicious
qualities that can not at all be excelled , who endowed us with the
Jn~Ana-Bhakti faculty which effaces the weakness of the intellect ( that doubts,
confuses , argues and fails to see what ought to be seen) and who is the
Lord of the Nityasooris and DevAs of unfailing knowledge ( or who is Lord
VaradarAjaa or Devaraajan).
2) SubhOgyan ( TVM 2.2.4) : Even if He is fit to be worshipped and
enjoyed immensely ( atibhOgyan) , He can have a rough svabhAvam and hence it may
not be easy to get near Him to worship and enjoy Him . That He is not so is
indicated by the 2nd Patthu theme of
" SubhOgyatvam".
(Meaning of TVM 2.2.4 according to Dr. VNV): The Lord first
created the four-faced Brahma in the lotus blossoming out of His navel , in
order that Brahma could take up the next stage of creating all . This He does
purely for sport . He alone possesses the requisite talents for this feat. What
is more, He is tender , sensitive like a flower, beautiful and fragrant as as a
fresh flower . Any form of homage ,
archana , etc., say , with flowers can be performed
only in respect of one who deserves these honors. If a deva himself feels he
does not deserve it and decides to transfer it to the Supreme Lord , it behoves
us , if we have the right sense , to directly dedicate all we do to the one
Supreme Lord. Who else can rightly be adored with such homage and obesiance ?
None else .
3) Subha-subhaga-tanu ( TVM 3.1.1): Even if He is Sevyan and SubhOgyan,
we as sinners may not be able to come near Him and therefore He presents Himself
with His dhivya MangaLa vigraham to remove all the obstacles ( pratibhandhakams)
that stand in our way.
( Meaning
of TVM 3.1.1
according to DrVNV):Pray answer this question of mine, Oh Consort of
Lakshmi! Did the effulgence of the beauty of your countenance radiate as the
aura of the crown or vice versa? Did Your feet bloom downwards as the base-lotus
or vice versa? Did the alluring hip lend its beauty to Your golden garment and
other jewels all becoming an integrated total elegance that marks out Your Form
?
4) sarvabhOgyAtiSaayee (TVM 4.1.1): If he were to be of limited enjoyment
( mithya bhOgyam) , our minds would seek some thing more enjoyable .
Therefore , he not only removes our sins thru auspicious ThirumEni sEvai but
also stays as SarvabhOgya Prakrushtan ( the supreme delight to enjoy ) so that
our minds do not seek anything else.
(Meaning of TVM 4.1.1 according to Dr.VNV): Men who ruled
our vast territories with an unquestioned suzeranity , are one day driven out ,
and are driven to the plight of living on alms , roaming , unnoticed
,
in dark of the night , out of sheer shamefulness. Black
dogs chase them and bite their legs. What a fate ! With cheap metal dish on hand
, trying to avoid the sight and identification by people whom he would
have sent away when he was on the throne, he now has to live a himble life of
begging--in the same life;that is the worst part of it. So, please learn
the ephemeral and fickle nature of prosperity . Contemplate on the Lord's feet
in order to gain real prosperity of salvation . And do it immediately-not
putting it off .
5) SrEyas-taddh-hEtubhutan ( TVM 5.2.7): Even if He is supreme
PurushArtham to enjoy , it may be difficult for us to go somewhere else to gain
that PurushArtham . To overcome this , our Lord stays as SrEyas taddh hEthu
bhUtan ( the source of the Parama PurushArtham
( Goal of Life ) and the blesser of upakaraNams for gaining Him as
the Parama PurushArthams .
( Meaning of TVM5.2.7 according to Dr. VNV): You must
station in Your hearts a form that is concrete , sweet , auspicious and supreme.
That is my Lord , KrishNa. Remember even the gods whom you worship for some
particular ends are able to fulfil them by placing your plaints at the Lord
VishNu's feet and getting His benediction in your favour. If you have any doubt
, refer to the MarkaNDEyA episode . Siva got MarkaNDEya the longevity as a gift
from my Lord. Avoid having a tainted mind of trying to fulfil any wish
from any deity praising it as Supreme for the moment-that is what all you
do.There is no God but KrishNa; others are His shadows or dependents only. So,
If you placate any other deity hereafter, do atleast remember at that
moment , that you are doing so to a form or Moorthy of the Supreme Lord. Only
that is proper to say the least
.
6) Prapadhana sulabhan ( TVM 6.10.10):Even if He grants us all the srEyas
sAdhanams , we are feeble (asaktaas) to engage in the difficult saadhanam like
Bhakti yOgam . Therefore , out of His infinite compassion , He becomes easy of
attainment thru Prapatti ( Prapadhana Sulabhan ).
(Meaning of TVM 6.10.10 according to Dr. VNV): " Not for a
moment even will I leave this seat of Mine" says AlarmEl Mangai(MahA
Lakshmi).
That She is always on Your chest is reassuring to
me".
Your reputation of qualities is matchless. The three worlds
are Yours.
You have enslaved me. I have adopted You as the Master for
all time. You are the unequalled Master since this relationship is not
conditioned by any circumstance. Great sages who have no match and devAs and
nityasooris come all the way to this place to worship You. Oh Lord of
ThiruvEnkatam ! I , who has no other prop to cling to , humbly surrendered
myself at Your feet and there I remained protected
by
You .
7) anishta-vidhvamsa-seelan ( 7.9.1): Even if He is easy to reach by
Prapatti , our prArabdha paapams will interfere with the enjoyment of Him
.Therefore He becomes svASrita anishta jishNu ( One who removes the
Paapams of those who have sought Him as refuge)
.
(Meaning of TVM 7.9.1 according to
Dr.VNV): SarwEswaran thought kindly of me ; wished to revive me and give me
a worthy life; permanently so. So, He made me pure , saw to it that I maintained
it from day to day; ensured that I would be like Him ! ; using me , caused to
sing of Himself in sweet Tamil.To the Primeval creator, my Lord with enlarged
effulgence , who chose me as a medium in this fashion ,which great honor I
cherish, what shall I say and express , in adequate words, my sense of
gratefulness?
8) BhaktacchandhAnuvartee (TVM 8.7.8) :In coming to our rescue , He
is boundless in His grace and responds to the ways in which His devotees want to
enjoy Him ( BhaktacchandhAnuraktan).
(Meaning of TVM 8.7.8 according to Dr,VNV): The Lord. who
conferred
a great benefaction on me, by accepting me as His ,
entered the heart of this mean , small man. He entered after swallowing the
three worlds
(as a matter of His duty as Seshi to them). He is now
permanently put up therein. When He is pleased to do a favour to some, He
will do it without any pre-condition or pre-requisite. This kind of gracious
act is the greatest grace that I see in Him .
9) nirupAdhika suhrut( TVM 9.3.2): In doing so , He has intrinsic good
intentions towards us and blesses us .
(Meaning of TVM 9.3.2 according to Dr.VNV): It is He who
created all the worlds and who dug the earth out of deluge waters . He it is who
swallowed the world , spat out and once measured it ; He it is who takes three
forms, to protect us as He Himself ; to create as Brahma ( with Him being the
antaryAmi) and to terminate as Siva ( with Him being the antaryAmi). But then He
has the same realtionship to all in the world as well. He is the antaratma; and all this I could
see when devAs like Brahma and Rudra with a self-esteem would not see. To me He
has endowed a flawless vision with which I have understood Him .
10) satpadhavyAm sahAya( TVM 10.8.9):He stands unfailingly not only to
bless us but also to be a helper to us to travel in the archirAdhi mArgam to Sri
VaikunTham , His supreme abode.
(Meaning of TVM 10.8.9 according to Dr. VNV):The Lord of
ThiruppEr-
nagar , the place , which is famous for palatial buildings
looking like mountains , has today made me a worthy substance , no doubt. I
am grateful to His grace for this. But He , who could place Himself into me, in
my heart , gladly and of His own accord, had previously let me too in to alien
things, thus allowing me a life astray. I have a
question,
that suggests to myself ask of the Lord: " Why this Sir?
Please grace me with a reply ".
Swamy NammAzhwar states that our Lord , who is never ever
seperated from SrI Devi , helps us attain Him through the manifestion of
the above ten guNams .
To Be continued ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan
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