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.06 / ISSUE # 13 dated 03/012/05
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EDITORIAL:
Dear Bhagavatas:
You will remember that a couple of series on
(1) Koorathaazhwaan?s ?Pancha Sthavams? consisting of his five Sthavams and
(2) VilakshaNa MOkshadhikaari NirNayam of Erumbiappa (Sishya of Sri ManavALa
Maa MunigaL)
were started sometime ago.
But, due to various preoccupations, they could not be completed. Several of
you have reminded and commanded us to continue them. Thank you for
reminding,
Earlier, in Pancha Stavam series, we covered the following:
Part 1: An Introduction on Korathaazhwan
SRISTHAVAM:
Of the 11 SlOkas in ?Sri Sthavam?, we selected 5 SlOkas for explaining as
follows:
Part1: SlOkam 2:?Sarve Jana: Sukhino Bhavanthu?
Part 2: SlOkam 5: ?Dog Drinking Ganga Waters?
Part 3: SlOkam 8: ?The Omniscient Bhagavaan Is Ignorant!?
Part 4: SlOkam 9: ?Shining In Borrowed Feathers!?
Part 5. SlOkam 11: ?Desireless AzhwAn desires wealth !?
VAIKUNTA STHAVAM:
A select few SlOkas of ?VaikunTa Sthavam? (3 in number) as follows:
Part 1: SlOkam 10: The Quality that is twice blessed!
Part 2: SlOkam 18: ?Cactus Is Not A Tree!?
Part 3: SlOkam 22: ?Who Is This Purusha??
SUNDARA BAAHU STHAVAM:
Part 1. A brief Introduction to ? Sundara Baahu Sthavam?
ATHIMAANUSHA STAVAM:
>From now on, we propose to cover ?Athimaanusha Sthavam? (61 SlOkas)
VILAKSHANA MOKSHAADHIKAARI NIRNAYAM
In ?VilakshaNa mOkshaadhikaari NirNayam?, we covered:
Part 1: An Introduction and
Part 2:?Jaayamaana Kataaksham? (reproduced for information)
We continue this series from the next Issue.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
1. IMPORTANT DAYS IN PANGUNI (MEENA) MASAM
2. ATHIMAANUSHA STHAVAM OF SRI KOORATHAAZHWAN Part 1
(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
3. VILAKSHANA MOKSHAADHIKAARI NIRNAYAM Part 4
(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
4. ?TRIMURTI? - IN NAMMAZHWAR?S TIRUVOIMOZHI- PART 9
(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)
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159 Regular issues have been released, so far besides several Special
Issues) ?
- 27 Issues of Vol. 1
- 15 Issues of Vol. 2
- 42 Issues of Vol. 3
- 35 Issues of Vol. 4
- 28 Issues of Vol. 5 &
- 12 Issues of Vol. 6
These issues have been archived for public view at -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/srirangasri
by Sri Diwakar Kannan (diwakark@xxxx)
You may also view the archives at http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia maintained
by Sri Srinivasan Sriram (ajiva_rts@xxxx)
We strongly urge you to kindly peruse the "Regular Issues" archived in the
?Files? Section and view the Contents at ?srsindex.html? (Not the individual
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IF you are satisfied with the quality and contents of ?Sri Ranga Sri?-
Tell your friends to join by sending an email to
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Ever at your service
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy,
Editor & Publisher, ?Sri Ranga Sri?
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1. IMPORTANT DAYS IN PANGUNI (MEENA) MASAM)
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ALMANAC DATE/ENGLISH DATE/DAY/NAKSHATRAM/THITHI/EVENTS/REMARKS
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01/03.14.05/Monday/BharaNi/Chaturti/Meena month begins/
KaaraDaiyaar nOnbu after 2.00pm
03/03.16.05/Wednesday/Rohini/ ShashTi/ TIRUNAKSHATRAM OF
POUNDAREEKAPURAM SWAMI ASRAMAM PARAVAKKOTTAI GOPALA DESIKAN
Celebrated in the Asramam this year. KiDambi Rangarajachar.
08/0.21.05/Monday/Poosam/ Ekadasi/ Sukla Paksha Ekadasi, CHELLAPPILLAI,
VAIRAMUDI SEVAI in MELKOTE, PERIYASRAMAM TIRUKKUDANTAI ANDAVAN
12/03.25.05/Friday/ Uthram/PourNami/ PANGUNI UTHRAM, HOli
13/03.26.05/Saturday/Hastam/Pratamai/Tiruvarangathu Amudanaar
14/03.27.05/Sunday/Chitrai/Dviteeyai/SEVA SWAMIGAL
17/03.30.05/Wednesday/Anusham/Panchami/VENNAATRANKARAI ANBDAVAN OF
POUNDARIKAPURAM SWAMI ASRAMA, Kozhiyaalam Swami (p.398)
22/04.04.05/Monday/TiruvONam/Dasami/SravaNa Vratam
23/04.05.05/Tuesday/Avittam/Ekadasi/KrishNa Paksha Ekadasi
26/04.08.05/Friday/UtraTTadi/Amavasya/Sarva Amaavasya
27/04.09.05/Saturday/Revati/Pratamai/PERIYA PERUMAL, KalyaaNaahava Swami,
YUGADI,TELUGU NEW YEAR's DAY
31/04.13.05/Wednesday/RohiNi/Panchami/ TIRUNAKSHATRAM OF
POUNDAREEKAPURAM SWAMI ASRAMAM PARAVAKKOTTAI GOPALA DESIKA MAHA DESIKAN,
KiDambi Rangarajachar, VISHU PUNYA KAALAM
01 Chitrai/04.14.05/ Thursday/ Mrigaseersham/ ShashTi/
PAARTIBA TAMIZH NEW YEAR BEGINS
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2. ATHIMAANUSHA STHAVAM OF SRI KOORATHAAZHWAN Part 1
(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
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In this Sthavam, Koorthaazhwaan brings out the various acts of Emperumaan
that reveal His Paratvam. In the first 10 SlOkams, he introduces the subject
by making references to several aspects that go to establish Emperumaan?s
Paratvam. From SlOkam 11 onwards, he cites various episodes from Vibhava
Avataaras to prove this.
This might look like ?Nindaa Sthuti? wherein the apparent meaning looks like
accusing but the inner meaning would mean the opposite. This is a clever
ploy that Korathaazhwan employs to bring out the glory of the Lord and in
the process makes it enjoyable for us.
SLOKAM 1: INCOMPARABLE & NONPAREIL
Atimaanusha seela vritta vEshai:
Ativritta amara vikrama prataapai:/
Ati langita sarva lOka saamyam
varayE VaishNava vaibhavaavataaram//
By His very nature and conduct, the Lord makes it known that He is one
different from the rest. There is none to match His valor, brilliance and
other qualities even among the celestials, not to speak of excelling.
COMMENTS:
That is why seers have praised Him like:
? ?na sama cha api adhikas cha vidyatE? ?None equal, none superior
? ?oppaar ilayaaya maamaayan?-Incomparable mystic
? thannoppaaril appan? etc.?same-
? Lord KrishNa himself has declared this when he said:
?janma karam cha mE divyam?- My birth and activities are divine
? Bheeshma Stava RaajaslOkam also asserts this:
?ativaayvindra karmaaNam ati soorya ati tEjasam? ? Actions beyond the
celestials, brilliance excelling that of Sun
? BhaTTar explains this as ?ateeindra:? based on the Veda mantram
?aviditavibhavaaya? ? Glory beyond comprehension
? ?trailOkhyE taadrusa: kaschid na jaatO na janishyatE? ? None like him
in
all the three worlds was ever born so far or will ever be born hereafter.
SLOKAM 2: LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE
srEya; kirantu kiranaas charaNaaravinda
nishyandamaana makaranda soughadEsyaa:/
tajjaa: srutEr madhuna utsa iti prateetaa:
mangalya ranga nilayasya parasya dhaamna://
There is a brilliant light beaming from the Lord?s lotus feet praised
incessantly by the Vedas. This beam of light looks like the swirling flow of
nectar issuing forth from the lotus feet of the most compassionate Lord
Ranganatha. May this light and flow bless us with beatitude.
COMMENTS:
? In the 4 slokams starting with this, Azhwan enjoys the glory of Lord
Ranganatha as a prelude to the enjoyment of Vibhava Avataaras to follow.
What is ?srEya:?
? There are two things one could wish for. One is ?prEyas? (praise-Glory
here) and the other is ?srEyas? (eternal bliss of liberation-Glory beyond).
KaTOpanishad equates both with mOksham.
SLOKAM 3: RANGANATHA?S FEET ARE RED - TRUE OR FALSE?
Srimat paraankusa muneendra manO nivaasaat
Tajja anuraaga rasa majjanam anjasa apya /
Adhyaapi anaarata tad utttaraaga yogam
Sreeranga raaja charaNaambujam unnayaama: //
True. Lord?s feet are already soft and pink as lotus. This hue is further
deepened into red because they are constantly immersed in the waters of love
springing in the heart of the great Maharishi Nammaazhwar.
COMMENTS:
? It is said that the massaging by the lotus-like palms of Periya
PiraaTTi.
?malarmagaL kai varuDa malar pOdir sivantana?
? But, Azhwan holds that the redness is because of the Lord being
immersed
in the love of Nammazhwar. It is customary for poets to describe love as
being red in color.
? The question arises that when Nammazhwar has sung only one Padikam on
Lord
Ranganatha in ?kangulum pagalum?, how can it be said that Lord Ranganatha
was always in the heart of the Azhwar.
? The answer is that our elders hold that the entire 1000 odd Pasurams in
Tiruvoimozhi are about Lord Ranganatha only:
?vaan thigazhum sOlai madiLarangar
vaNN pugazh mEl Aayiram
eenra mudal thaai sadagOpan?
? Swami Desika also concurs when he said:
?aNi kurugai nagar munivar naavukku amaindanavE?
SLOKAM 4: ?THE LORD IS SUPREME. HERE IS THE PROOF!?
Vajra dvajaankusa sudha kalasa aata patra
pankhEruhaanka parikrama pareetam anta: /
aapaada pankaja visrunkala deepra mouLaih
sree rangiNas CharaNayOr yugam aasrayaamah //
What are the proofs? They are: Vajra (Diamond shaped mark), Sangu (Divine
Conch) Dvaja (GaruDa on the flag), Ankusa (goad), Sudhaa kalasa (the pot of
nectar), Aatapatra (the white parasol), PankEruha (the red lotus).
COMMENTS:
? This is borne out by ?Naaradeeyam? that cites them as the insignia of
the
Paratvam of the Lord.
? BrihadaaraNyakam defines these in one word ?SaamraaT?- One different
from
the rest. ?yEsha Brahma lOka: SaamraaT ityOvaacha?
? Swami Desika in his StOtra Baashyam and in Devanayaka Panchaasat echoes
these.
? Sukhar concurs:
?sanchintayEd bhagavatas charaNaaravindadam vajraankusa dvaja sarOruha
laanchanaadyam?
? Sounaka also reiterates this fact:
?Sanka chakraaa gadaa padmair angitam paada pankajam?
SLOKAM 5: THE REAL COLOSSUS:
Sree Ranganaatha charaNou praNumO yayO: khalu
Ekas trivikrama vidhou vasudaam asEshaam /
Vykramsta saachala kulaam api viprakeerNa
Sthoolaavalagna sikataamiva nirnadOcham //
When the Lord lifted one of his feet for measuring the heavens, huge
mountains clung to his feet like particles of dust. Did he not place his
feet on all without differentiating the good and the bad? We salute his
glorious feet.
COMMENTS:
? The mountains identified in the PuraaNas as clinging to the Lord?s feet
are: Himavaan, Vindyam, Paariyaatram, Nishadam, Sahyam, Malayam, MahEndram,
Darduram etc.
? When the Lord took Varaaha Avataara, he took the form of a gigantic
boar
and lifted BhoodEvi on his single horn on his forehead as if she were a
small root of a tuber plant. (Ekasringah Varaahah). Swami Desika called him
?MahaapOtrin? to indicate his mammoth form. The mountains and oceans looked
like small particles and poodles respectively at his feet. ?silambiniDai
siru paral pOl periya mEru tirukkuLambil kaNakaNappa? says Tirumangai Mannan
? ?Eka:? Several scriptures and Divya Prabandhams describe that Lord?s
left
foot went up to the skies to measure the Heavens. In some Divya dEsams, the
Lord is seen lifting his right foot.
? Though each foot has its own glory, the foot that measured the earth
has
greater value because it made no discrimination between the deserving and
the undeserving but was totally impartial in blessing one and all.
? AaLavandaar?s statement ?trivikrama tvat charaNaambuja dvayam madeeya
moordnam alankarishyati?, however, mentions that left or right, the Lord?s
feet blessed his crown.
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To Continue
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3. ?VILAKSHANA MOKSHADHIKARI NIRNAYAM? OF SRI ERUMBIAPPA
(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
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An Introduction
This work was written in Sanskrit and MaNipravALam. by Sri Erumbiappa, one
of the AshTa Dik GajangaL of ManavALa MAmunigal.
This is in the form of a conversation between Sri DEvarAja Guru and his
Sishya, SenApathi AzhwAn.
There was a special reason for writing this work.
It was circa 14c A.D.
There surfaced some psuedo-VaishNavas who propagated ideas repugnant to the
basic tenets of SriVaishNava SampradAyam and encouraged disgusting practices
in the garb of ?AnushTanam?.
Some of their misleading points were-
? To make the statement ?Sarva DharmAn Parithyajya? true, one should
first
give up one?s prescribed duties!
? To deserve the mercy of EmperumAn, (who they claimed, relished the
?dOshams? of chEthanas), one can go on committing sins and can even indulge
in practices like imbibing liquor, ingesting meat and even prostitution etc!
? Once one secured AchArya Sambandham, the Lord will not deny Moksham
based
on this Sambandham?, even if one commits heinous atrocities.
SRI ERUMBIAPPA COMPOSED THIS WORK WITH A VIEW TO EXPLODE SUCH MYTHS
CIRCULATED BY THEM. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT ON VERY MANY ISSUES
IN THIS REGARD, HE ENDORSES AND REFLECTS THE VIEWS OF SWAMI DESIKA.
In fact, at that time, many of the real SrivaishNavas brought up in the
traditional Sath SampradAya were trying to disabuse the minds of the
gullible public from falling victims to this brain washing by KudrishTis.
?VilakshaNA MOKshAdhikAri NirNayam? means ?determining the criteria for
attaining MOKsham?. With this in view, Sri Erumbiappa has argued citing
suitable authority (PramANams), demolishing their allegations (Poorva
paksham) and firmly establishing SiddhAntham.
His persuasiveness is illuminating and illustrative, interesting and
educative, convincing and conclusive.
===============================================
VMN 2:
WHO ON EARTH WANTS TO GO FROM HERE TO ETERNITY?
You might have seen or heard of the popular show on TV ?Who wants to be a
millionaire??. Our Azhwars and Acharyas ask the question differently. They
ask ?Who on earth wants to go from here to eternity??
They have brought out the criteria for this. Only those who come out
successful will be eligible to enter the Kingdom of God and attain eternity.
What are those terms and conditions, rules and regulations, ins and outs
that have to be satisfied and what are the ?lifelines? available?
Erumbiappa has established in clear terms these criteria for our guidance in
his ?VilakshaNa mOkshaadhikaari nirNayam?. The present write up is based on
the summary of this monumental work entitled ?VaikunTam pugum maNNavar
yaar?? by Prof. Dr. R. Rangarajan of Madurai and published by ?AzhwargaL
Amuda Nilayam? Chennai 2 in 1884.
FIRST, WHO GETS DESIRE TO GO TO MOKSHAM?
Not all desire to become millionaires; similarly, not all would desire
mOksham. Then, who gets the desire to attain mOksham?
Only those fortunate souls who gain what is known as ?jaayamaana kaTaaksham?
will at all desire this.
What is this ?KaTaaksham?? Is it available for purchase in a departmental
store and what does it cost?
Erumbiappa explains:
?This glance is called "jAyamAna kaTAksham" in Sanskrit and "karuvilE thiru"
in Tamizh. Only those who are fortunate to "catch the eye" of the Lord in
this manner will ever get a desire for Moksham. One who gets this desire is
called a "Mumukshu".
A Bhagavata has raised the following question:
?In our (dESika) sampradAyam, the jAyamAna kaTAksham is not a result of
"reasonless mercy". It is only due to the appropriate sukrutams associated
with that jIvAtma. In Brahma SUtras it is established that ISwara is
non-partial. If His kaTAksham to some arbitrary jIvAtma is made to make it a
mumukshu, due to His ?reasonless? mercy, the ISwara will be liable to
partiality and it is in opposition to Sastras. Please clarify in your
leisure, the purport of your explanation on jAyamAna kaTAksham as being out
of reasonless mercy of PerumAL?
The Bhagavata has raised a very important point that has been a subject of
great debate. There is no doubt that the Lord is scrupulously impartial as
between the Jivas. But, how come He bestows his JAyamAna kaTAksham on only a
few ignoring others and even with reference to any particular jiva at some
point of time and not earlier, as asked by NammAzhwAr in his Koviladi
Pasuram?
Swami Desika has clearly explained this point in several of his works.
Though this is known as ?nirhEtuka kripa? (reasonless mercy) it should be
understood that this may appear reasonless for the jivas from their point of
view but the Lord may have His own reasons that are beyond the comprehension
of the jivas. In spite of his limitless independence (nirankusa swAtantryam)
He has His own statuette of rules which He binds Himself and which He would
never transgress.
In our Siddhantam the concepts of Karma, Punarjanma and Dharma are cardinal.
Karmas both good and bad lead to happiness or suffering in the same janma or
in a subsequent one. And, unless there is a nil balance of Karma, there can
be no escape for the Jiva.
.
In Lord?s creation, all are equal. He has also provided guidelines for Jivas
through Sastras that are His commands so that the Jivas could adopt those
karmas which can obliterate the effects of their actions also called
?NishkAmya karmas?. And, He has also granted them some amount of freedom
through what is known as ?IchchA Sakti?, ?Chitta Sakti? and ?Pravritti
Sakti?. When the Jiva desires, intends and executes through these Saktis
they are free to follow or flout the commandments and are born again to
enjoy or suffer the consequences. Otherwise, there is no need for such
aphorisms as ?Satyam Vada?, ?Dharmam Chara? etc which imply that the Jiva
has some elbow room for either respecting or disregarding these edicts.
It is intriguing why in spite of this the Lord should wait patiently to see
that the Jivas do some ?Sukritam? in this or any subsequent births in order
for Him to bestow His kaTAksham. Out of His infinite compassion, even if a
Jiva does some good act called ?AjnAtha Sukritam? or ?yadruchA Sukritam?,
the Lord hastens to acknowledge this as reason enough for conferring His
?JAyamAna KaTAkasham?.
Acharyas used to cite the example of a person who chases a temple cow that
goes round the temple. He did not do so with any intention to do
PradakshiNam. Yet, out of mercy, the Lord is said to take this unintended
good deed (AjnAtha Sukritam) as a pretext to save the person and provide him
the means to make him fit for His grace.
Another example our Acharyas used to mention is that of a mouse that
unintentionally bumps on a lighted lamp before the Lord?s archa vigraham
accidentally trims the wick of the lamp to shine more brilliantly. The Lord
would deem it as its having done a Sukritam (YadrechA Sukritam) and grants
the benefit of His ?JayamAna KaTAksham? and it is said to be reborn in a
more evolved state on its onward march to its deliverance in due course
through Bhakti or Prapatti, in its next birth.
Swami Desika in the UpOtkaA4a Adhikaram lists the various circumstances in
which one gets to acquire this KaTAksham in the slOka
Iswarasya cha souhArdham yadruchchA- Sukritam thathA/
VishNO: kaTAksham adwEsham abhimukhyam cha Satvikai://
that includes inter alia this ?accidental merit?.
Sri Erumbiappa in a later portion of his work goes one step further and
refers to the argument of some who quote AzhwAr?s assurance ? veridhE aruL
seyvAn? which leads to the inference that even sinners can hope for
redemption on the basis of this ?nirhEtuka kripa? of the Lord.
He clarifies that this kaTAksham relates only to the first time the Lord
takes pity on the jivan deeming the ?Yadrucha Sukritam? as a pretext for
showering His grace and NOT to subsequent behavior in the ?PrApti dasa?.
This does not confer a license to indulge in ?Durvishayam? after becoming a
mumukshu.
?If this were not so? says Erumbiappa, ?it would mean that one need not be a
VishNu bhakta at all and go on merrily indulging in all acts that are
Saastra viruddham?
Erumbiappa further avers-
?If one were to deserve the real grace of the Lord that could take one right
up to Moksha, it is not enough if one becomes a mumukshu; it is not enough
if one becomes a Prapanna; It is not even enough if one becomes an EkAnti;
One should become a real ParamaikAnti (P/E).
This means that such a one should get rid of ahamkaram and mamakaram
(I-ness and mine-ness) completely in thought, word and deed. Even the sexual
relationship with the legally married wife (deemed a Grihasta Dharma) should
be eschewed?. He calls it ?Vihitha Vishaya Nivritti?).
And, he says that all these have been amply reiterated by AzhwArs and
AchAryas in one voice in many of their Prabandams?
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To Continue
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4. ?TRIMURTI? - IN NAMMAZHWAR?S TIRUVOIMOZHI- PART 9
(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)
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tri-mUrti-s in tiruvAimozhi ? Part 9.
2.5.2: (15)
tiru uDambu vAn SuDar; Sen tAmarai kaN kai kamalam
tiru iDamE mArvam; ayan iDamE koppUzh
oruvu iDamum endai perumARku aranE O!
oruvu iDam onRu inRi ennuL kalandAnukkE.
Several important tattva-s are emphasized in this pASuram: i) Unlike the
claim made by some that the Supreme Brahman is without form or shape, and is
only Pure Bliss, bhagavAn indeed is One who has beautiful tiru mEni or
Divine Form. ii) brahmA and rudra take shelter in His Divine Form for
their sustenance; iii) BhagavAn likes His devotees so much that He, who has
brahmA and rudra resorting to Him for sustenance, goes to His devotees and
mixes with them freely as if He depends on them for His own sustenance.
AzhvAr describes the beautiful form of bhagavAn at the start:
- tiru uDambu vAn SuDar ? His Divine Body is shining resplendently
with incomparable effulgence. This effulgence becomes even more intense as
He embraces nammAzhvAr, His devotee. This is the best blessing that He
confers on those who love Him selflessly. We have Lord rAma?s own words
confirming this. Lord rAma is so moved by hanumAn?s devotion and service to
Him, that He declares that the best blessing that He can give to His devotee
is His whole-hearted embrace:
esha sarvasvabhUtastu parishva?ngo mahAtmanaH |
mayA kAlam imam prApya dattas-tasya hanUmataH || (yuddha. 1.13)
- kaN Sem tAmarai ? His eyes are beautiful reddish color like the
freshly blossoming lotus.
- kai kamalam ? His hands that embrace nammAzhvAr are beautifully
delicate and cool like lotus flowers.
- tiru iDamE mArvam ? mahA Lakshmi resides on His vaksha sthalam or
chest. She is the One Who is responsible for bhagavAn blessing His devotee
by His divine embrace with intense affection.
- ayan iDamE koppUzh ? brahmA, who is the creator of the fourteen
worlds, originated from, resides in, and is sustained through, His navel.
- endai perumARku oruvu iDam aranE ? Whatever is left behind in the
Divine Body of this Supreme emperumAn, is then given to aran or rudra.
- oruvu iDam onRu inRi ennuL kalandAnukku ? This emperumAn, who has
thus given shelter to the likes of brahmA and rudra on His Divine Body,
loves me so much, that He embraces me with His whole tirumEni. Such is His
attachment to His devotee.
- O! ? What a wonder! How great is His sauSIlyam, that He
associates with such a lowly being as myself, and enjoys this mingling with
me to such an extent that His Whole Divine form shines even more beautifully
than before, as a result of His embracing me.
BhagavAn? tiru uDambu, which is ?vAn SuDar? to start with, becomes even more
of a ?vAn SuDar? by this mingling with His devotee.
vAn SuDar ? The use of the word ?vAn? ? ?sky?, as an adjective for His
tejas, is to signify the indescribable and infinite nature of this
effulgence.
The anubhavam of this pASuram is even more enhanced if we interpret the
words ?ayan iDamE koppUzh? as ?ayan iDam koppUzhE? ? BrahmA has the navel
alone as His place of residence in BhagavAn?s tirumEni, whereas AzhvAr has
been blessed with a place on bhagavAn?s whole tirumEni (oruvu iDam onRu inRi
ennul kalandAn).
We saw in tiruvAimozhi 1.9 that bhagavAn had occupied every indriya of
nammAzhvAr, such that all that AzhvAr was seeing, hearing, smelling,
feeling, touching etc., was only emperumAn, and nothing else. Thus,
bhagavAn had occupied every part of nammAzhvAr?s body and mind without any
space left to occupy. Now, bhagavAn is having the same experience of
nammAzhvAr - AzhvAr is occupying every part of emperumAn?s Divine Body
without exception; in other words, bhagavAn?s love of His devotee is such
that He is fully engrossed in blessing His devotee with such dedication..
svAmi deSikan captures the gist of this pASuram through the phrase
?sughaTita dayitam? in his tAtparya ratnAvaLi. ?sughaTitam? means ?properly
fitting?, ?matching nicely?. dayitA refers to One who is beloved, and in
the context of bhagavAn this refers to pirATTi (note ?SrI vE?nkaTeSa dayite
tava suprabhAtam?, where the reference is to pirATTi). In the current
pASuram, there is a reference to pirATTi being nicely accommodated in
bhagavAn?s vaksha sthalam, and brahmA and rudra in other parts of His
tirumEni. But even more importantly, nammAzhvAr is enjoying how bhagavAn
has blessed him with His divine embrace thoroughly with the whole of His
tirumEni. Thus, in the context of this pASuram, it is appropriate to
interpret the term ?dayitA? as a reference to His dear devotee, nammAzhvAr.
The emphasis of this pASuram is the blessing that bhagavAn has conferred
on AzhvAr through His Ali?nganam, which He Himself declares is the greatest
blessing He can confer on a devotee.
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2.7.12: (16)
dAmOdaranait tani mudalvanai j~nAlam uNDavanai
AmO taram aRiya oruvarkku? enRE tozhumavargaL
dAmOdaran uruvAgiya SivaRkum tiSai mugarkkum
AmO taram aRiya, emmAnai en Azhi vaNNanaiyE?
In this pASuram, nammAzhvar first describes how rudra and brahmA wonder
aloud at the greatness of emperumAn that is beyond description, and feel
that He cannot be understood by most of us (implying that they alone can
understand and realize His greatness). Then AzhvAr asks: Do Siva and brahmA
really understand the greatness of emperumAn? He is beyond their
understanding as well, even though they do not realize that.
dAmOdaran uruvAgiya Sivarkkum tiSai mugarkkum ? The various Siva-s and
brahmA-s (there is a Siva and a brahmA for each of the countless number of
worlds that bhagavAn has created; hence the plural ? pratyaNDam Siva
bhedena Siva-bahutvAt bhauvacanam) are all part of the body of dAmOdaran,
just as all the other movable and immovable things in all the Universes are.
AmO taram aRiya oruvarkku? enRE tozhumavargaL ? They worship dAmodara
declaring that it will be impossible for anyone (except them) to understand
the true nature of dAmOdara.
dAmOdaranai ? Rudra and brahmA worship bhagavAn Who has dAmOdaran as one of
His Divine names. This name for bhagavAn denotes that He is One who had
placed Himself at the disposal of one of His devotees, yaSOdA, specifically
to be tied up by her affection to a mortar as she wished, with a piece of
rope. BhagavAn?s subservience to His devotees is brought by the choice of
this nAma by AzhvAr ? His ASrita paratantrattvam.
tani mudalvanai ? He Who is the One and Only Supreme Deity. He is the One
from whom all else was created, without any other external means or help
(see pASuram 1.5.4 - tAn Or uruvE tani vittAi?, and chAndogya upa. 6.2.1 ?
sadeva somya idamagra AsIt; ekameva advitIyam ? ?All this universe of
diverse names and forms was prior to creation only one sat, the ever
existent Reality, ParamAtman and Non-second?). The fact that bhagavAn is
the Sole cause of all the Universes is brought out by AzhvAr?s choice of the
words ?tani mudalvan? to describe emperumAn ? His being the
sarva-jagad-eka-kAraNan.
j~nAlam uNDavanai ? He is also the One Who swallowed all the Universes at
the time of pralaya. As has been noted before, this is done by bhagavAn to
protect all the jIva-s (kAkkum iyalvinan ? pASuram 2.2.9). AzhvAr?s choice
of these words express the fact that bhagavAn is the Protector of all the
Universes ? sarva jagad-rakshakan.
emmAnai ? He is my Master and Lord
en Azhi vaNNanai ? My own Lord Who has the hue of the blue ocean.
AmO taram aRiya? - Can these various Siva-s and brahmA-s really truly
understand the true nature of my Supreme Lord? Can they ever be able to
comprehend and enjoy Him the way He has allowed Himself to be enjoyed by me?
BhagavAn is One Whose greatness is incomprehensible ? One with
aparicchedya mahattvam.
His true nature is that He becomes totally subservient to His devotee,
protection is His primary concern in all that He does, His sauSIlyam and
saulabhyam dominate over His parattvam when it comes to His devotees, He is
full of infinite kalyANa guNa-s, etc.
Among the tattva-s brought out by nammAzhvAr in this pASuram are: I)
bhagavAn makes Himself totally sub-servient to His devotee; ii) He is the
Sole cause of all the Universes; iii) He is the Protector of everything in
all the Universes; iv) brahmA and rudra are part of His body; v)
BhagavAn?s mahattvam is beyond comprehension even by the likes of brahmA and
rudra.
svAmi deSikan captures the gist of this pASuram through the words ?bandha
moktA? to describe the guNa of bhagavAn reflected in this pASuram. The
meaning is ?One Who relieves us from our bondage?. This has to do with the
nAma dAmodaran that AzhvAr uses as the first word of this pASuram.
?dAmOdaran? means ?One Who has the waist that was tied up using the rope? ?
kaNNi nuN Sirut tAmbinAl kaTTuNNap paNNiya peru mAyan. Our AcArya-s have
taught us that meditating on bhagavAn?s guNa-s, such as the saulabhyam and
suaSIlaym that He reveals to us by taking incarnations amongst us and by
allowing Himself to be tied by the love and devotion of His devotees, will
in turn relieve us from our bondages of samsAra. This pASuram is the last
of twelve pASuram-s in this tiruvAimozhi that describe the dvAdaSa nAma-s
(twelve nAma-s, starting with keSava, nArAyaNa, etc.), followed by the 13th
pASuram that is the ?phala Sruti?
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4. VILAKSHANA MOKSHAADHIKAARI NIRNAYAM Part 4
(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
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5. FROM MAHBHARATA
?YAKSHA PRASNAM? PRASNAM # 122
(M.K.RAMASWAMY IYENGAR RETIRED SENIOR OFFICER, GOVT. OF INDIA)
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