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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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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