Guest guest Posted February 28, 1996 Report Share Posted February 28, 1996 Dear Members of the Prapatti group: On this birthday of Thirukkacchi Nambi, I am happy to write a few words on this Ashtakam, who had the extraordinary privelege of conversing with Sri Varadaraja PerumaL of Kanchipuram. There are two Taniyans or invocatory verses for this Ashtakam by one Ramanusappilllai , a disciple of Pillai Lokaacchaar. He composed a work of ten verses known as "Sri Kaanchi Poorna Dasakam " to pay his tribute to Thirukkacchi Nambi. First Taniyan: SRIMATHKAANCHIMUNIM VANDEH KAMALAPATHINANDANAM I VARADAANGRISADHA SANGA RASAAYANA PARAAYANAM II Here, the author says : I salute the Kaanchi Muni , who gladdened the heart of Varadaraja. That great Acharya was involved with uninterrupted service at the lotus feet of the Lord Of Kaanchi and was engaged in invigorating himself with the practise of that Rasaayanam. The phrase "Kamalapathinandanam " has been has been alternatively interpreted to suggest that thirukkacchi Nambi was the son of Kamalapathi and the son warmed the heart of the father. Since Nambi made Varadaraja happy with his Fan service that resulted in the Lord breaking His Archa Samaadhi to speak with nambi, I prefer the intrepretation of Kamalapathi as the Lord(Pathi) of Perum Devi Thaayar (Kamalaa). In the parlance of Ayurveda,Rasaayanam refers to a special medicinal creation that gives the users an invigorating , disease -free life. Ramanusa PiLLai points out that Thirukkacchi nambi practised the Rasaayanam of devoted service to Sri varadaraja and was specuially blessed by the Lord for that Rasaayanam service. Second Taniyan: DEVARAJA DAYAAPAATRAM SRI KANCHIPOORANM UTTAMAM I RAMANUJA MUNERH MAANYAM VANDEHAM SAJJANAASRAYAM II The author points out that Thirukkacchi Nambi was the object of the limitless mercy of Devaraja (Varadaraja) PerumaL and that Nambi was a supreme bhakta of the Lord of Kaanchi. He says further that Nambi was the refuge of all evolved souls and the object of special adoration for Yatiraja. VERSE 1 OF ASHTAKAM : NAMASTEH HASTISILESA SRIMAN ! AMBUJALOCHANA I SARANAM TVAAM PRAPANNOSMI PRANATAARTHIHARAACHYUTA II This is a verse pregnant with meaning. Here, Nambi celebrates the five states of the Lord known as : Param, Vyuham, Archa, Vibhavam and Antaryaamitvam. When Nambi addreses the Lord as Hastisilesa , he salutes the Archa State of the Lord consecrated on top of the hillock known as Hastigiri. His salutation as Srima(U)n is associated with the Para Vaasudeva state. In Vaikuntam, He isresiding with Sri Devi as Para Vaasudeva (Vaikunteh tu pareh Lokeh Sriyaa Saardham Jagatpathi: Aasteh ) . His next salutation , Ambujalochana refers to the beautiful Vibhava state of the Lord, when He walked on this earth as Rama and Krishna. Reference to his Lotus eyes relates to his Subhaasrayam . The fourth salutation , "Pranataartihara", is associated with the Ksheera Sagara Nilaya VYUHA state. He engages in Yoganidra in the middle of the milky ocean and rushes to the help of his Bhaktas, when they cry aloud for Him , during their times of distress. The fifth and final salutation is "Achyutha". This Sambodhanam relates to Antharyaami state, where he is pervasively present everywhere and does not ever fail to give his helping hand to the Prapannas. Achyutha is the 101st Sahasra Naamam of Vishnu. Sanskrit etymology (Nikantu) explains the word Achyuta as " Aasrithaanaam chyuthi : yasmaat naasthi ithi Achyutha: " ( He NEVER abandons His Bhaktas and because of this act of HIs, He is celebrated as Achyutha ). In this context, Swami desikan composed a Satakam known as Achyutha Satakam and saluted the Lord as Natha Satyan, Kinkara satyan to reveal his loyalty to his devotees. SECOND VERSE OF THE ASHTAKAM: SAMASTHA PRAANI SANTHRAANA PRAVEENA ! KARUNOLPANA I VILASANTHU KATAKSHAASTEH MAYYASMIN JAGATHAAM PATEH II O Lord full of Mercy and Grace ! O Lord with the power to protect one and all! O Lord of the Universes! May your benovolent glances fall on Me! May those glances shine on me ! Like Aandaal , who prayed " SengkaN Sirucchiriteh Emmel Vizhiyaavo" (Thiruppavai verse 22), Nambi prays for the Lord"s most compassionate glances to fall on him. THIRD VERSE OF THE ASHTAKAM : Here Nambi engages in Naicchaanusandhanam or Aatma Garhanam ( Self-depreceation or recounting of one"s shortcomings) .Even if the great soul did not commit any of the Apachaaras, Nambi and other Acharyas in this mood of Self-depreceation, they "confess " about their "sins" in a penetent mood. This approach is taken to set a model for others to desist from committing such sins. Alavandaar states in a similar mood in Stotra ratna that he has transgressed the rules of Sastraas tens of thousand times and there are not many Sins that ha has not committed. Those Papa Karmas have ripened and are about to yield their fruits. At this juncture, I stand before YOu , my Lord and lament about ,who is going to save me from disaster. Swami desikan described himself as the emperor of all Aparaadhas at one place. Again, all such declarations by htese pure souls is to set an example for us and to help us from committing such apachaaraas. The third Verse of Nambi wiht such thoughts of Naicchanusandhaanam is as follows: NINDITAACHARAKARANAM NIVRUTTHAM KRTYUKARMANA: I PAAPEEYAMSAM AMARYAADHAM PAHI MAAM VARADA PRABHO II Here Nambi says: " O lord,who gives all the boons that one asks! I have the following atributes: (1) I engage in acts prohibited by Saastraas (2) I stay away from Karmas prescribed by Saastraas. (3) I am a great sinner, who has trasgressed the boundaries of behavior established by scriptures and Pramaanaas. O Lord, take pity on me and save me ." Saastraas typically say "Idam Kuru, Idam Maa kaarshi " (Do this and stay away from that forever). These are known as Vidhi and Nishedam among Saastraas. I do not follow these rules. I am now suffering from such wanton behavior. You are Pranataarthihara Prabhu. Please come to the help of me, who is crying before you and protect me . This is the prayer housed in the third verse. VERSE 4 TO 8 OF THE ASHTAKAM The verses from 4 to 8 form one thought module. These verses are addresses to Achyuta saluted in the first verse. They form a single prose order(Anvayam ) and hence the set of the 5 verses is known as a Kulakam. Here , Nambi pleads with Devaraja to protect him and hails him with sweet names such as Deva Raja Dayaa Sindho , Deva Deva, and Jagat Pateh . The FIVE verses are as follows: SAMSARA MARUKANTHAAREH DURVYADHI VYAGRA BHEESHANEH I VISHAYA KSHUTHRA KULMAATYEH DRUSHAAPAADA PASAALINI II (4 ) PUTRA TARA GRUHA KSHETRA MRUGA TRISHNAAMBHU PUSHKALEH I KRUTYAAKRUTYA VIVEKAANTAM PARIBRAANTHAMITAS TATA: II (5) AJASRAM JAATATRUSHNAARTHAM AVASANNAAKAMAKSHAMAM I KSHEENA SAKTHI BALAAROGYAM KEVALAM KLESASAMSRAYAM II (6) SAMTAPTAM VIVIDAIR DUKKAI : DURVASAIREVAMAATIBIH : I DEVARAJA DAYA SINDHO ! DEVA DEVA ! JAGATPATHEH ! II (7) TVATHEEKSHANA SUDHA SINDHU VEECHEE VIKSHEPA SEEKARAI : I KARUNYA MAARUTHAANEETHAI : SEETHAIRBHISHICHA MAAM II (8) (MEANING OF THE FIVE SLOKAS): O Ocean of Mercy ! O Devaraja ! O the origin and founding father of the Universe! In this samsaric life full of sorrow and fears, horrible diseases are like the roaming tigers in a forest; the little bushes that give way under one's feet and bury one in the shoals are the sensory temptations; desires are the dense trees of the dark forest; relatives and the personal possessions are like the mirage of desert; I roam in this forest not knowing what to do and what to avoid. I do not have vivekam (discriminatory intellect). Incompetent me, roaming here and there, weakened by this aimless wandering, I am depleted of energy, strength and health. I am full of debilitating anxieties. I am distressed by these undescribable calamities . O Pranataartihara! O Achyuta ! Please moisten me with the cooling droplets from the waves of your mercy , which have been driven by the winds of your matchless compassion! Please bless me and protect me! Thus prays Thirukkacchi Nambi and begs Devaraja PerumaL to cool him from the scorching Samsaric afflictions through the rejuvenating shower of mercy and concludes this beautiful and moving Ashtakam . Sri PeraruLaLan , Sri Perum Devi Thayaar Thiruvadigaleh Saranam Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan Febrauary 28, 1996. addresses him by Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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