Daya and Anukampa : NammazhwAe & Swami Desikan --part 4

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends : I need a feedback from you .

Is this series too heavy ? Is it readable inspite of

many references to Sanskritic words and

VaishNava Paribhaashaa?

 

Should the language be simplified further ?

Is it too much of a mumbo Jumbo ?

Please let me know . I do not want

to bore you to tears although the subject

matter is profound and sacred

..

Thanks, V.Sadagopan

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Part 4 : I will cover the references to Daya in AzhwAr"s

third decad of Thiruvaimozhi in this posting.

 

The third decad focuses on the fact that Sriman

NarAyaNan , the means and the goal ( Upaaya Upeyan )

makes Himself easily accessible to bhakthAs through

His Archa Avathaaram. Through His Archa rupam

( presence at Temples as Consecrated Vigraham ) and His

Subhaasrayam ( Subham+ Aasrayam = that which is auspicious

and is also within reach of meditation and enjoyment ) , permits

us to enjoy Him readily . This is part of His Daya. He knows that

His other states such as Param , Vyuham, Vibhavam and

Antharyaamitvam are not easily approachable by mere mortals

and hence out of His Daya and Anukampa for us He makes

Himself available to us as ArchA rupi . He descends as it were to

our plane of grasp and enjoyment .

 

Decad 3.3 and 3.6 are the sections that are connected to the

Daya aspect of the Lord .

 

Decad 3.3.1 ( OZHIVIL KAALAMELLAA M--) : The first Paasuram

starting with the words , "Ozhivil Kaalamellaam " is consideered

the life breath of Sri VaishNava Sampradhaayam . Pages and pages

can be written about it. This verse gets special attention from

Swami Desikan in the final chapter of Sri Rahasya Trya Saaram.

Swami Desikan concludes that those who respond to the Daya

initiative of the Lord (of Thiruvenkatam ) would be blessed with

" Sarva Desa , Sarva Kaala , Sarva Avasthochita , Sarva Vidha

Kaimkaryas to the Lord ".

 

Dr .V.N. Vedantha Desikan's translation of this magnificient

verse is as follows : " We, I , my heart , all my circle of people,

must go and stay close to the Lord of Thiruvenkatam and also

serve Him all the time , without any gap, without a flaw,

with no end in mind,except the service; the Lord who is of

beautiful and brilliant form and who is the father of even our

forefathers , to whom alone we are bound to be subservient ;

the Lord who has taken the abode in the hill resounding with

the voices, as if it were, that emanate from the falls and streams

that make the place lovely and livable . I would say that this is

the great goal of life that any one should cherish to uphold avidly

and unswervingly ."

 

In 3.3.3 (ANNal Mayan--) : Here Azhwaar salutes the literally

countless auspicious attributes of the Lord and hints that

it is His daya and Sowlabhyam that stand out and make

Him accessible to us readily .

 

In 3.3.4 ( Isan Vaanavarkku enban --) : Here Azhwaar points

out that the Lord's unique trait of making Himself readily

" accessible to the lowly and downtrodden , to the rustic

forester and the nomadic tribal---to which class I belong , having no

merit-- -with which He has shown a doting love on me ,

endearing me that way ----."

 

In 3.3.5 , Azhwaar praises the "simplicity and the

magnanimous grace " of the Lord of Thiruvenkatam

( the essence of Daya Sathakam ) and states that He

patiently stands on top of Thiruvenkatam hills waiting

for Prapannas , unmindful of the merits or demerits

of them. He is not satisfied even when a large number of

those sought His refuge are redeemed . He waits for more

to grant them the bliss of Moksham .

 

3.6.4 ( Vaimmin Num Manatthenru ) : Here , Azhwaar says

that the Lord of Thiruvenkatam will show His grace (Daya )

to us even when we are unable to maintain an unmotivated ,

spontaneous love for Him.

 

3.6.7 ( Yezhumaikkum Yenathaavikku --) : Here , Azhwaar

describes the Lord as His precious gem that nevertheless

condescends to the level of His dear ones due to his Daya

and Anukampa for them .

 

The two pointers that Swami Desikan gives us regarding

this decad are : (1) The Lord is Svecchaa Sevyakaaran

(The one who takes whatever form the Aasrithaas request )

and (2) Labhyaarcha Vibhavan ( The one who takes the form

requested by the Aasrithaas and then blesses them) . MaNavaaLa

Maamuni follows the line of thought of Swami Desikan and

concludes that among the five states in which the Lord exists

( Param, Vyuham, Vibhavam, Archaa and Antaryaami ) , He is

most readily accessible to us as Archaavatharan out of his

magnanimous Daya (grace) .

 

Azhwaar Thiruvadigaleh SaraNam

 

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan