Daya and Anukmapa: Nammazhwaar& Swami Desikan --Part 5

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs of Lord Srinivasa :

 

AzhwAr revealed to us in the first decad that the Lord

is our Upaayam. In the second decad, he instruced us that

He is our Upeyam . In the third decad , he described the

SubhAsrayam of the Lord . In the fourth decad , he dwells

further on the message of the second decad and states that

the fruits of seeking and attaining Lord as Upeyam is far

superior to Iswaryam (Riches ) and Kaivalyam ( the state of

existence of self in its true form as free from bondage ; a state

of Moksha ) .

 

The sections of the decad ( 4.3, 4.5 and 4.7 ) are particularly

important for the understanding of the concept of Daya of the Lord.

 

In decad 4.3 , AzhwAr celebrates the Aasritha Anyonyathvam of

the Lord . That arises from His Daya. In the magnificient verse,

4.3.3 ( Eka murthy Iru Murthy --) , AzhwAr asks Sriman NarAyana

a question : O Lord , You accepted my love and communed me with

great joy and appears as though You are better for that experience .

O my dear One ! What a stupendous effort you took to make me

Yours ? You seem to be happy that You have fulfilled Your goal

of creating me. " Both Your soul and my soul , so to say , are

now evidently satisfied ."

 

In pasuram 4.3.5( KaNNi Yenadhyuir --) , AzhwAr celebrates the

Vaatsalyam and AnukampA of the Lord further . He says : " My

master, who wields a Kala chakra in his right hand seems not

to be fully satisfied with the level of union with me. He has now made

my love the sum and substance of His glory . " What an honor it is for me

and my soul says the ecstatic AzhwAr at the thought of the Daya of the Lord.

 

In Pasuram 4.3.7 ( Kurai KazhalgaL --) , AzhwAr makes a discovery

about the depth and extent of Lord's daya and says joyously :

" O Lord ! All along I was thinking that I was drawing sustenance from

You ; now I have found out that You are drawing sustenance from my

soul. O Lord ! how can I even attempt to describe the vastness of Your Daya !

 

After experiencing the Lord's infinite mercy , in decad 4.5 Azhwaar

poses a rhetorical question: " What more do I need in all seven

births hereafter ? ".He says that he has become KrithArthan and

the Lord has elevated him to that exalted status.AzhwAr is overwhelmed

by the Lord's Daya and exults : " The Lord , who is the soul of all beings

and all worlds and of my soul too as well, made my soul enjoy Him

as He enjoyed my soul ; Could it ever be believed ? An all-pervasive

force enjoying and enlivening an atomic trifle ? A whole and an infinitesimal

part enjoying mutually and equally ? Miracle He makes ! ".

 

In verse 4.5.8 , celebrates his union with the Lord .He says : " I have

joined the Lord this day . For that very reason , He holds me dearer than

His consort Lakshmi . No surprise for those who know that he loves

most the latest devotee and the poorest in qualifications. "

 

IN decad 4.7 , AzhwAr celebrates the Lord as Sath Bahu GuNan,

one with limitlesss auspicious qualities. He reminds the Lord of His

daya and beseeches Him to come before him in physical form .

 

MaNavALa Maamuni salutes this great AzhwAr , who proved that

there is no supreme being worthy of worship than Sriman NarAyana

who is the root cause of this Universe and its chetanas and Achetanam

this way :

 

" ONRUMILAI THEVU IVVULAHAM PADAITTHA MAAL

ANRIYENA AARUMARIYAVEH --NANRAAHA

MOODALITTHU PESIYARUL MOIMAHIZHOHN TAAL THOZHAVEH

KAATHALIKKUMENNUDAYA KAI "

 

(MEANING) : My hands will only salute the holy feet of

VagulAbharaNan , who proved clearly that there is no

supreme being other than Sriman NarayaNa that

created this Universe.

 

AzhwAr Thiruvadigaleh saraNam ,

 

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan