Dhanur Maasam: Thiruppavai--Artha panchakam ( JeevAthma Svarupam)

[Guest guest]

Dear GodhA PriyAs :

 

So Far we enjoyed the first of the pentads of the Artha

Panchakam ( Viz)., Isvara Svarupam. Now on this day , we will

focus on the second of the Pentads , JeevAthma Svarupam .

I think this is intended for the fourteenth day , which I missed out.

 

JeevAthma Svarupam

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Plenty indeed are the instances in Thiruppavai , where Isvara svarupam

is celebrated. Few indeed are the sites , where Jeevathma Svarupam is

pointed out. It is appropriate to state that those small number of citations

cover profound docctrines associated with the nature of Jeevan and its

attributes.

 

At the outset , we can recognize that the Jeevans are of three types :

Baddhar, Mukthar and Nityar . Baddhars are bound with samsArA

and they are influenced by their AnAdhi karmAs . MukthAs are liberated

jeevans freed from the bonds of samsArA due to bhagavadh prasAdham

and are also known as Mumukshus . NityAs or Nitya Suris are like Isvara

in many ways except for their ability to create , protect and dissolve this

universe.

Further , they differ from Isvaran in that they can not grant Moksham

for anyone . Those powers are reserved for Isvaran. Otherwise , Nityars

share every other KalyaNa guNAs of IsvarA and offer him Nitya Kaimkaryam

in Parama Padham . The Nityars are represented by Adhi Seshan , GarudA and

VishvaksenA .

 

Places where we have references to JeevAtma Svarupam in the Rahasya Trayam

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In the PraNavam of Mula Manthram , it is represented by MakAram and in the

Naara sabdham of the Mula Manthram . In the Dvayam , it is met in the "Uttaman

"

denoted by the word "PrapathyE ". The Jeevathma Svarupam is embedded in

the "madhyaman " word " Vraja " in the sarama slokam; additional places , where

 

it is encountered are in the Padham "Tvaa " and the Vaakyam " Maa sucha : " in

the

same sarama slokam of GeethAchAryan . Volumes have be written about

the inner meanings by Swami Desikan in Rahasya Traya Saaram and related works .

 

Thiruppavai and JeevAthma Svarupam

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The instances where the Jeevaathma svarupam referred by

the Aayar Sirumis (AndAL and Gopis ) are :

 

namakkE (Verse 1) , naamumum ( Verse 2) , NaangaL

Nam paavaikku (Verse 3 ) , NaangaLum mArghazhi neerAdi ( Verse 4 ) ,

Naam Thumalar thoovi ( verse 5) , Naam sevitthAl ( verse 8) ,

PuNNIyam yaam udayOm (verse 28 ) et al .

 

The most celebrated reference to JeevAthmA svarupam and the relation

of the Jeevan to ParamAthmA is contained in the most sacred verse starting

with the words " chirram chiru kaalE vandhunnai sevitthu ". The profound

doctrines of JeevAthma svarupam (Viz)., Ananya Bhogyathvam , Ananya

UpAyathvam and AnanyArha Seshathvam are housed in this verse. As Professor

VasudhA NaarayaNan referred to in her posting today , It was Paraasara

Bhattar who advised us to recite this most important verse alone , when we

are unable to recite the entire Thiruppavai of AndAL .

 

The Ananya Bhogyathvam is celebrated by the passage of this 29th verse:

" Un PoRRAmaRai adiyEh pORRum " . Ananya UpAyathvam is asked for

in the section of this verse : " Nee kuRREval YengaLai koLLAmar pohAthu ".

The doctrine of the Ananyarha Seshatvam of the Jeevan is indicated by

the passage: " uRROmEyAvOm unakkE naam aat chyvOm ". The three

Athma Svarupa lakshaNams of the Jeevan are thus woven in to this

extraordinarily important twenty ninth paasuram .

 

Every day of our lives , we should make it a habit to recite this verse pregnant

with the meanings of VisishtAdhvaitam dealing with the relationship between

Chidh , Achidh and Isvaran and seek the blessings of AndAL to keep us

rooted in the Brahma Gathi .

 

In the next posting , we will enjoy together the third of the Artha Panchakam

pentad : UpAya Svarupam.

 

savayasa: iva yE nitya nirdhosha gandhA : ( tasmai NamO nama: )

 

AndAL ThiruvadigalE SaraNam

 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan