aruL mozhi - Thai

[Guest guest]

The following is my translation of Srimad

Azhgaiya Singar’s aruL mozhi (divine words)

that appeared in last month’s issue of Sri

Nrisimha Priya. The Tamil original reads

a lot better than my translation. If there

is interest I will post the original in Tamil.

 

 

-- Dileepan

 

======================================================

Sri:

 

Azhgiya Singar’s divine words - Translated

from the Thai (Jan/Feb 97) issue of Sri Nrisimha

priya.

---------

 

Swami Emperumanar has given us a wonderful

picture of our Lord’s divine body in a single

verse (choorNigai) at the beginning of

Saranagathi Gadhyam. We have been

discussing each word of this verse in Sri

Nrisimha Priya. This was interrupted due to the

Sapthathi celebration during the month of

Karthigai. Now that the Sapthathi celebration is

successfully concluded let us resume our

attention to the narration of our Lord’s divine

body.

 

Last time we explained that our Lord’s divine

body is characterized by (1) achinthyam,

(2)dhivyam, and (3) adhbhudham. Now, let us

get into two more characteristics, namely,

“nithyam” and “niravadhyam”.

 

Unlike the transient nature of our bodies, our

Lord’s divine body is not temporary, but

permanent. Such a permanent body is that of

Paravasudevan. The bodies adorned by the

Lord during Vibhava avatharas like Rama and

Krishna are temporary in nature. Pramanas

such as “nithyam nithyaakruthi dharam” say

that the divine body of Paravasudevan is

permanent. These pramanas are alluded to

succinctly by Sri Bhashyakkaara with the single

word “nithyam”.

 

Even tough the divine bodies adorned by our

Lord during the times of His avatharas are

impermanent, Paravasudeva’s divine body is

always present, i.e., “nithyam”. Thus, Sri

Ramanuja shows the error of those who argue

that the Lord’s divine body was created by

someone. It is important to note that the divine

bodies taken by our Lord during His avatharas

were not unreal. Even though they are

impermanent, they were very much real. Others

say that the avathara bodies were created by

avidhya. This is shown to be an erroneous view.

 

There are numerous pramanas for the fact that

Paravasudeva’s body is permanent. While

explaining the permanent nature of our Lord’s

divine body in Thathvathraiyam, Sri

Manavalamaamuni says about the word

“nithyam”, “Svaroopa guNangaLOpaathi

an^aathi n^ithanamaa yirukkai”. That is, our

Lord’s shape is permanent, His characteristics

are permanent, so is His divine body.

Swaroopa guNangaLOpaathi - similar to the

Swaroopa and Gunas; an^aathi n^ithanamaay

irukkai - being without origin or end. Thus, our

Lord’s divine body is permanent.

 

Such a divine body is “niravadhyam” as well,

says Emperumanaar. Nirvadhyam means free

of blemishes. The bodies of Jeevathmas suffer

from numerous blemishes. Our bodies result

from Karma (papa and puNya). As a result of

these there are many blemishes in our bodies.

But our Lord’s divine body is not a result of

puNya or papa karmas and thus free of all

these blemishes. Our bodies suffer old age.

His divine body does not.

 

In the above we dealt with the blemishes in our

bodies and the fact that our Lord’s body is free

of blemishes. Next, we shall see that our Lord’s

divine body is free of even the sole blemish one

may find in His Dhivya Athma Swaroopam.

This is shown by Swami Sri Desikan. Even

though the Lord’s Dhivya Athma Swamroopa is

a reservoir of innumerous auspicious qualities,

there is one problem. It is beyond the

comprehension of novices at meditation. Only

those who have matured with long years of

meditation and contemplation can comprehend the

Dhivya Athma Swaroopam of our Lord; not by

those who are beginners in meditation. Our

Lord’s divine body is free of even this “flaw”.

Anyone can readily contemplate upon His

divine body. Thus, this divine body is superior

to the Dhivya Athma Swaroopam of our Lord.

 

In the Gadhyas, Swami Emperumanaar uses the

string of terms “dhivya-adhbhudha-nithya-

niravadhya”. In line with this, we have

explanined these terms separately as

“dhivaythvam”, “adhbhuthathvam”,

“nithyathvam”, and “niravadhyathvam”.

However, Sri Periyavaachchaan PiLLai did not

separate “nithya-niravadhya” as two separate

terms. In stead, he interpreted the two terms

jointly as a single quality,

“nithyaniravadhyam”; i.e., permanently free of

flaws. Some substances are free of flaws

during some period of time. But at other times

they attain flaws. Our Lord’s divine body is not

like that.

 

One flaw that Sri Periyavachan Pillai denies for

our Lord’s divine body is unique. Existing for

one’s own use or purpose (Svaarthyamaay) is a

serious blemish. Our Lord’s divine body is

always free of this blemish. That Sri Sukthi is

as follows, “nithya niravadhyam -

nithyan^irdhOshamaayirukkai. adhaavadhu,

enRum okka Svaarththamaay iraadhozigai.”

 

Suppose that a wealthy man feels that all his

wealth is his own; it is not for anyone else; only

he will enjoy it and no one else can benefit

from it. Such wealth is seriously flawed. It is

useless wealth. On the other hand, if he spends

his wealth for the benefit of others, then the

wealth becomes useful. Now consider who

benefits from our Lord’s divine body. This

divine body belongs to our Lord. It is He who

adorns the divine body. But for whose benefit

has He taken on this divine body? If this

blissful divine body is just for His own

enjoyment, then it becomes “svaarththam”. If

no one else is to benefit from His divine body It

becomes useless. But our Lord’s divine body

is not for His own benefit. It is not

“svaarththam”. It is “praarththam”, always for

others. Not for just a few days, but it is always

for the enjoyment of others. Thus, it is only

proper to say that His divine body is “nithya

niravadhyam”.

 

Na thE roopam nachAkArO nAyudhAn^I na chASpadham |

thathApi purushakArO bhakthAnAm thvam prakAsaSE ||

 

O! Lord! Your Dhivya Athma Svaroopam,

Dhivya Mangala Vigraham, Dhivyaayudham,

Sri Vaigundam, etc. are not for Your use; they

all are for the benefit of bhakthaas.

 

Thus, it is clear that our Lord’s divine body is

for the purpose of showering blissful

happiness in the hearts of bhathaas.

 

When Thirumangai Azhvaar visited

ThiruvindhaLoor, he could not get the Lord’s

dharsan when he wanted. Frustrated, the

Azhvaar sang

 

“vaasivalleer andhaLooreer vaazhndhE pOm neerE!”

 

(Periya Thirumozhi 4.9.4).

 

Periyavaachchaan Pillai writes in his

commentary that the Azhvaar came to

Thiru indhaLUr with the belief that the Lord’s

divine body is for those who desire it. But if

that is not so, the Azhvaar spurns It with, “You

can have it for Your own sake.” Such

expression is common among worldly affairs

when one is denied the use of someone else’s

possession. Thus, it is clear that our Lord’s

divine body exists for the benefit of bhakthaas.

It does not have the flaw that It exists for its

own sake. This is why Periyavaachchaan Pillai

says His divine body is “nithya niravdhyam”.

 

Thus, our Lord’s divine body is superior to our

bodies, It is even superior to our Lord’s Dhivya

Athma Svaroopam.

 

Subham

 

==========================================================