Sri DehaLIsa Sthuthi --Part 6 ( First slOKam --continued )

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Bhakthji Group :

 

Today is the holiest of holy days for Sri VaishNavAs.

Today is the day of SRAVANA DVAADASI , the day

when fasting gives the fruit of fasting on 10,000

EkAdasi days . SravaNa DvAdasi day is also the day

on which Sriman NaarAyaNA incarnated as Vaamana

Murthy to bless MahA Bali , the grand son of PrahlAdA .

 

Today , we will continue with the first slokam and the profound

concept of Bhuman . The word Swami Desikan chose in

the first line of the first slOkam was " BhumnA " derived

from Bhuman meaning plenty , abundance , great quantity

and Infinity . Swami Desikan salutes the glory or mahimA

of Trivikraman with the statement : " Yena bhumnaa jaganthi

vikramya vijithAni " . Sri RamAnujA's commentary in Sri Bhashyam

is very appropriate to understand the significance of the term

" BhUmnA " chosen by Swami Desikan to celebrate the infinite

glory of the Lord of ThirukkOvalUr .

 

The context of the BhumAdhikAram in the seventh chapter

of ChandhOgya Upanishad is relevant to cover as preface

on BhUmA and BhUmnA .Once NaradA approached SanatkumArA

and lamented about his lack of knowledge of Atman

inspite of his mastery over manthrAs .

 

The compassionate SanathkumArA instructed NaradA about

BhUma VidyA and defined BhUman as the infinite , the immense .

He said that BhUman as the infinite is sukhA and sukhA itself

is identified with Satya . Earlier ChandhOgya Upanishad had

defined Brahman as Kham or infinite joy ( parama Sukham ) .

Taittiriya Upanishad has also defined Brahman as Aanandam

or bliss absolute .

 

Sage SanatkumArA offered the following definition for BhUman :

 

" Yathra nAnyath pasyathi , nAnyath sriNOthi , nAnyath Vij~nAthi ,

sa BhUmA ; atha yathra anyath pasyathi , anyath sriNOthi ,

anyath vij~nAthi tadh alpam " ( Where one does not see another ,

hear another , and does not know another , that one is BhUman ;

where one does see another , hear another , and know another ,

that is trivial ) . Sri RamAnujA explains " where " as " that in

the experience of which " .

 

It has been pointed out that the nature of joy that flows from BhUman

is limitless and infinite . Therefore , any one , who is in communion

wiht Brahman by the way of comprehension , does not experience any

sorrow , since Brahman is infinitely blissful by svabhAvam .

 

Sage SanathkumArA answers the next the question of his pupil , NaradA

on what the BhUman is established in . The teacher answers that it is

established in ITS own glory or mahimA ( SVE MAHIMNI ) . This is a

case of SELF-DEPENDENCE . The sage hastens to correct any

impression that BhUman is deriving anything from its glories .

Sudarsana Suri , who wrote Srutha PrakAsikA ( Acharya RaamAnujA's

Bhashyam from his kalakshEpam under his feet ) points out in the context

that " there is no denial of glory . but , there is a denial of His being

established in the glory of the form of Lordship ( Iswarathvam )

over all things derived and controlled .

 

Professor SampathkumAran has added his thoughts

on the BhUman this way : " God's glories are gifts and

not investments . The creative self-manifestaton of God is for

imparting life out of His own abundance (bhUman ) and not for rectification

 

of His deficiencies . As this urge for self-impartation is an eternal

attribute , He mainfests Himself through eternity . He is the paramAthamn

(supreme aathman ) described as the Bhuman of this nature and is all

pervading as Trivikrama VishNu . In this sense , he fits the description

of ChandhOgya Upanishad , " Sa eva idham sarvam " . This statement

goes beyond the earlier statement of Saandilya VidhyA of the very

same upanishad , which declared , " Sarvam kalu idham BrahmA " .

 

This paramAthman described as the BhUman of this nature is

the transcendent absolute , which in its immanence of creative

involvement with the world of finites is recognized as an

irreducible fact ( AthmathA eva idam sarvam --Ch.U VII .26.1) .

" Only from the Supreme Self does everything come into being .

He who knows this goes beyond all afflictions and achieves

all-sided (full ) perfection ( Ch.U VII .26.2) " . Such is the comprehesion

 

and perfection that Swami Desikan was seeking , when he stood

in front of GopapurIsan and stated " Yena BhUmnA Jaganthi

vikramya vijithAni " .

 

2. VISVASYA YAM PARAM KAARANAM AAMANNTHI

 

This is the second paadham of the first slOkam .

Based on the above lengthy intrepretation of

the word " BhUMnA " , Swami Desikan"s reference to

the Lord as the first and fundamental cause ( parama

KaaraNam ) of this manifested world becomes transparent .

 

The references here are to Brahma sUtram II.1.14

( TadhanyathvamArambhaNasabdhAdhibhya and

a slokam in Srimadh Bhagavatham , which reveals :

" At the end of the kalpA , the self-luminous Lord

manifested ( abhivyanak ) this world , which was covered

with blinding darkness wrought by Time , through His

self-luminous power ( chithsakthi ) " . Thus He , the Jagadh-

prathama mangaLam becomes the parama-kAraNam of this visvam .

That is what the Upanishads and VedAs sing about . Swami

Desikan reminds us of this fundamental fact , while seeking

the protection of his Creator .

 

3. VISRAANAYAN PRANAYINAAM PUMARTHAAN

 

This is the third paadham of the first slOkam that

declares "He is the giver of many boons and blessings

( PurushArthams ) to His devotees( praNayinAM ) .

He is the veritable VaradarAjan residing at Gopapuri ".

 

4. GOPTHAA SA ME BHAVATHU GOPAPURAADHIRAAJA :

 

In this fourth paadham of the first slOkam , Swami Desikan

prays to the Lord of ThirukkOvalUr and requests the boon

of Him becoming his protector ( gOpthA ) .

 

Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

BhUmi Devi Sametha BhUMan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan