mukunda-mAlA - Part 9

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SrI V. saDagOpan's writings on the mukunda-mAlA stOtram :

 

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VERSE 26

 

SrIman-nAma prOcya nArAyaNAkhyam

kE na prApur vAnchitam pApinO'pi |

hA na: pUrvam vAk-pravRttA na tasmin

tEna prAptam garbha-vAsAdi-du:kham || 26

 

In this verse King kulaSEkhara praises the benefits of reciting

SrIman-nArAyaNa's ashTAkshara-mantram and the ills that befall one who does

not recite it. The AzhvAr reminds us of the many passages from tiru-vAi-mozhi

where a number of other AzhvArs have reminded us about the good fortunes that

come the way of those who recite the ashTAkshara-mantram in devotion.

 

Some of these passages from tiru-vAi-mozhi extolling the blessings of

ashTAkshara-mantra-japam are as follows:

 

" kulan-taru~n-celvan-tandiDum-aDiyAr paDu-tuyar-Ayinav-ellAm,

nilantara~n ceyyum nIL visumb-aruLum aruLoDu peru-nilam-aLikkum,

valan-tarum maRRun-tandiDum peRRa-tAyinum-Ayina ceyyum,

nalan-taru~n-collai nAn kaNDu-koNDEn nArAyaNA-vennum nAmam "

-- tiru-mangai AzhvAr

 

" vaidu ninnai vallavA pazhittavarkum,

mARil pOr seydu ninna ceRRat-tIyil-vendavarkkum,

vandu unai-yeydalAgum-enbar"

-- tirumozhisai AzhvAr

 

" moytta-valvinaiyuL ninRu-mUnRezhutt-uDaiya pErAl,

kattirapandum-anRE parA'ngati kaNDu-koNDAn"

-- tonDar-aDi-poDi AzhvAr

 

Anticipating the above statements by the three AzhvAr-s who appeared after him,

SrI kulaSEkhara AzhvAr says that there is no sinner who has not been redeemed

by reciting the name of nArAyaNa. Similarly, those who did not shout the name

of nArAyaNa ended tasting the ill fruits of samsAra with its endless cycles of

bith and death.

 

SrI kulaSEkharar says :

"nArAyaNa-Akhyam SrIman-nAma prOcya kE pApina: apai vA~nchitam na prApu: ?"

The AzhvAr queries as to which sinner has not been blessed by reciting the name

of SrIman-nArAyaNa. His answer is a resouding "none".

The AzhvAr implies that regardless of the magnitude of the sins, the sinner

is blessed and saved by the Lord once HE hears the sinner invoke HIS name

celebrated as nArAyaNa.

 

The AzhvAr also describes the plight of those who blabber about everything

except reciting the name, nArAyaNa. He says that those people end up in endless

cycles of samsAra and suffer. The portion of the verse containing this thought

in anvaya-kramam is as follows:

"pUrvam tasmin na pravRttA tEna garbha-vAsAdi du:kham hA! prAptam ".

 

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VERSE 27

 

maj-janmana: phalamidam madhu-kaiTabhArE

mat-prArthanIya-mad-anugraha Esha Eva |

tvad-bhRtya-bhRtya-paricAraka-bhRtya-bhRtya

bhRtyasya bhRtya iti mAm smara lOka-nAtha || 27

 

After highlighting the virtues of reciting the name of SrIman-nArAyaNa,

SrI kulaSEkhara retreats into a humble prayer asking for the boon for becoming

a servant of the servant who serves the servant of the servant attendant of

the servant of SrIman-nArAyaNa. "Granting of this boon would fulfil my life's

purpose" says SrI kulaSEkhara.

 

Here, in one of the moving prayers full of humility, the AzhvAr asks the Lord

to accept himas the lowliest servant in HIS hierarchy of servants. This type

of service is known as caramAvati-dAsyam. and SrI kulaSEkharAzhvAr follows

his predecessor, SrI nammAzhvAr who asked for such a boon in his tiruvAi-mozhi

verse as follows:

 

" aDiyAr-aDiyAr tamm-aDiyAr-aDiyAr-tamakku aDiyAr-aDiyAr

tam aDiyAr-aDiyO'ngaLE ".

 

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VERSE 28

 

nAthE na: purushOttamE tri-jagatAm EkAdhipE cEtasA

sEvyE svasya padasya dAtari surE nArAyaNE tishThati |

yam kancit purushAdhamam katipaya-grAmESam alpArtha-dam

sEvAyai mRghayAmahE naramahO mUkA varAkA vayam || 28

 

 

In this verse, SrI kulaSEkharar wonders about the helplessness and inertia

of human beings who do not take the initiative to seek SrIman-nArAyaNa's

blessings, which is there just for the asking. When HE looms before us as the

emperor of all the universes, kulaSEkhara cannot understand why humans chase

after and worship insignificant entities strutting about in the shadow of the

all powerful Lord.

 

" Are we human beings dumb (mUkA:) and useless (varAkA:) ones ?

Cannot we tell the difference between an emperor and a little landlord

possessing a few square feet of land ? ", cries out our AcArya.

 

" How can we explain the obeisance by human beings to little chieftains, while

the most merciful, all powerful Lord of the universe towers above them ? "

This is the wonder and dismay of SrI kulaSEkhara.

 

The Lord is the One Who can give the boon of residing beside Him in

SrI-vaikuNTham. (svasya padasya dAtari)

 

He is the purushOttaman and is the Supreme God of all the

three universes. (tri-jagatAm Eka adhipa:)

 

"nArAyaNE surE na: nAthE tishThati" - While our Lord stands in that towering

manner, how come we search for a human being who is a lowly possessor

of insignificant wealth, to pay our respects ?

When the AzhvAr thinks of the little human, praised by other humans,

SrI kulaSEkhara's disgust overflows.

The AzhvAr describes him as "katipaya-grAmESam", "alpa-arthidam", and

"purusha adhamam".

 

The AzhvAr concludes by stating,

" yam ka~ncit purusha adhamam naram sEvAyai mRgayAmahE!

ahO vayam mUkA: varAkA:"

"It is a wonder that we forsake the Lord and choose a lowly human being as our

object of adoration and service ! We must indeed be dumb and stupid",

says SrI kulaSEkhara.

 

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