re DP Commentaries

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Dear BhAgavatOttamas

Having read Sri Sadagopan's masterly essay on the AzhwArs and

the aruLichheyyals,aDiyen felt the impulse say something about

a statement therin which might be a little misleading-

 

 

".Swamy Desikan salutes this (PillAn's) commentary

as the most authentic one to comprehend the mind

and message of Swamy NammazhwAr."

 

ADiyEn has not come across any such categorical statement of Swami DESikan

in his reading.If there is one in SwAmi's own words (and not in those of his

later interpreters) aDiyEn would like to see it.For,if such were the

case,the onus

would fall on SwAmi himself to justify why then at so many places in his

DraviDOpanishat TAtparya RatnAvali he has prefered the interpretation of

SwAmi NambiLLai over that of Sri PiLLAn!

 

For ex:

 

1. In "ODum PuLLEri" (1.7)- Sri PiLLAn says,this TiruvAymozhi describes

EmberumAn's Divya AiSwaryam consisting of GarutmAn etc.

 

Sri NambiLLai and others say,this Tir. extolls EmberumAn's "Arjava GuNa"

i.e., His tendency to bring Himself down to the level of the ASritas like

GarutmAn etc so that He could mix with them on a one to one basis.Like

Sri Rama did on his trip to Lanka.

 

SwAmi DeSikan says AzhwAr spoke here about EmberumAn's Arjava GuNa,- <

Nirupadhim

RjutAm NIravrNE jagAda>

 

2. In 2.2 Sri PiLLan says that the words "Azhiam paLLiyArE" refers to

<KshIra

samudra>; But SwAmi NambiLLai says it refers to <PraLaya arNava> at the end

of

the Kalpa. SwAmi DESikan agrees with the latter- <kalpa talpIkritAbdhim>

 

There are many such instances throughout Bhagavadvishayam for all to see.

 

All this means is that SwAmi DESikan was not bigoted towards any particular

commentary and chose each time the interpretation he found most reasonable.

 

Secondly,a more general point is also involved here: Unlike tattva-granthas

like SrI BhAshyam,which brook no second interpretation,AzhwAr's outpourings

are Anubhava-Granthas.SrIman NArAyaNa showed to the AzhwArs His Divya Roopa

GuNa and Cheshtitas in diverse manners and they enjoyed them in various

ways.

Our AchAryas enjoyed" AzhwArs' enjoyment of the Lord "in their own ways.What

has come down to us is a collection of all those experiences.Unless a

diamond

has many facets who would call it a diamond ? A five course meal is before

us

and if we restrict ourselves to only one course,the large hearted purveyors

 

of the feast would only express their infinite pity.Who would be the

ultimate

losers?

 

Sri EmberumAnAr TiruvaDigaLE SaraNam!