Input for CD ROM On AzhwArs : Part XI.4: Swamy NammAzhwAr's THIRUVAASIRIYAM (Second Prabhandham).

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The Meanings of the 7 paasurams of TA (K.C.VaradAchAri)

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(1) Vision of the Sesha Saayee at the Milky Ocean:

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Like the lustrous emerald-green mountain with

huge red-clouds, crimson Sun , cool Moon adorned

and wearing many stars with coral-red reefs asleep

on the palm of the Ocean's lord , Thou art wrapt in

yellow robe, adorned with crown and necklace,and bright

jewels , bright-lipped and red-eyed, with an entrancing

body resting on the couch-like serpent , poisonous and

brooding. In the midst of the Ocean enjoyest Thou yogic

sleep , so that SivA , BrahmA , IndrA and other hosts of

Gods may worship Thee.! Oh Thou lotus-navelled One !

Oh Supreme Godhead! Oh Thou who hast feet that measured

the three worlds !

 

(2)SnEha-Poorva anudhyAna Bhakthi from that vision:

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Through its intense desire to wear on its head

the signs of the Lord's sovereignity , the Soul

struggles to attain the sacred feet of the Lord

(VishNu-Thrivikrama) resounding with ankle bells.

That Lord is the world creator-devourer.Abandoning

puerile ends , the Soul melts and loses itself in

devotion and love to Him in that delight of enjoying

the transcendent nectar-flood. Let it. If Lordship ,

established place and imperishable strength over

the three worlds be got but without getting liberation ,

will knowers aim at that?(Certainly not).

 

(3)Importance of BhAgavatha Kaimkaryam:

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Because of whose will the three worlds tread

the good path He is famed as Sole refuge , who

destins all to be true , who among the three gods

is Chief, whose chest is luminous , who in the cool

ocean full of high waves that roar like thunder-bolts

at which the mountains quake , bound a serpent king

(Vaasuki) round the huge(MandrA) mountain and churned

for nectar, to That One Supreme God 's devotees , we shall

become servants , hereafter , creation after creation.

 

(4)Desire for the AarAdhanam of the Lord's Holy Feet:

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Will it not come to pass that creation after creation

unceasingly undisturbed , we shall seek refuge at

the feet of the Primeval Divine Wonderful Being ,

Who once upon a time , when all the world's were hot

and all the worlds and all beings ceased to be , was

unattainable by countless souls;Then unaided , the Sole

Seed , out of His navel , He brought forth the supremely

powerful Brahma , Sivan and other Gods and willed

the existence of the three worlds ?.

 

(5) The Power of ThrivikramA's holy feet

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Making Thy one lotus-foot face downwards covering

the Earth entire , Oh Thou Primordial Cause !

With the other brilliant lotus-foot hast Thou

covered the entire sky, so that the Brahman's

world felt wonder and joy and the gods , the path

shown by the VedAs tread! With eyes like the lotus-garden

in bloom , with lips like (bhimbA) fruit ,wearing

a crown , lustrous like the dawn or an infinite-

rayed thousand Sun , Thou art with a thousand

shoulders like the KalpakA forest (that grantest all)!

To Thee canst not the worlds be devoted slaves?Oh Lord !

 

(6)Obstaces to the attainment of the Lord's Holy Feet:

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Alas! man's nature is this: to adore the wodden doll,

whilst his mother, who brought him forth is unattended

stands before him ! Whilst the Supreme God -- who brought

forth the world , raised it , created it out of Himself,

measured it , muses on it and saves it-- exists,

to worship some other god(s) , waht one has seen reveals one's

stupidity that causes pain to the knowers (of truth): their

sevices to the lesser gods causes pain and causes them

to engage in other prohibited actions. The fruits granted

by these undesirable pursuits are nothing but joys mixed

with grief. They become the causes of complete submergence,

unceasing , in the beginningless vast deluding samsArA ,

through manifold deluding things of senses.

 

(7)parama PurushArtham is the Worship of sriman Naarayanan:

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He upholds Rudra , who wears the Moon on his matted locks ,

Brahmaa the four-faced, IndrA , the chief of of the dEvAs!

Having the color of green leaf, He upholds all the worlds

including the earth with all its creatures and all

the elements ,water, fire,air and light-pervaded ehter,

the brilliant Sun and Moon with their splendid rays.

All are kept without falling asunder through His power

within Himself, so that they are not seen (in PraLayaa).

It is He , who is resting on the banyan leaf (in the ocean

at cosmic withdrawal).Him , our Lord , the Great MaayAvi

alone , and no other God shall we adore.

 

In the final paasuram of ThiruvAsiriyam, Swamy NammAzhwAr

answers the question raised by a veda Manthram: "Kasmai

DevAya HavishOvidEma?" (To which God should we offer

oblation/aahUthi?).SN answers that question unambigously

and with certainity that we should offer our worship to

that Sarvan , Sakala GuNa ParipUrNan celebrated by

the VedAs and Saathvika PurANAs as the One in whom

all things attain rest and seek refuge ( Saravm

SamApnOsi tatOsi Sarvah).

 

Celebration of ThiruvikramAvathAram in ThiruvAsiriyam

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SN has been awed by the vision of Thrivikraman , who

grew from a Vaamana roopam to the directions-striding

Thrivikraman.The SookshmArthams of this avathAram enchanted

SN and he celebrated that avathAram at a few places in TA.

In the first Paasuram , where SN enjoys the Lord resting

at the Milky Ocean, the memory of Thrivikraman propels him

to address the Lord as :" Tanip Peru Naayaka , Moovulahu

aLantha sEvadiyOyE" ( Oh matchless SarvEsvara with

broad feet to measure the three worlds ).

 

In the second paasuram of TA , SN celebrates that

heroic valor ( MaayA peru ViRal)and enjoys Him as

"anbhilinn thERal amudha VeLLam "(the delectable

BhOgyam of tne nectarine flood for those , who

approach Him with SnEham/freindship and preethi/love).

 

In the fifth paasuram, SN salutes magnificently

the happenings during ThrivikramAvathAram on

the Earth and Brahma lOkam and beyond.In the sixth

paasuram, SN refers again to the measurement of

the Earth and Sky with two steps and salutes

Sriman NaarAyaNan as " Mudhal Peru KadavuL"

( Primordial Great Lord).

 

Celebration Of ThrivikramAvathAram in Yajur Vedam

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Many indeed are the Yajur Veda Mathrams that salute

ThrivikramAvathAram for its esoteric references to

eastablish Him as Adhi dhaivam and as SarvEsvaran's

avathAram. Yajur manthram( Book II.25) celebrates

Sriman NaarAyaNA's pervasion (VyApthi) of the sky ,

air and earth , nay throughout His Universe as

Thrivikraman ( Dhivi VishNur vyagumstha--antharikshE

VishNur vyakthragumstha--pruthivyAm VishNur

vyakthragumstha GaayathrENa ChandasA --).

 

Yajur Vadam : Book V.15 and 18: " Idham VishNur vichakramE

trEdhA nidhadhE padham and --VishNOr nukam veeryANi

pra vOcham---vichakramANas-thrEdhOrugAyO VishNavE thvA".

Here the pervasion of the earth, air and sky in gross

and subtle form as Thrivikraman and His valor in doing

so is saluted as reasons for offering AarAdhanam to Him

and Him alone.

 

Yajur Vedam X.19 refers to His Visvaroopam as " dhyAvA

pruthvee VisvarUpE".Yajur Vedam Book XXXIV.43 salutes

the protective and blessing power of the most merciful

Lord through His three steps to establis His laws :

" ThrINi padhA vi chakramE VishNurgOpthA adhAbhya:,

athO dharmANi dhArayan".

 

The Saanthi paatam ( Yajur Vedam :XXXVI.9) invokes

the valor of Thrivikraman at the end of the manthram:

 

Sam nO mithra: Sam VaruNa: Sam nO BhavathvaryamA

sam na IndhrO Bruhaspathi: Sam nO VISHNURURUKRAMA:

 

In one Yajur Veda Mantharam of Book XXXIII , the revelation

is made : " I(Jeevan) also am in these three steps of VishNu-

Thrivikraman , where with this universe is permeated.

 

Sri K.C.VaradachAri Comments further: " The AlwAr

wonders at the greatest exploit of VishNu , which

makes Him ALL-PERVADING SOVERIGN OF ALL THINGS ,

SOULS AND GODS ;all the powers of other gods are

subordinated to this Rulership principle of Vishnu-

Thrivikraman.

 

ThiruvAsiriyam of Swamy NammAzhwAr salutes this

powerful truism of SarvEsvarathvam of Sriman NaarAyaNan

and performs upadEsam for us not to go astray from

that fundamental doctrine .

 

Swamy NammAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Daasan Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan