sri rama navami- rama sthuthi - 10

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

 

The highlight of the verse 8 in viraadha sthuthi [dealt in the previous

post] is that the supreme Lord Raama, as creator, knows his subjects. But

his subjects do not know him fully. After seeking him only he allows the

subjects to know him, realise him.

 

Now let us see the 9th verse. Here we have a beautiful definition of the

brahmins.

Pannal aam enRu ulagam pala palavum ninaiyumaal

Un alaal perum dheivam uyarnthuLOr ozhukku anRe

Anna oordhiyai mudhal aam anthaNar maattu arum dheivam

Nin alaal illaamai neRi ninRaar ninaiyaarO?

 

Word by word meaning for few words:

Pannal - thudhiththal - thOththiram seidhal- praise, eulogize, worship,

appreciate

Un alaal- nee allaal- excepting you

Ozhukku- ozhukkam- discipline

Ozhukku- leakage

Annam - swan- hamsa pakshi

Oordhi - vaahanam - vehicle for transportation

 

Meaning- Generally people of this world, who do not have real good knowledge

and discipline, think they can worship different gods. To worship different

gods is not their character for the well disciplined brahmins. Oh my lord,

the greatest of great god is yourself, oh raamaa! These brahmins think you

are the only fittest to be worshipped and consider that is the good

discipline. That brahma [who uses swan as his transport vehicle] is the

first to think like this and leads these well-mannered brahmins. They will

consider no other god as wonderfully equal to you.

 

Points: 1. A beautiful definition is given for to consider who is a brahmin.

"anna oordhiyai mudhalaam anthaNarmaattu un alaal perum dheivam uyarnthuLOr

ozhukku anRe" - "those who has good discipline accept there is only one

supreme god, and it is you, yourself, oh raamaa! They are only brahmins

including that brahma.

 

[because brahma has this discipline, he is considered a brahmin. Brahma

knows that he is created by you, oh raamaa, so he also has this discipline

of these brahmins and able to lead them in this cult].

 

2. This word anthaNar has more meanings.

a) am +thaNar- azhagiya thatpaththinai udaiyOr- one who has in their body

well controlled heat - [thaNal in tamil mean burning fire, thatpam is latent

heat, veppam is external heat]. Because of satvic food, the body has a

uniform heat. Further due to yoga, doing praanaayaamam etc the body heat is

kept uniformly. Whereas for others who do not have discipline in food, the

body heat levels vary, thereby leading to high emotions, thus causing lot of

heat generated in body.

 

b) anthaNar= antham + aNar

antham - mudivu - end

aNavuthal - seeking

- vEdhaththin antham is vEdhaantham - end of vEdhaas is vEdhaantha.

athai naaduvathaal anthaNar- one who always read and practice as stated in

the vedhaantha- so anthaNar

or it can also be said one who seeks the end of their cycle of births and

deaths [janmam or piRavip perunkadal] by resorting to karma gnaana, bhakthi,

prapaththi upaayam - so anthaNar

 

c) anthaNar- azhagiya thaNNali udaiyOr-

thaN - kuLirntha

aLi - vaNdu,

aLi - krupai

anthaNar is one who has beautiful calm and cool grace towards others [means

think good of others, bless for others welfare. Always think lokhaas

samasthaas sukhinO bhavanthu sarve janaa sukhinO bhavanthu etc].

 

3. Swami dhEsikan gives an excellent definition for anthaNar. See

ninRa nilaikku uRa niRkum karumamum nEr mathiyaal

nanRu ena naadiya gnaanamum nalgum uL kaN udaiyaar

onRiya baththiyum onRum ilaa viraivaarkku aruLaal

anRu payan tharumaarum aRinthavar anthaNarE --16 adhikaara sangraham

 

One who knows is an anthaNar. What an anthaNar knows is answered as

- he knows karma yOgaa - which helps him to do the work to perfection

and thereby he will be lead to the permanent upaaya of seeking the lord

- he knows the gnaana yogaa - to seek that gnana sharp intellect which

helps him to seek that aathmaa by being an inner upaayam (antharanka

upaayam)

- he knows the bhakthi yogaa - which helps to do the dhyaanam -

meditation on that lord while forgetting himself and surrounding world

- he knows that prapaththi yoga by his grace - for those who do not

have the knowledge or patience to undertake any one of three stated above

such people who knows vEdhaas are anthaNar.

 

[Note: May be my giving the English meaning is poor and not able to

convey properly. What I want to say is Swamy gives a good definition for

anthaNar].

 

4. Now see another discipline given spelt out for anthaNar-

viLangu noolar vEdha naavar needhiyaana kELviyaar valankoLa

kudanthaiyuL kidantha maal- 56 thiruch chantha viruththam

 

anthaNar surround that emperumaan who is lying in that

thirukkudanthai kshEthram- how are they is nicely indicated-

they have the cross thread in the chest which never leaves them,

the tongue always carry the vEdham- means utters vEdham,

the questions they put are always well meant, express justice to be

meted out without any partiality.

 

5. See another reference in 1-5-9 thirumangai aazhvar in periya

thirumozhi

"thoNdaam inamum imaiyOrum thuNai nool maarbin anthaNarum"

-who has in the chest the sacred thread- they are the anthaNar.

 

6. See one more reference for anthaNar from thirumangai aazhvar in

periya thirumozhi-

"vai Odhu vEdham maliginRa tholseer maraiyaaLar naLum muRaiyaal

vaLarththa thee Onga - 3-2-2

the mouth always utters the vedhaas and have good command over

vedhaas, who are well disciplined, such people raise the fire daily in their

yagna vEdhigai- they are anthaNar.

 

7. maRam thigazhum manam ozhiththu vanjam aaRRi

aimpulangaL adakki idarppaar aththunbam

thuRanthu iru muppozhudhu Eththi ellai yillaath

thol neRikkaN nilai ninRa thoNdar aana

aRam thigazhum manaththavar tham gathiyaip ponni

aNi arangaththu aravaNaip paLLi koLLum maayOnaik kaNdu

en kaNgaL neer malaga enRu kolO nirkum naaLE.

- 1-7 kulasekhara aazhvar in perumaaL thirumozhi.

 

These anthaNar- aRam thigazhum manaththavar tham gathiyai -

aravaNaip paLLi koLLum maayOnai- that supreme lord is worshipped by these

people- I want to see that lord, says aazhvaar.

 

How are these people- manaththavar -one who has a mind like that -

anthaNar- who have-

- warfare or vengeance removed from the heart

- the five senses well controlled

- forgiven the one who creates nuisance, forgotten that nuisance also

- worships six times in a day

- stand by the limitless oldest systems [ which is nothing but vEdhaas

which are the oldest without any time limit]

- become servants to the lord and their servants

- dharmam in their heart

 

8. See another verse wherein the discipline of brahmins and non discipline

of others are expressed with that Lord sundararajan of thirumaal irum solai

as the supreme lord.

 

dheivam pala, avar noolum pala, avai thEr pozhudhil

poivam pala enRu thOnRum pullOrkatku pOdha, nallOr

uivam palanum avanE enRu Odhi uNarvar nenjE

koivam palar soriyum sOlai maamalaik koNdalaiyE

 

since the meaning is just same as kamban's, I am not elaborating the

meaning.

 

[i am unable to quote the source for this verse. But since the verse is apt

and included in the commentary, what I am referring to write these posts, I

add it here. If any learned member can give the source I welcome. May be the

tamil professor who joined the list recently can give the source and I

request the member for this.]

 

Before we conclude this post the next verse-

Poru ariya samayangaL pugalkinRa puththELir

Iru vinaiyum udaiyaar udaiyarpOl arunthavam ninRu iyaRRuvaar

Thiru uraiyum maNi maarba ninakku ennai seyaRpaala

Oru vinaiyum illaarpOl uRangudhiyaal uRangaadhaai.

 

Dhaasan Vasudevan M.G.