Sri Rengarajan's analysis on the word "AruL " and recent releases of SaraNAgathi Journal focussing on Swamy Desikan's ChillaRai rahasyangaL and Desika Prabhandham (Volume 4 issues 2-4 , 2002).

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs:

 

In the context of the posting on AruL ,

SrIman Sampath Rengarajan of Thirukkudanthai

refreshed my memory on a posting on AruL

that he had in the SaraNAgathi Journal few

months back. It was one in a series of six

deep articles that he posted in the SaraNAgathi

Journal .

 

It is a brilliant analysis of the concept of

AruL in SrI vaishNava sampradhAyam . It is my

pleasure to forward you that essay by him .

 

BTW, we restarted SaraNAgathi journal after

a break of 6 months in publication. We have released

three issues this year. Our intention is to publish

one issueper week. Those who wish to to

this electronic journal are welcome to send e-mail to:

saranagathi-

 

The focus on the last three issues starting from

Jan 19, 2002 ( Volume 04.002) upto Purattasi SraVaNam

of this year 2002 and beyond will be on two main items:

 

1. ChillaRai RahasyangaL (CR)of Swamy Desikan (32 CR).

2. Desika prabhandham (405 paasurams ).

Those intersted in the above SrI Sookthis are

welcome to join this study group .

 

I have attached full text of SrI Sampath Rengarajan's

earlier article on AruL that appeared in SaraNAgathi.

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

The reference to this series of postings :

 

http://www.srivaishnava.org/sgati/volume1/v01007.htm

>Saranagathi - Part 6 by Sampath Rengarajan

>

>**************************************************

>

>In the last part we saw as to how this pAsuram

>contained the three thaththuvams in it and also

>as to how the three layers of meanings namely ,

>the essence of 3 thaththuvams, the prapatti

>yOgam and eswaran connects to each other.

>

>The thathuva artham thus forms the physical body

>and the prapatti angam the soul and the Isvaran

>the paramAthman,and HIS lotus feet. There are many ways

>as to why the inner most meaning contains only Isvaran

>and nothing other than HIM. ie. as the antharyamin of

>this pasruam it is only eswaran who is present in it.

>

>One way of seeing, is from the very first and

>last words of pAsurams as where it starts and

>where it ends. The first word if "nin" ie "Oh lord Your"

>and the last word is ninnaiye " Oh Lord

>yours only". ie. , the pasuram itself starts

>from HIM and ends in HIM as similar to how the creations

>orginate from HIM and ends with HIM. This itself is

>sufficent to show that the antharyAmin for this

>pAsuram is the LORD HIMself.

>

>It is now our desire to go into each and every

>line of this pAsuram and serach for the links

>for our soul with the antharyAmin in it. The first line

>explains about kArpanyam angam. nin aruLAM gathi anRi

>maRRonRillEn

>

>Swami Desikan reached a stage at which he addressed

>the Lord as "nin", ie., this is a very personal way of

>one to one relationship the jivAtma has reached with

>the paramAtmA. The word "nin" is a second person.

>One must note that azwars and swami desikan have addressed

>the Lord en kaNNan, en appan,thirumAL, pugunthavan, and

>many others.These are all the examples as to how they

>addressed the Lord as third persons. Here, the intimacy

>is reached such that the pura vulagu or the external world

>and its attachments have thinned out as Swami Desikan

>addresses the Lord as "nin" ie., I have no other state of

>freedom or gathi than Your aruL sudanthiram.

>Thus,the word aruL has to be understood prior to

>understanding this kArpanyam angam.

>

>aruL : AruL in tamil has many meanings. The notable

>philosopher Mr Paul Brenton who mastered Hindu philosophy

>once said that there is no equivalent word in any language

>to substitute the complex and layers of meanings

>that the tamil word "AruL" has. Such is the word that

>offers the central theme for this line and this angam.

>

>The first meaning for aruL is such that it is

>thAyAr or mahAlakshmi. ie., aruL itself means

>Lakshmi. The meaning for aruL is also such that

>aruL is addressed as aruL veLi or the "domain of aruL".

>ie., aruL is itself a veLi or something that is spread

>outside in this universe without any limits. If someone

>starts drawing borders for aruL then the word will lose

>its very meaning. That is why it is also presented

>earlier that when one surrenders all their freedom they

>need not feel shy or sad, as they then enter the domain

>of the Lord and qualify for the freedom known as Lord's

>aruL sudanthiram. This aruL freedom is a domain that

>has no limits.

>

>AruL also means one's thaNmai or one's nature. ie.,

>it is natural for the lord to have this sakthi or

>domain with HIM always it seems. AruL also means

>anAthi iyaRkai ie., the nature that has no begining

>and end. ie., aruL was never created as one's nature

>and it is always been part of one as its nature

>eternally.

>

>arul means para nYAnam. para nyAnam means

>the knowledge that is ever present. aruL also

>means most importantly the asaivu or movement of

>the Athman. This is the most importanat meaning

>for prapanna as this movement is the one he is

>left with at the end. Lord's compassion is

>also known in tamil as aruL. aruL is also the

>capacity or pakkuvam of the buddhi to catogerise good

>and bad, and to understand the vedic srutis and

>through that pave the way for the good of the Athman

>and according to each and everyone's tharam or standard

>or level what ever vasthu such person want to know,

>such capacity becomes the aruL for them.

>AzwAr delivered aruL in scores of pasurams.

>Only a few are mentioned herewith.

>

>Thirumangai delivered "aNdAy unaik kAnbathOr

>aruL ennaku aruLithiyEl" ie., here he addressed

>arul first as a bAgyam or koduppinai or the "gathi"

>to have the prathyaksha darshanam of thiruviNNagarAn.

>Secondly he is asking the same as a boon or something

>divinley given ie., the word aruL is addressed as a boon.

>

>In another pAsuram on oppiliappan he delivers "un aruL ennum

>Or vaL uruvi erinthEn". Here, he addresses aruL as a

>karuvi or the holy sword that cuts off all the samsaric ills.

>Azwars have also called aruL with various adaimozhis

>such as pon aruL, un aruL, pEr aruL, thiru aruL etc.,

>and Saint vaLLalAr in his magnum opus "thiru aruL paa"

>addresses the param poruL as aruL perum jOthi thus

>glorifying the different forms of aruL. AzwArs themselves

>used aruL for several pathams also. It is worth discussing

>aruL for several hours in a lecture as referred from

>AzwAr pAsuram itself. However,we move on to understand

>aruL and its nature of existance further.

>

>How is aruL existing in this universe ? what are

>the different common modes inn which aruL can be

>identified ? kAnbAr kAnumidam kAnap padumidam - ie.,

>for those who see a place, it is seen there

>

>aRivAr ariyumidam ariyap padumidam - ie., for those

>who learn from a source, it is that source for such

>learners;for those who tastes it - it is the material

>that they taste.anubavippAr anubavikkumidam anibaviakka

>padum idam - ie ., for those who experience it, it is

>such state of experience.mugaruvAr - mugarumidam - for those

>who infer it is the thing that they infer. kEtpar

>kEtkumidam - for those who listen, it is the aruL mozhi

>that they listen (from achAryALs).

>

>How can one get such aruL ? One just have to enquire

>through his or her buddhi, the three thaththuvams

>and analyse the good and bad, and approach an achAryAL

>who is the embodiment of good alone, and involve in serving

>him by doing his thiru paNi and do the errand and other works

>or assignments that he will assign as aruL kattaLai

>(order of aruL) and one must do such without pausing to ask

>questions or stopping ie.,non stop. Only such bAgwatha bagwath kaimkaryam

>will fetch one the aruL of the Lord.

>

>Swami Desikan thiruvadikaLE saraNam

>Sri Boomi devi thAyAr samEtha Sri Oppiliappan thiruvadikaLE saraNam

>Sampath Rengarajan

>

>