Thirumaalai-5

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai,

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

 

 

" Mattrondrum Venda Maname Madhilarangar

Kattrinum meitha kazhalinai keezh- uttra

Thirumaalai paadum seer Thondaradipodi Emperumaanai

Eppozhudum peesu"

 

" Srimat Krishna samahvaya Namo yaamuna soonave

yetkadakshai kalakshyanam sulabha: Sridara: sadaa"

 

Pranams,

 

"Bhakthiyinudaya pushkaraiyopAadi prapatti nishtA hetuvAna

vishvaasamum Silarukku kittukai aridhAgaiyAle" says Sri PVP in

his avadhArikai. We all know that in Kali we people are not capable

of doing Karma, Jnana, Bhakthi yogAs to attain the divine feet of the

Emperuman. But here Sri Pillai puts forward the fact that the Maha

vishvAsam which is essential for prappati (ripened form of bhakthi)

is difficult for a few to obtain. At the present juncture the word

few must be however changed to many since many lack confidence in the

supreme and hence prappati and bhakthi are not done by many. So the

Vishnu dharmam and following its footsteps Thirumaalai detail about

the easiest way to attain bhagavan, nAma Sankeertanam. All types of

yOgas are explained by paramatma in his Bhagavat geetha. But there

is no use learning Vedanta alone when nothing is put into practice.

We find many vEdantins who talk a lot in public but do not possess

that vairakhyam, they preach and hence he will not be a Jyana Yogi

though he knows a lot about Jyana Yoga. Anybody can say, body is

different from atma and that atma cannot be affected due to fire rain

etc. but can they really bring it to practice is what is essential

and only when they have it in anushtanam (practice) what ever they

preach will be accepted by others.

 

While talking about this we remember two persons who really practiced

what they preached. Once when Vivekananda was delivering a lecture

in Chicago about body and soul, one person wanted to test how much of

his preaching did he really put into practice. So the next day, when

Sri Vivekananda was delivering his lecture, the man shot at the

stage. But Vivekandanda kept on lecturing unaffected by the sound of

the shot. Then the person apologized and accepted that vivekananda

actually practiced what he preached. Is it possible for us? I know

many of us will say a big no. In our Acharya paramparai, all of us

know of thirumalai anantAzhvan one of Sri Ramanuja's dear

shishyas.

Once a snake bit him and his shisyas were frightened and wanted to

take him to a doctor immediately but Sri ananthAzhvan replied that

his body itself was like a snake with poison spread throughout and

now another snake has bitten it. We will see which snake is more

powerful. If the snake which bit was more powerful then I will

continue my kainkaryam to paramapadanAthan in Srivaikundam and if the

snake(body) which got bitten is more powerful then my kainkaryam to

Lord Venkateshwara will continue. Such was the vairAkhyam of our

Acharyas. Such vairAkhyams is not at all possible to common man. So

Jnana yoga is impossible for us.

 

For Karma yoga we need Acharam and again we do not possess that too.

So nothing can be made Ishwararpanam(for the sake of god) and we are

all selfish so again karma yoga is also difficult. Ok if all these

are not possible then emperuman gives us a simpler way. He says do

bhakthi or Prappati in my feet as he says "Mam Ikam Sharanam

Vraja"(charama slokam). But again for this mahA vishvAsam is

absolutely necessary. We should believe that we are incapable and

emperuman is alone capable of anything and everything. That again is

not easy since we never believe anyone and leaving our ego and

falling under some ones feet is highly impossible for we jeevatmas.

Prahladan had that mahA vishvAsam even when he was put in fire, when

he was pushed down a mountain. But we samsaris loose confidence even

if we face a small problem. We start saying things like why does

this happen to me inspite of my prayers to the bhagavan? If bhagavan

was really there then will this happen to me? and so on. Emperuman

says "Ananyat chintayantOmam………..Yogakshemam

Vahanmyaham" do we really follow him but instead we expect him

alone to take care of our affairs and make our life very smooth.

 

During Sri Ramanuja's time one Srivaishnava was shouting in front

of the thirumadapalli(temple kitchen) of Srirangam temple. Acharya

enquired what his problem was. He said that he was a kainkaryaparan

(person who does kainkaryam to bhagavan) in the temple. Till today

he got prasAdam from the temple and was feeding his family. Now that

his family has increased in size the prasAdam was not enough and so

he was demanding for more prasAdam. Sri Ramanuja asked him if he

believed in namperumal. The srivaishnava replied that he believed

Acharyan more. Then Aacharya said, then go and stay in your place

and you will get your prasAdam. After this incident Acharya went to

have darshan of emperuman and completely forgot about the incident.

After some days he met the srivaishnava in the banks of kAveri in

front of a small hut. Now Acharya asked him how was his living going

on for which the srivaishnava replied that by the grace of the

Acharyan and emperuman he was fine with the prasAdam being delivered

to him by the person, who was appointed by the Acharya everyday.

Ethirajar was totally surprised to hear this as he hasn't

appointed anyone. After enquiring he realized that the person who

was doing this job was none other than Periya perumal himself. He

has come to keep up the words of his Bhakthan(Ramanujar) who told the

srivaishanava that he will get his prasAdam if he stays in his own

place. This is how emperuman also keeps up his words

"Yogakshemam vahanmyaham". But again here the srivaishavan

had the mahA vishvAsam that the Acharya's word will never go

wrong.

That is why emperuman came to give fruit to his mahA vishvAsam. In

our sampradayam we regard Acharya vishvAsam more essential than the

bhagavat vishvAsam.

 

So by the above it is proved even bhakthi or prappati which is

considered easier to the other yOgas is difficult

for us in the present situation. So Thondaradipodi Alwar in this

prabhandam highlights the importance of nAma Sankeetanam which can be

done by one and all. Since this needs no Acharam, anushtanam or

anyother qualification. This can be done by any person of any caste

and creed and any gender. This can be done at any time. As

Thirumangai alwar in Periya thirumozhi says "Tunjum pOdhu

azhaimin tuyarvaril ninaimin tuyarileer sollilum n

andram"(1-1-10). He

says chant the nArAyana nAmam even when you are sleepy and think of

it when you are in some danger and say it even when you are happy and

do not have any miseries. So there is no restrictions for Thirunaama

Keertanam. Moreover even if we say the Bhagavan nAmA to tease

someone or without knowing its importance it still gives you the

palan. Like a medicine which gives cure to a disease for those who

know its effect well and those who do not know it equally, similarly

bhagavan nAmA also gives palan equally to all. "Sanketyam

Paarihasyam va stoham helanamevavA" says Srimad Bhaagavatam.

Some people tease a bhagavatan by saying see there govinda! govinda!

is going or if something is lost then they say govindA govinda.

According to bhaagavatam even to those people the Govinda nAma gives

palan. Emperuman tries to add good points to the jeevatmAs so that

he can help them in someway. So even if we do it without knowing we

ultimately attain the palan. That is why our Acharyas recommend

saying bhagavan nAma loudly so that it will be heard by others and

they will also get benefitted.

 

"EvvAzhvAr eppadipatta thirunAmaththile ezhindavar AgayAle

aththirunAma vaibhavaththai pEsugirAr epprabhandhaththile" says

PVP in his avadArikai. Since Sri Thondaradipodi Alwar was immersed

in the bhagavan nAmam, he talks about the same in his prabhandam also.

 

We will conclude the introduction in the next posting and proceed to

the excellent meanings of the paasurams.

 

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai

Sumithra Varadarajan