PVP Vyakhyanam of Prathama Jitanta stotram Slokam 3

[Guest guest]

Srimate Ramanujaya Nama:

 

 

Sri PeriyaVachchan Pillai vyakhyanam Prathama Jitanta Stotram 3

 

 

3> Ekastvamasi lOkasya sraShTA samhArakastathA

 

adhyakShashcha anumantA cha guNamAyA samAvrita:

 

 

Recall: The first slokam was concerned with the selection of the prApyam -

the goal to be obtained. The second slokam is an explanation for the word

'namaste'. The need for the explanation arises for, though the word

'nama:' is common for other means also, as in 'madyAjI mAm namaskuru",

here it is a synonym for 'sharaNa'. The going for 'sharaNam' that was

advised in 'gachchadhvam Enam sharaNam sharaNyam puruSharShabhA:' was

followed by namaskAram as in 'draupadyA sahitAs sarvE namashchakrur

janArdanam' which proves that the word 'sharaNam' and 'namas' are

synonymous.

 

 

Meaning: lOkasya - of all the worlds . sraShTA - creator. tvam Eka: asi -

You are the only one. tathA - likewise. samhAraka: - the annihilator (you

alone). adhyakSha: cha - patiently awaiting the time and opportunity for

protecting. anumantA cha - Allowing a person who voluntarily involves

himself in activities which lead to further imprisonment in the samsAra.

guNamAyA samAvrita: - You are also curtained and made invisible by

Prakruti which consists of three guNas called sattva, rajas and tamas.

 

 

Intro: Having mentioned the prApya and prApaka in the previous two verses,

further slokams delineate the sharaNyatva (capability of providing refuge

or surrenderability) as justification for accepting the upAya or the means

in the previous slokam. This slokam, mentions the great qualities like

omniscience etc connected with His being the origin of the universe. Just

as "kAraNam tu dhyEya:" the origin is to be meditated upon, so also the

origin is to be surrendered to. Because, after mentioning in "yO

brahmANam vidadhAti pUrvam yO vai vEdAmscha prahiNOti tasmai" about the

origin of the universe, comes "mumukShur vai sharaNam aham prapadyE" in

which the vEdas ordain prapatti at His feet as the first rung in the

ladder of liberation process.

 

 

Commentary: lOkasya sraShTA -- the creator of every object that is

directly tangible and heard from the Sruthis. tvam -- You. This singular

is to eliminate specifically all other creators. As in "AkAshAd vAyu:

vAyOr agni: agnEr Apa: adbhya: pruthivI" and in "brahmA asrujat" Vedas

ascribe creatorship to achetanas and chetanas how can we say that the Lord

is the creator of all? for, the one who is embedded in all chetanas and

achetanas is the true creator. Manu said " svAt sharIrAt sisrukShur

vividhA: prajA:". ParAshara said " sa Eva srujyas sa cha sargakartA sa Eva

pAtyatti cha pAlyatE cha... varadO varENya:". BrahmasUtra states "tad abhi

dhyAnAd eva tu tallingAt sa:". The word 'Eka' implies that He does not

need any help or helper for His activities. "EkAkI na ramEta" implies

that the loss if any, is His. "bahusyAm prajAyEya" implies that the sole

purpose and benefit and pride of possession are all His own.

"EkamEvAdvitIyam" implies the non-expectancy of any assistance or the

absence of necessity for any co-executor. This aspect of unaidedness was

stressed by NammazhvAr in "tani mAppugazhE enchAnrum". Thus when He can

create and do all these alone without anybody's request or pleas, there is

no need to reiterate that He would provide protection without doubt when

some appellate actually requests for protection.

 

In the charama slokam "sarvadharmAn parityajya mAmEkam.." the word Eka

stresses the absence of need for any means, whereas, in this slokam the

word Eka stresses His unaided and single-handed creatorship.

 

tathA samhAraka: -- Just as You well-wishingly go about Your activities of

creation, so also You alone can well-wishingly go about the destruction

activity. After all it is only with Your best intentions and in the

interest of the one whom You destroy that when You provided the chethanas

with body and organs in order to enable them to achieve their social

desires (purushArtha) , when some chethanas employing this body get down

to unsocial activities tormenting and harassing other beings transgressing

their limits, and in so doing irredeemably push themselves to perdition,

then You destroy those bad elements with absolutely good intentions in

their interest. This aspect also emphasises His refuge-worthiness because

He does not allow the bad element to push himself to eternal perdition at

his own hands.

 

adhyakShashcha -- He awaits patiently for the occasion or the event

when the main purpose or objective of His creation -- that of voluntary

generation of ardent desire for MokSha in these chethanas-- comes about.

 

See "AL pArtthu uzhitaruvAy kanDukoL" in TiruvandAdi. Using this body

which was provided for the purpose of achieving the human desired needs,

when the chetanas, not only get down to hunt for purushArthas, but in the

process, subject themselves to the eternal cycle of creation and

annihilation the Lord becomes disappointed in His expectations of the

chetanas. See "vyasanEShu manuShyANAm bhrusham bhavati duhkhita:". So

being the Lord, it is easy to imagine His obliging reaction when someone

pleads for protection or redemption.

 

anumantA cha --- when out of indulgence and craving for other objects

(other than God) the chetanas engage themselves in ritual and non-ritual

activities in order to possess and enjoy them, the Lord turns His eyes

away and ignores without inhibiting the chetanas. Why? God thinks " At

least to obtain those trivial purushArthas, the chetana approached Me for

help! I am omnipotent ever. Let me wait for the right time and place for

redeeming and protecting the chetanas". So affectionate being the God, is

it necessary to describe how well-wishingly obliging He would be if the

chetana were to turn to Him and plead for protection.

 

guNamAyA samAvruta: --- what is the reason for these chetanas to become

outward-faced away from God ? It is because of the Maya which is

characterised by the three guNas. See "bhagavat svarUpa tirOdhAna karIm" .

Since the Maya enshrouds this chetana it is equivalent to enshrouding Him

from the chetana. If this chetana, which is His belonging, is a victim of

the three guNas, and emotionally relents as in "poi ninra jnAnamum

polla....", then He alone who is free from these guNas and omniscient,

should take the chetana under His refuge. See "sattvAdayo na santIshe

yatra cha prAkrutA guNA:" .

 

When the first slokam is a summary for everything, this slokam

is a detailing of 'vishva bhAvana'. The characteristic of God is being a

support for the creation sustenance and annihilation and also being

non-expectant of any assistance. This aspect is described in this slokam.

 

 

Periyavachchan Pillai tiruvadikaLE sharaNam

 

 

contd

 

Ramanuja