Thirumaalai-63

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai,

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

 

“ Mattrondrum vEinda 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,

 

Paasuram-41

 

“vAnulAr ariyalAgA vAnavA enbharAgil

thEnulan thulabha mAlai senniyAi enbharAgil

voonamAyinagal seiyum voonakAragargalElum

pOnagam seitha sEdam tharuvarEl, punidhamandrE.”

 

In this paasuram, alwar talks about the greatness of bhAgavata uchchistam (left

overs). Sage naradha is regarded as a parama bhaktha by all. But he attained

this position only due to the bhagavata sEsham. In his previous birth, naradha

was a son of a servant maid. During one chaturmAsyam, some sadhoos came to

their village and were deeply involved in bhagavat vishayam. Naradha’s mother

was doing service to these sadhoos. She was a bhAgavatai and hence she had

instructed naradha to regard the sadhoos with respect and do service to them

when she was not there. He and his mother had only the left over food, of the

sadhoos as prasadam. Due to this, naradha became clear in mind and body. The

sadhoos pitied the boy and taught him the bhagavan nAma. Till the end of the

chaturmAsam, naradha used to always stay away and listen to all the discussions

of the mahans, thereby he started getting attracted to bhagavan and bhagavat

vishayam. While the sadhoos left the place naradha cried but they told him to

meditate on bhagavan, who will give him everything. Naradha did the same. He

got vairakhyam to the level that he didn’t even feel for the death of his

mother, who was his only relation. He just left to the forest and started

meditating deeply without any hindrance. Perumal gave darshan to naradha for a

second and then disappeared. In the next birth, naradha became a deva rishi,

respected by all and also became the guru of many like prahlAdan, druvan and

others. All this happened only due to the bhAgavata kataksham and the greatness

of the bhAgavata prasAdam. In this paasuram also, alwar reverberates the

greatness of bhAgavata prasAdam.

 

vAnulAr ariyalAgA vAnavA enbharAgil: The devas have a higher position than all

of us but when it comes to understanding bhagavan, they are also as ignorant as

us. Because even the Vedas are unable to fully understand the magimai of

emperuman. The devas run to bhagavan for help but at many times they are unable

to see him. They either hear his voice as asireeree or they get the answer

through brahma (while in his penance). That’s why even in the gajendra mOksha

vriththAntham we see that even the devas were waiting to see who the

“Adhimoolam” was. So if one understands that emperuman is the supreme, not

understood by even the devas, (Here Sri PVP goes deeper inside and says in his

vyakhyanam that, if one is capable of understanding emperuman to be the sole

upAyam) and,

 

thEnulan thulabha mAlai senniyAi enbharAgil: If he understands emperuman not

only as parmAtma but also as our perumal, who accepts the small thulasi garland

given to him by his bhaktha with great regard and always wears it on his chest,

then (Here Sri PVP in his vyakhyanam says, one who accepts emperuman as upEyam)

 

voonamAyinagal seiyum voonakAragargalElum: Even if the person was a great

sinner in the past, killing number of jeevatmas and not stopping with that he

has also made others do the same still,

 

pOnagam seitha sEdam tharuvarEl, punidhamandrE: If such a bhAgavata who has

realized emperuman to be the upayam and upEyam gives his left over prasAdam

(they generally won’t, but if he accepts to give) then it should be considered

to be the most sacred, says alwar.

 

There are many prayaschittams for various papams given by the rishis. But for

bhAgavatas these prayaschittams are not necessary. Just on realizing that

emperuman is everything, upAyam and upEyam if they surrender into his feet then

all the sins are washed out. Thondaradi podi alwar himself got a little

side-tracked from bhagavat bhakthi and got involved in lowkika kAmam for a short

period due to bhagavat sankalpam. But after realizing his mistake he didn’t

follow any prayaschitta kAndam and do any prayaschittam instead he totally

ignored his past and rolled in the pAda-dhooli of bhAgavatas and even changed

his name from vipra nArayanan to thondar- adi- podi(the dust under the feet of

bhagavatas). So for the bhagavatas only the realization is important and If one

realizes the same then he has to be regarded with great respect and if he gives

his prasadam it has to be accepted as maha prasadam and very sacred. Rishis and

alwars may have said many things but our acharyas showed us the same putting it

into practice (AchAra prathamO dharma:)

 

Thirukachchi nambigal was not a brahmin but Ramanujar was a high class Brahmin

still he wished for the prasadam of thirukachchi nambigal. When he couldn’t get

it he lost heart. It became one of the reasons for ramanujar to take up sanyasa

and become ethirajar. When it was a clash between bhAgavata prasadam and family

life, our acharya considered bhAgavata prasadam as more important and sacrificed

his family life for it. Such is the importance given to bhAgavata uchchistam by

our acharyas.

 

AzhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigaLE saraNam

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai

Sumithra Varadarajan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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