geethA sAstramum nedunthAndaka sAstramum-21

[Guest guest]

Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Sri Vara Vara munayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

 

In the previous postings we saw how thirumangai azhvar elaborately

talked about emperuman being param (paratvam) at the same time

sulaban (sowlabhyam). Let him be what ever he is what is the use for

us? Will be our question as we are always selfish and think about only

our benefit at every instant. Now azhvar tells us the actual

relationship that exists between azhvar (samastha jeevakodigalukkum

upalakshanam, refers to all the jeevatmas) and the supreme lord

(emperuman). First of all, why should azhvar tell us about the

divine qualities of emperuman? That is because the only way we can

get out of this ocean of samsAram is fall to his feet. The lord

himself says, “mama mAyA durathyayA mAmEva yE prapathyanthE

mAyAmEthAm taranthithE” (You can never come out of my maya, the only

way is to surrender to my divine feet so that I will realise you from

this ocean). Will we that easily fall into anyone’s feet? Oh No.

Our ego will stand upright preventing us to even bend our head before

anyone. So first thing that has to be done is develop a special

feeling for emperuman in our hearts. That seed of bhakthi that is

sown in some part of our heart has to be then grown into a blossoming

tree. Alavandaar in his geethArtha sangraham (14) says,

 

“svakalyANa gunAnathyakrisna svAdheenathAmathi: I

bhakthyutpaththivivruththarthA visteernA dasamOdhithA II

 

The very purpose of the 10th chapter was to develop sAdhana bhakthi in

the minds of arjuna. For that geethAcharya elaborates about his

infinite kalyana gunas and how he rules over anything and everything.

 

As the bhakthi of arjuna starting growing he wanted to see the

vishvaroopa darshanam of emperuman that is the essence of the 11th

chapter. Emperuman blessed arjuna with a divine eye to visualise the

vishvaroopa darshanam. Through that arjuna realised how emperuman

stays as everything in this world, How the world has been surrounded

inside and outside by the paramatma (“antar bahista tat sarvam vyApya

nArAyana stitaha:”). Probably thirumangai mannan also had the same

darshan as arjuna and that is why he wonders,

 

(tannuruvAi ennuruvil nindra) Oh! How can the supreme lord who has so

much divine qualities come and stay in this body (sareeram, equivalent

to a drainage)? Will a millionaire stay even a second in a slum hut?

Emperuman is ubhaya vibhooti nAthan. His bhOgam (enjoyment) in the

nithya mandalam is beyond words. The nithya sooris are always at his

service with great love. Then will he ever turn his face towards

these samsAris who are always after lowkika pleasures and never want

to look at him? But can that emperuman who is a ultimate source of

krupai just leave his kids like that? Sastras say, “EkAki na

ramEtha”. Emperuman is unable to enjoy the sophistications of the

nithya mandalam as he is always worried about his suffering kids in

the leela vibhoothi. And that is why he time and again takes avatara

to uplift us. He takes rAmavatara and advices, “sakrudEva prapannAya

tavAsmeethicha yAchathE” then he becomes krishna and says, “mAm Ekam

sharaNam vraja” but is that all? These avataras are seen outside us

but emperuman stays inside us always. Thondaradi podi azhvar says,

“pundhiyul pugundhu than pAl Adaram peruga vaiththa” (He enters our

senses and creates bhakthi towards him inside us). Upanishads say,

“jA suparnA sayujA...” There are two birds on a single tree that are

alike. The tree is our sareeram (body) and the two birds are the

jeevatma and paramatma. Both of them are jnana svaroopam and have a

close relationship but the jeevatma has forgotten everything and is

immersed in the lowkika pleasures and hence never turns towards the

waiting paramatma. Then why is the paramatma still waiting? Due to

its divine grace for the suffering jeevatma the paramatma doesn’t

want to just leave but waits patiently till the time the jeevan feels

that the lowkika pleasures are boring and turns its face towards the

almighty. Here azhvar says ‘tannuruvAi’ emperuman doesn’t change his

quality just because he stays inside the body. He remains as he is,

not showing any interest to the sareerAnubhavam (feelings and

emotions of the body). But he does stay inside the body that is

considered as ‘ennuru’ by the jeevAtmas. So the paramatma stays

without any change (tannuruvAi) inside the body of the jeevatma

(ennuruvil). ‘nindra’ the emperuman keeps on standing. Why and till

when? He stands indicating that it is not the place to halt for long.

He prefers to leave this body along with the jeevan soon. Emperuman

doesn’t cherish his existence in this drainage so he cannot relax he

is ever ready to start and hence stands. But why doesn’t he leave

immediately? Oh! How can he leave his kid suffering here and just

leave? “koobhaththil vizhum kuzhaviyudan gudhiththu avAbhaththai

theerkum annai pOl” (Like a mother diving into a drainage to save her

fallen kid – Arthi prabhandam) emperuman who is the supreme mother for

one and all can he just leave his fallen kid? So emperuman, the

millionaire arrives at the slum hut where his stubborn son not

understanding his position stays amidst a number of difficulties

considering it to be his pleasure. To uplift his son from there and

submit all his wealth to the son and make him a millionaire, the

father enters the slum hut without a second thought. Similarly

emperuman waits inside each one of us to sow the seed of bhakthi and

vairAkhyam so that we will realise our actual status and final reach

the land of ever happiness, the nithya vibhoothi from where we will

never return back to this samsAram (na cha punarAvarthathE). Why is

emperuman showing such grace on us?

 

(endhai) because he is our father. We have an inseparable relation

with him. We are all sEshas and he is our sEshan (master).

 

(To be continued)

 

Azhvar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam

 

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan