Bhagavan (post-3)

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

SrimathE rAmAnujaya Namaha

Srimad Vara Vara MunayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

 

“Srivatsachinha misrEbhO namavukthi madheemahi,

yadhuktayas trayeekantE yAnthi mangaLasootrathAm”

 

“Sri parasara bhattAryA: SrirangEsa purOhita:

srivatsAngitha sudhas sriman sreyasE mEstu bhooyasE”

 

In the previous posting we enjoyed the SriRangaraja stava sloka of

Swamy Parasara bhattar and Varadarajan stava sloka of Swamy

koorathAzhvan both telling us about the divine qualities of

emperuman. Swamy koorathAzhvan expresses the same idea in one

another sloka of his excellent work “athimAnusha stavam”.

 

“Jnanambalam vipulameeshanaveerya shakthi

tejAmsee cha triyugabhooya mupAgadhAni I

poornAni shat cha parigruhya bhavan chaturthA

bhaktham janam tvamanujagrahithAnurAgAth II” (6)

 

[Oh! MY lord you along with limitless kalyana gunas primarily six in

number viz., Jnanam, balam, Ishvaryam, veeryam, shakthi, tejas attain

the form of vasudeva with all the 6 divine qualities and as

sankarshana, pradyumna and aniruddha with 2 of the 6 gunas

(predominating) to shower your grace on the bhakthas.]

 

Sri Pillai ulagariyan in his tattvatraya-Ishvara prakaranam explains the same as follows:-

 

“parathvaththil jnAnAdhigal Arum poornamAyirukkum; vyuhaththil

evvirandu gunam prakadanamAyirukkum adhil sankarshanar jnanam

balangalirandOdum koodi jeeva tattvaththai adhishtiththu aththai

prakruthiyil nindrum vivEgiththu prathyumnAvastaiyaiyum bhajiththu

shAstra pravarthanaththaiyum jagath samhAraththaiyum pannak

kadavarAyiruppar; prathyumnar Ishvarya veeryangalirandOdunkoodi manas

tattvaththai adhistiththu dharmOpadEsaththaiyum manusadhushtayam

todakkamAna suddha varkka srushtiyaiyum panna kadavarAyiruppar;

anirudhdhar shakthi tejassukkalirandOdun koodi rakshanaththukkum

tattvajnana pradhAnaththukkum kAla srushtikkum misrasrishtikkum

kadavarAyirrupar”

 

We have already seen that though it has been said that each moorthi

has 2 of the 6 qualities it refers only to the predominance of the

qualities and actually bhagavan takes any avataram along with all his

divine qualities only. At this point the words of Swamy

VedantAchariyar in his rahasya traya sAram comes handy.

 

“ekgunangalellAm sarva kAlaththilum svaroopAsrithangalAyirukkum. Para

vyuhAdhigalil gunaniyamam sollugiradhellAm avvO roopangalai

anusandhippArkku sarvEshvaran Avishkarikkum gunavishEshangal

sollugaikkAga vaththanai”

 

Sri PeriyavAchAn pillai in his tattvatraya sangraham says,

 

“emperumAnudaiya divyAtmaguNangalAvana-

jnanam shakyAthi shatguNangalum, adhilE pirandha sowsheelyAdhigalum”

“evaithAn OrO guNangalukkum avadhiyindriyilE, evattrukku thogaiyumindriyilE yirukkum”

 

Thondaradipodi azhvar rightly said, “pEsittrE pesalallAl”. What a

similarity in words and meanings have our poorvacharyas expressed in

their works. It gives us a clear picture with out any room for even

a slight confusion. There is absolutely no limit or count for the

bhagavat kalyana gunas. Nammazhvar enjoys the same as, “yAnum Eththi

Ezhulagum muttumEththi pinnaiyum tAnumEththilum tanni Eththa Eththa

engaidum” (4-3-10) [i try to praise emperuman then the whole world

fully tries further emperuman himself tries to talk his praise but no

limit can be found], “Erila vanpugazh” (1-2-10), “ennil tholpugazh”

(3-3-3).

 

“yathA rathnAni jalathE: asankEyE Yani puthraga I

tathA gunA: anantasya asankEyEyA mahatmana: II”

 

Like the countless valuable gems inside the sea, the ocean of kalyana

gunas of ananthan is also innumerable adorns a puranic sloka.

 

Till now we have seen the reason behind the title “Bhagavan” given to

the supreme lord and how that has been expressed in their works by

our poorvacharyas. In the next posting we will see what the six

qualities actually signify and see where we will be able to visualise

this Bhagavan even with our 'oona kan' (those eyes with which we see

the world today).

 

(To be continued)

 

Alwar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan