Embar's Ten Words

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Sri:

Srimathe Ramanuja Nama:

 

 

Embar's Ten Words to Bhattar

 

 

Bhattar asked his acharya Embar once "What are the

characteristics of a Srivaishnava?"

 

In reply, Embar gave ten characteristics which are

asserted in all Vedas.

 

The history of these ten words is: Lord Sriman Narayana

is the ocean. Nammazhvar is the dark cloud that extracts

the divine nectar which is His mercy, from this ocean.

It then pours this on the mountain which is Nathamunigal.

This rain then runs down the rivers on the mountain

which are the pUrvAchAryas. It then gathers in the lake

which is Ramanuja. From this lake it comes out through

the outlets which are our acharyas and pours into the

fields which is this samsara. This is the essence of a

shloka by Embar.

 

These ten words state that if a chetana looks to Him

alone then he can be free from worries ("eththinAl

idarkkadal kidakkiRAy" - Thirucchandha Viruttham 115)

and that at the end of this life he will attain the

Lord's divine feet.

 

The sishya should be most grateful to the acharya who

gives him these divine words. He should then think about

them till they become entrenched in his mind. If he

misses even one amongst the ten, he would consider that

his conformity to all of them is gone. Those who are

steady in these will reach His abode.

 

 

1. A prapanna looks only for the Lord's grace.

 

a. "kANa vArAyenRu kaNNum vAyum thuvarnthadiyEn" -

Thiruvaymozhi 8-5-2

b. "kangulum pagalum kaN thuyilaRiyAL" - Thiruvaymozhi

7-2-1

c. "pakkam nOkki ninRalanthEn pAviyEn kAnkinRilEn" -

Thiruvaymozhi 4-7-10

d. "prapannash sAtakO yadvat"

 

2. Getting even that grace only by His wish.

 

a. "unnAlallAl yAvarAlum onRum kuRai vENdEn" -

Thiruvaymozhi 5-8-3

b. "unakkup paNi seydhirukkum thavamudaiyEn" -

Periyazhvar Thirumozhi 5-3-3

c. "yAnE nee ennudaimaiyum neeyE" - Thiruvaymozhi

2-9-9

d. "enathAruyir avan kaiyadhE" - Thiruvaymozhi 9-5-3

e. "iniyun thiruvaruLAlanRik kApparidhAl" -

Thiruviruththam 62

f. "sEmam senkOnaruLE" - Thiruviruththam 27

g. "seyththalai ezhunAtrup pOl avan seyvana seydhu

koLLa" - Periyazhvar Thirumozhi 3-7-9

 

3. Those who seek this goal will not worship any other

dEvata.

 

a. "maRandhum puRam thozhA mAndhar" - Nanmugan

Thiruvandhadhi 68

b. "thAzhcchi matrengum thavirndhu ninthALiNaikkIzh

vAzhcchi" - Thiruvaymozhi 3-2-4)

c. "koorArAzhi veNsangEndhik kodiyEn pAl vArAy" -

Thiruvaymozhi 6-9-1

d. "kaNdArigazhvanavE kAdhalan thAn seythidinum

koNdAnaiyallAl aRiyAk kulamagaL pOl" - Perumal

Thirumozhi 5-2

 

A virtuous wife is one who, even if her husband does

not live with her, will not look at another man.

 

4. Giving up association with those who worship other

dEvatas, even if it requires great effort.

 

a. "eNNAdhE iruppArai iRaippozhudhum eNNOm" - Periya

Thirumozhi 2-6-1

b. "eNNAdha mAnidaththai eNNAdha pOthellAm iniyavARE" -

Periya Thirumozhi 11-6-7

c. "sadaith dhEvar tham thuvakkaip pArAthozhivathE"

d. "paranthAmaththaip patruvadhE"

e. "prAkrutAnnam tyajEt"

f. "tasya prakruti lakshaNam"

g. "dvishadannama na bhOktavyam dvishantam naiva bhOjayEt |

pANdavAn dvishasE rAjan! mama prANA hi pANdavA: ||" -

Mahabharatam Uttara Kandam 91-27

 

Such association is like mixing lime with sandal.

The example for this disassociation is: while water is

not directly affected by fire, it can get heated by the

same fire when it is placed in a vessel.

 

5. Living in divyadeshams.

 

a. "nallArgaL vAzhum naLirarangam" - Nacchiyar Thirumozhi

11-5

b. "atrapatrar sutrivAzhum andhaneer arangam" -

Thirucchandha Viruththam 52

c. "vEngadaththai pathiyAga vAzhveergAL" - Nacchiyar

Thirumozhi 8-9

d. "emperumAn ponmalaimEl EdhEnumAvEnE" - Perumal

Thirumozhi 4-10

 

Pillai Thirunaraiyur Araiyar asked Bhattar "Please

give me a word in which I can take refuge". Bhattar

replied "If one were to go often to divyadeshams,

even if only with a false desire, it would still

gain that person liberation at the time of his

death".

 

6. Having only the desire for gaining the liberation

through His grace (and not having to do anything for it).

 

a. "therudiyAgil nenjE vaNangu thiNNamaRi" - Thiruvaymozhi

2-7-10

b. "sakrudeva prapannAya" - Ramayanam Yuddha Kandam 18-33

c. "sakrut krutOnjali:" - Stotra Ratnam 28

 

7. Giving up improper conduct.

 

Sins against the Lord, against His devotees and against

both without reason are done for the purpose of material

gains and other desires. These should be given up even

if it requires the greatest of efforts.

 

8. Melting one's heart with the verses of Azhvars.

 

a. "miNdar pAyndhuNNum sOtrai vilakki nAykkidumin neerE" -

Thirumaalai 14

b. "bUmi bArangaLuNNum sOtrinai vAngip pullaiththiNiminE"

- Periyazhvar Thirumozhi 4-4-5

c. "eNNakkaNda viralgaLAl iRaippozhudhum eNNagilAdhu pOy

uNNakkaNda tham ooththai vAykkuk kavaLamundhukinRArkaL"

- Periyazhvar Thirumozhi 4-4-3

d. "uNNA nAL pasiyAvathonRillai OvAdhE namOnAraNAvenRu

eNNA nALum irukkesuc sAmavEdha nAN malarkoNduna pAdham

naNNA nAL avai thaththuRumAgil anRenakkavai pattini

nAL" - Periyazhvar Thirumozhi 5-1-6

e. "thariththirunthEnAgavE thArAkaNappOr viriththuraiththa

vennAgaththunnaith theriththezhudhi vAsiththum kEttum

vaNangi vazhipattum pUsiththum pOkkinEn pOdhu" -

Nanmugan Thiruvandhadhi 63

f. "nagaramaruL purindhu nAnmugaRkup pU mEl pagara maRai

payantha paNban peyarinaiyE punthiyAR sinthiyAthOthi

uruveNNum anthiyAlAm payanangen" - Mudhal Thiruvandhadhi

33

 

9. Being with those whose hearts are melting with the

verses of Azhvars.

 

a. "vAzhAtpattu ninreeruLLeerEl" - ThiruppallaNdu 3

b. "thOndeer elleerum vAreer" - Thiruvaymozhi 5-2-2

c. "ellArum pOndhArO" - Thiruppavai 15

d. "aNiyarangan mutraththadiyArgaL thangaL inbamigu

perunkuzhuvu kaNdu" - Perumal Thirumozhi 1-10

e. "avan adiyAr nanimAk kalavi inbamE nALum vAykka"

- Thiruvaymozhi 8-10-7

f. "avanadiyAr" - Thiruvaymozhi 8-10-3

g. "thiruvudai mannar" - Thiruvaymozhi 4-4-8

h. "vERAga EththiyiruppArai vellumE matravaraic

sAththiyiruppAr thavam" - Nanmugan Thiruvandhadhi 18

i. "adiyArgal kuzhAngaLai udan kooduvadhu enRukolO" -

Thiruvaymozhi 2-3-10

j. "andhamil pErinbaththu adiyarOdu irundhamai" -

Thiruvaymozhi 10-9-11

k. "pErALan pErOdhum periyOrai orukAlum pirigilEnE" -

Periya Thirumozhi 7-4-4

 

10. Forgetting what has been done thus far for the acharya,

and crying for the service that has been missed.

 

 

Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam