Ramanuja's Ten Words

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Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

 

 

Ramanuja's Ten Divine Words to Mudhaliyandan

 

 

Mudhaliyandan fell at the feet of Ramanuja and asked

him the following "Please explain the difference

between us (who wear the sacred thread, recite the

Vedas and have the status of acharyas) and bhAgavatas

such as Pillai Uranga Villi Dasar (who are always

sishyas, who don't wear the sacred thread and who

don't recite the Vedas). Ramanuja replied "I have

been meaning to explain this to you and now you have

asked me about it yourself". He then collected these

ten words from all the Vedas, Itihasas and Puranas

and which lay hidden in the divine works of the

Azhvars and gave them to Mudhaliyandan.

 

 

1. The difference between us and them.

 

Being acharyas, we have to go everywhere in this world

to save all beings. Not having this duty, they stay

detached from others in this world and remain close to

Sriman Narayana ("nAttArOdu iyalvozhindhu nAraNanai

naNNinamE" - Thiruvaymozhi 10-6-2).

 

 

2. The difference between other divine places and

Srirangam (Koil), Thirumalai (Malai) and Kanchipuram

(Perumal Koil).

 

Instead of staying in one of the primary divyadesams

and living without fear, we keep going from one divine

place to another, like a person who holds on to a float

with one hand while swimming with the other hand.

Whereas, they stay in a primary divyadesam such as

Srirangam, Thirumalai and Kanchi and live without a

burden, like a person who is in the top section of a

boat.

 

 

3. The difference between other Azhvars and Periyazhvar.

 

We are like the other azhvars who sometimes sing verses

pushing Him away, being angry with Him, etc and who

sometimes sing mangalAshAsanam for Him ("kalakkangalum

thERRamumAy" - Thiruvaymozhi 6-3-2). They are like

Periyazhvar singing only His mangalAshAsanams

("kalakkamillA naRRavamunivar" - Thiruvaymozhi 8-3-10).

 

 

4. The difference between the ocean and the beach.

 

We get caught in this samsaric ocean and tossed by its

relentless rain and great wind, we suffer in its joys

and sorrows. They are like a ship anchored to a bay in

the beach and holding on to the Lord are steady

("thaLardhal athanarugum sArAr" - Irandam Thiruvanthathi

45, "tharu thuyaram thadAyEl" - Perumal Thirumozhi 5-1).

 

 

5. The difference between a small atom and the loftiest

mountain.

 

We hold on to our birth class, gOtram and sUtram and

are stuck within it. They have only the knowledge of

the relationship between the soul and the Lord and

consider its practice as their class, gOtram and sUtram.

 

 

6. The difference between sugarcane and sugar.

 

We break our teeth by biting on the Vedas which is like

sugarcane. They enjoy the Dvaya mantra which is like

sugar and is the essence of the Vedas.

 

 

7. The difference between land and the sky.

 

We are afraid and confused like those in this world

(lIlA vibhUti) ("mannuL ennaip peRRAl" - Thiruvaymozhi

7-1-6, "aruviththinRida anji ninnadainthEn" - Periya

Thirumozhi 7-7-1, "pala nI kAttip paduppAyO" -

Thiruvaymozhi 6-9-9, "thirumAlE ini seyvathonRaRiyEn"

- Periya Thirumozhi 7-7-9). They are without fear and

steady like those in His divine abode (nitya vibhUti)

("ingE thirinthRkizhukkuRRen" - Thiruvaymozhi 8-10-4,

"vAnuyarinbameythilen" - Thiruvaymozhi 8-1-9, "nambuvAr

pathi vaikuntham kAnmin" - Kanninun 11, "seyththalai

ezhu nARRuppOl avan seyvana seythukoL" - Periyazhvar

Thirumozhi 3-7-9).

 

 

8. The difference between night and day.

 

We remain confused in the darkness that is the Vedas.

They use the light which is His thousand divine names

("pErAyiramOdhina" - Periya Thirumozhi 1-5-10), walk

steady with His guidance ("mAdhavan than thuNaiyA

nadandhu" - Periya Thirumozhi 3-7-4) in the path shown

by Him in Bhagavad Gita (Carama Shloka) ("mAyan anRu

aivar dheivath thErinil seppiya gIthaiyin semmaip

poruL" - Ramanuja Nootrandadhi 68).

 

 

9. The difference between an ordinary thing and a

jewel.

 

We keep reciting the Gayatri mantra during the

sandhyA times ("manthiraththai manthiraththAl

maRAvAthenRum vAzhuthiyEl vAzhalAm mada nenjamE" -

ThirunedunthANdagam 4). Instead of that ("anthiyAlAm

payan angen" - Mudhal Thiruvandadhi 33), they think

ony about the jewel amongst the mantras which is

the Dvaya mantra.

 

 

10. The difference between an ordinary woman and a

virtuous woman.

 

We are attached to the vaidika rituals and worship

the Lord through the devatas such as Agni and Indra.

Therefore, we appear to be like a woman who is not

faihtful to her husband. They are attached only to

Him and do not care about anyone else. Therefore,

they are like pativratas.

 

 

Ramanuja then said that this can be seen with Perumal

(Sri Rama who was attached more to Guha, the vAnaras

and Vibeeshana than to the Rishis), Namperumal (who

was attached more to Thiruppanazhvar than to Loka

Saranga Muni), Appan (Srinivasa who was attached more

to Kurumbaruththa Nambi than to the king Thondaiman)

and Periya Nambigal (who performed last rites for

Maraneri Nambi). He then told Mudhaliyandan that if

all Srivaishnavas follow these meanings everyday,

they would not sin against bhAgavatas who do not

wear the sacred thread and therefore would attain

the Lord's divine feet.

 

 

Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam