Sri Alavandhaar's SthOthra Rathnam verse- 52-whatever may be the nature of my soul- adiyEn places the same at Your Feet.

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesikla mahadesikaya namah:

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

 

All this- You are saying thinking that You have

performed Prapatti.. How did you do? You described me

as I am Sriya: Pathi and Which Vaideeka would not

accept me as the Supreme Lord etc… That is my

swaroopam. What was Your swaroopam?> what is Your

nature? Did you consider yourself (like you are to me)

as servant and devotee of someone also? In which case,

how can I and why should I save you? However and

whichever manner does one understand and comprehend

the AthmA, the pursuit would vary. Response is this

verse: (wonderful verse)

 

vapuraadhishu yO(S)pi kO(S)pivaa

guNathO(S)saani yathaa thathaa vidha:

tadhayam thava paadha padmayO:

aham adyaiva mayaa samarpitha: [52]

 

[i-who is performing Prapatti- Saranagathi] – due to

the nature of and association with this body, mind,

sense organs etc., (and their influence), which I am

equipped with according to the prakrithi (Cosmic

matter) samabandham- let me be of any kind with good

Athma guNA or full of blemishes; whatever may be the

nature-[for I may not even be aware of the nature of

these defects and qualities], being the one performing

Saranagathi [Prapatti], with the nature as described

above (in any of those swaroopams), [adiyEn- this

lowly one] is offering the same at Your Lotus Feet as

also what is mentioned as I in me…

 

There are different kinds of arguments in Athma

vichAram. Some say: body itself is AthmA. Though even

if there is body, if there are no senses, there is

nothing and hence indriyas (sense organs) are AthmA-

others say. There can be many sense organs like eyes,

ears, etc.. and hence theree can not be so many

AthmAs; so it has to be manas (mind) – others argue.

The air that goes in and out – praaNa vaayu is the one

that makes one alive and hence praaNan is the AthmA-

also is an argument of few others. Some others say

something other than these.

 

With all the above, how can I be aware of the actual

swaroopam of this AthmA? I may not know the true

nature. Hence I am also not aware of its attributes

(gunAs) as well. AthmA- is it nithyam (eternal) or

anithyam? Or is it atomic or fully manifested (vibhu)?

Is it swayam prakasa or jadam? I am not aware of these

fully. After getting to know the same, only one can

meditate and perform bhakti yoga. For totally

surrendering at Your Lotus Feet, with You alone as The

Only gathi (means) and You as the Only Goal, I do not

have to know the same – I am sure. I am not seeking

the refuge at anyone else except You as I KNOW THAT

FOR SURE that You are the Unparalleled Supreme Lord

ship- ruler here and there and everywhere. I am also

SURE that I lack completely the qualifications and

utterly helpless in this state with complete lack of

jnAnam on everything.

 

aikAnthika nithya kinkara: Whatever may be the AthmA’s

nature, as long as this AthmA is there, I would like

the same to be the eternal servant of Yours. Thus I am

Your servant and Your servant alone. I have offered

the same completely at Your feet. It does not mean at

all- that I have understood the nature, guNA and

attributes, etc.. of this AthmA. Whatever may be the

nature- I have offered the same unconditionally and

unflinchingly at Your Lotus Feet. Whatever may be the

nature- I AM SURE that It is Your Servant. yOhamasmi

sa san yajE- says Veda also.

 

Thus, from this verse, Alavandhar says: By actually

and fully knoweing the nature of AthmA, one can

perform Prapatti OR even without knowing the nature of

Athma swaropam also, can one perfoprm Prapatti at His

Lotus Feet. BUT ALL THAT ONE NEEDS TO KNOW is: This

AthmA is the eternal servant [sesha bhUthan] of Sriman

Narayanan and Sriman NARAYANAN alone..,. and none

else. Thus sEshathvam is swaroopa niroopakam. This is

the slokam based on which ThirukkOttiyoor Nambhi

explained the nature of AthmA- being eternal servant

of Sriman narayanan alone as Swraoopa niroopakam to

Sri Ramanujacharya.

 

There are three kinds of bhramam (illusion)

dEhAthma bhramam- Thinking that body is AthmA

 

Swathanthra bhramam- Thinking that the AthmA is

independent and not dependent on anyone.

 

dEvathAnthara bhramam- thinking that other demigods

can also save this AthmA and be servant to them.

 

All these three need to be avoided and it is essential

and integral nature of this AthmA that it is eternal

servant of Sriman Narayanan alone and since we are not

following that nature and act accordingly so far, we

need to realise the same NOW at least and should

ATTEMPT to give it back to THE MASTER- OWNER from whom

we sort of stole the same.

 

yOpi kOpi vaa- Whatever may be- if it is dhEham,

Athma, or sense organs- whaetever nature- let it be- I

am offering the same.

 

Thus when performing Prappati, even I do not realise

the true nature of AthmA as jnAna swaroopi, aNu, etc..

still, realising its sEshathva swaroopam, I have

offered the same at Your Lotus Feet.

 

Thus mere thinking that this AthmA is eternal servant

for Sriman Narayanan alone is NOT granting me

salvation. I need to offer the same at Your Lotus Feet

[which I had stolen from You so long]

 

Parasara Bhattar refers [based on this verse- whatever

manner] this to Acharya nishtai, Ukti Nishtai etc…

However, Alavandhar’s work Athasiddhi establishes very

clearly the Athma swaroopam and it is not that he was

not aware of the same. [it is more applicable to us-

me]

 

Alavandhaar ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo Narayana

dasan

 

 

 

 

 

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