Swawmy DEsika Sahasra Naamam : NaamAs 971-1003 (Charama SlOkAdhikAram) : Part I (971-975)

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SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

(971) (PraNavam ) Sri KrishNa charama slOkaavathAra

vyAkruthikshamAya Nama:

 

( Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who could competently

describe the conditions underwhich the Charama slOkam of

SrI KrishNa ParamAthmA came into being .

 

( Commentary ) : The circumstances of the avathAram of Sri KrishNa

Charama slOkam is referred to here . On the battle field of KurushEthram ,

Sri KrishNa seved as the charioteer for Arjuna . At the commencement of the battle ,

ArjunA was overcome with inappopriate compassion about the destruction of

the lives of his relatives , AchAryAs and elders in the battle to come . He threw

his bow and arrows down and was terror stricken over the mighty sins that would

accrue from the destruction of his kith and kin assembled on the opposite side of

the battle field . He questioned the value of gaining the kingdom through such a

victory in the battle field by destroying his relatives and AchAryAs . Lord ParthasArathy

removed this asTAna confusion and sorrow of Arjuna through the UpadEsam of

GithOpanishad .

 

Our compassionate Lord instructed Arjuna on Karma , Jn~Ana and

Bhakthi yOgams as upAyams for for gaining the supreme PurushArtham for

a Jeevan . Arjuna grieved over his lack of qualifications to follow these difficult

routes and became even more despondent . Now , the most merciful Lord

decided to perform UpadEsam on the most secret and easy-to-practise

upAyam of Prapatthi yOgam through His instruction contained in the Charama

slOkam . This charama slOkam commands the Jeevan to perform Prapatthi

in the first half and discusses the Phalans of Prapatthi in the second half.

 

(972) (PraNavam) CharamaslOka dharmOkthi vEdhya nirNaya

kOvidhAya nama:

 

Salutations to that AchAryan , who had the intellectual power to

establish what needs to be known by us from the sabdham ,

"DharmAn" in the Charama slOkam .

 

(Commentary ): The Charama slOkam begins with "Sarva DharmAn Parithyajya ".

Here , our Lord asks us to abandon all dharmAs and to seek Him as the sole

refuge for protection . Generally , "Dharma" sabdham has to be understood

with the help of Saasthrams and deals with that which is the cause for Phalan .

For instance , Yaagams can be called dharmams since they are causes for

phalans like Svargam and can be understood only thru Bhagavath Saasthrams .

Although such general meanings can be given for Dharma sabdham ,

here the contextual meaning has to be given . Here , Dharmam refers to

the various UpAsanAs for MOksham (Sadh VidhyA , Dhahara VidhyA

and Bhakthi yOgam) . Our Lord is asking us to cast aside such difficult

dharmams and perform Prapatthi in their place for gaining MOksham.

 

(973) (PraNavam) PurushOtthama dhee mOksha-hEthuthva matha

bhanjakAya nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who discarded the matham

that held PurushOtthama Jn~Anam is a direct Moksha KaaraNam .

 

(Commentary ): Bhagavath Gita's 15 th Chapter is known as

PurushOtthama VidhyA . Here , the Lord instructs us that He is

the PurushOtthaman . There is a matham that believes that

the development of PurushOtthama Jn~Anam is the direct cause

for Moksham . Swamy Desikan did not accept that view . He established

that PurushOtthama Jn~Anam is only Tatthva Jn~Anam essential

for the many vidhyAs serving as Moksha kaaraNam . Therefore ,

PurushOtthama Jn~Anam is not a direct MokshOpaayam .

 

(974) (PraNavam) avathAra rahasya jn~Adhi mOkshakarathvagnE nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who rejected the view that

AvathAra Rahasya Jn~Anam is a direct UpAyam (means ) for Moksham .

 

(Commentary ): Like PurushOtthama Jn~Anam , the avathAra rahasya

Jn~Anam is considered by some as a direct UpAyam for Moksham.

For one who is performing Prapatthi , avathAra rahasya chinthanai helps

to appreciate the visEsha guNams of the Lord and through that Jn~Anam

firms up the important angam of MahA ViswAsam of Prapatthi ; this in turn

permits one to gain the Phalan of Prapatthi ( Moksham) in the same life

itself . Therefore , avathAra rahasya chinthanai is only an indirect cause for

Moksham .

 

(975) (PraNavam) Charama slOka dharma-thyAga anuvAdha

mathapriyAya nama:

 

(Meaning ): Salutations to that AchAryan , who accepted the view

that "dharma thyAgam " ( abandonment of other dharmams

like Bhakthi yOgam) is of anuvAdha roopam and not of Vidhi roopam .

 

(Commentary ) : AnuvAdham refers to some thing that has taken place

already . Vidhi is commanding to do some thing that has not been done

yet . " Sarva dharmAn Parithyajya " is "dharma thyAgam ". Some consider

this Dharma thyAgam as anuvAdham and others as Vidhi . Swamy Desikan

preferred the anuvAdha Paksham by taking Parithyajya (Dharma ThyAgam)

to mean : You who has abandoned all dharmAs , perform SaraNAgathy

to Me . It indicates that an akinchanan ( One without any resource and sakthi

to pursue other MokshOpAyams) is fit to perfrom Prapatthi . Through

that anuvAdham , the fitness of thisvisEsha adhikAri is pointed out.

AnuvAdha Paksham includes only Prapathti , whereas the Vidhi Paksham

includes both dharma thyAgam and Prapatthi .

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

SrimathE LakshmI Nrusimha Dhivya PaadhukA Sevaka

Sri VaNN SaThakOPa SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA DesikAya Nama: