SthOthra Rathnam : SlOkam 22 ( Part I) : KaalakshEpam notes from HH Srimath Andavan's UpanyAsam: 4/23/05

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of Swamy AlavanthAr :

 

The 22nd slOkam is another profound slOkam , where

He performs His SaraNAgathy at the lotus feet of the Lord .

 

na dharmanishtOsmi , na chAthmavEdhee ,

na bhakthimAmsthvaccharaNAravindhE

akinchanO-ananyagathi: SaraNya !

Thvath-pAdhamoolam SaraNam PrapadhyE

 

adiyEn will cover both the commentaries of PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai

and the KaalkshEpam of HH Srimath Srirangam PeriyANDavan on

April 24 on this slOkam following Swamy Desikan's insightful

VyAkyAnam . adiyEn will take up PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai's

commentary first .

 

Meanings of the Padhams ( Pada Urai) of the 22nd SlOkam:

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SaraNya = Oh Lord most appropriate for performing one's SaraNAgathy !

 

Dharmanishta: na asmi = adiyEn is not rooted in Karma yOgam .

 

AathmavEdhee cha na asmi = adiyEn does not possess aathma Jn~Anam

either (i-e) ., adiyEn is not proficient in Jn~Ana Yogam .

 

Thvath CharaNa aravindhE bhakthimAn na asthi = adiyEn does not possess

Bhakthi at your lotus feet . adiyen is inept in practising Bhakthi yOgam .

 

akinchana: = adiyEn does not have any means(upAyam) for seeking Moksham .

 

ananya gathi : = adiyEn has no one to claim as my protector .

 

Thvath Paadhamoolam yE prapath = adiyEn has chosen

Your Lotus feet as the object of my protection .

 

AvathArikai( Introductory Comments) :

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Swamy AlavanthAr describes his fitness (adhikAram ) for SaraNAgathy

and performs his celebrated prapatthi anushtAnam here . In the earlier slOkams ,

"thvAm seela " ( 15th slOkam ) and Ullangitha ( 16th slOkam ) , Swamy AlavanthAr

referred to dhushprakruthis ( those with dhurAchArams) not being able to comprehend

the Lord's vaibhavam and that Sathprakruthis ( Sath GuNa sampannAs) alone

would be able to understand and celebrate His glorious KalyANa guNams .

 

In the 21st ( previous) slOkam , " NamO namO: " , Swamy AlavanthAr described

the required state of mind of a PrApthaa ( one who arrives before the Lord ,

the Praapyan) ; that PrAptha should understand his nija svaroopam

as a Paratantran ( liege of the Lord in every way or one has no Svatantram

or one who has set aside himself and all his belongings for samarpaNam to

the SarvasmAth Paran alone) for realizing successful SaraNagathy . One who

thinks that he is a Svatantran and is in control of himself and his activities will

not advance far in his efforts of SaraNAgathy anushtAanm . The Successful

SaraNAgathy is not realized by one's own sakthi ( "sva-sakthi koNDu aasrayikkum

vishayam alla ") ; it will succeed only when such an anushtAnam is preceded by

aakinchanyam ( approaching as a helpless one without any recourse or UpAyam;

that aakinchanyam leads one to a state of utter humility to perform Prapatthi ) .

 

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Detailed VyAkyAnam :" na dharmanishtOsmi " : adiyEn can not

claim to be a dhArmikan ; adiyEn can not identify myself as a naasthikan either.

adiyEn does not have the nishtai ( strenous effort) to hold on to Your sacred feet

for my deliverance from this cruel samsAric tApams . adiyEn conducts myself

in a way that deludes others to think that adiyEn is a dhArmikan

engaged in the practise of Karma yOgam . adiyEn is mesmerized to think

that adiyEn will have deliverance inspite of my imperfect observance of

Karma yOgam . adiyEn does not have the dedication( tapas) to stay

steadfastly with the activities that will facilitate me to attain Your sacred feet .

 

" na cha aathmavEdhi" : adiyEn is not proficient in Jn~Anan yOgam .

adiyEn has not practised karma yOgam well to destroy my sins to qualify for

aathma yaathAthmya darsana jn~ana yOga soubhAgayam . adiyEn does not hence

qualify to claim myself as a Jn~Ani dear to You ( Geethai: 7-19) who attains

You after efforts in many successive janmAs and recognizes You as his

sarvam :

 

bahUnAm janmanAmanthe Jn~AnavAn mAmm prapadhyathE

VaasudEva; saravamithi sa mahAthmaa sudhurlabha:

 

That kind of Jn~Anam has escaped me. adiyEn is devoid of the power of

such Jn~Ana yOga siddhi to reach Your sacred feet . adiyEn has no

JanmAnthara SamskArams that would have granted me Jn~Ana yOgam .

 

ThvaccharaNAravindhE na bhakthimAn : adiyEn does not

possess the firm and unceasing bhakthi ( anavaratha bhakthi) for Your

most sacred and delectable feet ( niradhisaya bhOgyam) . Bhakthi yOgam

has Karma and Jn~Ana yOgams as angams . It is no surprise that adiyEn

is deficient in the anushtAnam of bhakthi yOgam because adiyEn is seriously

deficient in both karma and Jn~Ana yOgams .

 

akinchana : adiyEn is without any means (UpAyam) to gain You as

my rakshakan . adiyEn does not have the compassion ( anutApam) that

results from the possession of the aathma guNams . adiyEn is severely

deficient in possessing these required aathma guNams .

 

ananyagathi: AdiyEn has no other recourse except You . Puhal aRRavan .

 

SaraNya ! : Oh Lord ! You are the SaraNa-varanaarhan for those akinchanaas .

You are the only recourse for those , who have no means to protect themselves .

 

Thvath Paadhamoolam SaraNam prapadhyE : adiyEn seeks

the lotus feet of Yours celebrated for their soulabhyam (ease of access) and

perform my Prapatthi for banishing all the enemies ( VirOdhi Nivrutthi) against

the realization of nithya Kaimakrya Siddhi in Your Supreme abode .

 

Through this slOkam , Swamy AlavanthAr focused on his adhikAri svaroopam

and engaged in SaraNAgathy prayOgam .

 

Next , adiyEn will cover the VyAkyAnam of Swamy Desikan on this slOkam as

intrepreted by HH Srimath Srirangam Andavan .

 

HH Srimath Srirangam Andavan blessed us with a lucid commentary

for this slOkam from Swamy Desikan's SthOthra Rathna BhAshyam .

it was a most enjoyable upanyAsam that covered the fine points that

Swamy Desikan commented upon regarding SaraNAgathy Saasthram .

 

Swamy AlavanthAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan