Bhagavad Geetha & Azhvaars

[Guest guest]

Sri RAmajayam

SrimathE rAmAnujAya Namaha

 

Dear BhagavathAs,

Sometime back one of our BhAgavathAs

asked about references by Azhvaars to Bhagavad Geetha

is there in Divya Prabandham or not. The answer is

yes.

 

If someone looks at Thirumangai Azhvaar Paasuram on

Thiru-AllikEni(Triplicane), Azhvaar refers

GeethAchAryan as "thEr mun ninrAnai". "thEr mun

utkArthAn" signifies a charioteer or PArthasArathy,

but "thEr mun ninrAnai" is a crystal clear reference

to AzhvArs reference to as "Geethacharyan" where he

stood to deliver GeethOpadEsam, and enjoying other

pAsurams on "Thiru-AllikEni" also leaves a person in

no doubt about the PErupakAram of PerumAl in

delivering GeethOpadEsam.

 

Similarly in another pAsuram on ThiruvEnkatamudaiyAn

AzhvAr refers PErumAl as "PArtharkAi anru BhAratham

venra paranchudhar", mere skillful charioting does not

result in victory in war and going by MahabhAratham,

one should be in know doubt the turning point for the

victory was Arjuna's decision to do the duty, in

complete surrender to Lord Krishna. So once again

this also infers to Srimad Bhagavad Geetha. Also if

one makes an attempt on reading PAsurams relating to

Sri Krishna by Swamy NammAzhvAr, Thirumangai AzhvAr

and KulasEkarAzhvAr there should be more direct

references to Srimad Bhagavad Geetha.

 

Besides, the context in which the BhAgavathA put it,

as "whether Sri Bhagavad Geetha came into prominence

in post-AzhvAr avatArikai period" may not be relevant

in the following reasoning,

1.Bhagavad Geetha's importance in Sri Vaishnavam is

not because Bhagavan Sri Krishna did this UpadEsam(one

has to recollect PAsupatha Saiva matham, was preached

by Pasupathi Sivan, only to fulfill Sage Gautama's

curse to some rishis). Everything in Parama Vaidhika

Matham of ours, is done in conformity to VEdas.

Since Sri Bhagavad Geetha is in line with the VEdas,

and yet easier to understand as it is a direct

upadEsam, it is considered among PrastAna trayam.

 

2.AzhvAr's Divya Prabandham is also understood and

relished as conforming to PramAnas in delivering us

the Tattva-Hitha-PurushArtas and for that strong

reason it is called "DrAvida VEda Sagaram".

 

So given the above one do not have to look for

references of AzhvArs for Sri Bhagavad Geetha or even

look for AvatArikai mention of AzhvArs in previous

purAnas or rely on hagiologies for establishing facts.

 

Please treat these as mere Anubhavam of AdiyEn and

kindly forgive AdiyEn for any mistakes out of

ignorance.

 

AdiyEn Sri RAmAnuja DAsan,

Sudarsana Dasosmi