ambarame - Tiruppavai #17

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Asmad gurubhyo namaha, Jai Srimannarayana!

 

Is Bhagavan attainable? Will He protect us?

 

Bhagavan is made reachable by the mantra. He is ‘Sabda:tigaha’ - not attainable

even by the Devas; He is ‘Sabdasahaha’ – if we do SaraNagati He will be at our

beck and call of love and devotion. That call of ours with incessant love after

total and complete surrender is the ‘mantra’.

 

Once we reach an acharya we are gifted with the mantra. We should learn the

meaning of the mantra and the chanting process. Only then we become beautiful,

pretty and handsome. That is Tiruppavai.

 

The perfumes, face-lifts, body-lifts, hair colouring, bleaching, manicure,

facials are all temporary and don’t put us on the right track. The mantram that

gives us the true beauty is nara:yaNa mantra, informed Andal in the first

pasuram itself. This mantra is eight lettered. There is power in the sounds. The

completeness in ardha only exists in this mantra. This mantra can give material

benefits to supreme state of moksha - declared Vyasa Bhagavan. Instead of just

doing japam several times by rotating ‘japamala’ and chanting the mantra, it is

better to chant just once while experiencing the meaning of the maha mantra.

 

Draupadi just uttered a part of this mantra, govinda nama, and secured her

respect, life, kingdom, kith and kin and many more. If one knows mantrartham and

performs the duties as prescribed by Lord Krishna those deeds will enhance one’s

existence and bring beauty to life. If not the same deeds will become papas and

start haunting us.

 

Who am I? What is the supreme thing I should seek? What is the means to secure

this position? All these questions are answered if one knows the mantradham. Who

can tell us this secret of all secrets: mantradham? Only a true, qualified

acharya can. An acharya is most compassionate form just as divine mother. We

should not hesitate to get our doubts clarified.

 

In this pasura first Andal has the darshan of Acharya. Just beside was Yasoda’s

bed and right next were the two kids sleeping with faces fully covered. The

sanka, chakra and all signs of Lord Krishna are all visible. Krishna’s darshan

is food, Service to Krishna is the dress for our ‘swarupam’, experiencing

Krishna’s infinite kalyana gunas, qualities, is water for us. The material world

food, water, clothes deplete when used. But those who enjoy the real food, real

water and real clothes know how Krishna’s mercy increases exponentially, super

exponentially.

 

It is the acharya/guru/spiritual master who gives us this qualification and

makes us realize our true swarupam which is doing Bhagavan’s seva. Andal’s

delegation first woke up Nanda and then they woke up Yasoda. Acharya waking up

symbolizes his divine anugraham flowing onto us. First acharya’s asrayana is

important, after which mantra will be awarded, upadesam will be done. Yasoda is

the mantra and represents Astakshari. Off all mantras Astakshari mantra is the

most superior. Astakshari has the power to grant any number of wants and of any

type. By nature the mantra gives supreme jnanam. This maha-mantra should be done

with its meaning.

 

Next they try to wake up Krishna but He totally ignores. Then they realize first

Balarama needs to be woken up. We should know that belonging to the Bhagavad

bhaktas is Narayana mantra Saram.

 

The mantradha saram, “Bhagavan is bhakta vidheya”, is expressed through Nanda,

Yasoda, Krishna and Balarama in this pasura by Andal. The process of securing

status in Vaikuntam is described here as in Sri Vachana Bhushana Sukti. If one

does not have constant attachment to Lotus feet of an acharya, Bhagavan does not

award parama padam and it is because of the acharya one is granted moksha.

 

Jai Srimannarayana,

adiyen ramanuja dasaha