Thirumaalai-5

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai,

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

 

 

“ Mattrondrum Venda Maname Madhilarangar

Kattrinum meitha kazhalinai keezh- uttra

Thirumaalai paadum seer Thondaradipodi Emperumaanai

Eppozhudum peesu”

 

“Srimat Krishna samahvaya Namo yaamuna soonave

yetkadakshai kalakshyanam sulabha: Sridara: sadaa”

 

Pranams,

 

“Bhakthiyinudaya pushkaraiyopadi prapatti nishtA

hetuvAna vishvaasamum Silarukku kittukai

aridhagaiyale” says Sri PVP in his avadharikai. We

all know that in Kali we people are not capable of

doing Karma, Jnana, Bhakthi yogas to attain the divine

feet of the Emperuman. But here Sri Pillai puts

forward the fact that the Maha vishvasam which is

essential for prappati (ripened form of bhakthi) is

difficult for a few to obtain. At the present

juncture the word few must be however changed to many

since many lack confidence in the supreme and hence

prappati and bhakthi are not done by many. So the

Vishnu dharmam and following its footsteps Thirumaalai

detail about the easiest way to attain bhagavan, Nama

Sankeertanam. All types of yogas are explained by

paramatma in his Bhagavat geetha. But there is no use

learning Vedanta alone when nothing is put into

practice. We find many vedantins who talk a lot in

public do not possess that vairakyam they preach and

hence he will not be a Jyana Yogi though he knows a

lot about Jyana Yoga. Anybody can say body is

different from atma and that atma cannot be affected

due to fire rain etc. but can they really bring it to

practice is what is essential and only when they have

it in anushtanam (practice) what ever they preach will

be accepted by others.

 

While talking about this we remember two persons who

really practiced what they preached. Once when

Vivekananda was delivering a lecture in Chicago about

body and soul, one person wanted to test how much of

his preaching did he really put into practice. So

when Sri Vivekananda was delivering his lecture the

next day the man shot at the stage. But Vivekandanda

kept on lecturing unaffected by the sound of the shot.

Then the person apologized and accepted that

vivekananda actually practiced what he preached. Is

it possible for us? I know many of us will say a big

no. In our acharya paramparai, all of us know of

thirumalai anantazhvan one of Sri Ramanuja’s dear

shishyas. Once a snake bit him and his shisyas were

frightened and wanted to take him to a doctor

immediately but Sri Ananthazhvan replied that his body

itself was like a snake with poison spread throughout

and now another snake has bitten it. We will see

which snake is more powerful. If the snake which bit

was more powerful then I will continue my kainkaryam

to paramapadanathan in Srivaikundam and if the

snake(body) which got bitten is more powerful then my

kainkaryam to Lord Venkateshwara will continue. Such

was the vairakhyam of our acharyas. Such Vairakhyams

is not at all possible to common man. So Jnana yoga

is impossible for us.

 

For Karma yoga we need Acharam and again we do not

possess that too. So nothing can be made

Ishwararpanam(for the sake of god) and we are all

selfish so again karma yoga is also difficult. Ok if

all these are not possible then emperuman gives us a

simpler way. He says do bhakthi or Prappati in my

feet as he says “Mam Ikam Charanam Vraja”(charama

slokam). But again for this Maha vishvasam is

absolutely necessary. We should believe that we are

incapable and emperuman is alone capable of anything

and everything. That again is not easy since we never

believe anyone and leaving our ego and falling under

some ones feet is highly impossible for we jeevatmas.

Prahladan had that Maha Vishvasam even when he was put

in fire, when he was pushed down a mountain. But we

samsaris loose confidence even if we face a small

problem. We start saying things like why does this

happen to me instead of my prayers to the bhagavan?

If bhagavan was really there then will this happen to

me? and so on. Emperuman says “Ananyat

chintayantooman………..Yogakshemam Vahanmyaham” do we

really follow him but we expect him to take care of

our affairs and make our life very smooth.

 

During Sri Ramanuja’s time one Srivaishnava was

shouting in front of the thirumadapalli(temple

kitchen) of Srirangam temple. Acharya enquired what

his problem was. He said that he was a

kainkaryaparan(person who does kainkaryam to bhagavan)

in the temple. Till today he got prasadam from the

temple and was feeding his family. Now that his

family has increased in size the prasadam was not

enough and so he was demanding for more prasadam. Sri

Ramanuja asked him if he believed in namperumal. The

srivaishnava replied that he believed acharyan more.

Then the acharyan said then go and stay in your place

and you will get your prasadam. After this incident

acharya went to have darshan of emperuman and

completely forgot about the incident. After some

days he met the srivaishnava in the banks of kaveri in

front of a small hut. Now acharya asked him how was

his living going on for which the srivaishnava replied

that by the grace of the acharyan and emperuman he was

fine with the prasadam being delivered to him by the

person, who was appointed by the acharya everyday.

Ethirajar was totally surprised to hear this as he

hasn’t appointed anyone. After enquiring he realized

that the person who was doing this job was none other

than Periya perumal himself. He has come to keep up

the words of his Bhakthan(Ramanujar) who told the

srivaishanava that he will get his prasadam if he

stays in his own place. This is how emperuman also

keeps up his words “Yogakshemam vahanmyaham”. But

again here the srivaishavan had the maha vishvasam

that the acharya’s word will never go wrong. That is

why emperuman came to give fruit to his maha

vishvasam. In our sampradayam we regard acharya

vishvasam more essential than the bhagavat vishvasam

 

So by the above it is proved even bhakthi or prappati

which is considered easier to the other yogas is

difficult for us in the present situation. So

Thondaradipodi alwar in this prabhandam highlights the

importance of Nama Sankeetanam which can be done by

one and all. Since this needs no Acharam, anushtanam

or anyother qualification. This can be done by any

person of any caste and creed and any gender. This

can be done at any time. As Thirumangai alwar in

Periya thirumozhi says “Tunjum podu azhaimin

tuyarvaril ninaimin tuyarileer sollilum

nandram”(1-1-10). He says chant the Narayana namam

even when you are sleepy and think of it when you are

in some danger and say it even when you are happy and

do not have any miseries. So there is no restrictions

for Thirunaama Keertanam. Moreover even if we say the

Bhagavan nama to tease someone or without knowing its

importance it still gives you the palan. Like a

medicine which gives cure to a disease for those who

know its effect well and those who donot know it

equally similarly bhagavan nama also gives palan

equally to all. “Sanketyam Paarihasyam va stoham

helanamevava” says Srimad Bhaagavatam. Some people

tease a bhagavatan by saying see there govinda govinda

is going or if something is lost then they say govindA

govinda. According to bhaagavatam even to those

people the Govinda nama gives palan. Emperuman tries

to add good points to the jeevatmas so that he can

help them in someway. So even if we do it without

knowing we ultimately attain the palan. That is why

our acharyas recommend saying bhagavan nama loudly so

that it will be heard by others and they will also get

benefitted.

 

“Evvazhvar eppadipatta thirunamathtile ezhindavar

Agayale aththirunama vaibhavaththai pesugirar

epprabhandhattile” says PVP in his avadarikai. Since

Sri Thondaradipodi alwar was immersed in the bhagavan

namam he talks about the same in his prabhandam also.

We will conclude the introduction in the next posting

and proceed to the excellent meanings of the

paasurams.

 

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai

Sumithra Varadarajan

 

 

 

 

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