Virodha ParihAram : 81-85

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SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

In the section on DhvayAdhikAram , Swamy Desikan

clears our doubts relating to Mantra Ratnam ( Dhvyam ) .

If Thirumanthiram deals with the upAyam and Phalan

briefly , Dhvayam elaborates on the Moksha UpAyam

and Moksha Phalan .

 

Swamy Desikan states his goals for his upadEsams on Dhvyam

this way : " We resolve here the elaboration of UpAya -upEyams

( ViSadha anusandhAna arTam) of Mantra ratnam ( Dhvayam) ,

which was covered succinctly by Moola Mantram , the quintessence

of all tatthvArTams (Sarva SaarArTa garbhamAna Moola Mantram ) ".

 

Swamy Desikan starts with a prayer to Thiruvaheendhrapura NaaTan :

 

apAsa thu tama: pumsAm anapAya-prabhAnvitha:

Aheendhra nagarE nithyam udhithOyam Ahaskara:

 

(Meaning): May the Sun associated with blemishless lustre ,

who rises always at Thiruvaheendhrapuram known as

adiyavarkku Meyyan remove the darkness of ajn~Anam

of all chEtanams .

 

81. Is PirAtti's PurushakAram ( SipArsu/ Intercession) essential ?

 

(Question): SvabhAvika Sarvarakshakasya Parama KaaruNeekasya

Bhavatha : kaTamiva PurushakAra apEksha ? -- KumAra VaradAchAr

 

Answer : Periya PirAtti pleads our case with Her Lord .We call her

for this reason PurushakAram .Her pleading with Her Lord to forgive

our trespasses ( PurushakAram) is not explicitly stated in Moola Manmtram .

The padham , "Sriman" in Dhvaya Mantram clearly refers to PirAtti.

The Divine couple are without beginning or end . They both are

independent ( svatantra) . They have an agreement between them

as two independent divinities that the Lord is the one who will

punish those who trespass His Saasthrams and PirAtti is the one

to intercede with Her Lord on behalf of their children , who have

comitted Mahaa aparAdhams thru Bhagavath Saasthra ullanganams.

Although the Lord has wonderous guNams and sambhandhams ,

He ( as Svatanran and SEshi) responds affirmatively to the sipArsu of

His Devi , controls His anger at the offending chEtanams and changes

His mind about punishing them . This is Their agreed way of operation .

 

82. How can one describe the activities of a Purushan ( PurushakAram )

and associate it with PirAtti ?

 

asthu PurushakArathvam , taTApi PurushakAra SaBdha: chEtana -viSEshu

kaTam prayujyathE ? -- KumAra VaradAcchAr

 

The words , RaajAvashDambham and Raaja kulam refer to the duties of

one associated with the King ( Raajaa) . She pleads with Her Lord ( Purushan)

on behalf of the plight of Jeevans ;that is why She is referred rightfully as

PurushakAram .

 

83. The doubts about "Srimath " sabdham

 

(Question) :In dhavyam , there is the "Srimath" SaBdham (i-e) :The Lord

is the One associated with His PirAtti in an inseperable manner (apruTak

siddha visEshaNam) .If that is so , SrI SaBdham alone is sufficent to describe

PirAtti's PurushakAram and the addition of the "Mathubh " SaBdham

indicating seperation from Her Lord raises doubt about Srimath SaBdhArTam .

 

(Answer ) : Yes , it is true that PirAtti is inseperable from Her Lord ( yEka

SEshithva yOgam ). She is visEshaNam for Her Lord and therefore there is

no objection to adding mathubh Sabdham with SrI SaBdham to result in

"SrImath" SaBdham .The situation is similar to Jeevan from whom the Jn~Anam

can not be seperated , which leads to the term "Jn~AnavAn ( Mathubh vihuthi

is added here to Jeevan ) . Here Jn~Anam is the visEshaNam for Jeevan .

The addition of Mathubh to Jn~Anam does not seperate the Jn~Anam from

the Jeevan . They are not disassociated . There is therfore no virOdham

( Conflict ) with the central doctrine of VisishtAdhavaitham ( all

chEtana-achEtanams are EmperumAn's VisEshaNam ) , when

Srimath SaBdhArTam is intrepreted as Mathubh standing united with

SrI SaBdham .

 

The word "Srimath " has to be intrerpreted as the One who is inseperable with

Her Lord and as One who stands as the VisEshaNam for Her Lord (SarvasyApi

tatthva-jaathasya Bhagavath apruTak-siddha visashEnEna YEKAM TATTHVAM

ithi vaadhOapi yukthatara: ithi) .In Srimath Rahasya Thraya Saaram , Swamy Desikan

clarifies the place of Mathup , when it is united with SrI Sabdham : " here ,

the use of Mathup ( mathup upayOga visEsham) )is consistent with pramANams

( PramANa siddham) and the union of these two words ( SrI and mathup)

denote Nithya yOgam ( being united with Her Lord in an inseperable manner) ..

 

84. If we state Dhivya Dampathis are UpAyam ( for Moksham ) , does not

suggest that there are two upAyams for Moksham ?

 

(Question) : All Saasthrams state : " TamEva SaraNam gaccha " ( Seek Him

ALONE for refuge) , " MaamEkam SaraNam vraja " . In dhvayam , it asks us to

consider dhivya dampathis ( LakshmyA saha BhagavAn) as upAyam . Is this n't

a conflict ?

 

(Answer ) :PirAtti is VisEshaNam for the Lord , who is the upAyam . She is

inseperable from Him . Hence when we state that the Lord with His PirAtti is

UpAyam ( means) for Moksha phalan thru the use of "SrimAn " , there is no

virOdham between this view and the one , which states " Seek Him alone

for refuge) .

 

85. How can we explain the view that the Lord's Thiruvadi is UpAyam

instead of the Lord ?

 

(Question) : Sarva visishtasya Bhagavatha yEva upAyathvE taccha

charaNAravindha saamAnAdhikaraNam kim ?

 

(Answer ): It is appropriate to recognize that Iswaran is Moksha upAyam .

However dhvaya mantram states that His avayavam ( limb) , Sacred feet

as the UpAyam instead of the Iswaran Himself ( Sriman NaarAyaNa charaNou

SaraNam prapadhyE ) . ChEtanan does Prapatthi . At that time , the chEtanan

has to meditate on the Lord and His ThirumEni. When we seek Him as refuge ,

it is easier His sacred feet have more power than His other limbs to increase

the Lord's anugraham and grow His dayaa . As the sevant of the Lord , it is

but natural to fall at the Master's feet . Therfore it is not inappropriate to

meditate on those sacred feet of the Lord that has the power to destroy

all sins and these sacred feet are a delight in ther own right to meditate upon .

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan