MoondrAm thiruvandhAdhi avathArikai (Introduction)-4

[Guest guest]

*Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha

Srimad Vara Vara MunayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha*

 

*Lakshanas (Characteristics) of Parabhakthi, ParajnAna and Paramabhakthi*

 

*First Lakshana:*

 

*Parabhakthi – the aspiration to see the form, attributes etc of the supreme

lord;

ParajnAnam – Seeing the above;

Paramabhakthi – the aspiration to enhance and sustain the divine anubhavams

(experiences);*

 

*Second Lakshana:*

 

*Parabhakthi- experiencing happiness while in union with the lord and sorrow

while in separation;

ParajnAnam- feeling of being in union always like in paramapadam ("andhamil

pErinbhaththu adiyarOdu erundhamai- thiruvaimozhi 10-9-11)

Paramabhakthi – In the absence of such anubhavam struggling like a fish out

of water unable to sustain;*

 

*On looking closely the above two lakshana's seem to be similar. For those

who practice the ways of reaching the lord (sadhanas) as prescribed in the

sastras the above stages can be attained only during mukthi (ultimate

bliss)but in the case of azhvar's who were blessed with the divine grace of

the supreme lord (mayarvara madhi nalam) they reached the stages of

parabhakthi, parajnAna and paramabhakthi while in this world. On the same

lines, our revered acharyas also pray to the lord to bless them with

"parabhakthi, parajnAna and parabhakthi" naturally by his divine grace

(sharanagathi gadyam)*

 

*The same is declared as Jnanam, dharshanam and prApthi by the

sastras. "jnAthum

drashtum cha tatvEna pravEstum cha" (geetha 11-54) declares

geethacharyan. "sanjyAyathE

sandrushyathE vApyadhigamyathE" (Vis.pu.6-5-57) says Sri Parasara bhagavan.*

 

* Why did the three azhvars start their 3 divine works with "vaiyam thagali"

"anbE thagali" and "thirukkandEn"?*

 

*"vaiyam thagali": As per the words of amudhanAr "varuththum puravirul

mARRa"-era.nU.8, to establish that this world belongs to one and the only

paramapurushan sriman Narayanan and not to the illusionary ownership of the

other devathas, Poigaiyazhvar removed the darkness of ignorance by lighting

the lamp comprising of earth as the basal lamp, ocean as the ghee and sun as

the flame.*

 

*"anbE thagali": "eraivanai kAnum edhayaththirulkeda"-er.nU.9 [Darkness

inside the heart that prevents us from seeing the supreme lord]*

 

*BhoodhathAzhvar removed all the confusions and misconceptions inside our

heart by lighting a lamp of love, involvement and knowledge to make the

athma to glitter inside (athma is svayam prakasakam, that which can be seen

with its own light.)*

 

*Thereby due to the removal of the outer and inner darknesses by the above

two azhvArs, peyazhvar visualized the lord and sang "ThirukkandEn"*

 

* "manniya pErirul mAndapin kOvalul mAmalarAL

tannOdu mAyanai kaNdamai kAttum tamizh talaivan" – er. nU.10*

 

*[After the well settled darkness was removed, tamizh talaivan (peyAzhvar)

showed Sriman Narayana (person with astonishing activities (mAyan) along

with one who is on top of a lotus flower (sri)) in thirukOvaloor as

envisaged by him]*

 

*Azhvar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam

Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam

*

 

*Adiyen ramanuja dAsan

Varadarajan*