tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 16 - Slokam 12, tiruvAimozhi 1.2 Part 1.

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SrImate SrI ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.

 

tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 16 - Slokam 12

tiruvAimozhi 1.2.

 

 

svAmitvAt su-sthiratvAt nikhila-nirupadhi-svAtmavid-grAhya-

bhAvAt

tAdRk-sarvAnukUlyAt cyavanavad-itara-prApya-vaishamyavatvAt

|

sarvatrApakshapAtAt Subha-vibhavatayA mAnasAd-yarcya-bhAvAt

sa'nkoconmocakatvAt jagadanatayA upAdiSat sarva-yogyam ||

 

AzhvAr enjoyed bhagavAn's paratvam in the first tiruvAimozhi. In the

second, he is giving upadeSam to us. SrImad tirukkuDanthai ANDavan

points out that it is not because AzhvAr is satisfied with the

enjoyment of bhagavAn that he has turned to giving upadeSam to

others, but it is because he is overwhelmed by his joy of enjoying

bhagavAn that he wants to share his joy with others. So he is

addressing those who are receptive, and tells them that they should

discard their bad tendencies and turn their minds to Him; he hopes

that he can then enjoy bhagavAn along with the people who have thus

become purified. The first pASuram of the second tiruvAimozhi starts

with " vIDumin muRRavum " – muRRavum vIDumin – give up everything that

is opposed to worshiping Him as the Supreme Deity.

 

The guNam that svAmi deSikan has identified for this tiruvAimozhi is

that bhagavAn is sarva-yogyan (found in the last line – last word, of

Slokam 12 above); He is sarva-saman – equally accessible to all,

impartial to everyone; He is sarva-ArAdhyan – fit to be worshiped by

all. The ten guNa-s of the ten pASuram-s of this tiruvAimozhi are

those that have been chosen such that they stand in support of this

guNam at the daSakam level.

 

· pASuram 1.2.1, starting with `vIDumin muRRavum'. svAmivAt –

Lordship over all. The phrase that reflects this guNa in the

pASuram is " um uyir vIDu uDaiyAn iDai vIDu SeitiDumin " – surrender

your AtmA to Him who has Your AtmA as His abode " ; or, vIDu uDaiyAn

iDai – surrender to Him Who has SrI vaikunTham as His abode. AzhvAr

also tells us how to surrender to Him – vIDumin muRRavum – give up

interest in everything else, and surrender to Him alone as the only

Object to be attained.

 

(Remember the guNa at the daSakam level, sarva-yogyan - sarva

ArAdhyan, as we go through each pASuram. vIDu or moksham is

available equally to everyone, without distinction. BhagavAn is

sarva-saman, and is available for everyone to surrender to – sarva

yogyan. SrI UV refers us to the upanishad vAkyam – sarvasya SaraNam

suhRt – He considers anyone who surrenders to Him unconditionally as

extremely dear to Him.

 

· pASuram 1.2.2, starting with `minnin nilai ila'. su-

sthiratvAt – He Who alone is permanent, not subject to any change,

decay, aging, birth, etc., unlike everything else in all the worlds

that is subject to change and decay. AzhvAr points out that our body

is even less permanent than lightning – the lightning first appears

and then decays, but the body can die in the womb itself, before even

appearing outside.

 

The choice of the word su- in su-sthirtatvam of emperumAn by svAmi

deSikan is very significant. Our AtmA is sthiram, and is neither

born nor perishes, nor ages. But it clings to the imperfect body for

the purpose of enjoying its karma-s. Unlike this soul of ours,

bhagavAn is su-sthiran, with no limitations of any kind.

 

In the first pASuram, AzhvAr advises us to give up interest in

everything else, and surrender to Him. The current pASuram tells us

the reason why we should give up interest in everything else –

because they are all a-sthira or transient and impermanent; He alone

is su-sthira.

 

· pASuram 1.2.3, starting with " nIr numadu enRu ivai " .

nikhila nirupadhi svAtmavid grAhya bhAvAt – He Who is grasped by

those who have overcome the obstacles of the feelings of `I'

and `mine'. upAdhi means `limitation'. The upadhi-s are identified

by nammAzhvAr in the pASuram – nIr, numadu enRu ivai – the feelings

of `I' and `mine'. svAtma-vit refers to one who has realized his

true nature, as one subservient eternally to SrIman nArAyaNa, and one

who has realized that performing eternal kai'nkaryam to Him is the

only goal to be attained.

 

The choice of words by AzhvAr are very significant. nIr numadu enRu

ivai vEr mudal mAittu – completely ridding oneself of the feelings

of `I' and `mine' with all the roots – vEr mudal mAittu. iRai

SErmin – surrender to Him; uyirkku adan nEr niRai illE – there is

nothing more important or more precious for the AtmA to attain –

atyanta hitam, the ultimate good for the soul. SrImad

tirukkuDanthai ANDavan gives the reference: " acyuta! aham tavAsmi

iti sa eva samsAra bheshajam " – " acyuta! The only cure for the

affliction of samsAra is to surrender to You, with the full faith –

mahA viSvAsam, that I belong only to You, and that You will protect

me without any doubt whatsoever " . SrImad ANDavan also gives another

reference from SrI vishNu purANam:

 

AnAtaman-yAtma-buddhir-yA asve svam iti yA matih |

avidyA taru sambhUteh bhIjam etat dvidhA sthitam || (V.P.

6.7.11)

 

" The feeling that this body which is not the soul is indeed same as

the soul, and the feeling that that this soul belongs to us when in

fact it belongs to emperumAn, are the twin seeds of the continued

growth of the tree of samsAra " .

 

The extent to which those who who have realized Him rid themselves of

the aha'nkAram amd mamakAram (the feeling of `I' and `mine') is

signified by AzhvAr through the choice of his words `nIr'

and `numadu' He is telling us: " You should get rid of the feeling

of `you' and `yours'; he carefully avoids using the words `WE should

rid of the feeling of `nAm, namadu' – he does not include himself,

because he has reached the stage where he can't even bear to say

words that suggest that he may still have any trace of the feeling

of `I' or `mine' SrImad tirukkuDanthai ANDavan's anubhavam is that

nammAzhvAr's tongue will burn if it has to utter the words `I'

and `mine' – " ivar `nAn', `ennuDaiyadu' enRu, viDuvadAgac connAlum,

ivaruDaiya nAkku vendu viDumAm.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)