tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 22 - Slokam 1.3 Part 3, tiruvAimozhi 1.3 contd.

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SrImate SrI ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.

 

tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 22 - Slokam 1.3 Part 3,

tiruvAimozhi 1.3 continued.

 

· pASuram 1.3.5:

 

piNakkaRa aRu-vagaic-camayamum neRi uLLi uraitta

kaNakkaRu nalattanan antam-il Adi am-bhagavan

vaNakkuDait-tava neRi vazhi ninRu puRa neRi kaLai kaTTu

uNakkumin paSai aRa avanuDai uNarvu koNDu uNarndE (1.3.5).

 

antam-il Adi em-bhagavan, aRu vagaic-camayamum neRi uLLi, piNakku aRa

uraitta kaNakkaRu nalattanan. AvanuDai uNarvu koNDu uNarndu,

vaNakkuDai tava neRi vazhi ninRu, puRam neRi kaLai kaTTu, paSai aRa

uNakkumin – In order to resolve this dispute once and for all,

empermAn who is the Creator of all and who is endowed with infinite

auspicious qualities, and who narurally possesses infinite knowledge

etc., analysed the six non-vedic faiths compared to the path shown by

the veda-s, and showed us through His own words (through the gItA)

that the path of devotion to Him to the exclusion of all other paths,

is the correct path to follow. Realize this truth shown by Him very

clearly, and completely detach yourself from all other attachment.

 

svAmi deSikan captures the essence of this pASuram through the

phrase " sva-prabodha pradatvAt " – Because He gives us the true

knowledge about Himself through SAstra-s such as the gItA – piNakkaRa

aRu vagaic-camayamum neRi uLiLi uraitta kaNakkaRu nalattanan. (Even

though He is the same One who created the diverse faiths) He has

revealed the true knowledge about Himself through His own words in

the form of the gItA, the pA'ncarAtra, etc. He is a sulabhan (recall

the guNam at the daSakam level) because He has made this information

available to us through these easy means, so that we can be free of

confusion, and attain Him through the path He has shown us. The gItA

makes it crystal clear that we should not follow the tAmasic and

rAjasic grantha-s, but should follow the sAttvic texts, that we

should do all our actions by dedicating any benefit to Him alone, and

that worship of anya devatA-s is for those with inferior intellect.

 

· pASuram 1.3.6:

 

uNarndu uNarndu izhindu aganRu uyarndu uruviyanda in-nilaimai

uNarndu uNarndu uNarilum iRai nilai uNarvadu aridu uyirgAL !

uNarndu uNarndu uraittu uraittu ari ayan aran ennum ivarai

uNarndu uNarndu uraittu uraittu iRai'njumin manappaTTadu onRE.

 

uyirgAL! uNarndu uNarndu izhindu aganRu uyarndu uru viyanda in-

nilaimai uNarndu uNarndu uNarilum, iRai nilai uNarvadu aridu;

uNarndu uNarndu ari, ayan, aran ennum ivarai uraittu uraittu, manap

paTTadu onRu uNarndu uNarndu uraittu uraittu iRai`njumin – Oh you

jIva-s! The tattvam (true nature) of the Supreme Lord is not easy to

grasp, even though it may be possible to grasp the subtle nature of

your soul as different from the body through acquisition of

knowledge, your own different experiences, intense analysis involving

both depth and breadth, etc. Therefore, using all the available

scriptural evidence, thoroughly analyse the tri-mUrti-s – brahmA,

vishNu and Siva, with an unbiased mind, analyze, discuss, re-analyze

and discuss over nd over again their complete personality, traits,

attributes, etc., and then come to a firm conclusion over who is

Supreme among the three, and then surrender to this one Supreme Deity

unconditionally.

 

svAmi deSikan identifies the main guNa reflected in this pASuram by

the phrase :khyAta abhikhyA Adi cihnAt (uNarndu uNarndu etc.) –

Because He stands out through His well-known actions and the

associated fame. (khyAta – well-known, renowned; abhikhyA –

splendor, beauty, luster). His name – nArAyaNa, His infinite kalyANa

guNa-s, His wondrous acts of protecting the other gods at their times

of trouble, His infinite Mercy towards His devotees, etc., are all

well-known, and clearly show Him to be the Supreme Deity over and

above all the other gods. However, for the non-discerining souls,

the arguments such as the tri-mUrti sAmyam – equality between the

tri-mUrti-s etc., are presented to confuse their mind. AzhvAr

advises us to make an effort to understand the significance behind

bhagavAn's nAma-s, His actions, etc., based on a thorough, sincere,

unbiased, and serious effort to understand these based on pramANa-s,

and realize who the Supreme Deity is, and then surrender to Him.

 

Note that AzhvAr is not coming out and declaring the parttvam of

SrIman nArAyaNan in this pASuram explicitly; instead, he gives us a

clear direction on how we should be able to find out the answer to

who among the tri-mUrti-s is the Supreme Deity, if only we take the

time to look at the existing pramANa-s, and think about it in an

unbiased way. He does not want to ask us to just accept his word on

this. In future pASuram-s, he will make it clear what his conclusive

position is on who the Supreme Deity is.

 

There are eight occurrences of the word uNanrndu in this pASuram.

The detailed interpretation of these different instances is presented

in detail in the write-up for this pASuram under the title `tri-mUrti-

s in tiruvAimozhi'.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)