tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 63 - Slokam 23 Part 4, tiruvAimozhi 2.1, pASuram 2.1.7 tand 2.1.8.

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SrImate Ra'nga RAmAnuja MahA DeSikAya namaH.

tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 63, Slokam 23 Part 4,

tiruvAimozhi 2.1, pASurams 2.1.7, 2.1.8.

 

 

· pASuram 2.1.7:

 

tORROm maDa ne'njam emperumAn nAraNaRku em

ARRAmai Solli azhuvOmai nI naDuvE

veRROr vagaiyil koDidAi enai Uzhi

mARRANmai niRRiyO vAzhi kanai iruLE.

 

kanai iruLE! emperumAn nAraNaRku maDa ne'njam tORROm em ARRAmai Solli

azhuvOmai, naDuvE mARRANmai veRROr vagaiyin koDidAi enai Uzhi niRRiyO?

vAzhi! - O Total darkness! I don't know for how many eons you are

going to behave worse than even an enemy by coming between us and

trying to change our focus when we have lost our minds to our Lord

NarAyaNan and are trying to console each other by trying to exchange

our griefs between oiurselves.

 

svAmi deSikan presents the gist of this pASuram as 'cittAkshepAt'

(kshepa - tossing, throwing around) - One who distracts the mind of the

devotee and makes it become diverted - nI naDuvE veRROr vagaiyil

koDidAi enai Uzhi mARRANmai niRRiyO. SrI Ve'nkaTeSAcArya explains

svAmi deSikan's words as: manadaik koNDu pOdu pOkka oNNAda paDi

apaharikkaiyAlum -He steals the mind such that the devotee can't

concentrate on anything when separated from Him. This is like the

darkness of the night that comes between devotees who are trying to

share their grief of separation from Him, and distracting them. This

distraction is explained in two ways:

 

1. Some of us are trying to share our mutual griefs caused by

separation from Him, and crying between ourselves; you - Total darkness

- are torturing us worse than even an enemy by coming between us such

that we can't even look at each others' faces, and distracting our

thoughts. We don't know how long you are going to continue this

torture.

 

2. 'Darkness' is totally dark because of its separation from Him, and

looks so pathetic that it makes the other devotees who are suffering

from the same separation feel like they are in a state of relative joy

compared to the state in which 'darkness' is presenting itself. AzhvAr

is addrerssing 'Darkness' and asking: " How long are you going to

torture us by coming between us and showing us that you are more

sorrowful than even us? We wish you quick relief from your sorrow. "

 

SrI UV notes that all the previous subjects (like the crane etc.) were

addressed as friendly and sympathetic beings that were suffering the

same way as AzhvAr was suffering from separation from Him; the second

interpretation makes the 'pitch darkness' also another member in the

same category as AzhvAr, only appearing to be suffering even more,

rather than as an adversary as presented in the first interpretation.

But the first interpretation flows more naturally from the words of the

pASuram. Both conditions are caused by Him, as a result of separation

from Him.

 

· pASuram 2.1.8:

 

iruLin tiNi vaNNa mA nIr kazhiyE! pOi

maruLuRRu irAp pagal tu'njilum nI tu'njAyAl

uruLum SakaTam udaitta perumAnAr

aruLin peru naSaiyAl AzhAndu nondAyE.

 

iruLin tiru vaNNam mA nIr kazhiyE! irAp pagal tu'njilum pOi maruL uRRu

nI tu'njAyAl, uruLum SakaTam udaitta perumAnAr aruLin peru naSaiyAl

AzhAndu nondAyE - O deep Backwaters of the Ocean that look even darker

and deeper than the the dark black night! Even though days and nights

are rolling by, you are completely disoriented, and you are not able to

sleep. I think you are deeply hurt because of your unfructified desire

for union with Him who destroyed the asura in the form of the wheel

when the asura came to destroy Him, by just kicking the asura.

 

svAmi deSikan describes the gist of this pASuram through the words

'vi-samj~nI karaNAt' - depriving the devotee of the ability to continue

with subsequent activities (samj~nA = consciousness, knowledge,

understanding; vi-samj~nI karaNam - depriving the person of the

knowledge or understanding to function in a coordinated way) -

maruLuRRu irAp pagal tu'njilum nI tu'njAyAl. SrI Ve'nkaTeSAcArya

explains this as 'onRum teriyAda paDi madi mayakkattai uNDAkkugaiyAlum'

- He causes a state where the mind is totally disoriented and can't

understand anything (like that of a mad person).

 

Imagine the backwaters being constanly bombarded by the flowing waters

back and forth from the ocean, and never being able to settle down in

peace for even a moment! That is the state of the mind of the devotee

when separated from BhagavAn, as conveyed by AzhvAr in this pAsuram -

vi-samj~nI karaNam - leading to a state of complete disorientation.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)

 

 

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