tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 80 - Slokam 27 Part 3, tiruvAimozhi 2.5, pASuram-s 2.5.6 to 2.5.8.

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SrImate Ra'nga RAmAnuja MahA DeSikAya namaH

tAtparya ratnAvali - Submission 80 - Slokam 27 Part 3,

tiruvAimozhi 2.5 - pASuram 2.5.6 to 2.5.8.

 

pASuram 2.5.6.

 

pala palavE AbharaNam pErum pala palavE

pala palavE SOdi vaDivu paNbu eNNil

pala pala kaNDu uNDu kEttuRRu mOndu inbam

pala palavE j~nAnamum pAmbaNai mElARkEyO.

 

PAmbaNai mElARku paNbu eNNil AbharaNam pala pala pErum pala pala SOdi vaDivu

pala pala; kaNDu uNDu kETTu uRRu mOndu inbam pala pala; j~nAnamum pala pala -

..If one tries to comprehend the true nature of the One who has the snake

AdiSeshan as His bed, His ornaments are innumerable; His nAma-s signifying His

auspicious qualities such as j~nAna, Sakti, vIrya, etc., are also numerous; His

divine forms such as the matsya, kUrma, varAha, etc., are also numerous; the

objects that He has created for enjoyment in these different incarnations, such

as milk, butter, etc., are also many; the types of knowledge that He has

created, such as the knowledge of medicine, yoga, grammar, etc., are also

countless. The diversity of extensions of His attributes is beyond description.

What a great wonder!

 

SvAmi deSikan presents the trait of BhagavAn that supports His guNam of svApti

muditatvam in this pASuram as ‘naika bhUshAdi dRSyam’ – He presents

Himself in various divine forms with a variety of beautiful ornaments and

numerous auspicious qualities to the devotee and makes Himself intensely

likable. In other words, BhagavAn presents Himself as a ParipUrNan – perfect

in all respects, when He intermingles with AzhvAr, and AzhvAr in turn is

delighted that BhagavAn is happy when He unites with His devotee.

 

SrI PBA refers us to PeriyAzhvAr’s pASuram describing ths variety of

decorations of PerumAL – naika bhUshAdi dRSyam.

 

Se~Nkamalak kazhalil SiRRidazh pOl viralil

SOdigaL AzhigaLum kiN kiNiyum araiyil

ta~Ngiya pon vaDamum tALa nan mAduLaiyin

pUvoDu pon maNiyum mOdiramum kiRiyum

ma~Ngala aimpaDaiyum tOL vaLaiyum kuzhaiyum

makaramum vALigaLum SuTTiyum ottilaga

e~NgaL kuDikkaraSE!…

(periyAzhvAr 1.6.10)

 

“Your feet are like the lotus flowers; the fingers of Your feet are like the

lotus petals; the bracelets, the waist band, the rings decorating Your fingers,

the coral strands, the decorations on Your shoulders, the beautiful ear-rings,

the decoration in Your forehead, all shine beautifully…

 

EmperumAnAr describes BhagavAn’s multitude of ornaments in his SaraNAgati

gadyam. :

 

‘KirITa makuTa cUDAvatamsa makara kuNDala graiveyaka hAra keyUra kaTaka

SrIvatsa kaustubha muktAdamodara bandhana pItAmbara kA~ncIguNa nUpurAdyaparimita

divya bhUshaNa…’ – ‘Oh NArAYANa! You are decorated with all kinds of

ornaments such as the Crown bearing the central diadem of lustrous stone, other

head ornaments, ear ornaments, necklaces, and other neck ornaments, garlands,

shoulder-bracelets, bracelets in the hands, SrIvatsa and kaustubha, pearl

garlands, waistlets, lace cloths, gold waist band, and leg ornaments and others

precious and innumerable’.

 

· pASuram 2.5.7:

 

pAmbaNai mEl pARkaDaluL paLLi amarndaduvum

kAmbaNai tOL pinnaikkA EruDan Ezh SeRRaduvum

tEmbaNaiya SOlai marAmaram Ezh eydaduvum

pUmbaNaiya taN tuzhAip pon muDi am pOrERE.

 

pAl kaDaluL pAmbaNai mEl paLLi amarndaduvum kAmbu aNai tOL pinnaikkAi Ezh Eru

uDan SeRRaduvum tEmbaNaiya SOlai marAmaram Ezh eydaduvum pUmpiNaiya taN tuizhAi

pon muDi ampOr ErERE – My Lord is the same one who presents Himself like a

ferocious bull ready to knock out anything that opposes it ; He is the same One

who wears the fragrant, cool tulasi on His golden crown, is reclining on the

AdiSeshan in the Milky Ocean for the protection of all, destroyed the seven

wild bulls for the sake of nappinnai, and pierced all seven huge trees with one

arrow to please sugrIvan.

AzhvAr’s anubhavam is that BhagavAn performs all these feats just for

endearing Himself to AzhvAr.

 

SvAmi DeSikan describes the bhagavad guNam central to this pASuram as

‘prakhyAta prIti leelam – He who is full of many famous sports that are

motivated by His desire to please His devotee as part of His leelA (prakhyAta

– famous; prIti leelam – His famous sports that are meant to please His

devotee). It should be noted that all these leelA’s of BhagavAn are a resu;lt

of His prIti – affection and attachment – to His devotees.

 

 

· pASuram 2.5.8:

 

pon muDi ampOreRRai emmAnai nAl taDam tOL

tan muDivu onRillAda taN tuzhAi mAlaiyanai

en muDivu kANAdE ennuL kalandAnai

Sol muDivu kANEn nAn Solluvadu en SollIrE.

 

I cannot describe through words the sauSIlyam of my Lord who wears the beautiful

golden crown on His head, who is invincible by anyone, with His four broad

shoulders, and decorated with the cool and fragrant tulasi garlands, and yet

with all His greatness on one side, He chooses to mingle with me who is the

lowliest of lowly beings, without the least hesitation, and enjoys every bit of

this union with me.

 

SvAmi DeSikan describes the bhagavad guNam sung in the pASuram as ‘durabhilapa

rasam’ – He who gives delight beyond description to the devotee - ‘Sol

muDivu kANEn nAn’ (abhilapa – description; durabhilapa – beyond

description). SrI UV points out that the idea conveyed here – that

BhagavAn’s guNam, His beauty, His sauSIyam, etc., are all beyond description

through words – is the same thought that is expressed in the kenopanishad

mantra - ‘na vidmo na vijAnImo yathaitadanuSishyAt (1.3) ‘We do not know

Brahman fully as such. We are not aware how it can be taught, (as it cannot be

known by external or internal sense organ). The taittirIya Upanishad mantra –

yato vAco nivartante aprApya manasA saha’ also conveys the same thought.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

To be continued