AcArya rAmAmRtam - (from SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA dt. August 08 Part 3)

[Guest guest]

SrIH

SrImate ra’ngarAmAnuja MahA deSikAya namaH

SrImate SrInivAsa rAmAnuja MahA deSikAya namaH

SrImate VedAnta rAmAnuja MahA deSikAya namaH

SrI ra’nganAtha divya maNi pAdukAbhyAm namaH

 

AcArya rAmAmRtam - (from SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA dt. August 08 Part 3)

 

English Translation of

SrImad rAmAyaNa upanyAsam in tamizh by SrImad tirukkuDandai ANDavan

 

As published in SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA by

SrI u.ve. nATTEri KiDAmbi rAjagopAlAcAriyAr (Editor of SrI ra’nganAtha

pAdukA)

 

(Please set your encoding to Unicode UTF-8)

SrImad ANDavan tiruvaDi,

kalyANi kRshNamAcAri

=====================================

SrImad tirukkuDandai ANDavan’s SrImad rAmAyaNa upanyAsam

 

gacchhatA mAtula kulaM bharatena tadA'naghaH |

 

In addition to the term ‘Satrughna’, vAlmIki has added the term ‘nitya

Satrughna’. anitya Satru-s are the ones that are outside our body. nitya

Satru-s are the ones that are in our body. The five senses are called nitya

Satru-s (enemies).

 

oruvarkkARRi uyyum vagai inRAl

uDan ninRa aivar ennuL pugundu ozhiyAdu

aruvit tinRiDa anji nin aDaindEn

azhundUr mEl tiSai ninRa ammAnE ! (periya tiru.. 7.7.1)

 

[tirumangai AzhvAr says that he is afraid of the havoc that the five senses

cause by preventing him from attaining BhagavAn, and so he is running to Him and

seeking His protection from the five senses].

 

Since Satrughna vanquished the nitya Satru-s - the senses like eye, ear etc, he

became nitya Satrughna; he is doing kaimkaryam to bharata by not even getting

distracted by looking at rAma. So, when bharata left, Satrughna also left.

This first Slokam [gachhatA mAtula kulam] in ayodhyA kANDam is held in great

esteem by SrIvaishNava-s because it stresses the importance of bhAgavata

Seshatvam..

 

It is not even necessary to pray to perumAL; even though that is considered a

good deed, since it is in the way of attaining the desired purushArtham –

bhAgavata kaimkaryam, they say perumAL kaimkaryam is not needed.

 

Everyone wants to do good deeds and go to heaven. They do ya~jnams and yAgams

so that they can go to svargam. Even that good deed is branded ‘sin’ by us,

vedAnti-s. We do not want the good deeds that will lead us to heaven –

svargam and not to SrIvaikuNTham, and we don’t want to commit sins that will

lead us to narakam - hell. We have to give up both the good deeds and sin in

order to attain salvation - moksham.

 

In rahasyatryasAram, SvAmi deSikan says – ponnum irumbumAna iru vilangugaLai

veTTi.[niryANAdhikAram Sec. 3]. When we commit a sin, it tortures us by

throwing us in hell; if we do a good deed, it opens heaven - svargam to us [and

not to SrI vaikuNTham]. Both are obstacles for total liberation - moksham. So,

what is the difference if it is either?

 

Does it matter if a prisoner in jail is bound by an iron chain or a golden

chain?

 

kasmai svadeta sukha sa~ncaraNotsukAya

kArAgRhe kanaka SR~Nkhalay’Api bandhaH |

 

deSikan tells devap perumAL:

 

sadyaH tyajanti varada! tvayi baddhabhAvAH

paitAmahAdishu padeshvapi bhAvabandham |

kasmai svadeta sukha sa~ncaraNotsukAya

kArAgRhe kanaka SR~nkhalayA’pi bandhaH || (varadarAja pancAsat. 29)

 

In varadarAja pancASat, SrI nigamAnta mahAdeSikan prays to SrI varadarAjan and

says – “varada! My Father! When a devotee worships You with love - sadyaH

tvajanti varada! tvayi baddhabhAvAH – Hey varada! The bhAgavata-s who

prostrate before You and surrender their minds to You will decline even the post

of brahmA if You offer it to them.â€

 

paitAmahAdishu padeshvapi bhAvabandham sadyaH tyajanti

 

Those who worship varadarAjan in kAncipuram with full concentration of their

minds will not even take brahmA’s post if it is offered.

 

Why? Can’t one be brahmA?

 

kasmai svadeta sukha sancaraNotsukAya

kArAgRhe kanaka SRnkhalay’Api bandhaH |

 

What a Slokam!

 

Will a person who wants to roam around happily want to be in a jail even though

he may be bound by a golden chain? For one who wants to keep walking freely -

sukha sancaraNotsukAya kanaka SRnkalay’Api bandhaH.

 

Thus we group all the titles such as brahmA’s post, and all acts such as

ya~jnam, yAgam etc that will bestow wealth and comfort of all kinds on us, into

the ‘sin’ category. Just like that, Satrughna said ‘no’ to bhagavad

sevai because it would come in the way of his performing kaimkaryam to a

bhAgavata (bharata) – anaghaH.

 

gacchhatA mAtula kulaM bharatena tadA'naghaH |

 

anaghaH – one without any blemish. What blemish? Kaimkaryam to rAma.

 

If he does sevai to rAma, he will keep going after Him. rAma will totally

enchant him. Then he will end up doing kaimkaryam only to Him. There will be

no bhAgavata kaimkaryam. Our highest goal has to be bhAgavata kaimkaryam.

 

kaN SOra ve~Nkurudi vandizhiya ventazhal pOl kUndalALai

maN SEra mulaiyuNDa mAmadalAi vAnavar tam kOvE enRu

viN cErum iLam ti~NgaL agaDurinju maNimADa malgu Selvat

taN cERai emperumAn tAL tozhuvAr kANmin en talaimElArE (periya tiru. 7.4.1)

 

PerumAL kept His divine foot on tirumangaiyAzhvAr’s head. The latter said,

“I do not want your tiruvaDiâ€. “I did not ask for this tiruvaDi! taN

cERai emperumAn tAL tozhuvAr kANmin en talaimElArE – there is a divya dEsam

called ‘tiruccErai’. “I asked for the tiruvaDi of the devotees who pray to

the perumAL of that divya dEsam. Oh, God, why did You keep Your foot on my

head?â€

 

AzhvAr is declining even perumAL’s divine feet on his head.

 

Why? Because, he wants only bhAgavatas’ feet on his head.

 

ampuruva vari neDumkaN alarmagaLai varaiyakalattamarndu mallal

komburuva viLankanimEl iLankanru koNDaRinda kUttar pOlAm

vambalarum taNcOlai vaNcERai vAnundu kOyil mEya

emperumAn tAL tozhuvAr eppozhudum en manattE irukinRArE! (periya tiru.7.4.2)

 

It is the bhAgavata-s who pray to this tiruccERai perumAL’s tiruvaDi who

occupy my mind always!

 

mIdODi vALeyiRu minnilaga mun vilagum uruvinAnai

kAdODu koDi mUkkanRuDanaRutta kaittalattA enRu ninRu

tAdODu vaNDalambum taNcERai emperumAn tALai Etti

pOdODu punal tUvum puNNiyarE viNNavaril poliginRArE! (periya tiru.7.4.3)

 

What AzhvAr is asking for are the sacred feet of those bhAgavata-s. AzhvAr

says: “I yearn for the tiruvaDi of bhAgavata-s who do ArAdhanam – worship -

of perumAL, giving Him arghyam, pAdyam, AcamanIyam and worship Him with

flowers.â€

 

vandikkum maRRavarkkum mASuDambin vallamaNar tamakum allEn

andic cenRariyuruvAi iraNiyanai muraNazhitta mudalvarkkallAl

candappU malarc cOlait taN cErai emperumAn tALai, nALum

cindippArkku ennuLLam tEnURi eppozhudum tittikkumE (periya tiru. 7.4.5)

 

“Only those bhAgavata-s, not emperumAn, is holding the attention in my

mind.â€

 

candappU malarc cOlait taN cErai emperumAn tALai, nALum

cindippArkku ennuLLam tEnURi eppozhudum tittikkumE

 

AzhvAr says – “When I think about the devotees who worship perumAL, my mind

can taste that sweetness. It is like eating alvA/ bAdAm alvA/wheat alvA!â€

 

But when we look at bhAgavata-s, we experience a burning stomach. “How long

is this person going to live! What is the scoop on that!†(AcAryar laughs

slightly).

 

tErALun vALarakkan tennilangai vencamattu ponRi vIzha

pOrALum SilaiyadanAl porukaNaigaL pOkka vittAiyenRu nALum

tArALum varaimArban taNcERai emperumAn umbarALum

pErALan pErOdum periyOrai oru kAlum pirigilEnE (periya tiru. 7.4.4)

 

AzhvAr’s pASuram-s are full of alliteration - if he starts a sentence with a

word beginning with ‘pa’, he will use the other words in the same sentence

with ‘pa’; if he starts with ‘ta’, he will use the other words with

‘ta’ [e.g., last quarter in above pASuram – pErALan pErOdum periyOrai

pirigilEnE.]

 

pErALan pErOdum periyOrai oru kAlum pirigilEnE! “I will never be separated

from the bhAgavata-s who keep chanting that emperumAn’s tirunAmams, even for a

single day.’

 

paNDu EnamAi ulagai anRiDanda paNbALA enRu ninRu

toNDAnEn tiruvaDiyE tuNai allAl tuNai ilEn SolluginREn

vaNDEndum malarppuRavil vaNcERai emperumAn aDiyAr tammai

kaNDEnukku idu kANIr en ne~njam kaNNiNaiyum kaLikkumARE

(periya

tiru. 7.4.2)

 

AzhvAr says: “I seek only the tiruvaDi of bhAgavata-s; they are very

special.’

 

If we enjoy servitude to bhAgavata, is the enjoyment of servitude to bhagavAn

going to be any better?

 

One may ask: “PerumAL rules over yamadharmarAjan and gets rid of our sins.

Can bhAgavata-s do that?â€

 

uNNAdu venkURRam OvAdu pAvangaL SErA mElai viNNArum

maNNOrum vandirainjum men taLir pOl aDiyinAnai

paNNAra vaNDiyambum paimpozil Suzh taN cERai ammAn tannai

kaNNArak kaNDurugik kaiyArat tozhuvAraik karudum kalE

(periya tiru. 7.4.8)

 

All the songs are extraordinary songs. “I do not need tEpperumAL or any other

perumAL…†(loud laughter in the audience). What? Did I mention your

perumAL’s name! (audience laughs again). AzhvAr says the sacred feet of

those bhAgavata-s who worship that tEpperumAL is enough for him. kaNNArak

kaNDurugik kaiyArat tozhivAraik karudum kAlE, uNNAdu venkURRam OvAdu pAvangaL

SerA. These devotees pray to this emperumAn with tears in the eyes –

 

bhUyo bhUyaH pulakanicitaiH angakaiH edhamAnAH

sthUlasthUlAn nayanamukuLaiH bibhrato bAshpabindUn |

dhanyAH kecit varada! bhavataH samsadam bhUshayantaH

svAntaiH antarvinaya nibhRtaiH svAdayante padam te || (varadarAja pancAsat. 45)

 

AzhvAr says he does not need tEpperumAL. He wants only His devotees, whose

hairs stand on their ends when they worship Him - bhUyo bhUyaH pulaganicitaiH

angakaiH edhamAnAH. Because of dEvap perumAL’s extremely beautiful sevai and

His exquisite charm and His divine acts, their hairs stand on their ends.

 

sthUlasthUlAn nayanamukuLaiH bibhrato bAshpabindUn - Tears roll down from their

eyes like a stream when they enjoy emperumAn.

 

dhanyAH kecit varada! bhavataH samsadam bhUshayantaH

 

AzhvAr says – it is enough for me if I get these kind of blessed bhAgavata-s;

I do not need perumAL. kaNNArak kaNDurugik kaiyArat tozhivAraik karudum kAlE.

 

If one asks: “What will you do when yama (God of death) comes tomorrow and

pulls you?â€, the answer is: uNNAdu venkURRam – yama will not harm those who

worship bhAgavata-s. He will not even come anywhere near.

 

To the argument – “Sin may attach to us; don’t we need perumAL to remove

our sins? - even ‘sin’ will not come near.

 

paNNAra vaNDiyambum paimpozil Suzh taN cERai ammAn tannai

kaNNArak kaNDurugik kaiyArat tozhivAraik karudum kale – pAva~Ngal SerA.

 

BhagavAn asks: “Then what do you need?†The answer is: “We only need

bhAgavata-s’ blessings; we need their prasAdam - grace; we do not need

perumAL.â€

 

Devotees ask deSikan what he will ask if perumAL comes in person before him. He

says he will not ask for anything.

 

“Will you ask for wealth?â€

“No.â€

“Will you ask for wealth in this world?â€

“No. I will not ask for heavenly wealth. I will not ask for brahmaloka’s

wealth. I will not opt for the post of brahmA. I will not even ask for

salvation. “

 

nAthe naH tRNam anyadanyadapi vA tannAbhi nAlIkinI

nAlIka spRhaNIya saurabhamucA vAcA na yAcAmahe |

SuddhAnAm tu labhemahi sthiradhiyAm SuddhAnta siddhAntinAm

muktaiSvarya dinaprabhAta samayAsattim prasattim muhuH ||

(rahasyatrayasAram –

16.37)

 

Look at how great a Slokam this is. Very rare one – from SrI rahasya traya

sAram.

 

nAthe naH tRNam anyat anyat api vA – When enquired as to what he will ask

perumAL, he says, “I will not ask for these tRNam-s - small pieces of strawâ€

Will anyone ask for a piece of straw?

 

In deSikan’s dictionary, tRNam is same as wealth. He considers wealth as a

piece of hay - straw.

 

nAthe naH tRNam anyat – And, another one; I will not ask for the wealth of

deva lokam – the world of the deva-s.

 

anyat – and then, there is another one. I will not ask for the post of

brahmA.

 

What is the other one? api – I will not ask for kaivalyam;. Another one; vA

– I will not ask for moksham also.

 

[Notice that he does not say the words ‘brahma lokam, kaivalyam, moksham,

etc., explicitly!] Can’t he even say these words with his mouth?

 

He says it is sin to say that word. Why? “Will I ask for it with my

mouth?â€

tannAbhi nALIkinI nALIka spRhaNIya saurabhamucA vAcA na yAcAmahe !

 

The lotus flower that came out of perumAL’s navel did not have enough

fragrance. The flower attempted to find if some fragrance can be borrowed from

anywhere in the fourteen worlds; it was not found; finally, it came to tUppul

deSikan and asked him, “Lend me the fragrance of your Slokamâ€, and went away

taking that. Even the flower from perumAL’s navel did not possess the

fragrance of svAmi deSikan’s Slokam!

 

That is why this svAmi (AcAryan points to one of the svAmi-s in the audience) is

doing kaimkaryam to deSikan.

 

tannAbhi nALIkinI nALIka spRhaNIya saurabhamucA vAcA na yAcAmahe !

 

“I will not ask for anything with my mouth with my Slokam which has the

fragrance that is desired by even the lotus from perumAL’s navelâ€.

 

“Then, what will you ask for?â€

 

SuddhAnAm tu labhemahi sthiradhiyAm SuddhAnta siddhAntinAm

muktaiSvarya dinaprabhAta samayAsattim prasattim muhuH ||

 

antaH purasiddhAntam – a rAja mahishi – queen in the inner quarters of a

king – will not look at anybody else. Like that, I only need the prasAdam –

grace - of the bhAgavata-s who do not worship anyone other than dEvapperumAL.

I do not need anything else.

 

SuddhAnAm tu labhemahi sthiradhiyAm SuddhAnta siddhAntinAm

 

Those who are in SuddhAnta siddhAntam – dedicated to worshipping only BhagavAn

and no one else, those who say that even in arcAvatAram, they will not worship

any other perumAL, prasAsdam – blessing from only those bhAgavata-s is what he

seeks; so says svAmi deSikan. So,

 

gacchhatA mAtula kulaM bharatena tadA'naghaH |

Satrughno nityaSatrughno nItaH prItipuraskRtaH ||

 

===========

(End of translation of AcArya rAmAmRtam as it appeared in the August 2008

issue of SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA)

 

To be continued …..