num pANan Thirunakshathram

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrimathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all

 

Kaartthikai Rohini- ThiruppaNAzhwAr Thirunakshtharm.

 

Let us meditate on the Lotus Feet of Sriya: pathih Sriman Narayanan and

pay obeisance to our Dearest AzhwAr ThiruppANAzhwAr, whose

Thirunakshathram (Birthday) is today. He needs no introduction to our

group of BhAgawathAs.

 

Let us enjoy His anubhavam of the Lord’s Lotus Feet. Let us enjoy an

interesting write up by none other than His Holiness Srimath Prakritham

Azhaigiya Singar from June 97 Nrisimhapriya issue) ( I am not capable of writing

the translation of Azhagiyasingar’s writings at all! What I jot down the

extract - a little portion here- is all that I grasped and could get them

drilled into my head only!)

 

Emeperumaan’s Lotus Feet have been described and enjoyed by all our

PoorvAchAryAs. In Amalanaadhipiraan, ThiruppANAzhwAr starts from the

Lotus Feet. He enjoys each and every a~ngam of the Lord in his ten

pAsurams, and has been enjoyed by Periyavaacchaan PiLLai, Azhaigiya

MaNavaaLa perumAL Naayanaar, Swami Desikan et al in their commentaries

on this lovely Prabhandham.

 

Generally, the Paramaikaanthins start from the Feet to the Crown; while

the Ekaanthins start from the Head to the Feet, as BrahmA did during his

asvamEtha yaagham.

 

1. It is told by Poorvacharyas that ThirppANAzhwAr started singing the ten

pAsurams (while he was being carried by LokasAranghamuni on his

shoulders, on his way to Sri RanganAthan sannidhi.) and he finished his

tenth inside the sanctum sanctorum, and united with the Lord.

 

2. The Lotus flower, blooms only during certain occasions; depending on the

climate, the time (daytime); some days, it remains fresh; then it loses its

freshness. But this Lotus of our Lord - the Feet never gets such dhOshams. When

the Lord knew that AzhwAr had already started his course and is on his way,

singing, the Lotus automatically became fully bloomed and became more fresh. It

(the Feet) did not feel like waiting for the AzhwAr to come. It started going

towards him and went straight to him. AzhwAr, when he saw the Lotus Feet,

(mentally ) approaching him, he, out of his naicchiyam and humility, felt

ashamed and closed his eyes to avoid spoiling such Lotus Feet and the Beauty

(not to cast his evil eye on that Lotus Feet).

 

3. But what happened? The Lotus Feet, did not wish to leave the AzhwAr’s eye

sight and hence went into his eyes and showed Their Beauty! (adadaa! Parama

kripai of Emperumaan! How Great the AzhwAr is! ) “Thirukkamala paadham vandhu

en kaNNinuLLana okkinRadhEâ€â€¦ vandhu…. en…. KaNNinuLLana….

OkkinRadhE…. (I will not translate further and spoil its beauty!- )

 

4. What is so great about Thiruvadi (lotus Feet)? They have both

bhAvanam (the ability to alleviate the dhOshams of those who pay

obeisance to Them) and bhOgyathvam (the ability to offer the delicious

sweetness to those who see and enjoy Them and pay obeisance to Them). No single

thing in the world is both tasty and has medicinal value. Only

the Lotus Feet of Emperumaan has both aspects.

 

5. Swami Desikan, in his many slOkAs, have enjoyed the Beauty of the Lotus Feet.

PeriyAzhwAr says : At Aayarpaadi everywhere one can see on the ground, the marks

of Sanghu and ChakrA (the marks on each sole of Lord’s Lotus Feet), since

Kutti KaNNan walked His “thaLar nadaiâ€

everywhere having His Lovely footprints (with sanghu and chakrA). Also

he explains, as YashOdhA, the ten fingers of Kutti KaNNan shine as if

they are impregnated with Pearls, diamonds, Emerald stones, etc..

 

6. And These Lotus Feet are not just bhOgyam for THiruppANAzhwAr, Swami Desikan

and Acharyas alone; They are for our enjoyment, too! Not just that. Even

Emperumaan is perplexed as to why all these devotees and BhAgawathAs look mostly

at My Feet and enjoy. What is so special at My Feet? He wonders and what does He

do? Kutti KaNNan takes the Lotus Feet and the pearl like shining fingers, with

both of His cute short lovely Hands, and TRIES TO PUT IN ALL THE TOE FINGERS IN

HIS RED CORAL LIPPED “PavaLa cchevaay†and Kovvaipaazha idazh†(bimbhA

fruit like lips).

 

PeriyAzhwAr says: pEthaik kuzhavi pidiithuch chuvaiithu uNNum paadha

kamalangaLâ€â€¦ “VedAs say “VishNO: PadhE paramE madhva uthsE…â€

“thEnE

malarum thiruppaadham….

 

7. Thus His Lotus Feet are the BhOgyam for Him and for us. WE ARE ALL BORN IN

THIS SRIVAISHNAVA KULAM ONLY TO _ REPEAT ONLY TO _ ENJOY HIM.

 

Let us pay our obeisance to ThiruppANAzhwAr who has sung such lovely

deep pAsurams enjoying the Beauty of Emperumaan, and to our Jeer who has

highlighted this first pAsuram so beautifully.

 

Sri Satakopan Swami further adds beautifully: Srimath Azhgiyasingar's postings

in Nrusimha priyA magazine on the " Sukavi Sookthi " of ThiruppANar.

 

Swami Sri Desikan described the AzhwAr's prabhandham as

" Sukavi Sookti " and was so moved by it that he wrote a 60 plus

palm leaves long commentary on the these uniquely

beautiful 10 paasurams that celebrate the Sarvanga Soundharyam

and the anantha kalyANa guNams of NamperumAL .

 

I will focus on Swami Sri Desikan's summary

of the extraordinary meanings embedded in this most

magnificient first paasuram . Swami Sri Desikan in his rahasya

grantham , Muni Vaahana BhOgam , picks out 15 of the limitless

auspicious attributes of Sri RangaanthA and instructs us on

the high point of each of these 15 kalyANa guNAs . I will

focus on this area of the anubhavam of Swami Sri Desikan

on this glorious day .

 

The FIFTEEN GUNAAS for Sri Ranganaathan picked out by

ThiruppANar according to Swami Desikan are :

 

1. Moksha Pradhathvam/samsAra VinAsanam ( Conferral of Moksham

and there by freeing us from the recurring cycles of births

and deaths.Conferral of the boon of Nithya Kaimkaryam to Him

and His consort in paramapadham .

 

2. Jagath Kaaranathvam :Being fundametally responsible for

the creation , protection and the dissolution of the Universe .

Being the sole cause of all chEthanams and AchEthanams

and not being supported by any other entity or principle

regarding His Jn~Anam and sakthi .

 

3. SaraNyathvam :Being the SaraNyan (refuge) for those , who

surrender to Him through the AchArya Mukha Prapatthi or the other

three types of prapatthi .Assuring everyone that seek Him that

there is no need to look for others to protect them .

 

4. UpakArathva Kaashtai : Helping His BhakthAs and coming to

their rescue without hesitation on Kshudra VyAjam ( very little

effort) and making Himself the object of our enjoyment inspite of

His unimaginably lofty status as Ubhaya VibhUthi nAthan ( Lord of

Nithya and LeelA vibhUthi).Even after this extraordinary help , our

Lord feels that He is indebted forever to His bhakthAs because of

His inability to give even more than what He has blessed us with

(viz)., Moksham .

 

5.KrupA Kaashtai : Unique and incomparable Mercy (KaruNai )

for even those , who commit unspeakable offenses and yet saving

them .This arises from His saraNAgatha Rakhaka Vratham that

led Him to say that he will offer protection to even RaavaNA , if

he sought His refuge and gave up his ill deeds .Through

the small act (kashaNa Karthavyam )of Prapatthi , He is able

to give the huge boon of residence in Sri Vaikuntam .After that

granting of the boon , the Lord feels uncomfortable still

over the thought that He has nothing more to give .

 

6.SvAthanthrya Kaashtai : Ability to elvate those ,

whom He wants to bless and protecting them

in that status against anybody's efforts

to counter what He established through His samkalpam .

 

7. NirdhOshathva Kaashtai: Being forever blemishless (amalathvam).

Even if He has affiliation to the blemish-containing entities that

causes every one Aj~Nam and Dukkham , He does not incur any

Aj~nam or Dukkham . The classic Upanishadic passage of the two

birds sitting on the branch of the same tree with one experiencing

false Knowledge and sorrows and the other not subject to these

experiences .

 

8.Swaamithva Kaashtai or Being the supreme Lord of Every one

including Brahman , Indran and all the others .

 

9.Soulabhya Kaashtai : ease of access , Bhaktha Sulabhan .

He permits even those , who want to go away because of the

fear of His grandeur to approach Him comfortably .

 

10. Sousselya Kaashtai :Lowering Himself to the level of

even those , who doubt His Lordship (Isavarathvam ) and

taking the trouble to answering them and keeping them

in His fold .

 

11. Vaathsalya Kaashtai: Out of His limitless affection

for His dearest BhakthAs , he ignores their occasioanl

trespasses and continues to look after their yoga KshEmam .

 

12. Parama PrApyathva Kaashtai: Being the sole object of

attainment as parama PurushArtham .

 

13. Aasritha PakshapAtha Kaashtai: Being Sarva VarNa samanan

( equal of approach to all four VarNams ), He blesses those ,

who seek refuge in Him by cancelling anything countering His

sankalpam to protect His BhakthAs ).This arises from His

predisposition (pakshapAtham ) to those, who sought His

protection (aasrithAL) .

 

14.BhOgyathva Kaashtai: Conferring the sweetness of

the enjoyment of His soundharyam .

 

15.ayathna BhOgyathva Kaashtai : Blessing capacity to

let one enjoy Him without the intercession of the Indriyams .

His svAbhavika anubhAvyathvam is referred to here .Just

as the breeze carries the fragrance of the flowers , He comes in

an unbanishable way and lets our eyes enjoy His holy feet

without satiety .

 

All these 15 kalyANa guNams are celebrated in the very

first verse of AmalanAdhipirAn Sri Sookthi according to

Swami Sri Desikan .

 

At the very beginning , Swami Desikan states that he wishes

to comment on the Sri Sookthi of ThiruppANar , the poet

with auspicious attributes .He decribes the AzhwAr ,

who rode on the back of Loka Saaranga Muni (Muni Vaahana

BhOgar ) as " Mudhitha Mukunda VilOkanar " or the One , who was

intent on having the Sevai of the Lord of Srirangam , who in turn

is elated to see His BhakthAs .Swami says that he is commenting

on this extraordinary Sri Sookthi brimming with Bhaavam

and Bhakthi for the enjoyment of the BhagavathOtthamAs ,

who have controlled their senses (Indriyams) to have

the Bhagyam of the sEvai of Lord RanganathA .The slokam is

as follows :

 

vyachikyAsathi BhakthyA viraktha-thOshayA VenaktEsa Kavi :

Mudhitha Mukundha vilOkana MunivAhana Sukavi Sookthim imAm

 

Swami points out the uniqueness of this prabhandham of

ThiruppANar among all the other divya Prabhandhams . He

says that The AmalanaadhipirAn Sri Sookthi is not too

long ( athi vistharam ) , not too short (athi sankOcham ) ,

not generating any doubts ( SamsayAthi Janakathvam ) ,

Sorrow due to separation from the Lord as Naayikai (Viraha KlEsam),

Sending of messengers to plead the case to unite the Jeevan

with the Lord (DhUtha prEkshaNam ) , instructions to others

(parOpadEsam ) and crticism of the other mathams (Para-Matha

nirasanam ).IT IS JUST FULL OF BHAGAVADH ANUBHAVA GHANA RASAM

( the rich delight arising from the total enjoyment of

the Lord's soundharyam and kalyAna guNAs ). All the ten

paasurams of this AdhyAthma Prabhandham thus differ from

the aruLic cheyalkaL of other AzhwArs according to

Swami Sri Desikan .

 

At the end of his commetary on this rahasya grantham ,

Swami Desikan describes the nature of the Azhwaar and

the object of his love , Sri Ranganathan this way :

 

AzhwAr : aadhi marai yena Ongum arangathuLLE

aruL aarum kadalaik kaNdavan yenn PaaNan

 

Swami salutes with affection the Sukavi as " Yenn PaaNan "

(My ThiruppANAzhwAr ). He describes further about the object

of PaaNan's reverential salutation as the Lord of Srirangam

resting under the PraNavAkAra VimAnam , the ocean of mercy ,

Sri RanganAthan .

 

About the quintessence of the Prabhandham , Swami Desikan

states :

 

vEdiyar taam viritthuraikkum viLaivukellAm

vidhai aahum ithu yenru viLampinOmE

 

This prabhandham is the seed for all what VedanthIs

elaborate as the fruits of BrahmOpAsanam .

 

Swami goes onto say that the ten paasurams of

ThiruppANar as " pazha maRayin poruL " ( the meaning

of ancient VedAs ).

 

Swami Desikan concludes his commentary with a

beautiful palasruthi slOkam :

 

MunivAhana bhOgOyam mukthaisvarya rasOpama:

krupayA RanganAthasya kruthArthAyathu na: sadhA

 

(Meaning ) : This rahasya grantham ( MunivAhana BhOgam )

is equal in anubhavam to the BrahmAnandha Rasam enjoyed

by the Muktha Jeevans in parama Padham . May this make all

of the readers krutha Kruthya:( the ones , who realized

the object of their desires) through the mercy of

Lord RanganAthA

 

Thanks to Sri Satakopan Swami for his permission to share his post.

 

AzhwAr ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Regards

namo narayana

dAsan