Unlocking The Values 40

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PeriyavAchAn piLLai's vyAkyAnic Prowess.

 

The Proof of the pudding is in eating and the greatness of vyAkyAnam-s is in the contents.The analytical process in the vyAkyAnam-s of our pUrvAchAryas is the fulcrum on which the whole commenatries stand. The TirunedunthANtakam vyAkyAnam by Sri PeriyavAchAn pILLai is magnum opus, of we had just scratched the surface.

 

One could observe from the fourth pAsuram vyAkyAnam the following.

 

The King of commenatators goes beyond meanings and explains and corroborates by probing quesitons and analysis.

 

Let us have a small recap.

 

1. the first line -indhirarkkum biramaRkkum- a. Why Indhra is mentioned first and why not BrhamA?

b.Why Rudran is not mentioned here?

c. Why the suffix 'ar' is given.

 

a. BrhamA is as equal to Indrha insofar as Supremacy of Emepruman is concerned; b. BrahmA and indrA include Rudran and there is no need to mention RudrA explicitly. c. The suffix 'ar' is not given out of respect .

(Unlocking the vlaues 34)

 

2. iru nilam kAl thE nEr viN bHUdham aindhAi- EmperumAn being into the pancha bHudham is metioned by AzvAr.

a. Why in this order of earth, wind, fire,water and AkASam. Why not in the order of creation? b. Why first deities is mentioned and these are mentioned next.Why not pancha bHudhams first and Supremacy over deities later?

 

a. The earth being stable is mentioned first.b. The merits/demerits of wind fire and water being common are then taken up later and AkASam encompassing the whole - is taken up finally. This is the logic of this order.

 

b. There is doubt over Supremacy of other deities.Therefore, this is dispelled first. Since, such kind of doubts does not generally exist regarding pancha bHudhams -this is mentioned later

(Unlokcing Values 35)

 

3.Sen ThiRatha Thamizh OSai - Next AzvAr specifies that EmperumAn is in the prime languages of The classical divine Tamil and sanksrit.

 

a. Why should tamil be mentioned first in preference to sanksrit ?

 

1. Since anyabody can study it (sarvAdhikAram) 2. It gives out Great Secrets with clarity. 3. This is also a pramANam and 4. this is the filed of AzVAr.

 

( Unlocking The values 36)

 

4. Next AzvAr mentions that Even dhEVAs cannot realise EmperumAn-antharathil DEvarKKum aRiyal AGA andhananai

 

 

a. Why the word 'dhEvarkkum' -even dhEvas?

 

It is becasue they possess better knowledge and power.Even those who possess superior gnAna sakthikaL cannot understand HIm.

 

b. Who is andhanaN? A pure one. Why not Brhamin ?

 

Here , the context is talking about Surpemacy and omnipresence. Despite being indweller of one and all, the defects do not touch Him. Therefore, the term puritatan is given.

(Unlocking The Values 37)

 

5. Tirumangai AzvAr counsels to his mind not to forget and cherish the Lord.

 

a.Does the materiliastic and other desire in AzvAr surfaces?

 

No. AzvAr had crossed those stages long back and this is the ifnal stage, in fact the stage of upEyam and therefore the thought of thinking EmperumAn as means should be forgotten.

 

( Unlocking The Values 38)

 

6. manthirathAl - Azvar recommends the mind to cherish the Lord with Thirumanthriam rather than with upanishads or idishAsa purANam.

 

A.why does the word manthiram means 'Thirumanthiram'

 

A. Though there are thousands of ThirunAmam-s of EmperumAn, in this pAsuram context the vyApaka manthiram is relevant - the manthram which exactly

mirrors His omnipresence and indwelling nature.

 

This is the Periya Thirumanthiram and more so becasue Kaliyan had realised this at the outset from none other than the Lord Himself.

 

(Unlocking The Values 39)

 

Thus, we had immersed ourselves in a few droplets of the mammoth commenatary ocean of Sri PeriyavAchAn piLLai in whihc he goes beyond just meanings but proves the interpretations beyond doubts.

 

( to be continued)

 

dasan

vanamamalai padmanabhan