tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 32, Slokam 15 Part 3, svApadeSam for tiruvAimozhi 1.4 contd.

[Guest guest]

SrImate ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH. tAtparya ratnAvaLi -

Submission 32, Slokam 15 Part 3, svApadeSam for tiruvAimozhi 1.4 contd. svApadeSam for tiruvAimozhi 1.4.5: "nalgittAn kAttaruLi" pASuram: In this pASuram, AzhvAr sends the magnanimous little crane as a messenger. The crane is described in the pASuram with the words “malgu nIrp punal paDappai irai tEr vaN SiRu kurugE!”. paDappai refers to the gardens. The beautiful and magnanimous little crane is being described as one that is searching for the ‘appropriate’ food for its little ones in the clean and clear waters running flawlessly in the gardens. The inner meaning is that the AcAryan very meticulously searches the available pramANa-s and chooses the ones that are appropriate for each given Sishya, and generously and selflessly imparts instructions to the disciple that are appropriate for the level of the disciple, and give the disciple the correct interpretation of the SAstra-s as well the enjoyment of bhagavad anubhavam. svAmi deSikan captures the inner meaning conveyed in this pASuram through the phrase “sva-AhAra udAra SilAn” – AcArya-s who are

magnanimous in presentimg to the Sishya-s the level of detail appropriate for the disciple, with supports from authentic works etc. SrI ve’nkaTeSAcArya gives a more elaborate interpretation for this AcArya guNam than for any other guNam described so far in all the previous Sloka-s. His interpretation is: uNNum SORu, parugu nIr, tinnum veRRilai, ellAm kaNNan enkiRa paDiyE vaN tuvaraip perumAnaiyE dhAraka poshaka bhogyamAga anubhavittu ta’ngaLuDaiya nishThaiyai ASrita jana’ngaLukkum vazhan’ngikkoNDirukkiRa mahAtmAkkaLAna AcAryarkaLai samRddhamAi salila pravAha madhyattil SuddhamAna AhArattait tEDi adai svAnubandhikaLukkum vazha’ngik koNDu udAra’ngaLai irukkiRa sArasa’ngaLAga sambhAvittu aruLinAr – AcAraya’s are ones for whom kaNNan alone is the food, water, and all else that sustains them, grows them, and gives them all the joy that

they derive; the great AcArya-s impart this disciplined way of life to those who seek their guidance. svAmi deSikan compares the magnanimity of these AcArya-s to the generous little cranes that selflessly look for good and pure food for their young ones in the nicely flowing pure waters and generously share it with all their dear ones. SrI PBA gives the explanation – “kuTTikaLukku uNavu tEDit taruginRa kurugukaL pOlE SishyarkaLukku SAstrArtha’ngaLaiyum bhagavad

anubhava’ngaLaiyum koDuppavargaL – AcArya-s who give the proper interpretation of SAstra-s and bring the experience of perumAL to their disciples, just like the cranes that select good and appropriate food for their young ones and feed them. · svApadeSam for pASuram 1.4.6:

“aruLAda nIr aruLi avar Avi tuvarA mun” pASuram: In this pASuram, AzhvAr sends the ‘Azhi vari vaNDu’ – the merrily circling bee that has the marks of circles (cakra) on its body as his messenger. svAmi deSikan captures the AcAya guNam reflected in this pASuram through the phrase “tanu-dhRta bhagavan lakshmaNah” – AcArya-s who bear the marks of bhagavAn – the Sa’nkha and cakra marks on their divine body. SrI UV gives the meanings: Azhi – cakra, vari – Sa’nkham. Thus, ‘Azhi vari vaNDu’, in svApadeSam, refers to AcAryan who bears the marks of Sa’nkha and cakra on his tirumEni. The other marks such

as the Urdhva puNDram, the tulasI garland, the lotus bead garland, etc. are all to be understood. One meaning for the word ‘lakshmaNa’ is ‘having marks, possessed of good or auspicious marks’ according to the samskRt dictionary by Apte. This is the meaning in which the term ‘tanu-dhRta bhagavad lakshmaNah’ is used here by svAmi deSikan. SrI UV notes that there is an alternate pATham – tanu dhRata bhagavad lakshaNAn” – which essentially gives the same meaning. The interpretation is same as given above – AcAryan bears the marks of bhagavAn such as the Sa’nkha and cakra, the UrdhvapuNDram etc., and this compares to the beautiful marks on the body of the vaNDu. Azhi also means depth (ocean), gAmbhIryam, etc. Azhi vaNDu in svApadeSam refers to AcAryan’s depth of knowledge, depth of anushThAnam or rigorous practice of the SAstra-s, etc. of the AcAryan as well. The analogy between the ‘vaNDu’ and AcAryan is extended further in pUrvAcAryas’ anubhavam. ‘vanDu’ has six legs. When ‘vaNDu’ is interpreted as a reference to AcAryan, the ‘six legs’ are interpreted in several ways: - The most direct comparison of the six-legged bee to a ‘man of wisdom’ (AcAryan) is found in SrImad

bhAgavatam: aNubhyaSca mahadbhyaSca SAstrebhyah kuSalo narah | sarvatah sAram AdadyAt pushpebhya iva shaTpadah || (bhAga. 11.8.10). “Just as a bee (shaTpada) gathers honey from small and big flowers, a wise man (kuSalo narah, a reference to AcAryan in our context) extracts knowledge of good essence from all sources including the minor as well as the major SAstra-s (and imparts it to the disciple who seeks guidance from him)”. - AcArya-s are firmly established in the dvaya mantra, which can be looked at as consisting of six phrases that bring out its meaning – SrIman nArAyaNa caranau, SaraNam, prapadye, SrImate, nArAyaNAya, namah. AcArya-s live their lives firmly established in the dvaya mantra, and impart this SaraNAgati mantra to the disciple who seeks it, and show the path for moksham at the end of this birth. - AcArya-s are firmly established in the six aspects of SaraNAgati, as declared in ahirbudhnya samhitA – 37.28. They are rigorous practioners of all the six aspects of SaraNAgati, and in addition, out of their infinite mercy, they guide the devotees in the path of surrender selflessly. AnukUlyasya sa’nkalpam prAtikUyasya varjanam | rakshishyati iti viSvAsah goptRtva varaNam tathA || Atma nikshepa kArpaNye shad-vidhA SaraNAgatih | (bhara samarpaNam involves

surrendering the responsibility for our protection to the Lord by observing the following five a’nga-s of prapatti: performing only those acts that will be pleasing to the Lord (AnukUlya sa’nkalpam), desisting from any act that will be displeasing to Him (prAtikUlya varjanam), recognizing that one is incapable of observing any other means for prapatti and with humility surrendering to Him (kArpaNyam), having the firm faith that He will definitely protect us (mahA viSvAsam), and praying to Him with this firm faith to protect us (goptRtva varaNam). - AcArya-s are ones who rigorously practice the six actions prescribed for brAhmaNa-s – yajanam, yAjanam, adhyayana, adhyApana, dAna and pratigraha (the act of performing sacrifice, the act of leading in conduct of sacrifice, study of the veda-s, teaching and instructing of the veda-s, giving dAnam to others, and receiving or accepting alms that are offered). yajanam

yAjanam dAnam viSishTaSca pratigrahah | adhyApanam ca adhyayanam viprakarma prakIrtitam || - AcArya-s are ones

who strictly observe the following six activities prescribed for a brAhmaNa: snAnam sandhyAjapo homo devatAnAm ca pUjanam | Atithyam vaiSvadevam ca shat karmANi dine dine | jAti mAtropajIvI tu viprah syAt brAhmaNa bruvah || According to our ancient religious scripture, these six actions are prescribed for discharging the three types of obligations relating to gods, ancestors and society. - In AcArya hRdayam, the comparison is made that just as a bee will not consume anything other than sweet and delicious honey, the AcAryan will also turn his interest only on bhagavad vishayam that sings His sweet and magnanimous glory. SrI PBA gives this analogy in his explanation of the svApadeSam for pASuram 1.4.6. SrI PBA also gives reference to ALavandAr’s stotra ratnam (27), that expresses the same thought: tavAmRtasyandini pAda pa’nkaje niveSitAtmA katham anyat icchati | sthite aravinde makaranda nirbhare madhuvrato na ikshrakam hi vIkshate || ALavandAr declares that with his soul having tasted the nectar of bhagavAn’s Lotus Feet, it will not be interested in anything else, just as a bee that has the delicious nerctar from a lotus flower wll not go anywhere near a scorched thistle flower. In our current context, AcAryan is one who is firmly fixed on bhagavAn’s Lotus Feet, analogous to the bee that is fixed on the honey-bearing lotus flower. -dAsan

kRshNamAcAryan (To be continued)

Building a website is a piece of cake. Small Business gives you all the tools to get online.