SrI UpakAra Sangraham - Part 11

December 11, 2007

srI: SrI upakAra sangraham – 11 --- adikAram – 1 poorva upakAra paramparai (The Foremost Series of Favours) (continued) ---

Having developed disgust for the sensual pleasures and the lower kaivalya mOksha pleasure, the jIvA stands at a cross road. A fear arises in his mind. On the one side, he sees the wasteful mundane life, and on the other side, he witnesses the wonderful Paramapatham as pictured by his sadhAchAryA under whom he studied the sAstrAs which are thousand times compassionate than one’s mother and father. Then why is this fear? SwAmi Desikan gives the reason for this fear in the mind of the jIvA, who has acquired the theoretical knowledge of spirituality and stands at the door-step of the spiritual path. He says:- “dhurantha-mAi durnivAra-mAna dhushkrutha-phala-pravAha-ththaip paRRa “mARRamuLa” ithyAthi-kaLin padiyE maRRoru pravruththi paNNavottAtha mahAbheethi-yum piRantha adhikAri-kku mEl cheyya aDuppathEthu? yennil:-” SwAmi Desikan describes the fear of the jIva who has

acquired the wisdom, as “MahA bheethi” – great fear. He also adds adjectives to it:- “dhurantha-mAi” – “antham” means the end. “Dhur antham” means – “endless”. The jIvA realizes that the suffering he is undergoing in the mundane world appears to be endless. He is unable to see when it will come to an end. The jIvAthma goes through the endless cycle of births and deaths. Every time he takes a body, which may be any, small insect, animal, plant or human. Even in the human category, it may be a

male or a female body. He may be born in a poor family or a royal family or a Brahmin family which follows the sanAthana dharma in all its aspects. Unless it comes to an end, his travel will continue without a stop. After realizing the uselessness of this worldly life, the jIvA develops this mighty fear. SwAmi Desikan continues with the adjectives:- “dhur-nivAra-mAna” – “nivAram” means relief. “dhur-nivAram” means, without relief, more

correctly, “inevitable”. This cycle of births and deaths seems to be un-avoidable. There is no escape route. So it appears to this jIvA, after learning at feet of a sadhAchAryA. But, there is a way to escape from this, which also the AchAryA must have taught him. However, that knowledge has taken a back seat at present when he surveys his past life and the present situation. This creates a very big fear in him. SwAmi Desikan further says:- “dhushkrutha-phala-pravAham” – “dhushkrutham” means “bad actions” , i.e., sins. The jIvA realizes that he has committed sins in this mundane life. He can not imagine how many sins he might have committed in his past lives which are countless. “phalam” – fruit. Fruits of his bad karmA-s. He has been told that everyone has to meet the fruits of his past deeds, whether they are good or bad. For the good deeds, one enjoys good results. Similarly, for the bad ones, the results also will be bad. If the past bad actions are one or two, it is tolerable. But, they are enormous. And so, the results are also many. So says

SwAmi Desikam:- “pravAham” -- Flood. We have seen floods in rivers during rainy season. The flow of water is uncontrollable. Similarly, the results of the past deeds are also in the form of a flood. Where is the escape? The jIvA sees none. He

contemplates on the situation in which he is placed. Can we describe it? No need for the trouble. SrI Thirumangai AzhwAr picturises it for us. Quotes, SwAmi Desikan:- “mARRamuLa” -- This is the openning words of the AzhwAr’s pAsuram, in his Periya Thirumozhi.

We shall now study the entire pAsuram:- mARRamuLa Akilum cholluvan makkaL thORRakkuzhi thORRuvippAi kol? yenRu innam ARRankarai vAzh marampOl anjukinREn, nARRachchuvai URu oliyAkiya nambhee! (Periya Thirumozhi, 11-8-1) SwAmi Desikan, an inimitable

great AchAryA as he was, has chosen the quote from this pAsuram of SrI Thirumangai AzhwAr, which is the most appropriate to describe the situation faced by the jIvA at this juncture of his mundane life. This pAsuram is the first of the ten verses, in which the AzhwAr pours out his emotion, probably being placed in a similar situation. These ten verses form the last part of this work containing thousand+ pAsurams. As we all know, SrI Thirumangai AzhwAr was the last of the AzhwArs and his life was like any ordinary human being who received the grace of the Lord without any cause. Since his encounter with the Lord, the AzhwAr turned on the spiritual path singing verses after verses in pure Tamil poetry. He traveled through out the BhArath country, visiting many divya kshetrams, singing pAsurams about the Moorthis of the Lord taken His abode there. A study of this work of Thirumangai

AzhwAr will reveal how he evolved step by step into a great bhakthA of the Lord as well as a prapannA. If we study this pAsuram, we can understand the mental and emotional condition of the jIvA under our focus. We take the help of the commentaries of Sri PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai and Sri Uttamoor VeerarAghavAchAryar. This AzhwAr received the manthrOpadEsam directly from the Lord Himself. Since then he was deeply immersed in various qualities of the Lord, besides His incarnations, His leelAs, His archA vigrahAs in numerous kshEtrams. Even then, he

undergoes self-despair on his inability to correct himself. And he decides to leave everything at the hands of the Lord. He submits to Him about his pathetic condition and surrenders at His feet:- nARRachchuvai URu oliyAkiya nambhee! – AzhwAr addresses Him as nambhee! Which means “pooraNan”, “the perfection Incarnate”. In what way

? AzhwAr says the Lord is “nARRachchuvai URu oliyAkiya” -- The Lord not only has a form of His own, but He is the very personification of fragrance, pleasant taste, pleasant touch, pleasant sound etc. Unless he had such direct experience of the Lord, the AzhwAr would not have uttered these words! (SrI Utthamoor SwAmi interprets this line as “The Lord, who is PoorNan (perfect Person), controls everything including the qualities like smell etc.” ) This reminds us of the evolution of the gross

matter out of Moola Prakriti, as activated by the sankalpa of the Lord. He is also present in everything whether gross or subtle as antharAthmA. Besides, He has His own Form which is unimaginably beautiful. Here, it is very difficult to resist the temptation to recall what NammAzhwAr said in his ThiruvAimozhi. At one place, he describes how each sense-organ expresses anguish unable to bear His separation. But, let us move on. Thirumangai AzhwAr tells the Lord – “mARRamuLa” -- If I say certain things, You will have many words in reply. “Akilum cholluvan” -- Even then, I will give a fitting reply to You. “makkaL thORRakkuzhi thORRuvippAi kol?” -- You may throw me into the womb of

human beings to take many births. “yenRu” – Such is my suspicion. “innam” – Even after having all these experience and attaining better knowledge. “ARRankarai vAzh marampOl anjukinREn” -- I shudder like a tree grown and

standing on the shore of a river, as at any moment it will be washed away by the waters. The intention of the AzhwAr is similar to the jIvA who also finds himself in the same situation. SwAmi Desikan further says:- “ithyAthi-kaLin padiyE maRRoru pravruththi

paNNavottAtha mahAbheethiyum piRantha” – The jIvA is afflicted by a great fear that he will not be bear another circle of births and deaths. Such a jIva who is also qualified to take appropriate action. “adhikAri-kku mEl cheyya aDuppathEthu? Yennil ” – If it is asked what such a jIvA should do thereafter? – For this, the answer is ….. How SwAmi Desikan deals with this question will be taken up next. (to continue) dAsan Anbil SrInivAsan ----

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