SrI UpakAra Sangraham Part - 26

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srI: SrI upakAra sangraham – 26 --- adikAram – 1 poorva upakAra paramparai (The Foremost Series of Favours) --- SECTION – 4.1 (What the Shrewd jIvA should do) ----- SwAmi Desikan has so far been describing about the jIvA who accidentally got the favour from the Lord, Who helps him, out of His compassion, on the basis of a small virtuous act unknowingly done by the jIvA. SwAmi Desikan now turns his attention towards those who received this benefit:- The lucky jIvA, who got the Lord’s grace and turned towards Him, feels how he had wasted his life in the material pleasures without knowing that they are only a mirage and that the real bliss is somewhere else. But, SwAmi Desikan suggests to such a jIvA that at least now he should not waste his time any more. He shows to him how to conduct himself in the present new situation in which he has been placed by the grace of the Lord:- “muRpada muktarAnavarkalaip pArttu,†SwAmi Desikan says, the newly emerged jIvA should first look at the jIvA-s who had similarly got the divine grace earlier. They are known as MuktA-s, the liberated. What is that they are doing in the Lord’s abode, SrI VaikuNtam? SwAmi Desikan himself has described the full bliss, enjoyed by the MuktA-s, of the Parabrahmam, Who is no other than SrIman nArAyaNa in SrI VaikuNtam, the Parampadam. This detailed description can be seen in SwAmi Desikan’s work, “SrImad rahasya-traya-sAramâ€, in the Chapter titled, ‘ParipUrNa-brahmAnubhavAdhikAram’ – the Chapter on the full and perfect enjoyment of the Bliss of Brahman. In the opening verse of this Chapter, SwAmi visualizes the bliss being enjoyed by the MuktA-s there:- Vitamasi padE lakshmI-kAntam vicitra-vibhUtikam saciva-gamitaha sampadyAvirbhavatsahajAkruti: / sphuTa-tadapruthaksiddhi: siddhyadguNAShTaka-tatphalO bhajati paramam sAmyam bhOgE nivrutti-kathOjjhitam // (Led by his guides to the Lord of Lakshmi, who is possessed of varied glories in the region beyond prakruti and having attained Him, the muktA has his essential nature in full manifestation and realizes his inseparable connection with the Lord and as a consequence, acquires the eight attributes (of freedom from sin and the like) and without any question of his returning again (to samsAra), he attains, in regard to enjoyment, perfect resemblances of the Lord.) (courtesy:- Translation of Srimad RahasyatrayasAra by M.R.RAjagopAla AyyangAr) The jIvA, who has been saved by the Lord from the mire of sensual-enjoyments, looks at the jIvA-s who attained liberation (muktA-s). And he satisfies himself that he is no more unfit to grasp the Granter of the mOkSha, i.e. the Lord. (That is, he is in every way fit to grasp the Lord) “mOkSha-pradanaip paRRa innAtAkAtE†– The jIvA is happy that he has not become an un-wanted person as far as the Lord,

the Granter of mOkSha, is concerned. SwAmi Desikan also points out how this fortunate jIvA feels happy that he attained this benefit even before the other unfortunate souls, who are still stuck in the samsAra world:- ‘adho-adho darshanE kasya mahimA nOpajAyatE’ enkiRa nyAyattAlE piRpattirukkiRavarkaLaip pArttu avarkaLukku munnE nammai angIkarikkumpadikku ukantu,†SwAmi Desikan quotes a maxim, “Who won’t be proud of himself if he sees persons at the lowest of the lowest level†to say that this jIvA will be happy that the Lord has selected him well ahead of such people.

There is a common saying that one should avoid being jealous of the people placed better than himself in life. They may be richer than him or may have better facilities etc. It would be better if he derives satisfaction after seeing the people still poor. Then, he will realize how lucky he is. Similarly, the jIvA who has just come into the good books of the Lord will feel satisfied comparing himself with those who are yet to get the Lord’s favour. Here, SwAmi Desikan reminds us of the expression of nammAzhvAr, “en mudivu kANAtE ennuL kalantAn†(Tiruvaimozhi, 2-5-8) -- AzhvAr praises the Lord for mingling with him ‘not minding my meanness’. To know the depth of the AzhvAr’s feeling, we must look at the entire verse:- Ponmudiyam-pOrERRai emmAnai, nAl-tdantOL tanmudivonRillAta taNtuzhAy mAlaiyanai en mudivu kANAtE ennuL kalantAnai colmudivu kANEn nAn colluvaten? collIrE. (Tiruvaimozhi, 2-5-8) (A golden crown on the head, a triumphant look, four broad shoulders, having no limits for form, attributes and wealth and adorned with a tulasi garland, He mingled with me, the meanest self! I do not find words to fully describe His greatness! You tell me how I can

say!) As the jIvA looks back at the dirtiest world where he has been so far wandering, he could not believe himself whether he could have been picked up by the great Lord whose greatness is beyond words and mind. As the AzhvAr said, the jIvA finds himself un-believable situation in which the Highest has mingled with the lowest! SwAmi Desikan suggests what the jIvA can do in that situation:- “…… enRu aRintu ucita-shESha vruttiyai apEkShikkumatu nipuNa-krutyam.†Realising that the greatest Lord has picked him up, any shrewd person will choose to perform appropriate service to the Lord. That is the best he can do. SwAmi Desikan concludes saying that the same view has been conveyed by AzhvArs:- “ipprakAram, ‘inRennaip poruLAkki’, ‘uRREn ukntu paNi ceitu’ ityAdikLilum abipprEtam.†Both quotes are from nammAzhvAr’s Tirvaimozhi, one follows the other. (10-8-9 & 10):- ‘inRennaip poruLAkki’ The full verse is:- inRennaip poruLakkit tannai ennuL vaittAn anRennaip puRam pOkap puNartttu enceyvAn? kunRennat tigazh mAdangaL choozh tiruppErAn onRenakkaruk cheyya uNarththaluRREnE (Tiruvainozhi, 10-8-9) (The Lord of TirupErnagar, which

is full of high-raised buildings, today made me a worthwhile entity by placing Himself in me. But, why did he earlier allow me to go astray? I plead with Him to give me an answer to my question.) AzhvAr indicates that he has been living in this big city of TirupErnagar. But, the Lord of this city ignored him all these days and allowed him to lead a wasteful life so far. He could have placed Himself in him much earlier and whatever He did now to save him could have been done then. Today only, He made him a bhakta by entering in his mind. He is grateful to Him for this

act. But, had He done the same earlier, the AzhvAr would not have stuck deep in the mesh of worldly things which now appear to him utterly useless as compared to the elevation he got from Him today. SwAmi Desikan has quoted this statement of the AzhvAr only to emphasize that the jIvA who got this grace of the Lord should feel happy that he has been chosen by the Lord much before others who are still struggling in material life. Having realized the Lord’s preference for him, a shrewd jIvA involves himself in the service

of the Lord at once. To make this valid point, SwAmi Desikan is kind enough to show us a similar situation from the AzhvAr’s life in his own words in the following quote:- “uRREn ukantu paNi ceitu†-- This is from the very next pAsuram of the Azhvar. He did not wait for answer from the Lord to the query he put to Him in the previous verse. Let us study this verse

too and get benefited. uRREn ukantu paNiceytu unapAdam peRREn, ItE innam vEnduvatu entAy ! KaRRAr maRaivANarkaL vAzh tirupErARku aRRAr adiyAr tamakku allal nillAvE. (Tiruvaimozhi,10-8-10) (Oh Lord, I have attained Your Feet today by doing service (of singing about You). I request You to grace the same favour for all time and, for my people too. Whosoever, having learned from the Vedic masters who enrich this TirupErnagar, and surrender to such Bhagavatas, will never have any grief. This is as per Your own sankalpam!) SwAmi Desikan’s purpose of quoting this statement of the AzhvAr is to show that the fortuanete jIvA-s who have received the grace of the Lord will not leave other jIvA-s without having the similar benefit. This is the right service to be done by such jIvA-s. That is the most appropriate service they will render to the Lord also. It is a fact that our AhcAryA-s, in the past and now, are successfully performing this kainkaryam, as wished by the AzhvAr. We have come o the end of the Section Four in the Chapter Two of SrI UpakAra Sangraham. // SrImatE nigamAnta DEsikAya namah // (To continue) dAsan Anbil S.SrInivAsan ------ &nbs

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