SrI UakAra Sangraham Part - 69

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srI:

SrI upakAra sangraham – 69

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adikAram – 1

poorva upakAra paramparai

(The Foremost Series of Favours)

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SECTION – 5 (24)

(27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for

MOKSHAM)

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The highly firm kind of discriminatory knowledge

about the ever lasting bond between the jIva and the

Lord was described in the previous sub-section by

SwAmi Desikan. It is another favour done by the Lord

for the sAttvika jIva. Acquiring such knowledge does

not stop there. As a result of it, the evolved jIva

desires nothing else other than a permanent connection

with the Lord, says SwAmi Desikan in this sub-section:

 

 

(24) “patyuh prajAnAmaishvairyam”, “oonERu celvatthu”

ithyAthikaLinpadiyE paramapuruShArtthatthilE

prayOjanAnthara-nirapEkShamAka prathiShtithamAna

sangatthai janippitthathuvum;

 

To make clear what sort of relationship the jIva

longs for, SwAmi Desikan gives two quotes, one from a

Sanskrit verse and the other from one of the verses of

the Divya Prabandam. If we study in detail both the

verses, we may understand the nature and the depth of

such longing. First, the Sanskrit sloka (the source of

which is not known):

 

“patyuh prajAnAm aishvaryam pashoonAm vA na kAmayE /

aham kadambO bhooyAsam kundO vA yamunA taTE //”

 

(If Sovereignty of Brahma or ShivA is to be given to

me, I will not aspire for it. I would prefer to be

born as a kadamba tree or kunda tree on the banks of

Yamuna river where SrI KriShNa put His footprints.)

 

The author of this verse longs to be in a place where

the Lord had moved about once upon a time. He does not

desire the sovereignty held by any of the top gods; he

does not even want to be in closeness to the Lord in

His abode, SrIvaikuNtam; he does not even aspire to be

a great scholar or a yogi with ever lasting life to

constantly meditate upon the Lord; he does not even

want to be born as a human being with ample

opportunities to master the scriptures about various

incarnations of the Lord; neither he wanted to be

always doing worship to the Lord in a temple. He wants

to be born as an unintelligent plant standing on the

sands of the River Yamuna, where SrI KriShNa spent his

childhood days long time ago. This kind of

parama-puruShArtam, the highest benefit is his desire.

No other benefit. This is what SwAmi Desikan referred

to as “prayOjanAnthara-nirapEkShamAka” -- not

desiring any other benefit. In this he is very firm,

as mentioned by SwAmi Desikan in these words:

“prathiShtithamAna sangah” -- a firmly established

contact: This is what his desire is. He wants to be

ever in physical touch with a thing that has a

connection with the Lord, not at this moment, not

today or yesterday, nor a few days before, nor a year

ago, nor some years ago, or not even long ago, not a

century ago but at a time not known when. The soul

taken a tree as its body will not be able use its

senses or intellect or to speak out. According to our

theory, the dharma-bhoota-j~nAna

(attributive-knowledge) in an non-sentient object is

close to zero. But the only point on which he is firm

is the constant touch with a place even remotely

connected with Him. This is an extreme state of

realization. Understanding it will be almost

impossible for us.

 

The second quotation is from a verse of SrI

KulashEkara AzhvAr in his Prabandam, PerumAL

Thirumozhi. Before considering the verse under

reference, it would be better to know about the mental

state of the AzhvAr which made him to say the verse

referred to above. This pAsuram reflects the mind of

SrI KulashEkara AzhvAr:

 

“emparatthAr allArodum koodalan

umbar vAzhvai onRAkak karuthilan

thambirAn amararkku aranganakar

empirAnukku ezhumaiyum pitthanE”

(PeriyAzhvAr Thirumozhi,3-6)

 

(I do not consider the heavenly life as a puruShArtam.

Therefore, I will not move with those who have not

renounced the material life in totality; I will remain

an ardent servant of the Lord in SrIrangam, Who is the

Lord of the nitya sooris.)

 

In response to this statement of the AzhvAr, he was

asked: ‘How are you sure that you will be born as a

human being in this material world? Do you like to get

a birth as an animal or a bird or even a plant all of

which have little capacity of knowledge?’ As if

replying to this question the Azhvar declares thus, in

the next Thirumozhi, ‘I can take birth in

ThiruvEnkadam either as a human servant or any of the

things mentioned by you. In the very opening verse, he

says he is ready to be born as a bird:

 

“oonERu celvatthu udan piRvi yAn vENdEn

AnEREzh venRAn adimait thiRamallAl,

koonERu cangamidanthAnthan vEnkadatthu

kOnERi vAzhum kurukAi piRappEnE. "

 

(PerumAL Thirumozhi, 4-1)

 

(I do not want a birth in human flesh which is after

material wealth, unless it is a slave of he Lord who

won over seven bulls for the sake of Nappinnai

PirAtti. I shall get a birth of a bird which would

live in the pond in ThiruvEnkadam of the Lord Who is

holding the Conch in His left hand.)

 

The AzhvAr says that unless it is a birth in the

service of the Lord, he doesn’t want to be even a

human being: “AnEREzh venRAn adimait thiRamallAl” .

What kind of a servant? The Azhvar perhaps has in his

mind what LakShmaNa wanted in rAmAyaNa:

 

“bhavAmstu saha vaidEhyA girisanAShu ramsyatE /

aham sarvam kariShyAmi jAgratah svpatashca tE // ”

(ayOdhyAkANda, 31-27)

 

(You will sport at will with VaidEhee on

mountain-tops. I shall do everything for you whether

you are awake of sleeping.)[This, LakShmaNa tells SrI

RAma]

 

srI KulashEkara AzhvAr speaks in the same tone as SrI

nammAzhvAr, who wanted to serve the Lord for ever at

ThiruvEnkadam:

“ozhivil kAlamellAm udanAi manni

vazhuvilA adimai ceyya vENdum nAm

thezhikural aruvit thiruvEngkadatthu

ezhilkoL chOthi

enthaithanthaithanthaikkE.”

(ThiruvAimozhi, 3-3-1)

 

(I shall perform blemish-less service at all times, at

all states, remaining without separation, to the

brilliant fore-father of my family, Whose presence in

ThiruvEnkadam adds to the beauty of the hills which

are full of water-falls.)

 

In the remaining verses also, SrI KulashEkara AzhvAr

expresses his aspiration to be a fish in the pond in

ThiruvEngkadam, or a servant, or a flowering tree, or

a useless plant, or a hill top, or a wild river, or a

pedestrian-path, or a stepping stone or any thing on

the Thirumala mountain.

 

This kind of a desire for a link, either direct or

indirect, with the Lord as the highest goal, without

aspiring any other benefit, is born in the mind of the

disciple, as a result of the favour done by the Lord,

says SwAmi Desikan.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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