SrI UpakAra Sangraham Part - 70

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srI:

SrI upakAra sangraham – 70

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adikAram – 1

poorva upakAra paramparai

(The Foremost Series of Favours)

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SECTION – 5 (25)

(27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for

MOKSHAM)

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In the previous sub-section, SwAmi Desikan described

the Lord’s favour in the form of making the jIva, who

had attained the discriminative knowledge, to remain

determined to be ever with the things which had some

or other link with the Lord, either during His

incarnation or His temple. Now, it is being shown

that the Lord does another favour by making the jIva

audacious in not looking elsewhere other than the

Lord:

 

(25) “tuNiyEn ini ninnaruL allathu enakku”,

“ninnilangku pAdamanRi maRROr paRRilEn”, “unnAlallAl

yAvarAlum onRum kuRai vENdEn” ithyAthikaLin padiyE

parama-hithatthil

samshaya-viparyaya-sharaNyAntara-prasanga-maRRa

thuNivai nilai niRutthinathuvum;

 

This audacity of the jiva is such that there is

neither a doubt nor a change or nor a talk of another

refuge. How is it? SwAmi Desikan refers to the

statements of Azhvars to give an idea of how firm the

jIva’s determination is. The first quote is from

Periya Thirumozhi of SrI Thirumangai AzhvAr:

 

“aNiyAr pozhilcoozh arangkanakrappA!

thuNiyEn ini ninnaruL allathu enakku

maNiyE! maNimANikkamE! MadusoodA!

paNiyAi enakku uyyum vakai parancOthee!”

(Periya Thirumozhi, 11-8-8)

 

(Oh the Lord of the Sriranga holy city! Hence forward

I will not think of anything else other than Your

grace as refuge. Oh Lord with brilliance as that of

the Blue stone! Adorning a Gem! The Killer of the

demon, Madhu! The Supreme Light! You alone should

grant me salvation!)

 

“kulangkaLAya eeriraNdil onRilum piRanthilEn

nalangkaLAya naRkalaikaL nAlilum

navinRilEn

pulankaLaindum venRilEn, poRiyilEn,

punitha! nin

ilangu pAthamanRi maRROr paRRilEn em

eecanE!”

 

 

(Thirucchantha-viruttham 90)

 

(Oh, the Holiest! Our Lord! I have not been born in

any of the four castes. Hence, I could not learn the

four Vedas. I have not even controlled my senses and

therefore, I am caught in whirlpool of sensual

objects. Hence, I don’t have any means other than Your

bright Feet!)

 

This verse reveals a beautiful conversation between

the AzhvAr and the Lord:

 

AzhvAr: I want to attain You, Oh Lord!

Lord : Do you have anything by which you can attain

Me?

AzhvAr: “poRiyilEn” -- I have sense organs, Lord!

Lord: Have you not controlled your senses?

AzhvAr: No. Lord. “pulankaLaindum venRilEn” -- I have

been wandering wherever the senses dragged me. I could

not control any of the senses.

Lord: Have you not studied scriptures which teach how

to control the senses? For example, I have spoken

about it in the Gita as follows:

 

“yatatO hyApi KauntEya puruShasya vipishcitah /

indriyANi pramatheeni haranti prasabham manah //”

(Gita, 2-60)

 

(Even in the case of the wise men who strive to

control them, the senses prove rebellious, and carry

away the mind forcibly.)

 

“tAni sarvANi samyamy yukta Aseeta matparah /

vashE hi yasya indriyANi tasya praj~nA prtiShThitA

//” (Gita, 2-61)

 

(After subduing them all, he should be in meditation,

holding Me as the Supreme. His knowledge is well

established, whose senses are in subjection.)

 

The BrahadAraNyakOpanishad also speaks about

controlling the senses:

 

“shAntO dAnta uparatastitikShuh samAhitO bhootvA

AatmanyEvAtmAnam pasyEt /”

 

 

(Br.Up. 4-4-23)

 

(Tranquil in mind, with the senses restrained, having

given up desires, resigned and patient, and absorbed

in meditation, let a man see the ParamAtma indwelling

in his self.)

 

Have you not studied these scriptures?

AzhvAr: “nalangkaLAya naRkalaikaL nAlilum navinRilEn”

-- I have not studied any of the four Vedas, Lord.

Lord: As the first step to control the senses is the

study of these scriptures, why haven’t you learnt

them?

AzhvAr: Oh Lord, “kulangkaLAya eeriraNdil onRilum

piRanthilEn” -- I have not been born in any of the

four castes. Only those who are born in one of the

first three castes are qualified to study the Vedas.

Had I been born in the fourth caste, I would have had

at least an opportunity to serve those belonging to

superior three castes and would have earned the chance

of taking the next birth in one of them. I am not that

fortunate, my Lord.

Lord: If you have no means to prevent your involvement

in the senses, what other means, you think, you have?

AzhvAr: “nin ilangu pAthamanRi maRROr paRRilEn” --

However much darkness is there, it can be driven out

by an equally bright lamp. Like that, for a person as

I am who have nothing to give as recompense and no

other person to help me, I have no other means but the

Feet of Yours Who is known for great compassion to

grace such people.

“em eecanE!” -- You are our Ruler, we are Your

servants. Except this relationship, I don’t have any

qualification nor do I have any other refuge, my Lord!

This fact is shown from another angle by SwAmi

Desikan through another quotation which is from SrI

NammAzhvAr:

“en nAn ceykEn? yArE kaLaikaN? Ennai en ceikinRAi?

unnAlallAl yAvarAlum onRum kuRai vENdEn!

kannAr mathiLcoozh kudanthaik kidanthAi!

adiyEnaruvANAL

cennAL ennAL? annAL unathAL piditthE celakkANE.”

(ThiruvAimozhi, 5-8-3)

(Oh Lord, reclining at Thirukkudanthai! I am not in a

fit position to resort to any means to attain You.

What can I do? Who can save me? Why do You compel me

to do impossible rites? Please listen. I do not need

any procedure or a person except You to attain You.

Hence, however long it may be, I will cling only to

Your feet as a refuge. I am firm in this.)

 

This kind of firmness is created in the sAttvika

jIva’s mind, that cannot be shaken by any doubt or

another person. This is yet another favour conferred

by the Lord, says, SwAmi Desikan.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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