SrI sArasAram -- I (21)

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srI:

SrI sAra sAram – I (21)

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I – ThirumantrAdhikAram

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The Significance of the ‘u’ in PraNava (continued)

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After fine-tuning the significance of the first two syllables of the praNava,

SwAmi Desikan now guides the disciples in practical way of observing it in their

lives:

“ippaDippaTTa ananyArha-SEshatvam ‘dAsabhootah SarNAgatOsmi, tavAsmi dAsa

iti vakttAram mAm tAraya’ enkiRapaDiyE pada-trayatthil thOTRukiRa

svaroopa-pratipatti-yilum, upAya-parigraha-tthilum, purushArtha prArthanai-yilum

anusandhEyam ennumiDatthai ‘kulathollaDiyEn’, ‘pukalonRillAvaDiyEn’,

‘ARAvanbilaDiyEn’ enRu AzhvAr aruLic ceithAr.â€

Thus the jIva should ever keep in mind the thought that he is a servant only to

the Lord and not to anyone else. This thought should be there when he meditates

on the meaning of the Tirumantram. This feeling should be there when he

meditates on the first word, the praNava, which reveals to him the knowledge

about the nature of his Atma; when he performs the means of prapatti in

accordance with the second word, ‘namaha’; and when he seeks the fruit of

mOksha from the Lord, as indicated in the third word, ‘nArAyaNAya’.

SrI RAmAnuja has set an example in his SaraNAgati Gadyam: “As I cry, ‘I am

Thy servant and seek refuge under Thee; I am Thy servant’, help me to cross

over this prakruti.â€

Even SrI NammAzhvAr has spoken thus:

‘kulathollaDiyEn’;

‘pukalonRillAvaDiyEn’;

‘ARAvanbilaDiyEn’.

All the three quotes are from among the last eleven verses of Tiruvaimozhi’s

sixth centum. We shall consider one by one:

“ulakamunDa peruvAyA ulappil keertthiyammAnE

nilavum cuDar coozhoLimoortthi neDiyAi aDiyEn AruyirE

thilathamulakukkkAi ninRa thiruvEngkaDath themperumAnE

kulathollaDiyEn unapAtham kooDumARu kooRAyE.†(TiruvAimozhi, 6-10-1)

The Azhvar addresses the Lord of TiruvEnkaDam:

‘Oh My Lord! I am Your servant by virtue of my belonging to the family which

is traditionally at Your service-- (kulathollaDiyEn). Hence, please tell me how

to attain Your feet –(unapAtham kooDumARu kooRAyE).’

SwAmi Desikan has given this quote which will help us to meditate on the nature

of the Atma, which is the natural SEsha of the Lord. In particular, the

AzhvAr’s word, ‘kulatholladiyEn’ – traditionally I am Your servant,

shows we are His servants without any cause or reason, that is, by nature.

After one gets the firm knowledge about his being the servant only of the Lord

and none else, he should adopt the means to attain Him. With this in mind, SwAmi

Desikan gives the second quote: ‘pukalonRillAvaDiyEn’. It is from the tenth

verse:

“akalakillEn iRaiyumenRu alarmElmangai uRai mArbhA

nikaril pukazhAi ulakam moonRuDaiyAi ennaiyALvAnE

nikaril amarar munikkakaNangaL virumbum tiruvEnkaDatthAnE

pukalonRillAvadiyEn unnaDikkeezh amarnthu pukunthEnE.†(TiruvAimozhi,

6-10-10)

The AzhvAr again addresses the Lord of TiruvenkaDam:

Oh the Lord of TiruvEnkaDam, Who are loved by the nitya-sooris and sages! I do

not have any refuge –(pukalonRillAvadiyEn). I have now entered under Your feet

to remain for ever and do service to You – (unnaDikkeezh amarnthu pukunthEnE).

Here, the AzhvAr surrenders at the feet of the Lord, as indicated

by the second word of the Tirumantram: ‘namaha’.

Besides remembering one’s nature of being the exclusive SEsha of the Lord and

adopting the means to attain Him, SwAmi Desikan mentioned that he should also

pray to the Lord for the purushArtha, namely, mOksha. Accordingly, he mentioned

the third quote, ‘ARAvanbilaDiyEn’. This is from the second verse of the

same series:

“kooRai neeRAi nilanAkik koDuvallacurar KulemellAm

ceeRAveriyum tirunEmi valavA! deivakkOmAnE!

cERArcunaitthAmarai centheemalarum tiruvEngaDathAnE

ARAvanpil adiyEn unnaDicEr vaNNam aruLAyE.†(TiruvAimozhi, 6-10-2)

Here, the AzhvAr prays to the Lord of TiruvEngaDam to grace him with the fruit

of attaining His feet. He particularly points to the fact that the Lord Who is

holding the glowing Discus in His hands which is capable of totally eliminating

all the enemies, should also destroy the AzhvAr’s enemies, who are blocking

his salvation, and make way for him to attain His feet.

Such an ardent prayer is an essential for one to attain the Lord’s abode.

This is indicated by the third word of the Tirumantra, ‘nArAyaNAya’. SwAmi

Desikan cites the instance of the Azhvar’s prayer, as he is our foremost

AchArya in this mundane world.

By citing these three quotes, SwAmi Desikan shows the pramANams – scriptural

authority – to emphasize the necessity for ever thinking of oneself being the

servant only of the Lord and no one else, while meditating on the Tirumantram.

With this, SwAmi Desikan concludes the discussion on the second syllable,

‘u’ of the Tirumantram.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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