SrI sArasAram -- I (37)

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srI:

SrI sAra sAram – I (37)

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I – ThirumantrAdhikAram

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The Significance of ‘namah’ (continued)

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SwAmi Desikan concludes this section on the middle word, that is, ‘namah’,

of the Tirumanthiram with a verse in Tamil:

yAnenathenpathu onRillai en ceivathu avanai allAl

AnathaRinthiDum thannaDiyArkku enai ATpaDutthit

thAn enai nalki naDatthukinRAn than aruL vazhiyE

nAnunai veeDu ceivEn enRa nam thirunAraNanE.

In this verse, Swami Desikan provides the answer to a question that may arise

in our mind after studying the detailed explanation of the middle word of the

ashThAkshara mantram, which is known as the Tirumanthiram. The question is: Who

is the target of this means of prapatti (surrender)? We shall first take up word

by word meaning of the verse:

“yAn enathu enpathu onRu illai†-- There is nothing as ‘I’ or

‘mine’.

“avanai allAl†– Without that Lord of mine,

“ceivathu en?†– what is left for me to do?

“nAn unai veeDu ceivEn enRa nam thirunAraNan†– Our Lord, SrImaN

nArayaNan, Who promised, ‘I will grant you liberation from this samsAra’

“thAn enai nalki†– showered His compassion on me

“Anathu aRinthiDum than aDiyArkku enai ATpaDutthi†-- placed me to serve

His devotees who are highly knowledgeable.

“than aruL vazhiyE naDatthukinRAn†– and in His compassionate way, He puts

me on the good path (of adopting the means).

Summary:

The Lord SrImaN nArAyaNa gave an assurance in the carama SlOka, “I will free

you from the bondage of the samsAra and grant you mOksha.†Out of compassion

towards me, He made me a servant of His devotees; graced me by involving me in

the adoption of the means of prapatti; He removed ahankAra and mamakAra, the

sense of “I†and “mine†from me. Being totally dependent upon Him, what

can I do without His grace?

In this verse, the expression, “yAn enathu ilaiâ€, refers to the removal of

self-pride and self-ownership; by “en ceivathu?â€, it is meant ‘I am not

independentâ€; the second line of the verse emphasizes that I am a servant of

the bhAgavtas; and third line reveals the means of surrender. These are the very

essence of the word, ‘namah’ of the Tirmanthiram.

With this ends this sub-section on the middle word, “namah†of the

Tirumanthiram.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

anbil SrInivAsan

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