SrI sArasAram -- I(38)

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srI:

SrI sAra sAram – I (38)

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I – ThirumantrAdhikAram

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The Significance of ‘nArAyaNanAya’

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SwAmi Desikan next takes up the third and final word in the Tirumanthiram,

‘nArAyaNAya’. Till now, he showed that the previous word, ‘namah’

indicates prapatti, surrender of the self, as the best means to captivate the

Lord. The next word deals with the target of that means, says Swami Desikan:

The Meaning of ‘nArAyaNa’

“ippaDi namas-sil thORRina vaSeekaraNatthukku ilakkAi rakshakanAi niRkiRa

paDiyai nEtrutvAdi-mukh-tthAlum, vaSeekartthAvAi rakshaNeeyanAi niRkiRa

Sesha-bhoota-n paDiyai niyAmyatvAdi-mukhatthAlum veLiyiDukiRathu nArAyaNa

Sabdam.†–

Thus, the object of captivation through the means of prapatti, surrender, which

is shown by the ‘namah’, is -- the Supreme Lord. He is the Seshi (Master) as

well as the Protector. He also conducts everyone through the virtuous path.

These and other meanings are being derived from the word, ‘nArAyaNa’

The same word also reveals the jIva as the Sesha (servant), as being

protected by the Lord and as being ruled by Him.

The Meaning of ‘nAra’ and ‘ayana’

SwAmi Desikan now analizes the word, ‘nArAyaNa’, which consists of

‘nAra’ and ‘ayana’:

“naran pakkalilE piRanthavai nArangkLenRum ivan nEtA-vAi gati-yumAi

irukkiRAnenRum, ivaRRai vAsasstthAnamAka uDaiyavanenRum collukaiyAlE prathama

aksharatthil thORRina kAraNatva-rakshakatva-SeshitvangkaLum ingE

viSadamAkinRana.â€

‘naran’ has one meaning – a person who has no annihilation. Here, it

refers to the Lord. The verbal-root, ‘rIng’, in Sanskrit means to destroy.

The syllable ‘ra’ is obtained from this root and when it is added to the

negative syllable, ‘na’, the emerging word, ‘naran’ indicates the person

ho has no destruction. There is nothing odd in this. From the root, ‘nru’,

if the word , ‘nara’ is coined, it indicates the person who leads all on the

virtuous path and in turn will indicate the Supreme Lord Who conducts all on the

good path. All those which emerged from the Lord are known as ‘nAra-s’. The

Lord is the ‘ayana’ of ‘nAra-s’. That is, He is the Ultimate Destination

for the jIvas, that is, ‘nAra-s’.

‘ayanam’ means upAya, that is, the means for the ‘nAra-s’, the jIvas.

‘ayanam’ also means a residential place. The word, ‘nAras’, refers to

both sentient beings and non-sentient objects, both have appeared from the

Lord’s body. Both these categories are His places of residence, as He enters

into them, remains inseparably in them and controls them as well. Hence, that

the Lord has them as His residence is derived from the word, ‘ayanam’.

As SwAmi Desikan earlier showed, the praNava indicates that the Lord is the

Cause, the Protector and the Seshi (Master) of all. Now, by this word,

‘nArAyaNa’, as everything appeared from the Lord, it is clear that He is the

Cause of all; as He conducts all on the virtuous path, it is established that He

is their Protector; and as He is the means as well as the indweller, it becomes

very clear that He is THE SESHI. Hence, it is established that all the aspects

of His greatness indicated by the praNava, are shown by this word,

‘nArAyaNa’.

Between the praNava and ‘nArAyaNa’, the only difference is that while the

former showed these aspects briefly, the latter word reveals them in detail.

Yet, there is a difference in the two approaches, says SwAmi Desikan:

“is sangraha vivaraNangkaLilE Sesha-Seshi-kaLuDaiya niroopaNam,

‘rAmAnujam lakshmaNam ca’ enkiRa krmatthilE niRkiRathu.â€

In the above sentence, SwAmi Desikan shows the different approaches of the

praNava and the word, ‘nArAyaNa’ in highlighting the significance. The

praNava gives importance to the jIva by revealing the fact of his being a Sesha

(servant) of the Lord, while ‘nArAyaNa’ highlights the importance of the

Lord by showing Him as being the residence of the jIva. This reversal in the

order of importance between the Lord and the jIva is reflected in the manner

followed in Srimad rAmAyaNa of Sage VAlmIkI. SwAmi Desikan gives a reference to

the relevant SlOka in the epic as quoted above. We shall see the SlOka in full:

“noonam sa kAlO mrugaroopadhArI mAmalabhAgyAm lulubhE tadAnIm /

yatrAryaputram visasarja mooDA rAmAnujam lakshmaNapoorvajam ca //â€

(RAmAyaNa, sundara kANdam, 28-10)

This is spoken by sItA while in aSOka forest, unable to bear the torture of

the ogresses. She says, “It was certainly the kAla dEvata (Time-spirit) who in

the guise of a deer, charmed me, a woman of scanty fortune, and to whom I, a

foolish woman, despatched the two Arya Princes, the younger brother of SrI rAma

(LakshmaNa) and the elder brother of LakshmaNa (SrI rAma).â€

Here, LakshmaNa is mentioned first but as the younger brother of Sri rAma.

Later, SrI rAma is mentioned as the elder brother of LakshmaNa. It is well known

that LakshmaNa is the Sesha, while SrI rAma is the Seshi. It is in the same way

as the praNava, which refers to Sesha prominently, comes first and the word,

‘nArAyaNa’ which refers to the Lord Who has his residence in the Sesha,

comes later. This is in a reverse order as normally the master comes first

followed by the servant. This order is reversed in the Tirumanthiram, says SwAmi

Desikan.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

anbil S. SrInivAsan

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