Srimath Azhagiya Singar'82nd Thiru Nakshatram Special Relaeses : Bhagavad Vishayam : Part IV

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

Dear ThiruvAimozhi RasikAs :

 

At the outset, adiyEn wishes to state that this series of essays on Bhagavth Vishayam is not focused solely on Thirukkuruhai PiLLAn's 6000 Padi . It is on ThiruvAimozhi at large with particular emphasis on Swamy Desikan's DramidOpanishad Taatparya RatnAvaLi . The readers are referred to a 249 page ebook on Taatparya RatnAvaLi Mudal Patthu released by Sriman N.KrishNamAchAri as the 104th ebook in the Ahobilavalli ebook series ( http://www.Ahobilavalli.org ) . This introduction to Bhagavad guNams ealborated in the ten Satakams and

a detailed study of the First satakam of ThiruvAimozhi would be most valuable to study first .adiyEn will cover the insights of ten scholars on " Bhagavad Vishayam " in these special postings linked to the celebration of Srimad Azhagiya Singar's upcoming 82nd Thirunakshatram.

 

The ten Thiruvaimozhi authorities who cover the different aspects of Swamy NammAzhwAr's UpadEsam in these series of Postings are :

 

1. Sri YeasayanUr Sridhara SatakOpAcchAr Swamy: Over all Introduction to all the ten Patthus and the specific commentary on the First Patthu .

 

2.Second Patthu: Sri VaduvUr VeerarAghavAcchAr Swamy

 

3.Third Patthu: Sri UdayampAkkam KodhaNda RaamAcchAr Swamy

 

4. Fourth Pattu: Sri Thirukkudanthai Srirama DesikAcchAr Swamy

 

5. Fifth Pattu: Sri MannArkudi RaajagOpAlAcchAr Swamy

 

6. Sixth Pattu: Sri KoottapAkkam RanganAthAcchAr Swamy

 

7. Seventh Pattu: Sri VillUr NadAthUr KaruNAkarAcchAr Swamy

 

8. Eighth Pattu: Sri Kuruchci NaarAyaNAcchAr Swamy

 

9. Ninth Pattu: Sri PaathUr-PurANam RangarAjAcchAr Swamy

 

10.Tenth Pattu: Sri NaattEri Srihari LakshminrisimhAcchAr Swamy

the attachment has a short introduction on the scope of coverage .

 

YEKAM ARTHE SAHASRA:

 

It was stated earlier that " Deva: SrIman svasiddhE : karaNam iti-vadhan Yekam artham sahasrE ". Acording to this , there is only ONE GUNAM that is elaborated in the one thousand ThiruvAimozhi Paasurams of Swamy NammAzhwAr . That GuNam is : Devan Sriman NarayaNan Himself becomes the UpAyam (Means) for attaining Him . The ten Satakams ( Patthus) making up the sahasram (Thousand Pasurams) have ten connected themes to establish this GuNam :

 

1) sEvyatvam : He is fit to be worshipped and enjoyed ( sEvA yOgya:) .The very first Paasuram of Thiruvaimozhi (1.1.1) sets the tone for His sEvyatvam .The meaning of this Paasuram is:

 

(Meaning of TVM 1.1.1 according to Dr. V.N.Vedanta Desikan/VNV): "Oh , My Mind ! Worship, for being elevated, the effulgent feet , which will remove our sufferings,of the One Lord, who possesses auspicious qualities that can not at all be excelled , who endowed us with the Jn~Ana-Bhakti faculty which effaces the weakness of the intellect ( that doubts, confuses , argues and fails to see what ought to be seen) and who is the Lord of the Nityasooris and DevAs of unfailing knowledge ( or who is Lord VaradarAjaa or Devaraajan).

 

2) SubhOgyan ( TVM 2.2.4) : Even if He is fit to be worshipped and enjoyed immensely ( atibhOgyan) , He can have a rough svabhAvam and hence it may not be easy to get near Him to worship and enjoy Him . That He is not so is indicated by the 2nd Patthu theme of

" SubhOgyatvam".

 

(Meaning of TVM 2.2.4 according to Dr. VNV): The Lord first created the four-faced Brahma in the lotus blossoming out of His navel , in order that Brahma could take up the next stage of creating all . This He does purely for sport . He alone possesses the requisite talents for this feat. What is more, He is tender , sensitive like a flower, beautiful and fragrant as as a fresh flower . Any form of homage ,

archana , etc., say , with flowers can be performed only in respect of one who deserves these honors. If a deva himself feels he does not deserve it and decides to transfer it to the Supreme Lord , it behoves us , if we have the right sense , to directly dedicate all we do to the one Supreme Lord. Who else can rightly be adored with such homage and obesiance ? None else .

3) Subha-subhaga-tanu ( TVM 3.1.1): Even if He is Sevyan and SubhOgyan, we as sinners may not be able to come near Him and therefore He presents Himself with His dhivya MangaLa vigraham to remove all the obstacles ( pratibhandhakams) that stand in our way.

 

( Meaning of TVM 3.1.1 according to DrVNV):Pray answer this question of mine, Oh Consort of Lakshmi! Did the effulgence of the beauty of your countenance radiate as the aura of the crown or vice versa? Did Your feet bloom downwards as the base-lotus or vice versa? Did the alluring hip lend its beauty to Your golden garment and other jewels all becoming an integrated total elegance that marks out Your Form ?

 

4) sarvabhOgyAtiSaayee (TVM 4.1.1): If he were to be of limited enjoyment ( mithya bhOgyam) , our minds would seek some thing more enjoyable . Therefore , he not only removes our sins thru auspicious ThirumEni sEvai but also stays as SarvabhOgya Prakrushtan ( the supreme delight to enjoy ) so that our minds do not seek anything else.

 

(Meaning of TVM 4.1.1 according to Dr.VNV): Men who ruled our vast territories with an unquestioned suzeranity , are one day driven out , and are driven to the plight of living on alms , roaming , unnoticed ,

in dark of the night , out of sheer shamefulness. Black dogs chase them and bite their legs. What a fate ! With cheap metal dish on hand , trying to avoid the sight and identification by people whom he would have sent away when he was on the throne, he now has to live a himble life of begging--in the same life;that is the worst part of it. So, please learn the ephemeral and fickle nature of prosperity . Contemplate on the Lord's feet in order to gain real prosperity of salvation . And do it immediately-not putting it off .

 

5) SrEyas-taddh-hEtubhutan ( TVM 5.2.7): Even if He is supreme PurushArtham to enjoy , it may be difficult for us to go somewhere else to gain that PurushArtham . To overcome this , our Lord stays as SrEyas taddh hEthu bhUtan ( the source of the Parama PurushArtham

( Goal of Life ) and the blesser of upakaraNams for gaining Him as

the Parama PurushArthams .

 

( Meaning of TVM5.2.7 according to Dr. VNV): You must station in Your hearts a form that is concrete , sweet , auspicious and supreme. That is my Lord , KrishNa. Remember even the gods whom you worship for some particular ends are able to fulfil them by placing your plaints at the Lord VishNu's feet and getting His benediction in your favour. If you have any doubt , refer to the MarkaNDEyA episode . Siva got MarkaNDEya the longevity as a gift from my Lord. Avoid having a tainted mind of trying to fulfil any wish from any deity praising it as Supreme for the moment-that is what all you do.There is no God but KrishNa; others are His shadows or dependents only. So, If you placate any other deity hereafter, do atleast remember at that moment , that you are doing so to a form or Moorthy of the Supreme Lord. Only that is proper to say the least .

 

6) Prapadhana sulabhan ( TVM 6.10.10):Even if He grants us all the srEyas sAdhanams , we are feeble (asaktaas) to engage in the difficult saadhanam like Bhakti yOgam . Therefore , out of His infinite compassion , He becomes easy of attainment thru Prapatti ( Prapadhana Sulabhan ).

 

(Meaning of TVM 6.10.10 according to Dr. VNV): " Not for a moment even will I leave this seat of Mine" says AlarmEl Mangai(MahA Lakshmi).

That She is always on Your chest is reassuring to me".

 

Your reputation of qualities is matchless. The three worlds are Yours.

You have enslaved me. I have adopted You as the Master for all time. You are the unequalled Master since this relationship is not conditioned by any circumstance. Great sages who have no match and devAs and nityasooris come all the way to this place to worship You. Oh Lord of ThiruvEnkatam ! I , who has no other prop to cling to , humbly surrendered myself at Your feet and there I remained protected by

You .

 

7) anishta-vidhvamsa-seelan ( 7.9.1): Even if He is easy to reach by Prapatti , our prArabdha paapams will interfere with the enjoyment of Him .Therefore He becomes svASrita anishta jishNu ( One who removes the Paapams of those who have sought Him as refuge) .

 

(Meaning of TVM 7.9.1 according to Dr.VNV): SarwEswaran thought kindly of me ; wished to revive me and give me a worthy life; permanently so. So, He made me pure , saw to it that I maintained it from day to day; ensured that I would be like Him ! ; using me , caused to sing of Himself in sweet Tamil.To the Primeval creator, my Lord with enlarged effulgence , who chose me as a medium in this fashion ,which great honor I cherish, what shall I say and express , in adequate words, my sense of gratefulness?

 

8) BhaktacchandhAnuvartee (TVM 8.7.8) :In coming to our rescue , He is boundless in His grace and responds to the ways in which His devotees want to enjoy Him ( BhaktacchandhAnuraktan).

 

(Meaning of TVM 8.7.8 according to Dr,VNV): The Lord. who conferred

a great benefaction on me, by accepting me as His , entered the heart of this mean , small man. He entered after swallowing the three worlds

(as a matter of His duty as Seshi to them). He is now permanently put up therein. When He is pleased to do a favour to some, He will do it without any pre-condition or pre-requisite. This kind of gracious act is the greatest grace that I see in Him .

 

9) nirupAdhika suhrut( TVM 9.3.2): In doing so , He has intrinsic good intentions towards us and blesses us .

 

(Meaning of TVM 9.3.2 according to Dr.VNV): It is He who created all the worlds and who dug the earth out of deluge waters . He it is who swallowed the world , spat out and once measured it ; He it is who takes three forms, to protect us as He Himself ; to create as Brahma ( with Him being the antaryAmi) and to terminate as Siva ( with Him being the antaryAmi). But then He has the same realtionship to all in the world as well. He is the antaratma; and all this I could see when devAs like Brahma and Rudra with a self-esteem would not see. To me He has endowed a flawless vision with which I have understood Him .

 

10) satpadhavyAm sahAya( TVM 10.8.9):He stands unfailingly not only to bless us but also to be a helper to us to travel in the archirAdhi mArgam to Sri VaikunTham , His supreme abode.

 

(Meaning of TVM 10.8.9 according to Dr. VNV):The Lord of ThiruppEr-

nagar , the place , which is famous for palatial buildings looking like mountains , has today made me a worthy substance , no doubt. I am grateful to His grace for this. But He , who could place Himself into me, in my heart , gladly and of His own accord, had previously let me too in to alien things, thus allowing me a life astray. I have a question,

that suggests to myself ask of the Lord: " Why this Sir? Please grace me with a reply ".

 

Swamy NammAzhwar states that our Lord , who is never ever seperated from SrI Devi , helps us attain Him through the manifestion of the above ten guNams .

 

To Be continued ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan