Dhati Panchakam 4

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Sri: Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama: Dhati Panchakam Shloka 4 Based on Sri P.B. Annangaracharyar Swami's Commentary trayyAmA~NgalyasUtram triyugapadayugArohaNAlambasUtram sadvidyA dIpasUtram sakalakalikathA samhR^ite: kAlasUtram | pra~nAsUtram budhAnAm prashamadhanamana: padminI nAlasUtram rakshAsUtram munInAm jayati yatipatervakshasi brahmasUtram || Meaning:trayyA mA~NgalyasUtram - The thread that is like the holy matrimonial thread around the neck of mother Veda;ArohaNa AlambasUtram - the string that helps climb to triyuga padayuga - the divine feet of the Lord;sadvidyA dIpasUtram - the thread that helps the lamp that is Upanishad, glow;sakalakalikathA samhR^ite: kAlasUtram - the thread (like the one Yama carries) that destroys the

activities of Kali yuga;budhAnAm pra~nAsUtram - the thread that helps expand the minds of devotees;prashamadhanamana: padminI nAlasUtram - the thread that is like the stalk of the lotus which is the heart of the panditas whose wealth is knowledge;munInAm rakshAsUtram - the thread that protects such panditas;brahmasUtram yatipate: vakshasi jayati - such a Brahmasutram of Ramanuja shines on his divine chest.Commentary:Similar to the previous two shlokas where Ramanuja's tridandam was praised, in this shloka, the holy thread on the chest of Ramanuja is enjoyed and through it the greatness of Ramanuja is brought out. In other sampradhayams, when a person enters the sanyasAshrama dharma, theyremove their hair completely and throw away their holy thread. In Srivaishnavasampradhaya, the sanyasis keep a tuft of hair on their head and continue towear the holy thread. Thus, in this

shloka the beauty and qualities of the holy thread worn by Ramanuja is being appreciated. trayyA mA~NgalyasUtram:The holy thread on Ramanuja's divine chest is like the matrimonial threadworn around the necks of women to show that they are married. This descriptionis the same that Sri Parasara Bhattar uses to describe the works of SwamiKooraththazhvan in his thaniyan ("yaduktayas trayIkaNThe yAnti mangaLasUtratAm"). If a woman is not wearing the matrimonial thread around her neck, either sheis still unmarried or she is a widow. If it is the former, many men will thinkof themselves as her possible husband; in the case of the latter, people wouldknow that she has lost her husband. Similarly, prior to Ramanuja's birth, people thought of many devatas as the Supreme (as the paramapurusha of the Vedas) while there were others who claimed that there is no Supreme (as described

in the Vedas). After Swami Ramanuja's birth, it was made clear to one and all that there is a Supreme and that He is Sriman Narayana - thus the matrimonial thread shone around the neck of the Veda mAta. triyuga padayuga:yuga means a pair. tri yuga is therefore six - this refers to the six divinequalities (knowledge, power, strength, wealth, valor and splendor) of the Lord as shown by the word Bhagavan. Therefore, triyuga refers to the Lord. pada yuga refers to the divine feet of the Lord. ArohaNa AlambasUtram:When climbing a mountain, one uses a rope to pull themselves up. Similar tothat, Swami Ramanuja's thread helps devotees make the ultimate climb - to the divine feet of the Lord. Vedanta Desikan uses another comparison for this idea - Ramanuja is like a lion jumping between mountains (this world and the next); and the devotees are like small insects that would

never getacross these mountains in many lifetimes; but the insects that cling on tothe lion will reach the other mountain along with the lion in one bound. In some texts for this shloka, the phrase used is triyugayuga. In that case,the number shown is 12 (3 x 2 x 2). This numbers refers to the archirAdhipath. Then, it is shown that Swami's thread helps the souls go through thispath. That is, for those who have surrendered at Swami's feet, the path ofarchirAdhi has become easily attainable. sadvidyA dIpasUtram:Without a thread (wick), a lamp would not glow. Thus, without Ramanuja'sthread, the Upanishads that are lamps would not glow. sakalakalikathA samhR^ite: kAlasUtram:The Lord of death, Yama, carries in his hands a rope called kAlapAsha, that he uses to capture souls from their bodies. Similar to that, Ramanuja's thread destroys the

uproar caused by the activites of Kali yuga. budhAnAm pra~nAsUtram:Ramanuja's thread brightens and expands the thoughts of those that surrender at his divine feet. prashamadhanamana: padminI nAlasUtram:Yogis are those that have highest qualities as their only wealth. Such yogiswere Ramanuja's disciples such as Embar, Arulala Perumal Emberumanar, et al.Their hearts are like lotuses that blossom in the presence of Sun who isRamanuja ("rAmAnuja divAkara:"). To their lotus minds, Ramanuja's thread actsas the stalk - connecting them to Ramanuja and nourishing them. The Sun that is Ramanuja will both drive away the darkness caused by othersampradhayams ("nirAsa vAsarapati:") as well as blossom the hearts of thetrue devotees. munInAm rakshAsUtram:The thread also protects the same yogis. vakshasi jayati:Unlike sanyasis of other sampradhayams, Ramanuja wears the Brahmasutram. Inthis shloka, it is said that even the act of enjoying the beauty of thatsacred thread will provide refuge and achieve liberation. Azhvar Emperumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam adiyEn madhurakavi dAsan http://www.acharya.org/vyakyanam/Dhati-Panchakam/index.html

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