Thol Vazhi and Nitya Soori

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>

> M.S.HARI (Madabhushi Sarangarajan Hari) [mshari]

> Sunday, October 01, 2000 6:57 AM

> Re: [Clarification Required.]

>

> Refer " tunbatRa madurakavi thondrak kaattum tholvazhiyE nalvazhigaL

> thuNivArgatkE " , " GOdAmananya SaraNa: SaraNam prapadyE " (GOdA-sthuthi).

 

 

namo narayana!

 

On this auspicious day Purattasi Thirukettai, Srimad

Athivan Satakopa Yatindra Mahadesian's thiurnakshatram,

adiyEn wishes to add the following comments taking

the opportunity provided by Sri Hari's reference to

one the most wonderful verses in all of Sri Vaishnava

literature.

 

Of the twelve Azhvars, Swami Sri Desikan pays tribute

to 10 of them in one single verse at the start of

Adhikara Sangaraham, but dedicates an entire verse

all for a single Azhvar, Sri Madurakavi Azhvar. This

shows the unique status of Sri Madhurakavi. He is

the one untainted by any sin, equal in blesmihslessness

to Satrugnan. This verse is a beautiful verse both

in its musical rhythmic quality and the deep meaning.

 

Second pasuram from adhikAra sangraham

-----

inbaththil iRaincuthalil isaiyum pERRil

igazhaatha palluRavil iraaka mARRil

than paRRil vinai vilakkil thagavOkkatthil

thatthuvaththai uNartthuthalil thanmai Akkil

anbarkkE avatharikkum Ayan niRka

aru maRaikaL thamizh seythAn thaaLE koNdu

thunbaRRa mathurakavi thOnRak kaattum

thol vazhiyE nalvazhikaL thuNivaargatkE

 

What a beauty!

 

Sriramadesikachar explains in his commentary

that there are 10 types of association between

a jIvA and BhagavAn. Sri MadhurakavikaLsought

out these 10 types of association, not with

Perumal, but with Swami Nammazhvar.

 

1. inbaththil = bhagavath anubhavam

2. iRaincuthalil = surrendering

3. isaiyum pERRil = the boon we receive, i.e. purushartham

4. igazhaatha

palluRavil = many kinds of relationship, as per sastras

(igazhAtha = not forbidden, pal = many

uRavu = relationship)

5. iraakam mARRil = getting our base desires destroyed

6. than paRRil = attachment towards Perumal

7. vinai vilakkil = removing our sins

8. thagavu Okkatthil = being the target for the limitless compassion

9. thatthuvaththai

uNartthuthalil = receiving the true knowledge (thathvam)

10. thanmai Akkil = making us equal to Him

 

Sri Madhurakavi sought and received all the above ten

associations only with Nammazahvar, that too when

Kannan, who was born for only to grace the bhaktas

like Sri Madhurakavi (anbarkE avatharikkum), was

still in His suddha satva flesh and blood in this

material world (Ayan niRka).

 

Just imagine, if we travel a couple of hundred miles

to help a friend in need, but when we get there he

just ignores us and goes behind someone else. How

would you feel? Here, Perumal has come down from

Paramapadham for the sake of bhaktas like Madurakavi,

but Madurakavi just ignored Him and went after the

lotus feet of the one who rendered the priceless Vedas

into Tamil (aru maRaikaL thamizh seythAn thaaLE koNdu).

 

The result of ignoring Perumal and going after the lotus

feet of a sadacharya like Swami Nammazhvar was, Sri Madhurakavi

was free of any worry whatsoever, (thunbu aRRa mathurakavi).

 

And, Sri Madurakavi shows to the world clearly (thOnRak

kaattum) the beginingless, i.e. anAthi, path (thol vazhiyE)

of Acarya Bhakti. This is the best path (nalvazhikaL) for

those who have forsaken base desires (thuNivaargatkE).

 

Thus Acharya Bhakti is the " thol vazhi " , the ageless path

to salvation, according to Sri Madurakavi that Swami Sri

Desikan celebrates here. What the other Azhvars could not

do with 3989 verses, Sri Madhurkavi did in just 11 verses.

And for that, Swami Sri Desikan, sang a full verse, while

all the other Azhvars were grouped into just one.

 

Another tangential and polemical point, Sri Anand Karalapakkam

wrote:

 

> There are some who unwantedly stir up controversies/confusions that

> AzhwArs as being Niyta-SUris was not stated by SwAmi DESikan and

> it was only a 17th Century concept formulated by Vadagalai AchAryas.

 

There are some writings by poorvAcAryas that characterize

Azhvars and even themselves as " nithya SamsAri " . This is

probably what they site to stir up such controversies.

In my experience adiyEn has found that these people not

only misinterpret the intent, but also selective in accepting

the authoritativeness of these sources. If they want to take

the literal meaning of " nithya SamsAri " and cite this as

authoritative, then they must also accept the chronology sited

by the same sources. That is, they will have to accept the

traditional dates, i.e. Sri Madurakavi lived during the time

of Krishna Avatharam. Usually, they do not accept this.

 

Be that as it may, is it proper to derive the literal meaning

for " nitha SamsAri " referring to Azhvars. Well, the literal

meaning of " nithya SamsAri " is one who can never leave the

bondage of SamsAram. Sri Vaishnava SiddAntam does not accept

such a permanent and unchangeable imprisonment in " SamsAram " .

SamsAram is beginingless, but it has a definite end, parama

padam has definite beginning for muktAs, but it has no end.

From this we see that there in no class of jIvas who are

" nitha SamsAri " and therefore we must not try to stick to a

strict literal interpretation for " nithya SamsAri " .

 

Then, what is the interpretation for " nithya SamsAri " ? This

is something we must never try to interpret on our own, but

only with the guidance of a Sadacarya. adiyEn submitted this

question at the lotus feet of Srimad Azhagiya Singar long

time ago. If my memory serves me right, HH clarified that

it is only a exaggeration, much like the " naicyAnusandAnam "

of Azhvars. Swami Nammazhvar says, " nIsanEn, niRai onRum ilEn "

(lowly, and with no merit), and " siRiya jnyanatthan " (of little

knowledge), etc. Thirumangai Azhvar sings of the many sins he

had committed. Madurkavi Azhvar sings that he coveted after

other's wealth and women, and Swami Sri Desikan calls himself

" aparAda cakravarti " . Obviously, these are not even exaggerations,

but just poetic imagination that are not true at all. They used

these phrases out of an extreme sense of " kArpaNyam " a feeling of

total worthlessness to be the recipients of the Lord's grace. The

phrase " nithya SamsAri " must be interpreted in this sense. Then

there is no contradiction in our tradition of Nithyasoory status

for Azhvars and the writings of poorvAcAryas.

 

-- adiyEn ramanuja dasan

srimad azhagiya singar thiruvadigaLE saraNam