Thiru Adhyayana Uthsavam at Lord RanganAthar Temple at Pomona , NY , Part XIII: Swamy Desikan's Taathparya RathnAvaLi: Eleventh SlOkam

[Guest guest]

Tuesday , Dec 25 , 2001

 

ThoomaNi Madatthu ThiruppAvai Dinam

 

ANDAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

 

SrI:

 

Dear RasikAs of Swamy NammAzhwAr's Dhivya Prabhandhams:

 

On this Thoo-MaNi Maadatthu ThiruppAavi day ,

adiyEn will continue with the eleventh SlOkam of DTR:

 

nissImOdhyadh guNathvAthamitharasatayA anantha-leelAsvdhathvAth

svAyathAsEsha-satthAsTithi yathanabhidhA vaibhavAth vaisva-rUpyAth

thraiksha-brahmAthma-bhAvAth sadhasadhavagathE: sarva tatthvEshu

--poorthE:

pasyan yOgi Param Tatth-padhakamalanathou anvasAth aathma-chittham

 

The ten guNams saluted by Swamy NammAzhwAr in ThiruvAimozhi 1.1

according to Swamy Desikan are:

 

1) NissImOdhyath GuNam

2) Amitha Rasa GuNam

3) anantha leelAspadham

4-6)SvAyatthAsEsha-satthA-sTithiyathanabhidhA Vaibhavam

7) Viasva Roopyam

8) Thrayaksha-BrahmAthma BhAvam

9) sadhasadhava gathi

10)sarva TatthvEshu poorthi GuNam

 

 

Extend Meanings of the above 10 guNams

following UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam:

 

The essence of the above ten guNams of the Lord saluted in

the first ten pasurams (TVM :1.1.1) and the effect of these

ten guNams summarized by Swamy Desikan are referred to

in the fourth paadham of this slOkam :

 

" pasyan yOgi Param Taddh-padhakamalam

anvasAth aathma-chittham "

 

Yogi here refers to SaThakOpar. Through the salutations of

the ten guNams of the Lord , SaThakOpa Muni saw clearly

the Parathvam of the Lord (Supermacy of Sriman NaarAyaNan )

over every other god . SaThakOpan described his longing for

worshipping the sacred lotus feet of the Lord and asked

his manas (mind) to awaken and arise to worship those

sacred Thiruvadi of the Lord .This mesage is about

aathmAthmIya-Bhara NyAsam . The Overall guNam celebrated in

these ten paasurams is about the Parathvam ( unquestionable

Supermacy ) of Sriman NaarAyaNan , our Sarva SwAmi.

 

We will now enjoy the ten guNams housed in each of

the ten paasurams , one by one:

 

1. First GuNam/First Paasuram : NissIma Udhyath GuNathvam:

 

NissIma means matchless ,incomparable and UNSURPASSED.

Udhuyath Gunam means lofty and majestic guNam. This is

to be connected to " UyaRvaRa Uyar-nalamudamai " aspect of

the Lord associated with His Parathvam celebrated in

the first paadham of the first paasuram of TVM.

One can connect this GuNam to His power to grant " MayaRvaRa

mathi nalam aruLvathu " and " being " amararkaL adhipathi "

( the second and the third paadhams of the first Paasuram of TVM).

Swamy NammAzhwAr commands his mind to rise up and worship those

lustorous ThiruvadikaL , which destroy all sorrows born out

of aj~nAnam (nescience): " ThuyaraRu sudaradi thozhuthyezhan

mananE " (Fourth Paadham of the First Paasuram of TVM).

One can witness the genius of Swamy Desikan to summarize

the ten guNams housed in one Paasuram with such brilliance

and unite it all to a central theme : Parathvam of the Lord

as Para VaasudEvan.His understanding of the inner thoughts of

Swamy NammAzhwAr is extraordinary .

 

For reference purposes , the English translation of this

Paasuram (TVM 1.1.1)by Dr.V.N.VedAntha Desikan is given below:

 

" 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 with the Jnaana-Bhakthi 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 Nithyasooris and Devas of unfailing

knowledge (or who is Lord DevarAjA /Varadhan of Kaanchi). "

 

2.Second GuNam/Second (Manana Kamala) Paasuram: amitha-rasatayA:

 

" amitha " stands for unlimited bliss , which is the Jn~Anananthvam

guNam of Sriman NaarAyaNan. " amitham " is aparicchinnam (wholesome/

undividable) and " Rasatayaa " stands for the aanandham

(Jn~Anandham). " JnAnandhamayam Devam " is the salutation

for Lord HayagrIvan , the Lord of all VidhyAs. Besides

aparicchinna Jn~Ananadha Svaroopathvam ,aditional items

covered here (in TVM 1.1.2 and Its summary as second

guNam in DTR) are :

 

(1)chEthanAchEthana VailakshaNyam ( contrariness/differneces/

disparity between Isvaran and sentients as well as insentients)

 

(2) absence of Kaala ParicchEdham ( unaffected by Kaala tatthvam).

Kaalam (Time with its measures of Past , present and future)

has no influence in nithya Vibhoothi of the Lord .

 

(3) the GuNam of not having an equal or Superior

(OkkAr MikkAr irAmai).

 

The main GuNam for this second paasuram is " Jn~Anandhathvam "

(Bliss Consciousness principle). The revelatory word in

Swamy NammAzhwAr Paasuram is " Muzhu Nalam " , which is

placed in the third line of the paasuram.The Svaroopa-Niroopaka

Dharmams( proofs for the svaroopam of the Lord) relating to

His uniqueness is saluted here.

 

For reference purposes , the meaning of the second paasuram

of First Thirumozhi is given below (Dr.V.N.V):

 

" The Lord, as described above , can not be compared even

when the usual blemishes (like rajas and Tamas) of the mind

have been wiped off and the mind is progressively blossoming

into perfection.His splendour is not possible of mental

perception. The five organs of senses too can not experience

His nature and presence. He is all Jn~Ana and Aanandha (His

form may be described as personifying knowledge and Joy).

He has no peer or superior at all times. And , He is my soul,

my life.

 

We will continue with the other 8 guNams in

the subsequent postings .

 

Sri RanganAyaki SamEtha Sri RanganAtha ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VardAchAri SaThakOpan