The First Thiru Adhyayana Uthsavm at Lord RanganAtha Temple at Pomona , NY : Dec 22-31, 2001---PART IV, Swamy Desikan's Taathparya RathnAvaLi

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Vishu Samvathsara Dhanur Maasa PiRappu Dinam

 

ANDAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

 

SrI:

 

AzhwAr AchAryan Udayavar ThiruvadigaLE saraNam

 

Sri RanganAtha ParabrahmaNE Nama:

 

Dear RasikAs of Swamy NammAzhwAr's dhivya prabhandhams:

 

AdiyEn will start with the DhramidOpanishad Taathparya

RathnAvaLi (DTR) of Swamy Desikan on this first day of

sacred Margazhi Maasam.

 

Structure and Metre of DTR

***************************

As indicated in the previous posting , the first

ten of the 130 slokam of this sacred work are

introduction to the Vaibhavam of Swamy NammAzhwAr

and His sacred work, ThiruvAimozhi. These ten

are Bhavath GuNa niroopaNa SampradhAya avathArikai.

 

The next 113 slOkams address the inner meanings of

the 100 dasakams (decads) of ThiruvAimozhi.The remaining

six slOkams are considered as Nigamana SlOkams

that provide the " synoptic content " of the Sri Sookthi,

DhramidOpanishad Taatparya RathnAvaLi .

 

Because of the loftiness and divinty of the subject

matter , Swamy Deikan picked a " big " metre (SragdharA )

for the slOkams of DTR. For the subsequent smaller grantham ,

which is a condensation of the thoughts of DTR at

a macro level, Swamy Desikan chose a smaller-sized metre

(SikhariNI) for DhramiDOpanishad Saaram (DS) . If DTR

foucses at a minute (micro) level the Taathparyam of

each of the Pasasurams of ThiruvAimozhi , DS summarizes

at the higher (macro) level the Dhivya GuNams of

ThirumAl as elaborated in the ten Patthus (Sathakams)

of ThiruvAimozhi.

 

ThiruvAimozhi as Tamizh MaRai RathnAvaLi

*****************************************

DhramidOpanishad is the Tamizh MaRai . " Vedam Tamizh

seytha Maaran " is the salutation to Swamy NammAzhwAr.

He captured the essence of Sanskritic Upanishads

and Brahma Soothrams ,which are not easy to understand

by every one and out of his compassion for us rendered

them in Agasthya Bhaashai (Tamizh) for easy comprehension

by one and all. He covered the Taathparyam or

the deep meanings of the Upanishads in Tamil and assembled

them (the individual gems ) in to a RathnAvaLi

( gem necklace). Swamy Desikan created this RathnAvaLi

by stringing together the multi-hued rathnams ( Taathparyams )

of DhramidOpanishad ( ThiruvAimozhi) and realized

the DhramidOpanishad Taathparya RathnAvaLi for

arpaNam to Lord RanganAtha . In his Sri RanganAtha

PaadhukA Sahasram's Rathna SaamAnya and VisEsha

Rathna Paaddhathis , Swamy Desikan pays special

tribute to the creator of thei DhramidOpanishad

RathnAvaLi , Swamy NammAzhwAr , the SaThAri Soori.

 

Relationship between Tamizh MaRai & Sanskritic Vedams

******************************************************

The relationship between the Tamizh MaRai of Swamy

NammAzhwAr and the sahasra saakhOpanishads ( 1000 plus

upanishads associated with the 1000 plus saakhais of

the four Vedams ) is saluted in Swamy NaaTamuni's Taniyan

for ThiruvAimozhi :

 

BhakthAmrutham Visva-janAnumOdhanam

SarvArTadham SrI SaThakOpa Vaangmayam

Sahsara SaakhOpanishath-samAgamam

namAmyaham DHRAAVIDA VEDA SAAGARAM

 

(Meaning ): adiyEn salutes the ocean of Tamizh

Vedam , which is of the form of Sri SaThakOpan's

vaak (speech/aruLiccheyalkaL). These are linked to

the thousand upanishads and includes in them

all the deep meanings (Taathparyams)of Tatthva-

Hitha-PurushArthams and artha Panchakam. They are nectar

to the minds of the devotees of Sriman NaarAyaNan

and they enjoy it with relish as aparyAthAmrutham .

 

The First SlOkam of DhramidOpanishad Taathparya RathnAvaLi

***********************************************************

Saara: SaarasvathAnAm SaDaripu paNithi: Saanthi SuddhAntha seemA

MaayAmAyaminIbhi: svaguNa-vithathibhir-bhandhayanthIm dhayanthI

Paaram paaramparIthO bhava-jaladhi-bhavan-majjanAnAm JanAnAm

prathyak prathyakshayEnna: prathiniyataramA sannidhAnam nidhAnam

 

(Meaning): Swamy NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi starting from

the first decad of the first Patthu ( UyarvaRauyar nalamudayavan)

to the last decad of the tenth patthu ( MuniyE NaanmukhanE

MukkaNNappA)is involved with Sri SaThakOpan's anubhavam of

the anantha KalyANa GuNams ( limitless auspicious attributes )

of Sriman NaarAyaNan . These Saarasvathams ( Combination of

words arising from the Sarasvathi/Vaak of Sri SaThakOpan )

and their Saaram (distilled essence ) saves us from chasing

perishable matters and engaging in useless pursuits and

brings the Lord Sriman NaarAyaNan in front of us as

Prathyaksha PramANam .

 

Commnets based on UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam:

*********************************************

Swamy Desikan points out that Sri SaThakOpan's

ThiruvAimozhi is the inner chamber (antha:puram )

of Saanthi Devi. It will produce absolute tranquility

and bliss. It will carry the people inclined to sink

more and more( PaaramparItha) into the ocean of samsAram

across to the other shore (paaram ) of paripoorNa BrahmAnamdham

(paaramparItha Bhava Jaladhi bhavan-majjanAnAm

JanAnAm ). After safely transporting them to the other shore

of SamsAram , ThiruvAimozhi's power brings the Lord

(Sri VaikuntanATan ) along with His divine Consort in front of

them as Prathyaksha PramANam ( Prathyak prathiniyataramA

sannidhAnam nidhAnam prathyakshayEth). Swamy Desikan

states that ThiruvAimozhi will bless us all with the nidhi

(wealth) of the Lord forever united with SrI Devi

and bring that supreme and auspicious nidhi right

in front of us (nidhAnam na: PrathyakshayEth).

NidhAnam means nidhi or wealth . That nidhi is the one ,

which has nithya sambhandham (ahalahillEn --) of PirAtti

( prathiniyataramA SannidhAnam nidhAnam ).

 

UtthamUr Swamy elaborates beautifully on the significance

of the word " Prathyak " in his commentary. He points out

that Sriman NaarAyaNan is the PRATHYAK , who is the antharyAmi

( the indweller ) of all Jeevans. The liberated Jeevan

remembers always that it is the Nithya Seshan (eternal

liege ) to the Lord and recognizes its status as

asvathanthran (Totally dependent one on the Dhivya Dampathis)).

Once one is blessed with this Seshathva Jn~Anam through

AchArya KatAksham and Sambhnadham , the Jeevan understands

the full power of the Taathparyam of Swamy NammAzhwAr's

Saaratama Saarasvathams ( Quintessence of ThiruvAimozhi)

like : " Udanmisai Uyirenak karenthengum paranthauLan "

and " YenathAviyAvium Nee " . The Lord with His Divine

consort appears in the " aham buddhi " of the devotee

and takes his place in the " ahankAra dEsam " as stated by

the Upanishad ( aTAthOhahankAra dEsa:). Therefore Kaimkaryam

to the Dhivya Dampathis and Their BhagavathAs are most

important (Saara Tamam as pointed in PrdhAna sathakam).

 

The Key messages of the First SlOkam of DTR

*******************************************

The key message of Swamy Desikan's first slOkam of DTR

is that Swamt NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi (SaDaripu

PaNithi:) has the unfailing power of bringing Sriya: Pathi

in front of one ( Prathyaksham). Swamy NammAzhwAr's

ThiruvAimozhi has the power of being present at all

places in all times ( AayAminIbhi). The Sri Sookthi has

the capability to tie the Jeevan firmly to the Thiruvadi of

SravalOka saraNyan ( svaguNa vithathibhi: BhandhayanthIm ).

It consumes the marvellous creation of Moola Prakruthi

(MaayAm dayanthI) and produces Vishaya vairAgyam

( nonattachment to worldly and evanescent matters) .

A SadAchAryan unites then this Mumukshu Jeevan to ThirumAl

and returns His property(Jeevan) to Him ( Sriya: Pathi).

 

From the shade of Sriranga VimAnam on the banks of Hudson River,

adiyen appeals to all BhakthAs and rasikAs of AzhwAr's

AruLiccheyalkaL to help celebrate the forthcoming

Thiruadhyayana Uthsavam at Sri RanganAthA temple ,

Pomona , NY and join the celebrations (Dec 22- 31,2001).

 

Sri RanganAyaki SamEtha Sri RanganAtha ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VardAchAri SatakOpan