Sri Vilakkoli Perumal, Thoopul/ThirutthaNkA dhivya Desam: Nithya AarAdhana kaimkaryam for VilakkoLi PerumAL and Swamy Desikan : Part XXVI: Twenty Third SlOkam

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

We just got past the 10 Laks stage of assembly

of funds for Uninterrupted NithyArAdhanam to

Swamy Desikan and SrI DhIpa PrakAsa DampathigaL

at ThUppul/ThirutthaNkA dhivya dEsam with your help .

Thank you all!

 

We just need another 5 Laks of Rupees to complete

this kaimkaryam . adiyEn appeals to every one of you

to help with whatever you can to reach Kaimakrya Poorthi.

adiyEn appeals to You all with folded hands to support

this kaimkaryam as much as you can.

 

Today , adiyEn will cover the Twenty third slOkam

of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan

focuses on the NirAlamBana yOgam adopted by the yOgis

to enjoy the Lord's DhivyAthma svaroopam . In the previous

slOkam , Swamy Desikan described the experience of the yOgis

engaged in SaalamBana yOgam, where they focus on the ThirumEni of

SrI DhIpa PrakAsan , His AabharaNams and Aayudhams.The 23rd slOkam

of SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , the topic of this posting

takes this form in the Vasantha TilakA metre:

 

mAnAthilanghi sukhabhOdha mahAmbhurAsou

magnA-sthrIseema-rahithE Bhavatha: svaroopE

taapathrayENa vihitham na bhajanthi santha:

samsAra-garma-janithEna samAdhimantha:

 

--SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai: SlOkam 23

 

(meaning): Oh DhIpa PrakAsa PrabhO! Some of the yOgis meditate

on Your dhivyAthma svaroopam instead of Your ThirumEni, its

beauty , Your dhivya aabharaNams and weapons . These yOgis adopt

thus the nirAlamBana yOgam to experience You . Your dhivyAthma

svaroopam is an ocean of bliss and Jn~Anam . That dhivyAthma

svaroopam of Yours is beyond the limits of dEsam , kaalam and vasthu.

It can not be confined to any particular place or other.It can not

be limited by time in the sense that You are present only at one time

or the other. It can also not be defined by factors such as

vasthu nirNayam ( being constituted by a particular vasthu).

That dhivyAthma svaroopam is beyond all these measures. It is present

at all places , times and forms.

 

A fortunate yOgi , who is immersed in nirAlamBana yOgam

feels like the one who gets the relief from the scorching

heat of summer by dipping into a pond with cool waters.

His three samsAric afflictions ( tApams ) are removed.

He gains mOksham after getting relief from the three tApams

( AadhyAthmikam , Aadhi boudhikam and Aaadhi dhaivikam ).

AadhyAthmika tApam is connected to physical illnesses

and the mental sufferings caused by kaamam, anger , fear et al.

Aadhi Bhoudhika tApam is the sufferings created by the beasts,

bird , humans et al. Aadhi Dhaivikam are caused by excessive

cold, heat , wind , rains etc associated with divine forces.

 

Additional Comments(V.S):

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

Lambhanam was described earlier as the procedure of

hanging on to or dependent upon some aspect of an entity.

SaalamBanam yOgam means the dhyAnam that is dependent on

the reflection on the Lord's ThirumEni , His beauty-drenched

limbs ,His dhivyAyudhams , His auspicious AabharaNams and

the tatthvams behind those AabharaNams and Aayudhams.

Swamy Desikan concluded in the previous slOkam that the yOgis

engaged in the nectarine anubhavam of SaalamBana yOgam/

dhyAnam never ever get satiated by that enjoyment and

thirst for more (ThvAM saalamBana yOgEna parichinthya

thrupthim na yaanthi).This type of yOgam is about

the subhAsraya ThirumEni of the Lord.

 

In this 23rd SlOkam , Swamy Desikan describes another

yOgic practise recognized as NirAlamBana yOgam that also

leads to a similar blissful experience on this earth

and ultimately grants them Moksham.This type of yOgic

practise (dhyAnam ) is focussed on the dhivyAthma svaroopam .

It is a svaroopa dhyAnam instead of ThirumEni dhyAnam .

It is rooted in the dhyAnam on the Lord's Svaroopa lakshaNams .

 

Svaroopam means the essential nature of an entity and

here it is the dhivyAthma svaroopam or the essential

nature of the Lord . The aspect of the enjoyment of

the Lord thru the two kinds of yOgams is described by

a unique VaishNva terminology called " Saathmikkai " .

This anubhavam is the blessing granted by the Lord to enjoy

Him ( dhyAnam on the DhivyAthma Svaroopam in NirAlamBana yOgam

or the dhyAnam focused on the ThirumEni , Aaayudhams et al

as in the case of SaalamBan yOgam). During " Saathmikkai " ,

the Lord mingles with the aathmA/jeevan and let the latter enjoy

Him gradually . It is like feeding the child step by step.

The effects of full and immediate enjoyment would be beyond

the capabilities of the jeevan practising either of these yOgic

procedures.Hence , the most merciful Lord regulates the enjoyment

and progressively enhances that blissful anubhavam like

a caring mother feeding the child with her own milk .

The yOgi never gets satiated by this aanandhAnubhavam

and longs for more such blissful anubhavams.SaalamBana

Yogam focuses on the Lord's Dhivya MangaLa vigraham

( ThiruvAimozhi II.5.1) and the NirAlamBana yOgam

concentrates on the DhivyAthma Svaroopam . The beauty

of the divine body of the Lord is called roopa-guNams

by AchArya RaamAnujA to distinguish it from dhivyAthma

GuNams . Roopa guNams or vigraha guNams are behind

SaalamBana yOgam and the dhivyAthma guNams are

behind the NirAlamBana yOgam .

 

A flower has a svaroopam . The svarUpam is referred to

as " Dharmi " .A flower like jasmine has an unique fragrance .

That fragrance is referred to as " Dharma " . In the case of

our Lord , He has dhivyAthma svaroopam (essential nature ) ,

which is beyond the limits of definition by dEsam , kaalam

and Vasthu.Dharma is the attribute and dharmi is defined

as the substrate in which the formr(Dharma) " inheres " .

The other facets of dhivyAthma svaroopam of our Lord

described by the Upanishads are in terms of Satyathva ,

Jn~Anatva (infinite knowledge) , ananthatva ( infinite in

His savisEsha entity) and aanandatva ( Supreme bliss

principle) and amalatva (free form any blemish).

These then are the essential attributes ( SvarUpa-nirUpaka

dharma) or the dhivyAthama svaroopam of our Lord .

AzhwArs have repeatedly asserted that the dhivyAthma

savroopam of the Lord (both His svaroopam and the GuNAs )

are beyond dEsa , kaala , vasthu nirNayam . He is distant

to the devotionless , but very close to the devoted.

He is not percieved or grasped by mere yogic practises ,

when the saadhakan has no pious bhakthi ( ThiruvAimozhi:

I.9.6: sEyanaNiyan yavarkkum chinthaikkum gocaranallan).

 

Swamy NammazhwAr described this dhivyAthma svaroopam succinctly:

" Uyar nalam udaiyavan yavan avan " . One of the essential

nature (Svaroopam ) of the Lord is His status as the Supreme

Being , His svAbhAvika dharmam .This has been celebrated by

the upanishads again and again. AagamAs on the other hand

focus on the visual manifestations of the dhivya mangaLa

vigraham ( SubhAsraya ThirumEni accessible by SaalamBana

yOgam ).

 

In the next slOkam , Swamy Desikan celebrates the generosity

of DhIpa PrakAsan as a grantor of appropraiate boons for those

who approach Him through the routes of Karma , Jn~Aana

and Bhakthi yOgams .

 

SrI Maragathavalli SamEtha SrI DhIpaprakAsAya nama;

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SaThakOpan/V.Sadagopan