[t'vengadam] Sri Vilakkoli Perumal, Thoopul/ThirutthaNkA dhivya Desam: Nithya AarAdhana Kaimkaryam for VilakkoLi PerumAL and Swamy Desikan : Part 43: Thirty Ninth SlOkam

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Today , adiyEn will cover the Thirty Ninth slOkam

of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan

describes the progression of the Journey of

the Jeevan that exited via the 101st Naadi

through the DevayAna path(ArchirAdhi Maargam)

to SrI Vaikuntam:

 

archirdinam visadha-paksha udhak-prayANam

samvathsarO maruth-asItha-kara: sasAnka:

SoudhAmanI jalapathir-valajith prajEsa:

ithyAthivAhikasakhO nayasi svakeeyAn

 

--SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai: SlOkam 39

 

Meaning:

********

Oh ViLakkoLi PerumALE ! You lead those , who performed

Prapatti at Your Thiruvadi , through dEvayAna path after

exiting that Jeevan from the sarIram through the 101st

Naadi. During this dEvayAna journey , assigned representatives

of Yours welcome to their territories , offer homage and

take them to the next step of the journey to Your Parama Padham.

The sequence among your representatives greeting the Prapanna

Jeevan are Agni, the deity of the Day (Pahal dEvathai),

Sukla Paksha dEvathai, UttharAyaNa dEvathai, Varsha (Samvathsara)

dEvathia, Vaayu, Sooryan , Chandran , the deity of lightning

known as AmAnavan assisted by VaruNan, Indhran and Brahma dEvan.

They greet the prapanna jeevan , offer homage and hand them

over to the next in line on the way to SrI Vaikuntam. All of these

upakArams (help) are given to the Jeevan to travel with all

MaryAdhais to its rightful place in SrI Vaikuntam.

 

Additional Comments (V.S):

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

In the previous slOkam , the utthkrAnthi (exit) of

the prapanna Jeevan by the 101st vein with the active

participation of our Lord dwelling in the heart was referred to.

The jeevan that left the Brahma Pura ( the city of Brahman,

the sthUla sarIram )now entrs the DevayAna path through

the solar rays. DevayAna path is also known as archirAdhi

maargam . DEvayAna means the divine path of the dEvAs

and Archis means light.

 

That path is presided over by several deities , who recieve

the Muktha jeevan with appropriate honors (poorNa kumbham,

Veda Vaakyams ) and escort him throughout their territories .

These are: 1. Light (archis), 2.ahas (Day),3.bright fortnight

(poorva Paksham or Sukla Paksham ), 4. UttharAyaNam ( the six

months when the Sun travels North), 5. Year (Samvathsaram ),

6. Vaayu (Air), 7.Aadhithyan (Sun), 8.Chandran (Moon),

9.Vaidhuyathan ( amAnavan or the Supra-Man , who is lightning),

10. the three sahakAris of AmAnavan (viz)., VaruNa, Indhra

and PrajApathi. These deities have been appointed by the Lord

to escort His Muktha Jeevan onward to His Supreme abode.These

deities are called archirAdhi abhimAnis.

 

The specifics about this dEvayAna Maargam are decribed in

ChaandhOgyam (4.15.5), KoushIthakupanishad , BruhadhAraNyakam

( 8.2.15 , 7.10 ) . There are some variations in the deities ,

who participate in the UpachArams and the lOkams that the Muktha

jeevan passes through according to these three Upanishads.

Sri RaamAnujA discusses the ArchirAdhi maargam in Sri Bhaashyam

(4.3.1). He concludes that all of these Upanishads agree on

the divine path used is the only path travelled and begins with

Archis , which is the same as Agni.Swamy Desikan discusses

the ArchirAdhi Journey in detail in his Sri Sookthi, Parama

Padha sOpAanam (7th Chapter: ArchirAdhi Parvam); Swamy Desikan

also summarizes succinctly the ArchirAdhi journsy in his Sri Sookthi,

AdhikaraNa SaarAvaLi ( SlOkam 501, 502). Tatthva SaarA slOkam

102 also covers this topic.

 

Brahma Soothrams ( 4.3.1 through 4.3.15) discusses this topic

and AchArya RaamAnujA's Sri BhAshyam elaborates on the DevayAna

path and " the escorting angels " (AadhivAhikAs). The arrival of

the Muktha Jeevan at SrI Vaikuntam after travel through the path

of light and his anubhavams at SrI Vaikuntam form the final

paadham of Brahma Soothrams.Once the Muktha Jeevan reaches

parama padham and is embraced by SrIman NarAyaNa , it enjoys

paripoorNa BrhmAnandham and does not ever return to SamsAra

MaNDalam unless deputed there temporarily by the Lord for

specific assignment . After completign the task assigned by

the Lord , the Muktha Jeevan returns back to its seat at

Parama Padham .

 

Swamy NammazhwAr describes in the 99th decad of ThiruvAimozhi

( 10.9.1-11) what Sri Vaikunta NaaTan showed him as to what

he ( Swamy NammazhwAr) and Muktha Jeevans would be enjoying/

experiencing during the travel by ArchirAdhi maargam to

SrI Vaikuntam and the reception at Parama padham on arrival.

These precious paasurams are the distillation of the essence of

the Upanishadic passages quoted earlier. The honors accorded to

the DaasAs of SrIman NaarAyana are described in a moving manner

by Swamy SaThakOpan/NammAzhwAr .

 

Swamy NammAzhwAr describes the UpachArams/MaryAdhais that

the Muktha Jeevan recieve from AdhI-VaahikAs in the third

slOkam of this decad .

 

The 8th Paasuram

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

The welcoming deities offer with great pride incense with

myrrh , garland the Muktha Jeevans ,recite veda Vaakyams ,

offer Havis , fruits and benedictions. In the 8th paasuram ,

the praise of the Nithya Sooris to the Muktha Jeevans

is described:

 

Vaikuntham puhutalum vaasalil Vaanavar

Vaikunthan Tamar Yemar Yemathidam puhatenRu

Vaikunthatt-tamararum munivarum viyanthanar

VAIKUNTHAM PUHUVATHU MANNAVAR VITHIYE

--ThiruvAimozhi: 10.9.8

 

(meaning according to Dr.V.N.V. Desikan ): The Nithyasooris

greeted the entering MuktAs,saying , " Welcome to our Swamis!

We are proud to be servants of the Lord's dAsAs like You " .

All requested the MukthAs to take over the " SrI " , the affluence,

the only affluence that matters , namely , of Kaimkarya to

the Lord. The amarAs (those who are active workers performing

different types of service ) and the Munis (those who enjoy

mentally the auspicious qualities of the Lord), both applauded

the advent of the MukthAs with some awe and admiration and

excalimed , " Waht PuNya would we have performed such that

we can have such entry of MukthAs from earth " .

 

The Ninth paasuram: PerumAL's welcome

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

 

vithi-vahai puhunthanar yenRu NalvEdiyar

pathiyinil paankinil paathankaL kazhuvinar

nithiyum naRRsuNNamum niRaikudaviLakkamum

mathi-muka-madanthayar yEnthinar vanthE

 

(mening according to Dr.V.N.V.Desikan): The MukthAs

proceeded further. The Nithyassoris , who have been

eulogized by the VedAs, such as AnanthA , GarudA and

VishvaksEnA recieved the MukthAs at the door of their

respective Holy Houses with an acclamation , " What a good

fortune for us that You have come here ! They also performed

ablution , for courtesy , at the feet of the MukthAs , with

real zeal , even if it was a formality! A little farther ,

the Consorts of the Lord , Lakshmi , Bhoomi and NeeLa ,

with their countenances moon-like , came to recieve

the MuktAs , as representatives of the Lord along with

their attendants, and WITH SRI SATHAKOPAM , the nidhi of

srI VaishNavAs , CHOORNAM from the Lord's feet ,

POORNAKUMBHAMS and MANGALA DHEEPAMS.

 

The final (11th ) Paasuram describes the Muktha Jeevan

joining the Lord at His Thiru MaamaNi MaNtapam and

enjoying endless bliss through the performance of

Nithya Kaimkarayam.

 

This is the fruit of travel by ArchirAdhi Maargam

to SrI Vaikuntam by the Muktha Jeevan covered by

the Thirty Ninth slOkam of SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai

of Swamy Desikan.

 

SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan

 

(P.S): Dear BhakthAs: We have now reached the 11.76 Lak

Rupees stage of the NithyArAdhana Kaimkaryam (Target

is 20 Laks of Rupees as Core Fund) at ThUppul VedAntha

Desikan Sannidhi and the daily AarAdhanam for

Swamy Desikan's home PerumAL and PirAtti ,

Sri Maragathavalli SamEtha Sri DhIpa PrakAsan.

 

We have thus approximately 8.24 laks of Rupees to complete

the kaimkaryam . Please Join in this important Kaimkaryam.

Please contact adiyEn , if you would like to support this

important Kaimkaryam and join the BhaagavathAs , who have

already brought the kaimkaryam past its half way point.