SaraNaagati gadhyam :1950 Sriman Bhaashyam's release of Sri VishitAdhvaita PracharaNi sabha , Madras : Part IV

[Guest guest]

 

 

 

 

 

SrI:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Bhagavad RaamAnuja SampradhAyins:

 

Let us study/enjoy now the 4th chUrNikai today .

 

Exposition on His Attributes

 

svAbhAvikAnavadhikAtiSaya Jn~Ana-BalaiSvarya VeeryaSakti tEjassouSeelya

Vaatsakya Maardhva Aarjava SouhArdha saamya kaaruNya Maadhurya gAmbheerya oudhArya chAturya dhairya

Sourya parAkrama satyakAma satyasankalpa krutitva krutajn~Adhya-

sankhyEya KalyANaguNagaNougha-

MahArNava !

 

Translation of the Text

 

Thou art the Ocean unto which flow rivers of limitless excellent virtues , all natural to Thee, and useful for the protection of the devotees , such as All knowledge, Mighty rulership of the worlds , untiring virility,Power to act without any outside help, kind disposition,

like that of a cow to its calf.

Affectionate tenderness; Gentleness,

Truthfulness in mind, speech and body,

Friendliness , Feeling of equality ,

Mercifulness,Sweetness, Nobility , Generosity,Quickness to respond to the miseries of the devotees , Firmness in Thy resolve to protect Your Devotees, undaunted courage to bring succour to them , Courage to fight for the devotees , ability to fight the enemies within their own camp, Having Thine will ever fulfilled , having Thy commands irresistible , Thy deeds fully executed -always remembering with gratitude ( even the smallest amount of worship) done to Thee).

 

Commentary :

 

4) Now follows the natural qualities of ParamAtman.."SvAbhAvika..MahArNava".

The meanings are clear. The first six characterstrics are PradhAna guNams.

The next twelve guNams are unique as being useful for the grant of salvation to the devotees.Let us study these guNaas one by one before elaborating on each of them at greater length in subsequent postings based on Srimath Prakrutham

Azhagiya Singar's upadEsams .

 

This SaraNAgathi Gadhyam passage is very important one since it deals with the Bhagavath GuNams in general and the six PradhAna/Mukhya GuNams in particular : Jn~Ana , Bala , Iswarya, Veerya, Sakti and Tejas .

 

Through SaraNAgathi gadhyam ,AchArya RaamAnuja performed his Praptti to the dhivya dampatis at Srirangam .This gadhyam is recognized as an elaboration of SaraNAgathi (dhvaya) mantram.

 

The Dhvaya Mantram has the first word as "SrImath". In the very first Vaakyam (ChUrNikai) , AchArya RaamAnuja elaborates on the "Srimath " sabdham .

 

This is a very long ChUrNikai that starts with "BhagavannArAyaNAbhimata--" . In this chUrNikai , EmperumAnAr describes the meanings of NaarAyaNa sabdham with the Vaakyams starting with" Akhila-

hEya pratyaneeka--". This we covered earlier . Now, Udayavar moves on to explain the dhivyAtma Svaroopam and the auspicious guNams associated with that Svaroopam,His dhivya ThirumEni,

His dhivya AabharaNams, His divine weapons ( dhivya Aayudhams) ,dhivya Mahishees ( Divine consorts).

 

It is in SaraNAgathi Gadhyam , we enjoy the anantha KalyANa GuNams of our Para Brahmam at one place.

 

Among these , the six guNams behind His name as BhagavAn -- Jn~Anam , Balam , Iswaryam , Veeryam ,Sakti and Tejas -- reveal His Paratvam as the One God without any match . These are considered as His PradhAna/Mukhya guNams and are intrinsic(SvabhAvikam)to Him . They did not arise because someone else willed that He has them.

 

Among these six guNams, Jn~Anam is Sarva SaakshAtkAram or the ability to comprehend every thing directly.Swamy Desikan defines this guNam of Jn~Anam this way:" yO vEtthi yugapath Sarvam PratyakshENa sadha svata:". Our Lord's Omniscience (Sarvajn~atvam) at all times directly and without assistance from anyone is indicated as Jn~Anam.

 

Jn~Anam and the other five PradhAna guNams are for both Bhakta RakshaNam

( anugraham) as well as for DaNDanam

( Punishing for trespasses of His edicts/

Saastrams).

 

There are 12 other KalyANa guNams of the Lord that are exclusively for Bhakta

rakshaNam.These are:

 

(1) Souseelyam

(2) Vaatsalyam (3) Maardhavam

(4) Aarjavam (5) SouhArdham(6)Saamyam

(7) KaaruNyam (8) Maadhuryam

(9) Gaambheeryam(10) OudhAryam

(11) ChAturyam and (12) Sthairyam .

Let us now study all these 12 Bhakta RakshaNa guNams one by one in some detail :

 

1) Seela/Sauseelya: is where a superior person has as his natural quality of moving freely with his inferiors. When this act is exercised for no selfish or other purpose,it is Sau-Seelya .That is to say , Iswara does not cause fear in the heart of the devotees by His Iswaratva nor does He generate any feeling in them of undue hesitation to approach Him because of His superiority.

 

SrutaprakAsAcchAr defines Seelam as the guNam of a superior person mingling at ease with lowly ones without expecting anything in return: " Seelam hi nAma-MahatO madhaissaha neerandhrENa samSlEsha svabhAvatam".

 

PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai defines SouSeelyam as the KalyANa guNam that removes the fears of those who have sought the Lord as their refuge ( AasrithALs) and not thinking about His glories as Iswaran.His SoSeelya GuNam made Him serve as the Charioteer to Arjuna and as a messenger to PaaNDavAs at DuryOdhanA's court.

During RaamAvathAram , this Souseelya guNam made Him declare that He is just a human being,the son of King Dasaratha ( AatmAnam Maanusham manyE ),when Brahma saluted Him as " BhavAn NaarAyaNO Deva:". He mingled with the king of Hunters, Guhan without any reticence that he was yEtalan , Keezhmahan and included him as one of His brothers.

 

(2)Vaatsalya is the quality to find good even in evil( among extreme blemishes): Just as a cow fondles ( licks) its new born calf( to cleanse it off its dirt). This quality is one of the features of extreme patience . Hence patience is not mentioned seperately. Vaatsalya guNam is an important guNam in assembling SaraNAgathAs by the Lord. This guNam permits Him to look away from the dhOshams of the SaraNAgatha Jeevan out of His Vaatsalyam for that Jeevan.

Although nothing escapes Him as the omniscient one (Sarvajn~an) , He acts as though He does not see them . He acts like an " avijn~Ataa"for all intents and purposes .He wont reject those who perform SaraNAgathi to Him because of their blemishes(dhOshams) as the SaraNAgatha-vatsalan ". His motto is

" dhOshO yadhyapi tasya syAth". Let them be ; I wont reject them . That is His vratam .

 

The Vaatsalya GuNam is the maturation of the KshamA GuNam or patience and Forbearance. As SruthaprakAsa AchAryar points out , even these dhOshams of the AasritAs become good guNams due to the transformative power of Vaatsalya guNam of BhagavAn.

 

In Bhagavath Gitaa (9.30) ,Our Lord proclaims that even a durAchAran will be accepted by Him , when such a person worships Him and seeks Him as His refuge.In such a situation the Lord declares that a DurAchAran's aAchAram

would be overlooked and he would be welcomed as equivalent to a MahAthmaa.

 

(3) Maardava is the feeling of loss at any seperation from the devotees , a feeling of apprehension , when they are not present at any place .It also means that even during legitimate punishment of an aparAdhi , the Maardhava guNam of the Lord will not make Him utter harsh words.

 

Maardhavam results from the sorrow of being seperated from His BhakthAs and

BhAgavathAs ( AaSrita ViSlEsham). He can not bear such seperation . Swamy

Desikan defines Maardhavam as "Asritha

virahaa-kshamatayA supravEsatvam ". Swamy Desikan states that His inability to be seperated from us, who sought refuge in Him makes us have Mahaa ViswAsam in Him as SaraNyan.

 

Aarjava denotes perfect correlation of mind, speech and body in action for the Lord ( ManO-Vaak-Kaaya-ikyaroopyam).

In the nmatters of Aasrita SamSlEsahm

( Union with AasritALs) , His mind is united with His speech and action and makes Him stay as the ultimate goal.

 

When SoorpaNakai met the Lord at Panchavadi , she asked Him as to who He is displaying matted hair and travelling with a wife . Displaying His

Aarjava guNam , our Lord described to

the Raakshasi all the episodes that happened at AyOdhya and His Vana Vaasam . He did not need to tell her all these things but because of His Aarjava guNam, he did not hold back on anything. His mind , speech and activities were united as One. Aadhi Kavi explains this in a state of Wonderment :

"Ruju BudhditayA sarvam AkhyAtum

upachakramE ".

 

In view of the display of His Aarjava guNam , He never disppoints us by saying one thing and doing some thing else:

"tEshu samSritEshu vipralipsAnudaya:" as per Swamy Desikan . That is the benefit we gain as those who sought refuge in Him.He never lets us down.His Achyuta tattvam is revealed here .

 

Sauhaardham:Always seeking the welfare of His devotees ,He is intent on doing good to them without expecting any thing in return .His Hithaishitvam and conductance as the Suhrudh reveals His SouhArdha guNam.

 

He is SarvabhUtha Suhrudh(SuSObhanam

hrudhayam Yasya sa:Suhrudh).He reveals this SouhArdha GuNam with the declaration in His GeethA Vaakyam:

 

Suhrudham sarvabhUtAnAm jn~AtvA Maam Saanthimrucchati "(Geethai 5.29).

 

Our Lord's display of SouhArdham for the PaaNDavAs on so many occasions is legendary .

 

Saamyam is the quality , which does not make differentiation on account of birth, conduct or character among AasrithAs . He makes Himself easily available to them all and also rewards them not minding any difference in the gifts offered by them or their nature or value , in short not feeling of any difference.

 

Saamya GuNam is revealed in the instances of His interactions with Sabari,

Guhan both of whom were born in the Veduva( Hunter) kulam .Their samyak poojaa was very much relished by the Lord and He displayed His Saamya guNam and blessed them specially.Swamy Desikan defines this guNam as "Jaathi-guNa -vrutthAdhi nimnOtatvAnAdharaNE sarvai: ASrayaNeeyatvam ".

 

In Geethaa , our Lord declares about His Saamya guNam this way:"samOham sarvabhUtEshu" and the 105th Sri VishNu Sahasra nAmam of " samAthmaa" conveys the same meaning.NammAzhwar celebrates this Saamya guNam with His ThiruvAimozhi Vaakyam:

"SaraNam Aahum tann tALL adaintArkkellaam".He has no PakshapAdham( Likes and dislikes) amongst those who sought His holy feet as rakshaNam.

KaaruNyam: Removing the calamities and grievances of those who seek His protection without expecting anything in return. SruthaprakAsikaa AchAryaa explains this kalyANa guNam as:

" svArhtanapEkshaa para dukkha asahishnuthaa". He can not stand to see the sorrow of His AasrithALs .He does not think that He should stay away from redressing their sorrows because there is nothing in it for Him from helping them.

 

He suffers when His AasrithALs suffer.

Swamy Desikan expalins this guNam as:

"KaaruNyam:anuddhishDa sva-prayOjantArA paradu:kkha nirAkaraNa icchA". He does not see any prayOjanam for Himself , while He chases away their sorrows.

 

Maadhuryam: Being delectable to enjoy by AasritALs is Maadhuryam.He has innate Madhura svabhAvam ( Madhuram Madhuram , MadhurAdhipatE: akhilam madhuram).

 

PoorvAchAryAs say that He is Madhuram for both His BhakthAs and enemies

( Maadhuryam hantum pravruttAvapi rasAvahatvam). Swamy Desikan cites the case of a long term enemy of the Lord ,

SissupAlan , who was overcome by the Maadhuryam of the Lord's eyes as He stood before with ChakrAyudham in hand to kill him . SisupAlan's anthima smruti became a phalan to reach Moksham . Even enemies are overcome by this Maadhurya GuNam of the Lord.

His Maadhuryam flows not only in Vibhava avatArams like Raama and KrishNa but also in Archai as per AchArya Hrudhayam: " kaLaikaNN aRRARai urukkum Maadhuryam KudamukkilE ( ThirukkudantaiyilE ) pravahikkum ". The insatiable nectar's (AarA- Amudhan's) Maadhuryam at Kudanthai is celebrated here .

 

 

Gaambheeryam:" AaSrita VishayE Gaambheeryam" is of immeasurable depth(worth) as the greatness and value of the favors granted by Him to His devotees bear no proportion to the insignificance of their offerings.Swamy Desikan catalogs our Lord's Gaambheeryam into four groups and celebrates this majestic guNam .

 

OudhAryam:unparalled Generosity ; with no feeling that any devotee has been overfavoured or not satisfied with the favours granted , He blesses us with all soubhAgyams ( dhadhAti dhyAyinAm nityam apavarga pratO Hari:) .KrishNa felt indebted and remembered the debt , when Drowpadi cried for help , when being dishonored and rushed to Her help .

 

Swamy NammAzhwAr remembers the blemishless and the profound gifts of the Lord in one of His ThiruvAimozhis(3.9.5):

 

" koLLak-kuRaivilan VeNDirrellAm tarum

kOthil yenn VaLLaL MaNIvaNNan"

 

ChAturyam :Unique Cleverness of speech

and act in handling things.His skills in hiding the blemishes of those who sought His refuge without even PirAtti detecting it is saluted by SruthapraKAcchAr as

" AasritArthEshu ajaDakriyatvam".

 

sthairyA: Firmness of purpose as Achyutan , who never ever abandons His devotees .This is very well illustraed in the case of VibheeshaNa SaraNAgathy.

He never abandons anyone , who sought Him as refuge ( mitrabhAvEna samprAptam na tyajEyam kathanjana).

PeriyaVaacchAn PiLLai says in this context Aasrita rakshaNa prathijn~A bhangam na karOthi ". He never breaks His stated vow to protect some one,

even if they have hundreds of dhOshams

( PratyUha satairapi) .

 

The above twelve guNams (qualities) are useful to Him for saving His dear devotees .Then follow SIX more GuNAs: (1) dhairya:(2) Paraakrama:

(3) Satyakaama:(4)krititva:

(5) kritajn~ata: and (6) MahaarNava:

 

Dhairyam , Souryam and ParAkramam:

These are three guNams are fruitful to destroy the enemies. SruthaprakAsa AchAryar defines Souryam as " svagruha iva paraBalE pravESa Saamarthyam Souryam". The skills to enter into the enemy ranks with as much ease one enters his own house is Souryam.

 

ParAkramam or Valour is the power to destroy the enemies after entering the enemy vyUhams.

 

Dhaiyam is being fearless , when the enemy force arrives and confronts.

The one with dhairyam does not flinch , when the enemy comes to attack.

 

Souryam is the capability to enter into that might army ranks effortlessly. ParAkramam is total destruction of the enemies after getting into their vyUhams.

 

The remaining guNams to study are :

 

(1) Satya kAmatvam

(2) Satya sankalpatvam

(3) Krutitvam

(4) Krutajn~athai

(5) Arthikalpatvam

(6) Aapathsakhatvam

 

( To Be Continued)

adiyEn SrI RaamAnuja DhAsan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan