THIRUPPAVAI 13

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swarUpam vs upAyam

 

The thirteenth pAsuram of thiruppAvai-puLLin vAi kEndanai- consists of a brief

discussion on swarUpam vs upAyam in ARAyirappadi vyAkyAnam.

 

puLLin vAi kEndAnai- the commentary runs as follows " idhu ivargaLukku rAvaNa

vadham paNNInapadi. ithalaikku anumadhi iRE vEANduvdhu. virOdhiap pOkki thannai

kodukkai avan paNiyiRE. ivanudaiya anumadhiyum avanudaiya rakshathvamum

swarUpathilE pugumathanai.

karma-gnAnangaLai sahakAriyAgak koNdu bhakthi upAyam enRu irukkum avargaL anRu

iRE.

 

thannudaiya agnAnam-asakthigaLaiyum, avanudaiya gnAna sakthigaLayum

sahakAriyAgak kONdu avanE upAyam enRu irukkum avargaL iRE "

 

Here srEvaishNavic characteristic is emphasised. For His rescue our acceptance

is the requirement. Nothing more. Thiis acceptance for His rescue( For

destroying our obstacles and saving us) and His rescue are nature of the soul

and nature of the Lord respectively, and the acceptance is not a means to

salavation.

 

For those who realiase that we are indeed subservient to the Lord but depend on

the prescriptions by the sAsthrangaL, karma-gnAnangaL-are supporting systems for

bhakthi as a means-upAyam.

For those who realsie what is said in thirumandhiram, our agnAnam-our ignorance,

our asakthigaL- our incompetence- and His gnAnam and sakthigaL are the

supporting systems for bearing in mind that He is the means ( and of course the

end) -upAyam enRu irukkum avargaL iREA. (thAlum thadak kaiyum kUppi paNiyum avar

kaNdEr)

 

 

This is aptly summarised in AchArya Hridhayam sUthram 20

" ivai swarUpathai vuNarndhu vuNarndhu vuNaravum, vuNarvaip peRa vUra miga

vuNaravum vuNdAm "

 

 

Here the analysis of two class of people namely a.Those who are involved in

sAsthrangaL and with the help of that try to get themselves out of the cycle of

births. b. Those who are involved in the essence of thirumandhiram and act

passive accordingly.

 

Accordingly, the former class, in an attempt to understand the real nature of

the soul -that it is different from the physical form- and is capable of

knowledge and experiencing happiness presume that soul can do service to the

Lord and hence keeping this in mind -that soul is itself capable of certain

independent qualitites- try to attain the Lord by their attempts.

 

The class of people who are submerged in thirumandhiram, perceive that the

wordly knowlege, materialsitic nexus, the physique are all to be left away.They

firmly believe, as dictated by their knowledge that, this perception is bestowed

by the LOrd without any specific actions and hence they aim at the soul being

always at the service to the Lord and being capable of being serving to the

Lord( pAranthanthriyam),. they leave the burden of attaining salvatin to the

Lord Himself.

It may be observed thus that knowledge about the nature of soul( swarUpathai

vuNarndhuNardhu vuNara) leads to sAsthra followers and the supreior knowledge of

the nature of soul (vuNaravai peRa vUra miga vuNara) leads to conviction in

thirumandhiram.

 

Thus the difference between those who believe in the prescription of sAsthrangaL

and those who are dictated by the essence of thirumandhiram is explained here.

 

It may be thus observed that srEvaishNavites are thus class people who follow

thirumandhiram to the core, whcih is explained in the commentary by swAmi

azhagia maNavALap perumAl nAyanAr.

vAnamAmalai padmanAbhan