THIRUPPAVAI 15

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emperumAn vs srEvaishNavites

 

The fifteenth pAsuram of thiruppavai consists a brief discussion on emperuman vs

srEvaishNavites. The discussion veers around whether emperumAn should be

preferred to srEvaishNavites or vice-versa.

 

The commentary for the terms 'vunakkenna vERudaiyai' runs as follows:

'pancha laksham kudip peNgaLukku vuLLadhoyiya, thaniyE swayampAkam paNNuvAraip

pOlE vEREA sila vuNdO? vaishNava vishayathai bagishkarithu-p-paRRum bhagawadh

vishayathOdu dhEvadhAndhrathOdu vAsiyillai; nE oruvarukkum virOdhi illai; nE

pukkuth thiruvadi thozhu " enna AzhwAn vArthaiyai ninaippadhu'.

Even after deliberations the gopikA inside does not start with the group for

krishNAnubhavam. These words 'vunakkenna vERudaiyai' is mentioned at this

juncture. Do you have anything to be enjoyed and experienced alone -without us,

meaning that bhagwadh vishayam is best suited for experience only alongwith

srEvaishNavi ghOshti.

 

Here the incident of sri kUrath AzhwAn is recalled wherein SrE kurath AzhwAn is

initially refused entry into the temple of Lord nam perumAL as he is seen as an

associate of Sri RAmAnujA. However, on realising that he is a very learned

scholar they permit him inside on the grounds that he is not harmful. SwAmi

kUrath AzhwAn returns without entering the temple as he feels that he cannot

reach the Lord without dissociating himself with sri RAmAnujA. He prefers

srEvaishnavic sambandham rather than the Lord's sambandham.

 

We should also see the seriousness of the words " bhagwadhvishayathOdu

-dhEvadhAnthrathOdu vAsiyillai " in the commentary. If we indeed prefer the Lord

overlooking srEvaishNavites, worshipping the Lord is deemed equal to that of

other deities. The Lord is way above incomparable to other deities. When the

same scale is applied, the srEvaishNavites are kept in a very high pedestal

above the Lord. The essence is that the Lord should be worshipped only alongwith

srEvaishNavites.

 

The rAmAnuja nURRandhAdhi-p-pAsuram 'kayil kani ennak kaNNanaik kAttith

tharinum, vundhan meyyil piRangiya sER anRi vENdilan yAn'- rAmAnuja nURRandhAdhi

-104 and

' seithalai sangam sezhu mutha mEnum, thiruvarangar kaithalathAzhizhum sangamum

yEandhi,

nangaNmugappEa, moithalaithu, vunnai vidEan enRu irukkilum, nin pugazhE

moithalaikkum vandhu'- rAmAnuja nURRandhAdhi -75 are pertinent pAsuram-s to be

recalled in this context.

vAnamAmalai padmanAbhan