geethA sAstramum nedunthAndaka sAstramum-17

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

 

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

 

Sri Vara Vara munayE Namaha

 

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

 

 

 

In the previous posting we saw about the kaivalya nishtan, who understands the

misery of the world and hence wants to get rid of all these and reach a better

place where he could enjoy his own SELF (athma). But that person ceases to

understand that even the enjoyment of athma is not the ultimate but there is

something beyond that that will grant him happiness forever. That is the

moksha, where one enjoys the lord along with the nithya sooris.

 

 

 

A samsari (Arthan/arthArthi) is the one who knows only the qualities of the

achit and hence he considers the body alone to be the tattva and whatever

worldly pleasures he attains to be the hitha (good) and hence his purushArtha is

to attain the pleasures and therefore he cycles between birth and death. The

next stage is the kaivalyArthi (jiggyAsu) the one who understands that there is

something beyond this body. Thereby he realizes the existence of the chit

tattvam. According to him hitha is that which removes his bondages from this

samsara and leads him to Self-realization and the purushArtha is attaining

kaivalyam. The last stage is the bhagavan lAbArthi (jnAni) who understands the

tattva that is greater than the chit or achit, the Ishwara tattva. That which

leads him to bhagavan is hitha according to a jnAni and his ultimate goal

(purushArtha) is to attain the divine abode of emperuman, Moksha. Sri Krishna

in bhagavat geetha talks elaborately about these four types of bhakthas and says

that though all of them are generous according to him since they give him the

chance to help them still the jnAni's are very close to his heart. According to

geethAcharya, jnAni is his athma ( " jnAnee thu Athmaiva mE matham " ).

 

 

 

In the seventh chapter of Srimad bhagavath geetha, geethacharyan talks about the

true nature of the Ishvara tattva (svayAdhAthmyam) and how it is hidden by the

moolaprakruthi (otherwise called the Ishvara mAya). Again in the tenth chapter,

geethAcharyan talks about himself. It is no repetition but there he talks his

svamAhAthmiyam, greatness. The Ishvara tattva has such greatness that it cannot

be fully explained by even the emperuman himself. Can there be a task that

cannot be accomplished by sarvasakthan,emperuman? Why not? How can we find the

limit to something that doesn't have limit at all? The greatness of the divine

couples has no limit and hence even they cannot find the same. In the first six

chapters the nature of the chit and achit have been detailed. So the person who

has understood the SELF wants to enjoy the same leaving behind this world. So

now emperuman wants to educate him further that there is something beyond that

and that is bhakthi towards the lord. To develop bhakthi/deep love towards the

lord we have to first understand him fully. That is only given by emperuman in

the 7th chapter where he further talks about the 4 types of bhakthas and finally

completes with the greatness of the jnAni.

 

 

 

Ok then does thirumangai azhvar also talk about nature of emperuman to sow the

seed of bhakthi in our hearts? Yes he does the same in the next line.

 

 

 

(ennum ponnuruvAi) At this point let me bring to your memory the excellent

article on " All that glitters " written by Sri Sadagopan Iyengar recently in

these groups. Where he talked about how we all consider gold to be so precious

all through the posting and finally ended with his golden conclusion that there

is something beyond gold that is highly precious " Anjali " that we do and on

emperuman's side it is his thirumeni sowndaryam. Here thirumangai mannan

stresses the same point comparing emperuman's thirumeni to be golden. Sri

periyavAchAn pillai says, " ponnuruvAi endru svaroopa niroopanam " (the word

ponnuruvai proves the nature of the divyAthma svaroopa). In his commentary,

paramakArunikar Sri periya vAchan pillai excellently compares the nature of gold

and how it is applicable to emperuman. First he says, " spruhaneeyam " that which

could be enjoyed. Second, " vundu endru vuyir nirkai " - Pleasure of possession.

Third, " sarvApEkshithangalaiyum sAdhiththu kolludhal " - Grants all our wishes.

Fourth, " eththai vudaiyavan kAlilE lOkam adanga vizhumpadi erukkum " - the whole

world falls to the feet of the one who possess this (Both gold and emperuman

gives fame and power).

 

 

 

Here one thing has to be remembered, the glitters of gold can never even touch

the greatness of emperuman but for mandha buddis (dull-headed people) like us it

is very difficult to explain anything without an example and hence this

comparison is made to atleast give us an hint of the greatness of emperuman.

What we consider great in this world doesn't even equal a drop in the ocean of

emperuman's greatness. Nammazhvar who tried to do the same comparison finally

concluded, " sutturaiththa nan pon vun thirumEni oli ovvAdhu " and the sastras

declare, " yathO vAchO nivarthanthE apprApya mansA saha " (emperuman's greatness

is beyond our words and understanding)

 

 

 

Next kaliyan tries to imagine emperuman's greatness with another example. Let

us enjoy the same in the next posting.

 

 

 

(To be continued)

 

 

 

Azhvar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam

 

 

 

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

 

Sumithra Varadarajan