geethA sAstramum nedunthAndaka sAstramum-24

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

 

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

 

Sri Vara Vara munayE Namaha

 

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

 

 

 

For the past 23 postings we have been enjoying the similarity in the words of

the geethacharyan in his Srimad bhagavath geetha and the kadai kutti azhvar, Sri

Thirumangai azhvar in his charama prabhandam thirunedunthAndakam. But at the

end of the previous posting we had a small doubt are they both contradicting in

the last line? No, azhvar will never talk against emperuman's words. Let us

see how they both convey the same meaning.

 

 

 

Prappathi or saranagathi is of two types say our acharyas. It can be either

svagatha sveekAram (we holding on to his feet) or paragatha sveekAram (emperuman

catching us and putting us into his divine feet). Both types of prapaththi have

been conveyed by our dear geethAcharyan in the 18th chapter of the bhagavad

sAstram. In the 62nd sloka Sri Krishna says,

 

 

 

" tamEva sharaNam gachcha sarva bhAvEna bhAratha I

 

tat prasAdhAt parAm sAnthim stAnam prApsyasi sAshvatham II (18-62)

 

 

 

[Oh! the one born in bharatha kula consider the paramatma (myself) to be your

soul saviour in all ways. Due to his divine grace you will get away from this

sAmsAric pressures and will also attain the divine abode of emperuman, the

paramapadam]

 

 

 

In the previous sloka, Krishna said that only that emperuman vAsudevan rules

over all the jeevatmas and due to his maya makes them act held in the cycle of

the three gunas sattvam, rajas, tamas and act accordingly In the next sloka he

advises arjuna to fall to the divine feet of emperuman and get rid of the

samsAric hurdles and attain moksha by the divine grace of emperuman.

Immediately in the next sloka he says, " yethEchchasi tatA guru " I have told you

all the ways to attain moksha viz., karma, jnana, bhakthi and prapaththi yogas

all these are prime secrets but since you are very close to me I have disclosed

all these secrets to you now. Now it is your chance to choose the suitable

method for you to attain moksha and act accordingly. Here Lord Krishna gives

arjuna an independence to choose the way in which he wants to attain emperuman.

This is svagatha sveekaram by which the jeevatma holds on to emperuman. If

arjuna was interested in prapathi he would have immediately said " karishyE

vachanam tava " [18-73] and would have fallen to the divine feet of emperuman.

But all along he has been in the pravriththi mArkam (used to do something) and

hence he wasn't interested with the nivriththi mArkam (Just leave everything and

fall to emperuman's feet, " mArpilE kaivaiththu vuranga prApthi " is the essence

of sharanAgathi according to our acharyas). So arjuna felt highly confused and

didn't know what to do. Earlier his confusion was due to ignorance but now that

emperuman has given him all the knowledge still he was confused not knowing what

to do.

 

 

 

Understanding arjuna's state of mind, Parthasarathi emperuman continues to show

the path that would interest arjuna at the same time make him attain the

ultimate result. This is the path of bhakthi yoga that emperuman has already

shown arjuna in the 9th chapter. Emperuman repeats the same sloka in the 18th

chapter,

 

 

 

" manmanA bhava math bhakthO mathyAjee mAm namaskuru I

 

mAmEvaishyasi sathyam thE prathijAnE priyOsi mE " [18-65]

 

 

 

[Meditate on me with deep concentration on my divine qualities, develop a deep

love for me, further do pooja to me, fall to my feet with all your three karanas

(mano, vak, kayam). By this you will attain my divine feet. I promise that

this is truth as you are so close to me]

 

 

 

In the next sloka, Krishna gives the ultimate rahasya, the essence of geethA

sAstram, charama slokam, to arjuna and instructs arjuna to leave all dharmas and

fall to his feet.

 

 

 

" sarva dharmAn parithyajya mAm Ekam sharaNam vraja

 

ahamtvA sarva pApEbhyO mOksha ishyAmi mAsucha: " [18-66]

 

 

 

Here emperuman orders arjuna to leave all dharmas and fall to his feet as a

rule. This is paragatha sveekAram. Here Parthasarathi says, " Leave all your

dharmas and consider me alone to be your soul protector (upayam and upEyam) and

I will realise you from all your sins and grant you the divine moksha. Don't

worry " There have been a lot of discussion between our acharyas on the

interpretation of this sloka mainly what all dharmas the word 'sarva dharmAn'

includes and what all sins are removed by the lord whether this is anga

prapaththi or svathantra prapaththi etc. There is a slight interpretational

difference between the thennAcharyas and swamy desikan in this sloka also. All

these are not dealt by us here in detail as it is better to be learnt from a

well versed acharya to avoid any unwanted confusion.

 

 

 

What is necessary for us now here is Lord Krishna says fall to my feet and I

will remove your sins and grant you moksha and Azhvar says, " talir puraiyum

thiruvadi en thalai mElavE " That lord who has stood in my form now has placed

his divine feet on my head. So without azhvar trying to do anything emperuman

himself has done all the necessary things ( " bhakthi vuzhavan " is the name given

by thirumazhisai azhvar to emperuman) and now finally has even placed his divine

feet on top of azhvar's head. Azhvar says, " Emperuman sowed the seed of bhakthi

in the heart of azhvar, he put the necessary fertiliser and watered the plant

regularly and now that the tree has grown adiyen is enjoying the fruit that is

the sweet divine feet of emperuman on top of my head. What did I do to attain

this fruit? Nothing all was done by that karunA sindhO! (Ocean of mercy!) " .

This is only termed as 'paragatha sveekAram'. As geetha was given by emperuman

himself he puts it as a rule to educate all of us using arjuna as the medium.

But since thirunedunthAndakam is the words of azhvar he shows us the result he

has obtained by the divine grace of geethAcharya. That is why our acharyas

regard the words of azhvars (tattvadarisi vachanam) more important and valid

than even the words of emperuman (tattva vachanam).

 

 

 

Hope now it is clear that there is no contradiction in the words of thirumangai

azhvar and geethAcharyan Sri Parthasarathi emperuman.

 

 

 

(To be continued)

 

 

 

Azhvar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam

 

 

 

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

 

Sumithra Varadarajan