geethA sAstramum nedunthAndaka sAstramum-21

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

 

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

 

Sri Vara Vara munayE Namaha

 

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

 

 

 

In the previous postings we saw how thirumangai azhvar elaborately talked about

emperuman being param (paratvam) at the same time sulaban (sowlabhyam). Let him

be what ever he is what is the use for us? Will be our question as we are always

selfish and think about only our benefit at every instant. Now azhvar tells us

the actual relationship that exists between azhvar (samastha jeevakodigalukkum

upalakshanam, refers to all the jeevatmas) and the supreme lord (emperuman).

First of all, why should azhvar tell us about the divine qualities of emperuman?

That is because the only way we can get out of this ocean of samsAram is fall to

his feet. The lord himself says, " mama mAyA durathyayA mAmEva yE prapathyanthE

mAyAmEthAm taranthithE " (You can never come out of my maya, the only way is to

surrender to my divine feet so that I will realise you from this ocean). Will

we that easily fall into anyone's feet? Oh No. Our ego will stand upright

preventing us to even bend our head before anyone. So first thing that has to

be done is develop a special feeling for emperuman in our hearts. That seed of

bhakthi that is sown in some part of our heart has to be then grown into a

blossoming tree. Alavandaar in his geethArtha sangraham (14) says,

 

 

 

" svakalyANa gunAnathyakrisna svAdheenathAmathi: I

 

bhakthyutpaththivivruththarthA visteernA dasamOdhithA II

 

 

 

The very purpose of the 10th chapter was to develop sAdhana bhakthi in the minds

of arjuna. For that geethAcharya elaborates about his infinite kalyana gunas

and how he rules over anything and everything.

 

 

 

As the bhakthi of arjuna starting growing he wanted to see the vishvaroopa

darshanam of emperuman that is the essence of the 11th chapter. Emperuman

blessed arjuna with a divine eye to visualise the vishvaroopa darshanam.

Through that arjuna realised how emperuman stays as everything in this world,

How the world has been surrounded inside and outside by the paramatma ( " antar

bahista tat sarvam vyApya nArAyana stitaha: " ). Probably thirumangai mannan also

had the same darshan as arjuna and that is why he wonders,

 

 

 

(tannuruvAi ennuruvil nindra) Oh! How can the supreme lord who has so much

divine qualities come and stay in this body (sareeram, equivalent to a

drainage)? Will a millionaire stay even a second in a slum hut? Emperuman is

ubhaya vibhooti nAthan. His bhOgam (enjoyment) in the nithya mandalam is beyond

words. The nithya sooris are always at his service with great love. Then will

he ever turn his face towards these samsAris who are always after lowkika

pleasures and never want to look at him? But can that emperuman who is a

ultimate source of krupai just leave his kids like that? Sastras say, " EkAki na

ramEtha " . Emperuman is unable to enjoy the sophistications of the nithya

mandalam as he is always worried about his suffering kids in the leela

vibhoothi. And that is why he time and again takes avatara to uplift us. He

takes rAmavatara and advices, " sakrudEva prapannAya tavAsmeethicha yAchathE "

then he becomes krishna and says, " mAm Ekam sharaNam vraja " but is that all?

These avataras are seen outside us but emperuman stays inside us always.

Thondaradi podi azhvar says, " pundhiyul pugundhu than pAl Adaram peruga

vaiththa " (He enters our senses and creates bhakthi towards him inside us).

Upanishads say, " jA suparnA sayujA... " There are two birds on a single tree that

are alike. The tree is our sareeram (body) and the two birds are the jeevatma

and paramatma. Both of them are jnana svaroopam and have a close relationship

but the jeevatma has forgotten everything and is immersed in the lowkika

pleasures and hence never turns towards the waiting paramatma. Then why is the

paramatma still waiting? Due to its divine grace for the suffering jeevatma the

paramatma doesn't want to just leave but waits patiently till the time the

jeevan feels that the lowkika pleasures are boring and turns its face towards

the almighty. Here azhvar says 'tannuruvAi' emperuman doesn't change his

quality just because he stays inside the body. He remains as he is, not showing

any interest to the sareerAnubhavam (feelings and emotions of the body). But he

does stay inside the body that is considered as 'ennuru' by the jeevAtmas. So

the paramatma stays without any change (tannuruvAi) inside the body of the

jeevatma (ennuruvil). 'nindra' the emperuman keeps on standing. Why and till

when? He stands indicating that it is not the place to halt for long. He

prefers to leave this body along with the jeevan soon. Emperuman doesn't

cherish his existence in this drainage so he cannot relax he is ever ready to

start and hence stands. But why doesn't he leave immediately? Oh! How can he

leave his kid suffering here and just leave? " koobhaththil vizhum kuzhaviyudan

gudhiththu avAbhaththai theerkum annai pOl " (Like a mother diving into a

drainage to save her fallen kid - Arthi prabhandam) emperuman who is the supreme

mother for one and all can he just leave his fallen kid? So emperuman, the

millionaire arrives at the slum hut where his stubborn son not understanding his

position stays amidst a number of difficulties considering it to be his

pleasure. To uplift his son from there and submit all his wealth to the son and

make him a millionaire, the father enters the slum hut without a second thought.

Similarly emperuman waits inside each one of us to sow the seed of bhakthi and

vairAkhyam so that we will realise our actual status and final reach the land of

ever happiness, the nithya vibhoothi from where we will never return back to

this samsAram (na cha punarAvarthathE). Why is emperuman showing such grace on

us?

 

 

 

(endhai) because he is our father. We have an inseparable relation with him.

We are all sEshas and he is our sEshan (master).

 

 

 

(To be continued)

 

 

 

Azhvar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam

 

 

 

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

 

Sumithra Varadarajan