geethA sAstramum nedunthAndaka sAstramum-22

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

 

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

 

Sri Vara Vara munayE Namaha

 

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

 

 

 

According to the ramanuja sampradayam there are actually three tattvas. The

tattvatraya vibhAgam has been clearly stated time and again by our dear

geethacharyan also. The first step to divine knowledge is clearly understanding

the three tattvas.

 

 

 

" kshEtrajgyam chApi mAm viththi sarvakshEtrEshu bhAratha I

 

kshEtra kshEtragyayOr jnAnam yat tat jnAnam matham mama " (13-2)

 

 

 

[Oh! the one born in the bharatha kula! Understand that I am the athma of both

the sareeram (body) and the kshEtrajgyan, the jeevan. The chit and the achit

(sareeram and jeevatma) are different and I am the athma to both and hence

different from both of them. Understanding these three tattvas in the

appropriate manner is my philosophy]

 

 

 

On understanding the three tattvas one starts to realise the supremacy of the

divine lord. Once we understand his paratvam we try to get away from him

considering him to be not reachable by us. But then the sastras and the words

of azhvars come to our rescue by making us understand that he is sarva sulabhan

though his is sarva sankalpan and sarva sakthan. Slowly getting involved with

his kalyana gunas we start developing a bhakthi towards him. We may think, " Why

didn't that bhakthi grow till today and what has been an hindrance to it? "

GeethAcharyan answers,

 

 

 

" yO mAmajamanAdhim cha vEththi lOka mahEsvaram I

 

asammoodasa marthEshu sarvapApai: pramuchyathE II " (10-3)

 

 

 

He is the Ishvaran 'ajam' who is birthless, different from baddha jeevatmas,

'anAdhim ajam' he has been birthless forever so different from the muktha

jeevas, 'lOka mahesvaram' thereby he is different from the mukthAthmas also. In

the above sloka, Lord Krishna says, " The jeeva who realises that I am different

from all the chit and achit and that I am birthless for ever and that I am the

supreme will get realised from all the sins that prevent the growth of bhakthi

in his minds.

 

 

 

So as all the sins that has hindered our bhakthi is removed by emperuman, now we

start involving ourselves in the divine kalyana gunas of bhagavan and immerse in

bhakthi. This bhakthi develops in three stages, para bhakthi, para jnanam and

parama bhakthi.

 

 

 

What is para bhakthi, para jnAnam and parama bhakthi?

 

 

 

The first stage of bhakthi is called as para bhakthi. Our poorvacharyas say

that the first three thiruvandhAdhis of the mudal azhvars symbolise the three

states of bhakthi. Poigaiazhvar started his prabhandam, " vayyam tagaliyA

vArkadalE neiyAga vaiyya kadirON vilakkAga seyya sudarAzhi yAn adikkE sootinEn

solmAlai edarAzhi neengugavE endru " This is para bhakthi, the state where azhvar

realises the existence of other objects in the world and attributes the same to

emperuman. This azhvar lights a lOka deepam. The second azhvar

bhoodhaththAzhvar sings, " anbE tagaliyA ArvamE neiyAga enburugu sindhai edu

thiriyA nanburugi jnAna sudar EttrinEn nAranarkku jnAna thamizh purindha nAn "

This azhvar forgets about the world. Why should I search for emperuman

elsewhere when he is very well inside me? So he lit a lamp with love as the

lamp, his interest to see him as the ghee, his thoughts/mind as the wig, and

thereby lit a jnAna deepam. This is the second step or para jnAnam. When the

first two have lighted two lamps shouldn't the third azhvar also light a lamp?

No he doesn't. His bhakyam is that in the brightness of the first two lamps lit

by the first two azhvars he is able to see emperuman " thirukkandEn pon mEni

kandEn thigazhum arukkan aniniramum kandEn serukkilarum ponnAzhi kandEn

purisangam kai kandEn ennAzhi vannan pAl endru " This is the final state of

parama bhakthi. So the bhakthi that slowly starts growing on listening to the

kalyana gunas of emperuman finally reaches the state of parama bhakthi. This

is the state attained by all the azhvars, " jnAnam kanindha bhakthi " . On

reaching this state we fully understand the relationship between emperuman and

us. He is our father " endhai " calls thirumangai azhvar with great love.

 

 

 

Now that we have realised our relationship with the supreme lord/our dear father

what will be our next reaction. What will a lost child who has found his father

after a long time really do on seeing his father? Yes. Fall to his feet. Beg

pardon for all the mistakes committed and pray for his support and love forever.

But will the father ever think about the past instead he will say, " leave the

past. Now that I have got you back I am filled with ecstasy so let us both

cherish these moments of togetherness forever " . Yes the lord is the one who

feels more on the separation from the jeevatma for so long so he really

cherishes the moment when even a single jeeva comes to his feet. So what

happens next we will enjoy in the next posting.

 

 

 

(To be continued)

 

 

 

Azhvar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam

 

 

 

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

 

Sumithra Varadarajan