Sri Vishnuchitta kulanandana kalpavalli (part-17)

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha

Srimad Vara Vara MunayE namaha

Sri Vanachala mahA munayE namaha

 

The first five paasurams of Thiruppavai are considered to be an introduction or preparation for the marghazhi nOmbu. Andal says about what has to be done, in what manner, towards whom, to attain what etc in the first introductory verses and then she decides to wake up all the other gopis who have not yet joined them to enjoy krishnAnubhavam as a group. In this fifth paasuram, she talks about the qualification required to obtain krishnAnubhavam.

 

Do we take a dip in a small pond before we go to take a divine dip in the gangus? No. We believe that the gangus has the capacity to remove all our sins. When the water that washed a small portion of the divine feet of emperuman could have such greatness then what to say about the emperuman himself. So there is absolutely no necessity for us to search for any cleansing agent to purify us before we surrender to the divine feet of emperuman. In Sriramayana, both vibeeshana and Sri Chakravarthi thirumagan did saranagathi. Vibeeshana did sharanagathi under the divine feet of ramapiran, he succeeded in his mission to join the rama ghosti. When there was a question of how to passify samudra rajan due to his past experience vibheeshana advised ramapiran to surrender to samudra rajan. Chakravarthi thirumagan immediately took a divine dip, spread a darpAsanam and facing east did sharanagathi towards the king of ocean. Looking into the action of ramapiran it seems that there is some procedures to do sharaNagathi. This was discussed in our guru paramparai (Here the Srivachana bhooshana sutra “vEl vetti pillaikku pillai aruliya vArthaiyai smarippadhu”) vElvEtti pillai was the shisya of nampillai. He enquired to nampillai, “It is said that there is no formalities required to do sharanagathi but the act of chakravarthi thirumagan shows that he has followed some procedures. Isn’t it contradicting?” Nampillai answered, “Sri Chakravarthi thirumagan did all those things as a part of his usual practice. Since he was trained in that manner. But don’t you see that vibheeshana who actually advised rama to do sharanagathi didn’t even take a dip in the ocean when he surrendered to perumal’s divine feet but still was successful in attaining his goal?” So it is clearly explained that there is no need of any suddhi or asuddhi to do sharanagathi. Do it as you are. “erundhapadiyE amaiyum”

 

But andal says, “tooyOmAi vandu nAm toomalar toovi thozhudhu” What is the purity talked about by andal in this paasuram? It is not the purity in physical state but purity in mind (thought). “ananyaprayOjanaigalAi vandhu” The purpose of us coming is not to gain any other suddra palans (lowly results) but it is purely to attain the divine krishnAnubhavam. We don’t want anything other than the divine kainkaryam to emperuman. This is the purity in thought which andal says “tooyOmAi vandhu”. If we take a single step towards him he feels so indebted. Sri chakravarthi thirumagan expressed the same feeling with the rishis in dandakAranyam and to guha perumal. But due to the great arthi (thirst) to gain bhagavat anubhavam immediately Srivaishnavas are unable to wait till emperuman reaches them so they rush towards the lord. It is the anubhavam of each Srivaishnava in a divya desam. The purappadu of parthasarathi will be scheduled to some time. Living in the mada veedhis emperuman will surely visit our house but our enthusiasm to get the divine darshan will never allow us to sit at home and wait. We will run to the temple to have the first darshan when the screen goes up and then come back to the house to welcome emperuman. Such was the anubhavam of the rishis and guha who knew emperuman was coming only to their place but still they couldn’t resist running to welcome Rama piran.

 

We will see more about worshipping the lord with ‘toomalar’ in the next posting.

 

(To be continued)

 

Azhvar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan