MoondrAm thiruvandhAdhi avathArikai (Introduction)-4

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Sri Parthasarathi thunaiSrimathe ramanujaya NamahaSrimad Vara Vara MunayE NamahaSri vAnAchala mahA munayE

Namaha

 

Lakshanas (Characteristics) of

Parabhakthi, ParajnAna and Paramabhakthi

First Lakshana:

Parabhakthi – the aspiration

to see the form, attributes etc of the supreme lord;ParajnAnam – Seeing the above;Paramabhakthi – the aspiration

to enhance and sustain the divine anubhavams (experiences);

Second Lakshana:

Parabhakthi- experiencing happiness

while in union with the lord and sorrow while in separation;ParajnAnam- feeling of being

in union always like in paramapadam ( " andhamil pErinbhaththu adiyarOdu

erundhamai- thiruvaimozhi 10-9-11)Paramabhakthi – In the absence

of such anubhavam struggling like a fish out of water unable to sustain;

On looking closely the above

two lakshana's seem to be similar. For

those who practice the ways of reaching the lord (sadhanas) as prescribed in

the sastras the above stages can be attained only during mukthi (ultimate

bliss)but in the case of azhvar's who were blessed with the divine grace of the

supreme lord (mayarvara madhi nalam) they reached the stages of parabhakthi,

parajnAna and paramabhakthi while in this world. On the same lines, our revered acharyas also

pray to the lord to bless them with " parabhakthi, parajnAna and parabhakthi "

naturally by his divine grace (sharanagathi gadyam)

The same is declared as

Jnanam, dharshanam and prApthi by the sastras.

" jnAthum drashtum cha tatvEna pravEstum cha " (geetha 11-54) declares

geethacharyan. " sanjyAyathE

sandrushyathE vApyadhigamyathE " (Vis.pu.6-5-57) says Sri Parasara bhagavan.

Why did the three azhvars

start their 3 divine works with " vaiyam thagali " " anbE thagali " and

" thirukkandEn " ?

" vaiyam thagali " : As per the words of amudhanAr

" varuththum puravirul mARRa " -era.nU.8, to

establish that this world belongs to one and the only paramapurushan sriman

Narayanan and not to the illusionary ownership of the other devathas, Poigaiyazhvar removed the darkness of

ignorance by lighting the lamp comprising of earth as the basal lamp, ocean as

the ghee and sun as the flame.

" anbE thagali " : " eraivanai

kAnum edhayaththirulkeda " -er.nU.9

[Darkness inside the heart that prevents us from seeing the supreme lord]

BhoodhathAzhvar removed all

the confusions and misconceptions inside our heart by lighting a lamp of love,

involvement and knowledge to make the athma to glitter inside (athma is svayam

prakasakam, that which can be seen with its own light.)

Thereby due to the removal of

the outer and inner darknesses by the above two azhvArs, peyazhvar visualized

the lord and sang " ThirukkandEn "

" manniya pErirul mAndapin

kOvalul mAmalarAL tannOdu mAyanai kaNdamai kAttum tamizh

talaivan " – er. nU.10

[After the well settled

darkness was removed, tamizh talaivan (peyAzhvar) showed Sriman Narayana

(person with astonishing activities (mAyan) along with one who is on top of a

lotus flower (sri)) in thirukOvaloor as envisaged by him]Azhvar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE

sharaNam Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam

Adiyen ramanuja dAsanVaradarajan