Thiruvaheendhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimakryam: Part 129 ( Desika Prabhandham-- XX: Paasuram 96-101

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Swamy Desika BhakthAs:

 

We will now start our study of Amrutha SvAdhini Prabhandham of

Swamy Desikan . We will cover the first Six Paasurams of

this Prabhandham dealing with Thirumanthiram(AshtAksharam/

Moola Manthram) .

 

96th Paasuram: The Purpose of Life

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Our AchAryAs out of their DayA for us made it possible for us

to learn within our life time the three rahsyams with their meanings

for our salvation . These AchAryAs , who are celebrated by

the world performed upadEsams on these three rahasyams

( AshtAksharam , Dvyam and Charama slOkam ) in the most

effective manner for us to retain those meanings and enjoy them

as well as benefit from them.

 

The key passage of this paasuram is : " Desikar kaalam kazhivathan

munnam karutthu uRak-kaNDidavE nammai vaitthanar " ( Our AchAryas

before the end of our days positioned us to comprehend clearly

the three rahasyams with their quintessential meanings ).

 

Swamy Desikan comments that AshtAksharam (Thirumanthiram)

teaches about our Svaroopam to permit us to practise Prapatthi

through Dhvaya manthram. Both manthrams are like the root and

branch of the same tree (Moolam KiLai yena onRu iraNDu aana).

The third rahsyam is the Lord's Charama slOkam , which without

help of any thing else points out the unfailing means for Moksham

and recommeds that upAyam for securing Moksham.Since the Charama

slOkam does not seek anything else for its empowerment , it is saluted

in this Paasuram as a matchless rahasyam without equal or superior

( mEl onRu ilai yena ninRa av-Vithtahan tann urai).

 

This is the first Paasuram on the chillaRai rahasyam of Saara Saaram .

Swamy Desikan gave this name of " Saara Saaram " since it deals with

the essence of the three most essential subjects to be learned by us

from our AchAryAs during our life time on His earth.

 

97) Thirumanthiram: the meaning of PraNavam

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SarvEswaran is the Prime Cause for all things . He is the Protector

of all. He is never separated from His divine consort. Jeevan (ChEthanam )

is of the intrinsic form of Jn~Anam (Jn~Ana Svaroopan ). ChEthanam

has Jn~Anam as his attribute ( Dharma bhUtha Jn~Anam) . ChEthanam is

distinctly different from the AchEthanams ( insentients). As the Jeevan ,

chEthanam is totally dependent on the Lord as its unconditional Master .

ChEthanam is His adiyavan (liege). ChEthanam is priveleged to be

the servant of the Lord's dAsAs ( BhagavathAs) as well . ChEthanam is

not the servant of any one or anything else. This is the essential meaning

of PraNavam , which is comparable to the chariot of Arjuna.This is

the essence of the meaning of PraNavam pointed out by the Upanishads

(VedAnthams).

 

The comparsion of PraNavam with Arjunan's chariot is made

since in that chariot , the Lord (KrishNa ) sat in the front

as akAra Svaroopan / Master and Arjuna, the jeevan (MakAra

svaroopan/servant of the Lord ) sat behind . In PraNavam ,

akAram is in the front and makAram follows behind similar to

KrishNA's and ArjunA's respective positions in that chariot

of Arjuna.

 

The key passage of this paasuram is: " NaaraNanukku nAnn

adiyEn---aRivAhi aRivathumAy aRu nAnku anRi seer aNintha

sudar pOla thihazhnthu ninREn " ( I the Jeevan is the bonded

servant of the Lord -- adiyEn , who is of the form of Jn~Anam and

who understands the rest with Dharma BhUtha Jn~Anam stand

radiant and apart(distinctly different ) form the rest of the 24 tatthvams

defining the insentients .

 

98) Thirumanthiram: The Meaning of Nama: Sabdham

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SrIman NaarAyaNan assured me that He will cut asunder the bonds of

SamsAram and grant me Moksham through His Charama slOkam.Out of

His vAthsalyam for me , He made me the servant of His BhAgavathAs.

Due to the power of His grace , He kindled my desire to perform

Prapatthi at His sacred feet . He destroyed my ahankArams and

MamakArams ( Yaan yenathu yenpathu onRu illai) and made me

free from the concepts of " Me and Mine " . What can I do (as

the totally dependent one on this Lord ) without His grace ?

 

The first line of this Paasuram reveals the banishment of

ahankAra-mamakArams and the Jeevan's lack of

independence ( absence of Svatantram ). The second line

reveals the Lord's anugraham that made the Jeevan become

subservient to the Lord's BhAgavathAs (TannadiyArkku yennai

aatpaduthhi) .The third line refers to the SaraNAgathy UpAya

anushtAnam for Moksham and other meanings for the Nama:

sabdham . The paasuram concludes with " Avanai allAl seyvathu

yenn ? " ( What is that I cando without our Lord and His grace ?).

 

99) Thirumanthiram : The Meaning of NaarAyaNa Sabdham

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Our Lord accompanied by His Divine Consort is understood

through the NaarAyaNa Sabdham as the ocean of Daya ,

as the embodiment of auspiciousness , as the Creator , Protector

and Master of all , as one filled with blemishless guNams ,

as the ultimate way (ParamAm Gathi) , and as the one who is

realted to us in every way ( Sarva Vidha Bhandhu ). This then is

the brief meaning of the NaarAyaNa Sabdham .

 

100) Thirumanthiram: The Meaning of the Chathruthi over NaarAyaNa Sabdham

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The significance of the fourth case over NaarAyaNa Sabdham is explained

here.

 

SrIman NaarAyaNan destroys the PuNya and Paapa KarmAs of

the Jeevan that has observed the upAyam of Prapatthi . Next ,

He lifts up the Jeevan from the body , which was the hindrance to

Moksham and releases the Jeevan via the Brahma Naadi and lands

that Jeevan at His Supreme abode via the pathof light (archirAdhi mArgam).

He blesses the jeevan with the guNAs , which were hidden until

then due to Karma sambhnadham. Even if the Jeevan is reluctant to recieve

His grace , our Lord holds it tightly with His benovolent grace and joins it

to

the assembly (ghOshti) of the eternally liberated Jeevans (nithya sooris)

so that the liberated jeevan can enjoy paripoorNa BrahmAnandham at

SrI Vaikuntam .This then is the meaning of the Chathurthi vibhakthi

(Fourth case ) over the NaarAyaNa Sabdham.

 

101) The unified meaning (ThiraNDa PoruL ) of Thirumanthiram

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Through PraNavam , we understood with joy about our (the Jn~Ana Svaroopa

Jeevan's) permanent and unalterable realtionship (niruphAdhika sEshathvam)

of being the eternal servant of the Lord .

 

Through the Nama: sabdham , we understood (1) the removal of ahankAra-

MamakArams (2) the observance of SaraNAgathy upAyam (3) the removal of

the thought about us (the Jeevan) being independent and (4) becoming the

servant

of the Lord's BhAgavathAs.

 

Through the NaarAyaNa Sabdham , we ( the Jeevans ) understood

the anantha KalyANa guNams of the Lord such as His role as the Protector

of all and being our Sakala Vidha Bhanthu .

 

Finally , through the Fourth case over NaarAyaNa Sabdham ( the aaya

sabdham) , we understood the destruction of SamsAric afflictions ,

the holding of the Lord's feet on our heads and joining the assembly of

Nithyasooris to enjoy total bliss at Sri Vaikuntam .

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan

 

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka

SrivaNN Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama: