Thiruvaheendhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimakryam: Part 143 ( Desika Prabhandham-- XXXIV: Paasuram 146-149

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Dear Swamy Desika BhakthAs :

 

Today , adiyEn will cover the Four Prabhandha Pasurams (146-149)

associated with the two sOpAnams of ArchirAdhi and Dhivya dEsa

PrApthi Parvams .These are the seventh and the eight steps in the ladder

to MOksham.

 

The two Paasurams of ArchirAdhi Parvam (Desika Prabhandham

146 and 147) deal with the travel by the Jeevan on the path

of light (archirAdhi mArgam). At the end of this travel via

the archirAdhi mArgam , the liberated Jeevan arrives at

SrI Vaikunta dhivya dEsam. That arrival is covered by

the two paasurams ( Desika Prabhandham 148 and 149)

of the dhivya dEsa PrApthi parvam .

 

146) ArchirAdhi Maargam

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teruLAr biramapuratthu iRai sErnthu idar theernthavar thAmm

arulAr biramapuracchiRai theerntha pinn vanthethir koNDu

aruLAl amarar nadattha immAyayai kadanathatharp-pinn

suruLAr bhava narahac-chuzhal aaRRin suzharcchiyilE

 

This paasuram set in KattaLai KalitthuRai metre is

an exceedingly beautiful one with bewitching imagery and

dhvani. The message of hope and assurance from Swamy

Desikan housed in this Paasuram alone is sufficent to

chase away our SamsAric Bheethis and make us hasten to

perform SaraNAgathy at our Dhivya Dampathi's ThiruvadikaL,

if we have not already done so .

 

We have to keep repeating the key message of this Paasuram:

" theruLAr biramapuratthu iRai sErnthavar , bahva naraha chuzhal

aaRRin SuzharcchiyilE suruaLAr "

 

Special Comments of SrI SrIrAma DesikAcchAr Swamy :

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The Prapaana Jeevans are saluted here as " Therul aar " ,

as those filled with Jn~Anam . They have now gotten

rid of their sorrows and are resting joyously ( idar theernthavar

thAmm) since they are united with the Lord of the SarIram ,

the antharyAmi Brahman/ indweller ( " biramapuratthu iRai " ) .

 

Now that they are freed from the prison of SarIram

( " biramapurac-chiRai theerntha pinn) , they will cross

the prakruthi maNdalam( immAyai kadantha pinn)

with the grace of the Lord and assisted by the Lord's AadhivAhikAs ,

who come forward sequentially and welcome them to the path of

light (archirAdhi mArgam ) to SrI Vaikuntam ( " chiRai theerntha

pinn , aruLAl , amarar yethir koNDu vanthu nadattha) .

 

It is the Lord's grace (aruL ) that makes this amarar-assisted

travel to His Supreme Abode happen . After crossing the Maayai with

the Lord's anugraham , the Jeevan will never ever get tossed about

in the whirlpools of the firece river of SamsAram ( maayai kadantha

pinn , bhava naraha suzhal AaRRin suzharcchiyilE suruLAr ).

 

" amararhaL " are AadhivAhikAs described in the 67th Paasuram of

Desika Prabahndham (Gathi visEshAdhikAram Paasuram of

AdhikAra Sangraham ). The AadhivAhikAs like Agni greet

the muktha jeevan at the boundary of their domains and

take them to the other boundary of the subsequent domain

ruled by the next aadhivAhika.

 

The sarIram is called Braham Puram ( biramapuram) since

the Jeevan is inside the sarIram and the Lord (Brahmman )

is dwelling inside that Jeevan as antharyAmi .

 

The SarIram of the Jeevan is made up of five bhUthams

(Pancha BhUthams). In the physical body , there are three

stout bones at the top of the back portion of the body (Mudhuhu).

They are known as ThristhUNam . At the time of death , our Lord

churns these three bones to squeeze out the subtle essence of

Pancha bhUthams and unites that essence with the ready-to-depart

Jeevan . This kind act of our Lord is known as " ThristhONa KshOpam " .

The Jeevan will now experience pain as the Lord churns these bones .

Our merciful Lord holds the Jeevan tight to overcome the pain . This

churning is common to all jeevans at the time of departure from

this world. After the churning , the muktha jeevan enters Brahama

naadi with the Lord's help and leaves the body to travel in archirAdhi

maargam . The bound jeevans exit the body via other nAdis to be born

again in this samsAra MaNDalam. The exit routes are thus different

for the Prapanna Jeevan and the baddha Jeevan bound to SamsAram .

 

147) Delight of the Jeevan on finding the path to Moksham

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vizhi allAl vEl illai viNNin mAthar

mEni allAl villillai meenavaRkku

mozhi allAl amuthilai yenRu munnAL

mutthi vazhi munintadaintha mOham theernthOm

kazhi allAl kadal illai yenbAr pOlak-

kAriyamE kAraNam yenRu uraippAr kAttum

vazhi allA vazhi yellAm kadanthOm maRRum

vAnERum vazhi kaNDom mahinzhthittOmE

 

(Meaning ): Until now , due to our evil karmAs , we did not

pay attention to the path of Moksham . Manmathan made us

fall under the influence of SiRRinbham by using the eyes of

the apsaras as the spear to hold us and their bodies as the bows

and we thought that the sweet speech of the apsaras as nectar

and were deluded by the thought that the life in Svarga lOkam

is the greatest thing to happen to us. Now , thanks to the KatAksham

of our SadAchAryan , we overcame this delusion . We escaped form

the other mathams (darsanams) which extoll the universe instead of

offering their allegiance to the cause of this universe and escaped from

the nets of such misleading darsanams. The position of these confused

mathams is like some one who mixes up the backwaters of the ocean

with the cause of them , the Ocean itself (kazhi allaal kadal illai yenpAr

pOlE) and conclude that there is no ocean except the backwaters

(kazhi neer ) . Kazhi neer are the backwaters extending from the ocean

( uppam Kazhi ) . The foolish position taken by some mathams

is that there is no ocean and there is only the the backwaters .

They mix up the effect (Kaaryam ) with the kaaraNam (cause ) .

We have now been blessed to be connected with the path of

light leading to Parama Padham . We are now blessed to enjoy

the pleasures of welcome offered by aadhivAhikAs in contrast to

the pains that we suffered in SamsAra MaNDalam.We have

arrived at the seventh step of the ladder leading to SrI Vaikuntam ,

which is now very much in sight .

 

148) Reaching Parama Padham

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van paRRudan mayal pooNDu maRRu ohr gathiyAl ina

naaL peRRathu yenn? peRum dhAnamum yetthanai pOthu uLathAm ?

thunpu aRRa tann thuNivAl thuyar theerkkum ThuzhAi MudiyAn

inpuRRa nall vazhiyAl yERRum nal padham yeNNUvamE

 

(Meaning ): What indeed are the fruits (phalans ) that we gained

by engaging in the enjoyment of alpa sukhams of the world , while

we travelled on improper routes during our journey on this earth ?

None. Even if we had gained the status of Brahma Devan due to our

puNyams , how long would that distinction have lasted? Very little time.

Therefore , let us aim for MOksham through the enactment of the rites

(Bhakthi or Prapatthi yOgam ) prescribed for us by the Lord to enjoy

the eternal and incomparable pleasures of His SrI Vaikuntam.

 

Attaining SrI Vaikuntam is the eighth step in the ladder of

Parama Padha sOpAnam .

 

149) The Description of the Lord at SrI Vaikuntam

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paNdai iru vinaiaaRil padinthu paaram

kANAthE ozhuhiya nAmm bhakkiyatthAl

vanDu amarum malar mAthar minnAy manna

vaisayanthi maNi viLLai viLanga vaann sEr

koNdal aruL mazhai pozhiya vanthathu oppAm

kuLirnthu teLinthu amudhAya virasai aaRRaik-

kaNDaNuhik-karutthAlE kadanthu meeLAk-

karai kaNDOr kathi yellAm katitthittOmE

 

(Meaning ): From time immemorial , we as bound Jeevans

have been under the influence of PuNya as well as Paapa karmAs

and suffered in this samsAram . We were blessed to practise one

of the UpAyams (SaraNAgathy) and became Prapanna Jeevans .

We travelled by archirAdhi mArgam and at the end of that

joyous journey , we arrived at the banks of VirajA river and

crossed it with our sankalpam and reached the other shore of

SamsAram , SrI Vaikuntam.We are truly blessed to have this

visEsha bhAgyam.

 

The poetic skills of Swamy Desikan are extraordinarily displayed here

according to SrI SrIrAma DesikAcchAryaar :

 

In this paasuram , the Lord is compared to the dark cloud of the rainy

season in the sky of Parama Padham pouring out as the rain of mercy

( vaan sEr koNDal mazhai pozhiya vanthathu oppAm ).

 

Periya PirAtti (SrI Vaikunta Naayaki) is compared to the lightning

(minnal ) in that rainy season cloud ( vaNdu amarum malar mAthar

minnAy manna ).

 

The Vaijayanthi garland with its many colored flowers is compared to

the multi-splendored rain bow in that cloud ( Vaisayanthi maNi villAy

viLanga).

 

VirajA river marking the boundary between pruthvee maNdalam

and SrI Vaikuntam is saluted as the cool nectarine river with clear

waters ( kuLinrthu teLinthu amudhAya Virasai).

 

The Paasuram ends on an exalted note : " MeeLAk-Karai kaNDOr

gathi yellAm bhAkkiyatthAl kathitthittOm " ( We reached the other shore

of Viraja river (viz)., SrI Vaikuntam from where no one returns to SamsAra

MaNDalam (Karma BhUmi) ; through our bhAgya visEsham , we are

going to enjoy our life there serving the dhivya dampathis.

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan

 

SrimathE SrI Lakshmi Nrusimha Dhivya PaadhukA Sevaka

SrI VaNN SaThakOpa NaarAyaNa YathIdhra MahA DesikAya Nama: