Thiruvaheendhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam series: Posting 232/Desika Prabhandham : Charama SlOka Churukku: Part 2

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear SrI VaradarAja BhakthAs :

 

Today , we will continue with the study of the second slOkam

of the Desika Prabhandham entitled : " Charama SlOka Churukku " .

 

316. The SIX MEANINGS of " Sarva DharmAn Parithyajya "

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veRumai uNarnthu munnittu vERu angam illai yenak-

kuRiyavan inn uRavu yettak-kuRitthidum kONai thuRanthu

uRum ayan atthiram yennap-poRA nilai Ohrnthida

Ohr aRa neRi anRu uraitthAn azhiyA aRamAyinananE(2)

 

The meaning of " Sarva DharmAn Parithyajya " is the abandoining of all

upAyams .Here , Dharmam is a saadhanam ( dedicated effort) to gain

Phalans with the help of prescribed Saasthrams . " Dharmaan " is plural

and therefore it refers to the many Dharmams /UpAyams.The Sarva padham

points out the nature of Dharmam with many angams ( branches, limbs).

Although the Dharma Padham generally refers to an UpAyam , here

it refers specifically to the UpAyam for gaining Moksham .That in this

context is Bhakthi Yogam with all its angams(features).

 

The Six Meanings of " Sarva DharmAn "

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1) The reference here is to the powerlessness and consequent

incapabilities of the ChEthanam , who for aeons has lost track of

the ways for his/her upliftment and recognizes his/her serious

deficencies in undertaking Bhakthi yOgam and other UpAyams

and as a result stays paralyzed .The adhikAri (ChEthanan) , who

is unable to perform Prapatthi is indicated here as the first

intrepretation . The Paasuram passage , " veRumai uNarnthu "

connects to this meaning. VeRumai means incapability to gain

the sought after phalan of Moksham because of lack of power

to pursue the upAyam of Bhakthi yOgam and the like.

 

2) The Paasuram passage " athu munnittu " yields the second

meaning. Here the emphasis is on the aakinchanyam , the poverty

of upAyam as a result of all upAyams abandoning the adhikAri.

Based on the awareness of " VeRumai " and driven by that knowledge

of insufficencies is the meaning of " athu munnittu " .The word " athu " is

connected to veRumai and the anushtAnam of VeRumai , the observance of

no upAyam is implied. This status of the Jeevan is called " KaarpaNyam "

in SaraNAgathy Saasthram.

 

3) The Paasuram passage , " vERangam ilai yena " develops the third

meaning for " Sarva DharmAn Parithyajya " . Prapatthi has no additional

angams beyond the five ( aanukoolya Sankalpam , PrAthikoolya Varjanam ,

Gopthruva VaraNam , KaarpaNyam & MahA Viswaasam ). Bhakthi yOgam

in contrast has additional limiitng angams such as VarNAsrama dharmam

to observe . Prapatthi is not dependent therefore on other angams beyond

the five . This is what is meant by " vERu angam ilai " .

 

4) " KuLLan inn uRavu yetta kONai thuRanthu " passage of the Paasuram:

This second line of this Paasuram refers to the impossible attempt of a

dwarf

jumping up and down to reach the honey comb situated at the top of a tall

tree. However much he may try , it will be beyond his reach. He gets

frustrated over his vain efforts.The comparison is to the ineffective

efforts to

the practise of Bhakthi yOgam , which is beyond the reach of most

chEthanams because of the rigors involved . The condensed meaning here

is the stopping of the futile effort to accomplish the impossible due to

major deficencies in one's spiritual arsenal (wherewithall) .

 

5. The same second line of the Paasuram also has another level of meaning.

This relates to the cessation of efforts to chase after the impossible .

It is similar to the effort to hang on to a little blade of grass on the

bank of

a flooding river to save oneself from drowning. The pursuit of Bhakthi

yOgam for gaining Moksham is one such impossible effort for most of us.

 

6. The third line of this Paasuram refers to BrahmAsthra NyAyam in

the context of pursuit of the easy-to-perform Prapatthi yOgam.

When one chooses the Prapatthi maargam that is done in a second

( KashaNa karthavyam) very easily , there should not be any pursuit

of other upAyams because of lingering doubts about the efficacy of

Prapatthi yOgam in delivering the desired goal of MOksham. If such

admixture takes place , then the attempted prapatthi would be laid to

waste. The situation is like BrahmAsthra prayOgam . If one doubts

the power of BrahmAstham and sends another asthram to reinforce it

out of ignorance, the BrahmAsthram will cease its protection and only

harm can result.

 

The Sanskrit slOkam quoted by Vaikunta Vaasi U.Ve Oppiliappan

Koil SrI SrIrAma DesikAcchAr Swamy in this contxt is:

 

athO asakthAdhikArathvam aakinchanya-puraskriyA

anangabhAvO dharmANAm asakyArambhavAraNam

tathprathyAsaa-prasamanam BrahmAsthra nyAya soochanam

Sarva dharma parithyAga sabdhArTaa: Saadhu sammatha:

 

This is the accepted list of six meanings by the pious says this

slOkam .The SaraNAgathy Gadhyam passages of AchArya

RaamAnuja dealing with KaarpaNyam , aakinchanyam have to

be reflected upon in the context of this Paasuram .

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

 

NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradachAri Sadagopan

 

SrimathE SrI Lakshminrusimha Dhivya PaadhukA Sevaka

SrIvaNN SaThakOpa SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA DesikAya Nama: