AndAL [GodhA PiraaTTi] Thirunakshathram- Adi pooram- today

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

Dearest all,

 

On this great day of Sri GodhA PiraaTTi's (Sri AndAL)

Thirunakshathram, let us pay our obeisance to the

Lotus Feet of Sri AndaL by dwelling on Her word

" naanEthaan ayiduga " (in 15th pAsuram of Thiruppaavai)

(meaning: may be -I am at fault). NaanE than aayiduga

means: Let naan (I) be what I should

actually be- i.e. being eternal servant- daasan of

Emperumaan. (naan )naanEthan aayiduga.

 

Please forgive me for my free translations (though not

error free). This article elaborated mainly on

" naanEthaan ayiduga " is based on one of the

pamphlets that are released regularly under " Project

Popularization of Swamy Desika's works " by Sri U Ve. C

Seshadri of Chennai. This particular one was

released on the 80th Thirunakshathram of

asmadhacharyan Srimad PaRavaakkOttai Andavan Sri

Gopaladesika Mahadesikan (8.4.2000). This is

from Srimad Rahasyathrayasaram of Swamy Desikan -

SwanishTa abhignaana adhikaaram. (Chapter-14).

 

(This is ONLY intended to remind ourselves of these

Athma guNAs that we need to inculcate and cultivate-

for us, Srivaishnavas, who have surrendered to

the Lotus Feet of Sriya: Pathi Sriman Narayanan. This

is vaishnava lakshaNam to DEVELOP cultivating these

guNAs. I always relish referring to Sri

KooratthAzhwAn's glory again and again on his GREATEST

ATHMA guNAs.

 

This post is more of my loud thinking to rectify

myself.. Or at least attempt.- start attempting. It is

NOT an overnight phenomenon. It requires us to have

the " real " feeling of " jIvan's " true nature of

belonging to Sriya: Pathi as His sEshan- His vasthu,

His possession- His eternal servant

 

Swarupa nishtai:

 

1. If we happen to listen to the statements

(derogatory) about us, like " He is short; He is dark;

He is of ugly face; He is lame; He is stupid- not

intelligent; He is of low caste " and any other abusive

statements, do not worry. These statements are all for

our body (sarIram) and nothing of that

sort relates to our AthmA, which is permanent, pure

always. Hence, we do not need to scold back or howl at

them for such statement; nor we need to sulk

and feel remorseful.

 

2. Further, if someone really scolds or abuses us with

such statements as above, or any other disparaging

remarks against us, feel sorry for him that he

unnecessarily incurs paapams (sins) by such statements

and pray to Emperumaan to have krupai on him (remember

Sri KooratthAzhwAn forgiving Nalooraan).

 

3. Sometime, we may not adhere to saaasthras (I always

fall in this category) and due to laziness, or

exertion, may skip some deed; if someone finds us with

that defect and corrects us, we should not get angry

for being caught red handed; instead, we need to feel

thankful and be grateful to him for correcting us at

the most appropriate time. (Once ThirukkOshtiyoor

Swamy due to feeling tired, leaned on a pillar in

Srirangam temple during VaikuNTa EkAdashi festival,

another person (like me, waiting to find someone at

fault), approached Swamy and pointed that Swamy should

not do that being an AchArya. (One is not supposed to

lean on and relax in Bhagawath Sannidhi). Immediately

Swamy apologized and thanked him for correcting him.

He felt indebted to him for preventing him do that

apacharam which he had

committed without even realizing that he was doing.)

What a quality!

 

4. Even when one finds us committing apacharams and

tells us, we need to consider as if Emperumaan is

speaking to us through him to correct us and consider

it a Divine will. We should not think of any ill

against such people. Even when it is false

accusations, we should think that Emperumaan is only

testing us for balanced mind to face insults.

 

5. When one accuses without proper analysis, and

without any reason, only based on prejudices, we

should feel delighted that our praarabhdha karma is

getting dissolved by through his such false

accusations and be thankful to Emperumaan for enabling

us get dissolved of our praarabdha karma so easily.

 

UpAya nishtai:

 

1. Except for SarvEshawaran, Sriya: Pathi Sriman

Narayanan, we and our family (wife, children) are not

servants or daasa bhUthars to anyone else.

 

2. Even when we are in the evening of our life, or

suffering from deadly disease, and are going to die,

since we have already surrendered to Emperumaan, we

should feel happy that the time has come to unite with

Him at SrivaikuNtam through archiraadhi maargam.

(soozhuvisum panimugil thooriyam muzhakkina.- TVM

10.9) and gladly welcome death with smiling face. We

should know fully well that we are going to be sitting

on the soft lap of our Father Sri Parama padha nAthan

looking and enjoying His red coral like lips and be

along with His samastha parivaaram.- Nithyars and

mukhthars.

 

3. Having surrendered to the Sriya: Pathi, we should

not worry about our protection and not be scared of

any event happening. He is there to protect us and

whatever happens is His Divine will. (It need not be

what we desire. It will be what He desires for us.)

 

4. Having surrendered to the Sriya: Pathi, we should

not undertake any other means (like bhakti yOgam). We

have surrendered to Him with an unflinching faith

(mahAviswaasam). He has already taken a pledge to save

us from all sins and has assured us Not to worry. (so

why worry?) We should not do some yaagams /homams or

any other karmas simply because it is going to give us

some puNyam, but simply as Bhagawath preethyartham.

 

5. Having surrendered to the Sriya: Pathi, We should

always think that it is all in Emperumaan's will to

alleviate our sorrows and to grant us something

good until our death. Whatever happens is for good.

 

Purushaartha nishtai:

 

1. Having surrendered to the Sriya: Pathi, we should

NEVER ever seek for material comforts, nor should we

unduly be worried about some problems occurring at

home with our family, - with a thinking that

everything is happening only due to praarabhdha karma.

 

2. By worrying about anything, nothing gets resolved.

It has to happen as per Bhagawath sankalpam. - With

that jnAnam, we should not brood about the

domestic problems occurring.

 

3. If there is some unexpected wealth or comfort comes

our way also (of course through dharmic way), we

should not shun them. We should consider them as

Bhagawath sankalpam and think that that is way to get

rid of (praarabdha karma phalam) puNyams as they will

also be stumbling block for SrivaikuNTa prApthi.

 

4. We should view both happiness and sorrows equally

with a balanced mind and have ruchi (taste) only for

kaimkaryam to Emperumaan Sriya: Pathi Sriman

Narayanan.

 

5. Having surrendered to the Sriya: Pathi, we should

develop an intense desire (tvarai) for the Paramapadha

prApthi and utter Dwayam, (contemplating

its esoteric deep meaning) at all times.

 

All above qualities are for us, Srivaishnavas, who

have surrendered to Emperumaan Sriya: Pathi Sriman

Narayanan.

 

If we attempt to inculcate and cultivate these guNAs,

Sri AndAL and AchAtya saarva bhouman Swamy Desikan

will be pleased.

 

Any mistake in the above writing is only mine;

anything good is due to the great article written by

the author.

 

Before winding up:

 

As Bhagyasaalis (fortunate ones) belonging to Sri

Ramanuja dharsanam- our Srivaishnava Sampradayam, let

us remind ourselves of:

 

Tatvam:

 

(1) Sentient soul- Jeevathman;

(2) achith - Insentient matter

(3) Iswaran- Emperumaan Sriya: Pathi Sriman Narayanan-

sEshi (master- owner) for both Chit and Achit

 

Hitham- (means- way) the Lotus Feet of Emperumaan

Sriya: Pathi Sriman Narayanan, through Bhakti yOgam or

Prapatti (saraNAgathy)

 

AND

 

Purushaartham- Eternal ceaseless service at the Lotus

Feet of Sriya: pathi Sriman Narayanan.

 

THIS IS OUR SAMPRADAYAM.

Let us pay out ananthakOTi praNamams at the lotus feet

of Sri ANdAL.

 

Sri AndAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

namo narayana

dAsan