SlOkams 94-102 of Sri VaradarAja stavam AND CONCLUSION OF THE LIKHITHA KAIMAKRYAM

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SlOkam 94:

 

 

In this slOkam , KurEsar reminds us of the central doctrine of SrI VisishtAdhvaitham that Bhagavan's grace (aruL) is indispensable for the success in the upAyam (Prapatti or Bhakti yOgam) used towards a purushArtham such as Moksha Siddhi.

 

(Meaning): Oh KareeSaa ! Some Jeevans perform SaraNAgati and You appear before them to accept their prayer. Others perform karma or Jn~Ana yOgam or Bhakti yOgam to reach You. Karma yOgam is about the performance of one's duties without expecting any phalan in a nishkAmya sense . Jn~Ana yOgam is adopted by a few qualified ones , which paves the way for AatmAnubhavam. Bhakti yOgam gradually grows and leads up to Moksha Siddhi. In all these efforts , Your divine grace ( ThiruvaruL) is the central cause for them to enjoy You and to perform Kaimakryams for You here and in the other world. That ThiruvaruL is my core strength as well says KurEsar (Saiva tu mE Balam matam).

 

(Commentary): There are many paths to reach EmperumAn's sacred feet ( sanmArga apavargha sAdhaka vidhi ): ( " Karmam Jn~Anam upAsanam cha SaraNavrajyEti chAvsthitAn sanmArgAn apavarga saadhana vidhou sadhvArakadhvArakAn"). These paths are Karma , Jn~Ana Bhakti and Prapatti yOgams.Our Atthigiri ThirumAl creates the interest in us to seek one of these paths and corrects us as we engage in pursuit of them ( ThiruvaruLAl anRE adaikkalam koNDa namm atthigiri Thirumaal). All these bhAgyams arise from the parama krupai ( aruL) of Lord VaradarAjan . Our Lord uses His guNams( svakai: guNai:) to make us varaNeeyam (the chosen ones) . These guNams are saluted as " Parama Purusha VaraNeeyathaa hEtubhUta guNa viSEsham". For those , who perform SaraNAgati , He considers them as His very dear ones ( priyatama yEva hi varaNeeyO bhavati ).To attract the Lord towards him , the jeevan performs saastrOkta SaraNAgati ( Tasya cha vaSeekaraNam taccharaNAgatirEva ). In the case of SaraNAgati , GuNams can be equated to dharmams like the five angams of SaraNAgati ( Aanukoolya Sankalpam et al).

 

SlOkam 95:

 

Here, KurEsar points out his insufficencies as an adhikAri to pursue various upAyams for Moksham and invites the KalyANa guNams of the Lord such as Dayaa , KshAnti ( forbearance) to come to his rescue to realize Moksham .

 

(Meaning): Oh VaradarAja ! adiyEn do not engage in the practise of bhakti yOgam since it needs a lot of concentrated effort and it takes a long time to complete it successfully . adiyEn do not have the Jn~Anam and sakti to practise karma yOgam. adiyEn is not knowledgable about the doctrines and procedures of SaraNAgati and hence adiyEn do not observe it either.adiyEn do not perform the Praayascchitthams to eliminate the different kinds of accumulated sins. Therefore , it would be the power of Your auspicious attributes ( KalyANa guNams) alone that would have to come to adiyEn's rescue to make me succeed in my efforts.Those KalyANa guNams have been instrumental in rescuing Your bhakta Janams before . May adiyEn request Devareer to use them in my case too ?

 

(Commentary):KurEsar reminds himself of Swamy NammAzwAr's declaration about his unfitness ( nORRa nOnbilEn nuNNaRivilEn) and that of Swamy AlavanthAr in his StOtra Ratna slOkam ( na dharmanishtOsmi na chAtmavEdhi , na bhaktimAn TvaccharANAravindhE ).KureSar admits that he did not try to perform some of the prescribed prAyascchitthams to reduce his load of sins.adiyEn did not observe the five angams of SaraNAgati either and yet adiyEn strives to attain Your sacred feet .If adiyEn succeeds in these effforts with all my deficiencies , it would be because of Your auspicious guNams ( Forbearance , Dayaa et al) coming to my rakshaNam .adiyEn's SaraNAgati is just an excuse (vyAjam)and it is Your dayaa and Kshamaa that overlook my deficiencies and sins ( krutAn karishyamANAn cha sarvAn kshamitvaa anugraham karOthi) and correct adiyEn and set me up to travel on the sanmArgam (archirAdhi mArgam) .

 

 

SlOkam 96:

 

The AzhwArs and the AchAryAs express their sense of urgency to serve the Lord in their Sri Sooktis . KurEsar expresses his own longing and impatience to serve the Lord through this slOkam .

 

(Meaning): Oh VaradharAja ! When am I going to perform nitya kaimkaryam for You after taking the hints from Your compassionate glances (tE vilOkanai: ) , playful lifting of Your brows ( bhruvO: vibhramaNai: api) ,nectarine smiles (smitAmrutai:) and other auspicious clues /signs ( ingita MangaLai: api)? KurEsar looks forward to seeing these signs from the Lord commanding him to engage in Kaimkaryams ( ingita manGaLi: api prachOdhita:) with a happy heart ( prahrushta dhee: ). When am I going to become blessed to perform the Kaimkaryams of Your choice ( Tava varivasyanam kadhaa vidhAsyE) ? KurEsar expects the Lord's response impatiently .

 

Commentary): Swamy expresses a similar thought and presses the Lord to tell him as to when He is going to accept his kaimkaryam at Sri VaikunTham ( yenRE yennai unn yERAr kOlat-tiruntadikkeezh ninRE Aatc-cheyya Nee , koNDaruLa ninaippathu taann--ThiruvAimozhi: 8.4.8) . Swamy NammAzhwAr is also waiting for inghita-nimishita chEshtitams from His Swami .Kaimkaryam is one , which is perfromed after His niyamanam and not one that one grabs from the Lord's hand and executes. Our Lord's communiacations through His eyes , brows , smiles et al with out speech is saluted by Swamy Desikan this way:" DehaLeeswara ! dayaa-bharita apAngai: vaacham vinaa api vadhaseeva" .

 

KurEsar asks the Lord as to when ( kadhaa) he will have the kaimkarya prApthi with a sense of urgency. There are similar queries starting with Kadhaa about Bhagavath paricharyam ( kaimkaryam) in AchArya RaamAnujA's Sri VaikunTha Gadhyam , Swamy AlavanthAr's stOtra Ratnam and JitantE stOtram( ebook in Ahobilavalli.com) . Acharya RaamAnujA asks the Lord as to when the Lord is going to look at him with His dayaa laden cool glances and command him with His majestic voice to start the Kaimkaryams ( Kadhaa maam Bhagavaan svakeeyayaa atiSeetalayaa dhruSaa avalOkya , snigdha gambheera madhurayaa giraa paricharyaam Ajn~Apayishyati ?) . Swamy AlvantAr's query takes this form : " Kadhaaham-aikAntika nitya kinkara: praharshayishyaami?".

 

SlOkam 97:

 

In this slOkam , KurEsar prays to the Lord to confer on him the bhAgyam to hear him speak just as He did with Tirukkacchi Nambi and Thirumangai Mannan at Kaanchi `. KurEsar wants to experience the joy of listening to the Lord's words addressed to him.

 

(Meaning): Oh the Lord of Hasti Giri! Your speech is the nectar (sudhaa-sakhee) that enters all of our indhriyams and quench their thrists ( ViviSya ViSva indhriya tarsha karshNee:) and get etched in our minds ( nitya nikhAta niscchalA:). They are delectable and cool (Sravasya suseetalaa:) . May adiyEn be honored to hear Your sweet and charming words(gira:) ?

 

(Commentary): KurEsar wants to have the experience of the Lord of Kaanchi breaking His archaa SamAdhi and speaking to him like He did with Thirukkacchi Nambi ( the Six upadesams for AchArya RaamAnujaa) and His conversation with Kaliyan about the location of the gold in the middle of Vegavathi river . Our Lord at Srirangam spoke with AchArya RaamAnujaa at the end of the SaraNAgati Gadhyam recital : " maa tE bhUdhatra na samSaya: , anrutam nOktapoorvam mE na vakshyE kadhAchana ,--". Archaa state has restrictions about conversation by the Lord but He breaks it on special occasions out of Aasrita Paaratantryam. Lord AarAvamudhan and YathOktakAri spoke thus to Thirumazhisai PirAn and broke their self-imposed archaa silence . KurEsar wishes to have one such experience.

 

SlOkam 98:

 

In this slOkam , KurEsar seeks atyanta kaimkaryam to the Lord at all times and places and expresses his deep desire to be close to the Lord .

 

(Meaning): Oh KareeSaa! At all times , places and states , adiyEn wishes to perform single minded dhAsya kaimkaryams to You !

May adiyEn be blessed to be near You to perfrom these kaimkaryams without any distractions !

 

(Commentary): KurEsar seeks the performance of blemishless kaimkaryam as the intimate servant of the Lord ( Vazhvilaa adiamai and atthANi sEvakam). KurEsar wants this type of kaimkaryam to continue undistracted at all places ( aSEsha dESaani) . He wants to travel with the Lord , wherever He travels by taking appropriate roopam as the Vedam describes : " KaamAnnee kAmarUpee anusancharan ". Swamy Alavanthar expresses a similar thought of accompanying the Lord alone always: "bhavantam-YEva anucharan nirantaram" --46th slOkam of StOtra Ratnam . Swamy Desikan describes that kind of soubhAgyam as :

" sahacharatva dhanyam" . Swamy NammAzhwAr as ParAnkusa Naayaki points out that She will not leave the side of the Lord of the Universe even for the fraction of a second : " anaitthulaham-udaya AravindhalOchananai tinait-tanayum viDaaL"--TVM 6.7.10).

 

KurEsar wishes to serve the Lord at all times(akhila Kaalam) like Swamy NammAzhwAr : " ozhivil kaalamellAm udanaai manni vazhuvilaa adimai seyya vENDum naann". Swamy NammAzhwAr prayed for this boon at ThiruvenkatamudayAn Sannidhi.

 

akhilAsu avastAsu: KurEsar wants to serve the Lord in all states just as AdhiSeshan offers his Kaimakryam as Umbrella , seat , bed and PaadhukA . Garudan also has many roles in service to the Lord as His "nishparyu dhAsan".

 

KurEsar wishes to have the soubhAgyam of SarvakAla - sarva dEsa - sarva avastOchita-sarvidha Kaimkaryams with sarva vidha Sareerams . He wants to perform these kaimakryams without any distractions ( ananya dhee:). There should not be any ananyAbhigamanam( thought of anyone else) . Lord likes it this way and says in this context that He inquires after the yOga KshEmam of those bhaktAs( ananya chEtaa: satatam, ananyaasc-chintayantO Maam ). One should not have ananya dhee: , anyAbhigamanam , anyArtha Pravrutthi , anya Yajanam , anya keertanam and anya chintanam as a ParamaikAnti.

 

KurEsar concludes this sLokam with a prayer to be near the Lord of Hastigiri at all times ( sadhaa Thvath antikE vartEya) .Swamy Desikan expressed a similar thought in Sri VaradharAja stavam and concluded that even this vile SamsAram will become SrivaikunTham , if he had the blessings of staying near the Lord all the time ( Thvam chEth praseedhasi , TavAsmi sameepataSchEth Thvayyasti bhaktir-anagaa KariSaila Naatha ! samsrujyatE yadhi cha vaasajanas-Thvadheeya: samsAra yEsha Bhagavan ! apavarga yEva ).

 

SlOkam 99:

 

In this slOkam , KurEsar expresses his sense of urgency about the Lord's compassionate glances faling on him . When would that happen is the cry of KurEsar ? How quickly it is going to happen is his thought ?

 

(Meaning): Oh Lord VaradharAja ! Your eyes are like a river . The Vaatsalyam shown by You is its water .The katAkshams that emanate out of those vaatsalyam-laden eyes removes the intense heat caused by taapa trayams and spread everywhere like big waves. When would the continum of these waves drench adiyEn and cool me ?

 

(Commentary): KurEsar's comparison of the Lord's eyes to a nectar flowing river is based on the Sri DevarAjAshtakam by Thirukkacchi Nambi: " DEvarAja ! dayaasindhO! DevadEva ! JagathpathE ! ThvadheekshaNa sudhaa sindhu veechi vikshEpa Seekarai: , KaruNyAmrutaaneetai: Seetalai: abhishincha maam". The loftiness of the KaDAksham of the Lord is understood from this pramANam : " JaayamAnam hi Purusham yamm paSyEn Madhusoodhana: , Saatvika: sa tu vijn~Eya: sa vai MokshArtha chintaka: ". One who is blessed with Madhusoodhana KatAksham at birth will be a Parama Saatvikan and will be blessed with thoughts of Moksham . The importance of those auspicious glances of the Lord is also described by the passage: " VishNO: KatAksham adhvEsham Aabhimukhyam cha saatvikai; ".

 

SlOkam 100:

 

This slOkam houses a prayer for the boon of sevai of Lord Varadhan for more than one hundred years. KurEsar stayed in this earth for 126 years and had the blessings of Lord VaradarAjan to see Him and serve Him even after he lost his eyes due to the cruelty of the ChOLa Raajaa. Lord blessed Kuresar with dhivya chakshus to see and enjoy Him during the samarpaNam of SrI VaradarAja Stavam at His sannidhi .

 

(Meaning): Oh Lord of Hasti Giri ! You are eternal ; PerumdEvi ThAyaar sits in front of You and enjoys Your ever- changing and captivating soundharyam with great love afresh all the time as a new anubhavam due to Her love for You (naveebhavath prEmarasa pravAhayaa satata utkayaa Sriyaa nishEvitam) . Your "Yezhil mihu Thiru uruvam fills Her mind with parama Aanandha anubhavam and it is insatiable (aaraa amudhu). Her glances fall on You and enhances Your laavaNyam . May we be blessed to enjoy Your ever-increasing dhivya soundharyam for hundred and more years ( PaSyEma ParaSsatam samaa; ).

 

(Commentary): PerumdEvi PirAtti sits in front of Her Lord leisurely and takes in the ever changing and ever increasing beauty of Her Lord without even winking Her eyes ( agrE bhartu: sarasijamayE bhadhrapeeDE nishaNNaam).The enjoyment of the beauty of the eternal Lord sadhAtanatvam as Tadhaatanatvam ( Just formed) is according to Swamy ParAsara Bhattar , a nityam nUtana bhOgya: It is an insatiable enjoymeent ( aparyAptAmrutam ). Swamy Desikan describes that each of the avayavams (angams) of the Lord have their own poorNa and pratyEka soundharyam and the Devis can not take their eyes off Him and enjoy His lAvaNyam without winking ( bhutam priyAbhiranimEsha vilOchanAbhi: , pratyanga poorNa sushumaa subhagam VapustE dhrushtvaa dhrusou ViBhudhanAtha na trupyatO mE ). Swamy Desikan has a similar experience :" anukshaNamum anubhavitthAlum pErAval adangavillai ".

 

SlOkam 101:

 

In the previous slOkam , KurEsar expressed his ardour in serving the Lord at Kaanchi for more than one hundred years. Now , KurEsar shifts his goal posts and articulates his sense of urgency to reach the Lord's Supreme abode (SrI VaikunTham) to perform nitya kaimkaryam there quickly and enjoy paripoorNa BrahmAnandham there with the Lord and His nitya sooris .

 

(Meaning): Oh the best among boon granters (Varapradha) ! Oh VaradharAjaa!Your lofty abode of Parama Padham is not easily attained even by the likes of Sanantanar , SanAdhanar and SanathsujAtar known for their accomplishments in Bhakti Yogam ( Saadhu samAhitai: SanantAdhibhi: api sudhurlabham) . The bhaktAs of Yours reach however Parama Padham easily through the quick-to practise upAyam of Prapatti anushtAnam ( bhakta Janai: adhurlabham) . When we think about the difficulties in comprehending Your suddha satvamaya Sri VaikunTham , we find it hard to visualize it in all its splendors ( achintyam , apratarkaNam and adhbhutam). Oh VaradharAjA ! How am I going to arrive at Your Parama Padham to serve You ( Thvath adhbhutam Padham katham AapnuyAm) ?

 

(Commentary): Saadhu Samhitai: SanantAdhibhI: Sanantar and other Maanasa putrAs of Brahma dEvan practise the ashtAnga bhakti yOgam ( Yama- Niyama-Aasana -PrANAyaama- PratyAhAradhArana- DhyAna- samAdhi). They have controlled their minds

( pratyAhAram) and are at the final stage of their yOgam( SamAdhi). Even such accomplished yOgis could not fully see the Lord at His Supreme abode .

 

Bhakta Janai: adhurlabham : That Lord who is not easily seen by the likes of Sananta becomes easily visible for His bhakta janams like the AzhwArs ( KaNDEn Kamala malar paadham uhanthu paNi seythu unn Paadham peRREn ) . He is : " Pathudayavarkku yeLiyavan, piRarhaLukku ariya vittahan"

 

achintyam apratarkaNam adhbhutam: Our Lord's Parama Padham is beyond imagination . Its vaibhavam can not be inferred . it is wonderous. Swamy AlavantAr refers to this achintyam aspect of Sri VaikunTham even for Brahma , Sivan and Sanaka Rishi:

" Parama Purusha! yOaham yOgivaryagraNyai: , Vidhi-Siva-SanakAdhyair-pAtum atyanta dhUram Tava Parijana bhAvam kaamayE kaama Vruttha: ". Sri BhAshyakArar alludes to the difficulties in conceptualizing Sri VaikunTham this way: Sanaka-Vidhi- SivAdhibhi: api achintya svabhAva Iswaryam , dhivya Purushai: mahAtmAbhirApooritE , tEshAmapi iyath parimAnam , iyath Iswaryam , YeedhruSa svabhAvam iti paricchEtumayOgyE ". In VishNu PurAnam , ParAsara Maharishi describes the difficulties of Sivan , Munis and dEvAs : " yamm na dEvaa na munayO nachAham naapi Sankara: , Jaananti ParamESasya tadh VishNO: Paramam padham". KurEsar concedes that he could not hope to visualize Lord VaradharAjan's Parama Padham except through His AchArya KatAksham .

 

SlOkam 102:

 

KurEsar sought the aruL of the Lord now concludes his Sri Sookti by reminding the Lord that he is the sishyan of a great AchArya paramparai and therefore he is qualified to recieve the Lord's ParipoorNa anugraham .

 

(Meaning): Oh VaradharAja ! adiyEn is a fitting jeevan to be blessed by You because adiyEn is holding my AchAryA's ( RaamAnujA's) sacred feet as refuge. My achaaryan has sought the refuge of Swamy AlavanthAr , who belongs to the vamsam of the darSana Pravartakar , Swamy Naatha Muni ; latter belongs to the spiritual paramparai of Prapanna santAna jana kUtasthar, Swamy NammAzhwAr , who in turn is linked to Your PirAtti's sishya kulam . adiyEn is thus blessed by birth , achArya and Aanmeeka sambhandhams and consider adiyEn fit to be the object of anugraham through Your sacred glances . May Your divine KaDaakshams fall on adiyEn and bless adiyEn always !

 

(Commentary): Thus KurEsar eulogized the vaibhavam of Lord VaradharAjan and at the end of his stavam he states that his eye sight was restored through his AchArya Sambhanhdam and pays tribute to his AchArya Vamsam starting from Sri RaamAnuja and all the way up to Lord VaradarAjan as Emperumaan ( Prathama AchAryan). The AchArya paramparai of KurEsar is: Sri RaamAnujar , Periya Nambi , AlavanthAr , ManakkAl Nambi , UyyakkoNDAr , Naatha Muni , NammAzhwAr , Senai MudhaliyAr , PerumdEvi ThAyAr and Lord VaradharAjan . Six AchAryAs among these ten AchAryAs from this paramparai are saluted specifically by KurEsar in this slOkam .

 

KurEsar expresses his great AchArya Bhkti with choice words : " RaamAnujAngri SaraNOsmi ". That RaamAnujaa became the radiant lamp of the kulam of Swamy AlavanthAr ( kulapradheepa : tu Aaseeth sa Yaamuna MunE:) . By birth and vidhyaa grahaNam ,AlavantAr belongs to (Sri Ranga) Naatha Muni Vamsam . This is acknowledged by KurEsar as" sa cha Naatha vamsa:" That Naatha Muni belongs to the vidhyaa vamsam of Swamy NammAzhwAr, who is the dhAsan of PerumdEvi ThAyAr ( sOapi Tava devyA: dhAsa:).KuResar reaches Lord VaradharAjan's sacred feet through " innamudha ThirumahaL", PerumdEvi PirAtti.She is the Varadha Vallabhai ( AakAra Traya sampannAm aravindha nivAsineem , aSEsha jagadheeSAtreem vandhE Varadha VallabhAm). PirAtti of Lord VaradharAjan has the three AakArams of PrApakatvam , PrAyatvam and PurushakAratvam.

KurEsar approaches the Lord through Dayaamayi , PerumdEvi PirAtti and states : " iti Varadha yeekshaNeeya:" . KurEsar points out that he has incredible credentials as a descendant of the illustrious AchArya Paramparai and indissoluble SeshatvAdhi Sambhandham and therefore he is a poorNadhikAri befitting the KadAksham of the Lord of Hasti Giri .