Reflections on Srimath Azhagiya Singar's anugraha BhAshaNam of this Morning : October 3 , 2009

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Fellow Sri Matam SishyAs :

 

We are fortunate to be blessed with Srimath Azhagiya Singar's anugraha BhAshaNam on this PurattAsi Sani Kizhamai from Mylapore prior to His sanchaaram to Sri PerumbhUthUr .

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar chose today the MangaLa SlOkam of the PrakaraNa grantham , Tattva Mukta KalApam to instruct us that a clear understanding about who is the Supreme Lord (Para dEvatai) is vital and indispensable for our life as a ParamaikAnti.adiyEn will focus on that slOkam and the ceelebration of it by Srimath Azhagiya Singar . Prior to that adiyEn will breifly recall the highlights of Srimath Azhagiya Singar's upadEsams for us about ParadEvathaa PaaramArthyam ( the Supermacy of the Lord over all devathais , who are created and ruled by Him) in His various KaalkshEpa granthams for background purposes .

 

In His Srimath Rahasya Traya Saaram, Volume I released in 1998 , Srimath Azhagiya Singar has covered extensively with adhbhuta vivaraNam , the sixth Chapter of Srimath Rahasya Traya Saaram (viz)., ParadEvatA PaaramArthyAdhikAram ( pages 331-485) . Because of the centrality and significance of the need for a clear understanding about who is the Para Devatai , Srimath Azhagiya Singar has covered the sixth chapter at great length . Swamy Desikan's summary was :

 

SrimannAraayaNO na: patir-akhilatanu: muktidhO muktabhOgya:

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar pointed out that one who has clear Jn~Anam that Sriman NaarAyaNan is the Para Devatai (Supreme Lord) will not go near any other devatais.

For such a ParamaikAnti , Sriman narayaNan is THE Para dEvatai , upAyam (means),

UpEyam (goal) and Phalan (fruits thereof) .

 

At the beginning , Srimath Azhagiya Singar cited the 2nd Paasuram of Thirunedum-tANDakam of Kaliyan :

 

paar uruvi neer yeri kaal visumbumAhip-

palvERu samayamumAi paranthu ninRa

yEruruvil MoovarumE yenna ninRa

imayavar tamm thriuvuru vEReNNum pOthu

Oruruvam Ponnuruvam OnRu senthee

onRu Maakadaluruvam otthu ninRa

moovuruvum kaNDapOthu onRAm sOthi

muhiluruvam yemm adigaL uruvam thAnE

 

Here , Srimath Azhagiya Singar pointed out that Chaturmukha BrahmA's svabhAvam (hue) is that of yellow gold . Rudran's svabhAvam is that of fiery red . The svabhAvam of SarvEswaran , Our EmperumAn is of the deep blue ocean and that of the rain-laden dark blue cloud of the rainy season ( muhil uruvam Yemm adigaL uruvam thAnE) .

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar then referred to ANDAL's NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi Paasuram , where She identifies the color of KaNNan , Her Lord as " KaNNan yenum Karum dhaivam" and requests Her friends not to speak about other devatais/dhaivams and make Her suffer . PeyAzhwAr has saluted this dark blue ( Ocean like ) ThirumEni of the Lord in MoonRAm ThiruvandhAti as: " ThirukkaNDEn--Yenn AazhivaNNan paal". Aazhi Vannam refers here to the Kadal niRa VaNNan ( dark hued Lord) , our Para Devatai.

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar's upadEsam for us is that we should not only abandon ithara devatAs but also abandon the devotees of these anya devatAs to maintain our ParamaikAntitvam . One should develp clear jn~Anam about what is to be rejected ( vida vENDiyatu yethu /Kim tyajanam) and what we have to hold on to ( PaRRa vENDiyathu yethu ) and thereby reach " ananya SaraNAtva avastai" ( status of total and unconditional refuge in the Lord and Lord alone )for our Moksham . Swamy NammAzhwAr's prayer quoted by Srimath Azhagiya Singar in his commentaries on the 6th chapter of Srimath Rahasya Traya Saaram is :

 

" taLarA udalam yenadhAvi sarintu pOm pOthu

iLayAthu una thALL orungap-piditthup-pOdha isai neeyE "

--Swamy NammAzhwAr : 5.8.8

 

(Meaning ): Oh AarAvamudhA ! at the time of my final moments on this earth , when my body is weakened and my PrANan is about to leave the body , my determination that You are my one and only Rakshakan should not weaken . Please direct Your glances at me and bless me to have that dhruta vratam (Firm resolve) at that time .

 

This ananya SaraNatvam is alluded by KulasEkharar this way : " Unn SaraNallAl SaraNillai".

 

ANDAL's statement about Her determination to serve only KaNNan is : " UnakkE nAmm AatccheyvOm , maRRai namm KaamangaL mARRu".

 

Swamy NammAzhwAr states His ParadEvathA PaaramArtham firmly in another ThiruvAimozhy

according to the bhAshyam of Srimath Azhagiya Singar on the 6th Chapter of Srimath Rahasya Traya Saaram:

 

MaNNum ViNNum yellAm udanuNDa namm

KaNNan KaNN ; allathu illayOr KaNNE

-- ThiruvAimozhi: 2.2.1

 

Here Swamy NammAzhwar states that KaNNan is our unfailing rakshakan. He is the TiNN or nal veedu ( Firm and auspicious moksham) . This Lord who protects the Bhumi and all other lokams during PraLaya Kaalm by keeping them safely in His stomach is our Protector as well . He is the Para dhaivam for us as well .

 

The main slOkam that Srimath Azhagiya Singar selected for today's anugraha BhAshaNam is the First (MangaLa) slOkam of Swamy Desikan's PrakaraNa grantham , Tattva Mukta Kalaapam :

 

Lakshmee nEtrOtpalaSresatata-parichayAt-yEsha samvardhamAna:

naabhee-nAleekarikhan-madhukara paDalee-dhatta hastAvaLamBa:

asmAkam sampadhOgAnaavirala-tuLasee-dhAma-sanjAtabhUmaa

KaaLindhikAntihAree kalayatu vapusha: kaalimA KaiDabhArE: "

 

(Meaning): Here , the prayer is to Sri Lakshmee Hayagreevan( KaiDabhAran) for the blessings of Jn~Anam and Bhakti . It is well established the Lord's Thiru mEni has the matchless black hue. Three factors contribute to the development of the dark black color of the Lord's sacred body celebrated by Rishis and AzhwArs :

 

(1) Mahaa Lakshmi's eyes with the dark hue of NeelOtpala flowers constantly falls on Her Lord and that grows the darkness of the Lord's ThirumEni further and further ( Lakshmee-nEtra-utpalaSri-satata parichayAt samvardhamAna:) .

 

(2) The dark hue of the dhvirEpams ( bharamarams/bees/VaNDukaL) circling the lotus flower arising from the Lord's navel assist / give a hand in the growth of the dark hue of the Lord's divine body ( Naabhee-naaleeka-rinkhan-maddhukara-paDali-dhatta-hastAvalamBa:) . These dark colored bees provide a kai-laahu as it were in the intensification of the dark black color of the Lord's ThirumEni .

 

(3) The densely strung dark ( KrishNa) Tulasee garland adorning the Lord's shoulders and chest darkens further the black color of the Lord's ThirumEni ( avirala-TuLasee-dhAma-sanjAtha bhUmaa) .

 

These triple coatings of black acquired with the help of Lakshmi's dark eyes , the bees and the TuLasee leaves create the unique ParadEvatA lakshaNam for our Lord . Swamy Desikan observes that this unique dark hue of Lord HayagrIvan exceeds the dark black color of the YamunA ( KrishNai) river ( KaaLindhee kAntihAri KaiDabhArE: vapusha: yEsha: kaalimaa) . Swamy Desikan prays for the growing of the wealth of ours ( Jn~Anam and Bhakti) through the chintanam about the dark hue of the Lord HayagrIvan .

 

At this point , Srimath Azhagiya Singar anticipated our doubt about the hue of Lord HayagrIvan , which is generally referred to as spotless white like a cleaved rock crystal and pointed out that the permanent hue of Sriman narayaNan's ThirumEni is dark black and that He assumes different hues in viSesha avatArams during different yugams . The white hue of the ThirumEnis of Lord HayagrIvan and Lord Narasimhan comes under this tradition .

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar through His upadEsam stressed the need for us to serve this dark hued , Sarva lOka SaraNyan , the dhvirEpa VarNan for our Moksham through our travel along the path of a ParamaikAnti carved out by the Rishis , AzhwArs and AchAryAs.

 

The Paratvam ( Supermacy ) of Sriman NaarAyaNan , who is SamAdhika dharidhran by sarvaprakAram ( one who has no equal or superior in every way ) was brought out so beautifully in such a short time of fiften minutes by Srimath Azhagiya Singar .

 

adiyEn concludes this blissful reflections on Srimath Azhagiya Singar's anugraha BhAshaNam of this morning with the Moola PramANams that He has quoted in His commentary on the 6th chapter of Srimath Rahasya Traya SaaraM ;

 

na VaasudEvAth Paramasti MangaLam !

na VaasudEvAth paramasti Paavanam !

na VaasudEvAth Pramasti Dhaivatam !

na VaasudEvam praNipadhya seedhati !

TrailOkyE TaadhruSa: kaschith na jAtO na janishyatE !

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

DhAsan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan