SrI sArasAram -- I (10)

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SrI sAra sAram – I (10)

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I – ThirumantrAdhikAram

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The Arrangement of Syllables in the Thirumantra (Conitnued)

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SwAmi Desikan, after showing how the Thirumantram remains ashTAkshara

(eight-lettered) even without the praNava, now conveys that all will be eligible

to utter the mantra by certain modification:

“ithu ‘namO nArAyaNEtyuktvA SvapAkah punarAgamat’, ‘nAmam collil namO

narAyaNamE’ ithyAthikaLiRpadiyE praNava-caturthi-kaLai ozhinthAl sarva

adhikAramAm.â€

SwAmi Desikan quotes scriptural authorities to establish that if the first word

of the Thirumantra and the suffix to the third word are dropped, the people of

all the castes can recite the mantra. The first authority is from SrI VarAha

PurANa:

“tatah prabhAtE vimalE vinivruttE ca jAgarE /

namO nArAyaNEtyuktvA SvapAkah punarAgamat //†(Varaha PurANa, 135-53)

(The man born in the caste of those who eat dog’s flesh woke up as soon as the

day dawned, finished his observance which consisted in singing the praise of

BhagavAn and returned after uttering the mantra, ‘namO nArAyaNa’.)

The next quote is from a verse of SrI Thiurmangai AzhvAr:

“nAmam collil namO nArAyaNamE†(Periya Thirumozhi, 6-10-1)—

If one is to utter the name of Bhagavan, one should say ‘namO nArAyaNa’.

The same expression occurs in four verses in a series, from 6-10-1 to 6-10-4)

This is the advice of the AzhvAr to all. He says, one gets the knowledge about

the auspicious qualities of the Lord through the ashTAkshara mantra. The

‘nAra’ in the Lord’s name reveals all the qualities of the Lord.

SwAmi Desikan adds ‘ithyAdikaLiRpadiyE’ to this quote in view of similar

expressions by other AzhvArs also. For instance, Sri PeriyAzhvAr says:

“vAyinal namO nAraNAvenRu matthakatthidaik kaikaLaik kooppi†(PeriyAzhvAr

Thirumozhi, 4-5-2).

Let us see the verse in full:

“ceeyinAl cherinthERiya puNmEl cheTRalERik kuzhampirunthu engum

eeyinAl arippuNDu mayangi ellaivAic cenRu cErvathan munnam

vAyinAl namO nAraNAvenRu maththakaththiDaik kaikaLaik kooppi

pOyinAl pinnai iththisaikku enRum piNai koDukkilum pOkavoTTArE.â€

(PeriyAzhvAr Thirumozhi, 4-5-2)

(Before the body falls ill with disease and deteriorates being the target of

insects, if one goes to SrI VaikuNTa uttering by his mouth the mantra ‘namO

nAraNa’, keeping his folded hands on his head, He will not let him come back

to the world of samsAra, even if he furnishes security for returning to

VaikuNta.)

“ayal-ninRa valvinaiyai ancinEn anci

uya-nin thiruvaDiyE cErvAn -- nayam-ninRa

nanmAlaikoNdu namO nAraNA-vennum

colmAlai kaTREn thozhuthu.†(Muthal ThiruvanthAthi-57)

(I shiver in fear due to the worst sins standing close to me; so, I held fast

unto Your Feet in absolute surrender. Through this work, a good garland, I

worshipped You and practiced the mantra, ‘namO naraNA’, the garland of

words.)

“nA vAyiluNdE namO nAraNA venRu

OvAthuraikkum uraiyuNDE --- moovAtha

MAakkathikkaN cellum vakaiyuNDe ennoruvar

theekkaN cellum thiRam?†(Muthl ThiruvanthAthi- 95)

(There is tongue in the mouth and there is the mantra, ‘namO nAraNa’ to

utter. And there is the means for attaining the highest abode. Then why does one

go on the evil path?)

As these AzhvArs have mentioned the Thirumantra without the praNava and the

suffix ‘Aya’ after ‘nArAyaNa’, the effect is the same as uttering the

mantra with all the syllables.

SwAmi Deikan reveals this secret for the benefit of all so that they can recite

this mantra with the aim kept on Sri VaikuNTa.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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