Thiruvaimozi-1.2.8,1.2.9

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8. uLLam urai seyal uLLa immoonRaiyum

uLLikkedutthu iRai uLLil odungE

 

Knowing that the three means of acting in the world, namely, mind, word and action, which we are endowed with, are to be used to attain the Lord only and hence casting off the activities outside we should use these in the service of the Lord.

 

uLlam- mind, uRai, speech and seyal , action are the three means of experience in the world outside. If three are concentrated on one ideal, it helps the evolution. `yaThaa chittham thaThaa vaachaH yaThaa vaachaH thaTHaa kriyaa ; chitthe vaachi kriyayaam cha mahathaam ekaroopathaa' is the maxim of greatness. To a devotee who aspires for attainment of salvation the three are employed in the service of the Lord. ; ` kaayena vaacha manasaa indhriyairvaa buddhyaathmanaa vaa prakrheH svabhaavaath karomi yath yath sakalam parasmai naaraaynaayethi samarpayaami,' is the attitude of a devotee.

 

In the last pasuram Azvar said that as everything belongs to the Lord including ourselves we should be immersed in his service. In this pasuram he shows how to do that.

 

Andal says `thooyomaai vandhu thoomala thoovitthozhudhu vaayinaal paadi mandhinaal sindhikka,' thus illustrating the above meaning clearly. The body is to be used in His service by cleansing it by bath and worship Him by offering flowers etc. which is kaayika, physical service. Not only that but also one should do every act as an offering to the Lord. By singing His glory and speaking about Him to others is vaachika, verbal service. To think about Him all the time, dhruva smrthi as Ramanuja puts it, which is persistent and consistent remembrance of the Lord, and exist only as the instrument of the Lord is maansika, mental service.

 

This idea is beautifully explained by Kulasekhara in His Mukundamala.

 

 

 

jihve kirthaya kesavam muraripum chetho bhaja SreeDharam

pANidhvandhva tham archaya achutha kaThAh Srothradhvaya thvam Srunu

krshNam lokaya lochanadhvaya hareh gacchAnghriyugma Alayam

jighra ghrANa mukundha pAdhathulaseem moorDhan nam aDhokshajam

 

 

Oh tongue, sing about Kesava., the slayer of Mura. Oh mind, think of SreeDhara. Two hands, you worship Him , Two ears, you hear the stories about Achyutha. Oh eyes, look at Krishna. Pair of feet, you go to the temple of Hari. Oh nose, you smell the tulsi leaves from the feet of Mukundha. Oh head, bow down to ADhokshaja.

 

When all the senses are thus engaged in the service of the Lord they will cease to be attracted by the worldly sensual pleasures.

 

There may arise a doubt as to whether this will remove the results of past karma which have to be experienced and exhausted, the next pasuram gives the answer.

9.odunga avankaN odungalum ellaam

vidum pinnum aakaai vidumpozhudhu eNNE

 

 

avankaN odunga- when one employs his body , speech and mind in His service,

odungalum ellaam- all karma

vidum- will leave us.

Pinnum- even after that

Aakaai vidumpozhudhu- till one leaves the body

eNN- Remember the Lord.

 

 

 

When we employ all the three means of action in His service the past karma will perish. But the body will have to remain till the prarabdha karma is exhausted. Hence till the soul leaves the body one should remember Him alone.

To a devotee who engages his body mind and speech in the service of the Lord all the karma that are yet to fructify, sanchithakarma, are destroyed. Since he is doing everything as an offering to the Lord he does not accumulate any more karma, aagaami karma. But the karma that has already stated giving result, praarabdhakarma, has to be exhausted only through experience. Hence the body will remain till then and that is why Azvar says that one has to remember the Lord till he leaves this body after which there will be no more embodiment.