SrI UpakAra Sangraham Part - 37

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srI:

SrI upakAra sangraham – 37

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adikAram – 1

poorva upakAra paramparai

(The Foremost Series of Favours)

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SECTION – 5 (6) [Continued]

(27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for

MOKSHAM)

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We have so far studied SwAmi Desikan's reference to

AzhvArs through whom the Lord did the favour of

illuminating the essential truths of the VEdAs and the

related scriptures. Now, we shall take up to study how

He did this favour through the AchAryas, as referred

to by SwAmi Desikan:

 

(6) " AzhvArkaLaiyum AchAryarkaLatyum koNdu,

vEda-tattvArtta-prakAshanam paNNinatuvum; "

 

Before turning to the AchAryas, it would be

appropriate to know how SwAmi Desikan summarizes the

contributions made by the AzhvArs in a single verse:

 

" poigaimuni bhootattAr pEyAzhvAr taN

porunal varum kurukEsan vittucittan

tuyya kulasEkaran nam bhANanAtan

toNdaradippodi mazhisaivanta choti

vaiyyamelAm maRaiviLanka vALvElEntum

mangaiyarkOn enRivarkaL makizhntu pAdum

ceyya tamizhmAlaikaL nAm teLiyAvOtit

teLiyAta maRainilangaL teLikinROmE. " (adikAra

Sangraham, 1)

 

(We have comprehended the real meaning of the regions

of the Upanishads which are otherwise difficult to

understand, having studied clearly the beautiful Tamil

hymns sung delightfully by the AzhvArs, known as

Poygai muni. BhootatAr, pEyAzhvAr, KurukEsan

(nammAzhvAr) who was born on the banks of the cool

TAmiraparaNI, Vishnchittan, the pure-minded

KulasEkharan, our PANanAtan, tondaradippodi, the

luster that appeard in Mazhisai(Tirumazhisai AzhvAr),

and the king of Mangai holding a sword and a spear;

for making the VEdAs glow throughout the world.)

 

In this verse, two Azhvars do not figure. They are:

SrI AndAL and SrI MadhurkaviyAr. For the non-inclusion

of SrI AndAL, the reason is that she is always

regarded as part of SrI PeriyAzhvAr and moreover, she

was an incarnation of SrI Bhoodevi and herself became

a Consort of the Lord.

 

SrI MadhurakaviyAr also is considered as a part of

SrI nammAzhvAr, his AchArya. He is ever together with

SrI nammAzhvAr and his work, SrI KaNNinuNchiRutthAmbu

is recited before and after the recitation of SrI

nammAzhvAr's SrIsookthis.

 

Here, SwAmi Desikan has given us a beautiful pAsuram

on SrI MadhurakaviyAr separately. It is the second

pAsuram in adhikAra Sangraham. (also in his Sri

Rahasyatraya sAra):

inbattil iRainchutalil isaiyum pERRil

ikazhAta palluRavil irAgam mARRil

tanpaRRil vinaivilakkil takavOkkattil

tattuvttai uNarttutalil tanmaiyAkkil

anpaRkE avatarikkum Ayan niRka

arumaRaikaL tamizhceitAn tALE koNdu

tunpaRRa madhurakavi tOnRak kAttum

tolvazhiyE nalvzhikaL tuNivArkatkE.

(adhikAra Sangraham, 2)

 

In this verse, SwAmi Desikan projects the importance

of an AchArya as shown by SrI Madhurakavi himself in

his work, SrI kaNNinuNchiRttAmbu.

 

Now, we shall study the verse given above:

 

The spotless SrI MadhurakaviyAr indicates the ancient

path for those who, having the firm determination to

abandon the meanest sensual pleasures, to venture on

the virtuous path. SrI MadhurakaviyAr shows the only

safe path, by his own example. While there is SrI

Krishna, the great cowherd, who incarnated solely:

1) For the sake of His devotees to confer bliss on

them;

2) To be their refuge;

3) To be their final goal;

4) To stand in relation to them in many ways (as

mother, father, brother and so on);

5) To change their desire for the sensual pleasure

into a desire for Himself;

6) To remove all their sins;

7) To show them infinite compassion;

8) To reveal the truth; and

9) To confer on them His own nature.

 

Thus when there was SrI Krishna ever ready to do all

this, SrI MadurakaviyAr sought only the feet of the

sage Satakopan (nammAzhvAr) who rendered in Tamil the

truths contained in the VEdAs which are otherwise hard

to understand.

 

Sri MadhurakaviyAr thus stands like the Polar Star

guiding the newly turned sAttvik - virtuous - persons

how to go about in starting their journey towards the

Lord, SrIman nArAyaNa. He was alive even when the Lord

was present in the world in the incarnation as SrI

Krishna. But, SrI MadhurakaviyAr, chose to approach

SrI nammAzhvAr whose presence in down south was

indicated by a bright light in the sky and

fortunately, SrI MadhurakaviyAr went in that direction

and finally landed in AzhvAr Tirunagari, where SrI

nammAzhvAr, as young boy sitting under a tamarind tree

near the Lord's temple there. SrI MadurakaviyAr took

the bold initiative to wake up the AzhvAr who started

pouring out the Tamil vEdAs as he got an ideal

disciple to receive the instruction. SrI

MadhurakaviyAr took down all that came out of the

mouth of SrI nammAzhvAr and did a unique service to

the posterity.

 

Thus, we got a great AchArya in Sri nammAzhvAr by the

grace the Lord Himself. Hence, SwAmi Desikan says in

this sixth point in this series. It was the Lord Who

ensured the safety of the VEdAs and the related

scriptures through the AzhvArs and the AchAryas.

 

And SrI MadhurakaviyAr played a link between the

AchArya and the future line of AchAryas who continued

the sampradAya till now.

 

Even scriptures stressed the essential of an AchArya

for one to attain the highest goal in his life, that

is, Moksha, from this mundane life circle.

The necessity of an AchArya is shown by the Vedic

scriptures:

 

" tadvij~nArtham sa gurumEva abhigacchEt " (Mundaka

Upanishad, 1-2-12)

 

(To realize the Brahman one should approach a Guru.)

 

" AcAryavAn purushO vEda / "

 

(Only he who got a good AchArya can realize the

Brahman.)

 

" sa ca AchAryavamsO j~nEyO asAvasA iti AAbhagavatah

/ "

 

(The line of AchAryas extends up to BhagvAn thus: This

is his AchArya; his AchArya is so and so; and so on up

to the Lord.) (rahasyAmnAya BrAhmanam)

 

(To continue )

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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