Vaiyyam Sumappadum Vambu

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

 

" Vaiyyam Sumappadum Vambu "

 

 

Almost all the Stotras we know generally incorporate a " Phala shruti " or a

cataloguing of benefits that would accrue to the reader. We find this in the

great Epic Srimad Ramayanam. At the end of the very first chapter, we are told

that one who reads the holy story of Rama would be freed from all sin and would

be blessed with a long tenure in Swargam, along with one's sons and grandsons.

Along with this general benediction, caste-wise benefits are also

enumerated-Brahmins would acquire proficiency in speech, those of royal blood

would become acclaimed monarchs, merchants would beget great wealth and so on.

The Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram too has a pretty long " phala shruti " at the end

of it, promising everyone what they desire and what is good for them. We find

Azhwars too indicating how profitable the perusal of their Prabandams would be.

Sri Andal tells us that those who recite " Vaaranamaayiram " would be blessed with

good children- " Vaayu nan makkalai pettru maghizhware " . Those who master the

depths of the ten pasurams on Tirumalirumsolai would be sure to reach the Lord's

lotus feet, says She- " Sen tamzih patthum vallaar Tirumaal adi servargale " .

Readers would rid themselves of all their travails, promises Kodai Naachiyaar,

at the end of the ten pasurams beginning with " Kannan enum karum deivam " . And

the last decad of Naachiar Tirmozhi assures us that those who meditate on its

esoteric purports would attain inseparable and eternal communion with

Emperuman- " Perum taal udaya Piraan adi keezh piriyaadu endrum iruppaare " .

 

 

 

While most of the Azhwars enumerate the eternal and everlasting bliss that one

would attain in the Lord's service as the outcome of mastering their Prabandams,

there are certain exceptions too. For instance, Sri Nammazhwar promises those

who know well the ten pasurams beginning with " Kedum idar " , that they would

embrace delightful damsels with slender shoulders like bamboo shoots- " anaivar

poi amarulagil painthodi madandayar tam vey maru tol inaye " . Wouldn't you

consider this totally uncharacteristic of Nammazhwar, who had not even a whiff

of worldly pleasure, all through his brief sojourn on this earth? And for one

who concentrated whole-heartedly on the Lord and His auspicious attributes to

the exclusion of everything else, promising his readers an apparently puerile

benefit, such as the company of beautiful women, appears out of place. And it

appears incompatible too with the avowed purpose of the entire Tiruvaimozhi,

that of generating and sustaining an all-consuming fervour for the Lord and all

that is associated with Him. We wonder why Azhwar should suddenly resort to

promising such ephemeral pleasures, when, all along, he has been advocating

their conscious avoidance at all cost.

 

 

 

When we turn to the commentaries for elucidation, we find Sri Nampillai

explaining this phenomenon of Azhwar's apparently unsuitable promises with an

apt example. To improve a cow's yield, cowherds usually keep a stuffed calf in

the cow's sight, so that, enthused by the thought of feeding its young one, the

mother secretes milk plentifully. Similarly, Azhwar too promises to Samsaaris

the benefit they would covet (that of delightful feminine company). And, once

they start perusing Tiruvaimozhi in the hope of attaining these minor pleasures,

they lose themselves eventually in its descriptions of the Lord and His

auspicious attributes. Ultimately they acquire the requisite wisdom, devotion

and Vairaagyam, which lead them to a simple strategy like Prapatti, which in

turn confers Salvation.

 

 

 

We thus see that " Phala Shruti " s range from promises of prosperity, material and

otherwise, to the attainment of the Ultimate Goal, viz., Moksham.

 

 

 

While it is all right to catalogue the benefits arising from the study of

Scripture, have you come across instances of negative incentives being

prescribed for failure to study a particular Stotram or Prabandam? Have you

similarly chanced upon criticism of people who do not study a particular

Prabandam?

 

 

 

For instance, while the Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram appends quite an exhaustive

list of what could be achieved through its recitation, we do not find any

element of compulsion in its learning or study. It doesn't mention, for

instance, that those who do not know the Stotram would rot forever in hell.

Similarly, none of the Prabandams of Sri Nammazhwar or of Sri Kalian prescribes

any detriment for non-study. It is only in the case of Tiruppavai that we are

told that those who know not the thirty poignant pasurams of Kodai Naacchiar

need not have been born at all, their lives being an utter waste. Planet Earth

would earn an indelible stigma by carrying these people, who are ignorant of

Tiruppavai-

 

 

 

" Kodai Tamizh iyyaiyndum iyndum ariyaada maanidarai

 

Vaiyyam sumappadum Vambu " .

 

 

 

For an Acharya to go to the extent of castigating in such strong terms those who

do not know Tiruppavai, is indeed unusual. Our Preceptors are known more for

their persuasive and mercy-filled exhortations, than pungent admonitions. This

being so, it stands to reason that Tiruppavai contains some basic truths,

without the knowledge of which our learning is incomplete and without which we

have little to show for having been blessed with a human birth. What could be

the fundamental concepts that this Prabandam portrays, which could entitle it to

such indispensability?

 

 

 

1. Godhead-The first and foremost concept that Tiruppavai enunciates, in

the very first pasuram, is the identity of the Supreme Being who is capable of

bestowing Salvation. While there are any number of deities who grant minor

boons, if it is Moksham you want, then it is to Sriman Narayana you must

apply- " Moksham icchet Janaardanaat " . Unless we have a firm grasp of this, we

would keep going round the maze of Samsara, caught up in the interminable cycle

of births and deaths. Hence, unless we realise that " Narayanane namakke parai

taruvaan " , would there be any purpose at all to our lives?

 

 

 

2. Good Conduct-Apart from revealing esoteric truths, Tiruppavai also

instructs us in rules of good conduct, which ensure our physical and

psychological health. We are told about simple rules like bathing in the early

morning ( " naat kaale neeradi " ), avoiding bad ways ( " seyyaadana seyyom " ),

eschewing untruthful and unpleasant speech ( " tee kuralai chendru odom " ),

performing as much charity as possible ( " iyyamum picchayum aam tanayum kai

kaatti " ). It is Tiruppavai's uniqueness that it instructs us not only in high

philosophy, but in " Saamaanya Dharmam " too.

 

 

 

3. Naama Sankeertanam-Tiruppavai highlights the easy and delightful pursuit

of singing the Lord's names, which is touted to be THE strategy for attaining

devotion, in this Kali Yuga- " Kalou sankeertaya Kesavam " . Repeated references to

this upaayam are to be found in the thirty pasurams- " Ongi ulagalanda Uttaman per

paadi " , " Kesavanai paadavum nee kette kidatthiyo " , " Paar kadalul paiyya

tuyindra Paraman adi paadi " " Damodaranai-vaayinaal paadi manatthinaal

sindikka " , " Maa vaai pilandaanai.paadi parai kondu " , " MaaMaayan Madhavan,

Vaikunthan endru endru naamam palavum navindrelor empaavaai " and so on. Would

anyone's life be worth living, if he or she didn't utter the Lord's glorious

names, as laid down in Tiruppavai?

 

 

 

 

 

4. Good Company-The common thread running through all the thirty songs of

Tiruppavai is that of keeping company with the good and saintly-Sat Sangham. The

uplifting nature of the company of kindred souls hungering for Bhagavat

anubhavam is portrayed time and again. The emphasis is on collective enjoyment

of divine bliss- " koodi irundu kulirndu " . The benefits of Sat Sangham are vividly

visible for all to see, in these pasurams.

 

 

 

5. The Relationship-Though volumes have been written regarding the

relationship between the individual soul and the Paramatma, it is Tiruppavai

which puts the same in a nutshell and highlights the Master-Slave bond that

binds the Lord and ourselves together- " ettraikkum ezhezh piravikkum uttrome

aavom, unakke naam aat cheivom " . That this bond is not ephemeral like worldly

ones and is eternal, is brought out by the line, " un tannodu uravel namakku ingu

ozhikka ozhiyaadu " .

 

Our duty is to perform all possible service to Him- " nee kuttreval engalai

kollaamal pogaadu " .

 

 

 

6. Our Desire-All of us are victims of wayward minds, which push us deeper

and deeper into the whirlpool of desires. The satisfaction of one desire

immediately gives rise to another and we get caught up in unending waves of

wants. Tiruppavai has a very practical lesson to offer in this regard. Knowing

full well that it is futile to instruct human beings to avoid desires, Andal

shows us the way to channel these desires in a productive fashion, directing

them towards attaining the Lord, performing endless service to Him and His

devotees. The prayer is thus for the Lord to relieve us of desires which run

counter to these objectives- " mattrai nam kaamangal maatru " .

 

 

 

7. The Strategy-We might know everything, but if we know not the strategy

for attaining Liberation, we would continue to wallow in this mundane mire. Sri

Andal proclaims this strategy in the very first pasuram itself, by telling us

that the Lord would grant Moksham only to Prapannas- " Narayanane namakke

parai taruvaan " . The operative word here is " namakku " , (to us) which indicates

Surrendered Souls or those who have performed Prapatti. And the emphasis on this

term, " namakke " makes it clear that the Lord would grant Moksham only to those

who surrender themselves to Him, heart and soul-- " Prapannaat anyeshaam na disati

Mukunda: nija padam "

 

 

 

8. Arttha Panchakam: The avowed objective of all Scriptural formulations is

to enlighten us about the Five Fundamentals, knowledge of which is essential for

emancipation. When we summarise all that has been said above, it boils down to

the fact that Tiruppavai is all about the following five aspects-

 

 

 

 

 

a) Nature and Identity of the Supreme Being

 

b) Nature of the Individual Soul

 

c) The Strategy to be adopted for the Individual Soul to attain the Lord's

lotus feet

 

d) What fruits await the Soul upon its ascent to Paramapadam

 

e) What impediments stand in the way of the Soul from realising/attaining

all the aforesaid.

 

 

 

 

 

From all these, it would be crystal clear that those who are not fortunate to

know Tiurppavai could never aspire for the Ultimate Goal. Without the Guide Book

of Tiruppavai, they would know not the rules of conduct for life in this world

or for ascent to those above. And denied of such wisdom, they would be little

better than quadrupeds- " Gnaanena heena: pasubhi: samaana: " . And the world would

be little richer for their nondescript and unremarkable existence-which is what

the line " Vaiyyam sumappadum vambu " portrays so eloquently.

 

 

 

The greatness of Tiruppavai can be understood from the number of commentaries it

has been able to attract, from eminent scholars, who have found, in these mere

thirty pasurams, the seeds of concepts propounded in the entire Shruti. No less

than seven vyaakhyaananams are available for this Prabandam-those authored by

Sri Periavachan Pillai, Sri Azhagia Manavala Perumal Nayanar, Sri Nampillai, Sri

Aay Jananyaacharya, Sri Peria Parakala Swami, Sri Rangaramanuja Swami (in

Sanskrit), Sri Ranganatha Swami, Sri SuddhaSattvam Doddayaachaar Swami, Sri

Vanamamalai Jeer and the last, but by no means the least, the one by Srimad

Mukkur Azhagiasingar. If so many scions of the Sampradayam have seen fit to

comment on these thirty apparently simple verses, it is indeed a glowing tribute

to Tiruppavai's esoteric and truths, which transcend time and place.

 

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

dasan, sadagopan