Divine revelations of lOkAchArya - 7

srI:
srImathE rAmAnujAya nama:
srImadh varavaramunayE nama:
srI vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:

Note: srI U. vE. gOpAlakrishNa dhAsar (kOnAr) who was living in chennai and a sishya of kOil kandhAdai vAdhUla aNNan swamy compiled a set of beautiful phrases/sentences from nampiLLai's eedu (documented by vadakku thiruvIdhi piLLai) vyAkyAnam long ago. kOil vidhwAn srI U. vE. R narasimhAchAryar swamy (paramapadhavAsi) wrote simple thamizh meanings for those phrases/sentences. This book (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByVemcKfGLucbWJNTUMzVS1KTzA/edit?usp=sharing) was originally released on 7-1-68 and was re-published by puthur raghurAman swamy (editior: srI sailEsa dhayApAthram magazine). In this series we are relishing this great compilation with the english translation for the same.

Please view the previous article at http://ponnadi.blogspot.in/2013/08/divine-revelations-of-lokacharya-6.html

 nampiLLai - thiruvallikkENi

61. emperumAnAr dharsanastharil eththanaiyEnum kalviyillAtha sthrIprAyarum dhEvathAntharangaLai aduppidu kallOpAdhiyAga ninaiththirukkum.

எம்பெருமானார் தர்சநஸ்தரில் எத்தனையேனும் கல்வியில்லாத ஸ்த்ரீப்ராயரும் தேவதாந்தரங்களை அடுப்பிடு கல்லோபாதியாக நினைத்திருக்கும்.


Among the followers of srI rAmAnuja dharsanam, even some one like an illiterate woman who lacks formal education would consider srIman nArAyaNan as the supreme lord and will treat any other dhEvathas like a brick that is used in a cooking stove.

Translator's note: srIman nArAyaNan is the supreme lord. All other dhEvathas like brahmA, rudhran, etc are subservient to him. They are all bound by karmA and are also filled with rajO (passion) and thamO (ignorance) guNams. thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr explains in thirumAlai 10th pAsuram that "bhagavAn, out of his unlimited mercy, establishes these dhEvathas for the benefit of the ones who are not fully surrendered to him. Such people can atleast follow these other dhEvathas and slowly make progress and ultimately develop vishNu bhakthi. If these dhEvathas are also not there, simply they will become atheistic and fall down completely". So, the followers of srI rAmAnuja dharsanam who clearly understand this principle that other dhEvathas have a particular purpose (for the benefit of others) and  have no attachment with other dhEvathas just like a brick in the stove just serves a particular purpose and there is no attachment towards that brick.

62.  mOkshapalam sidhdhikka vENum enRirukkiRavargaL kshudhra dhEvathaigaLaip pin chellArgaLiRE.

மோக்ஷபலம் ஸித்திக்க வேணும் என்றிருக்கிறவர்கள் க்ஷுத்ர தேவதைகளைப் பின் செல்லார்களிறே.

paramapadham - the abode of eternal bliss and the ultimate goal of mumukshus

One who is focussed on achieving mOksham will not go behind petty dhEvathas.

Transalator's note: upEya (goal) is purushArtham - that which is desired by a purusha (person). purushArtham is of 4 types generally - dharma (following proper scriptural injunctions), artha (wealth), kAma (lust for opposite sex) and mOksha (salvation). srIman nArAyaNa is called mukundha - the bestower of mOksham - no one else can bestow mOksham. Other dhEvathas can only fulfill the petty desires of their followers. So, the ones who are desiring for mOksham will only approach srIman nArAyaNa and surrender unto him - they will have no attachment towards other dhEvathas.


63. garudadhvajan, garudavAhanan enRu chollappadumavanAyiRRu mOksha pradhanAvAn.

கருடத்வஜன், கருடவாஹநன் என்று சொல்லப்படுமவனாயிற்று மோக்ஷ ப்ரதனாவான்.

srIranganAthan on garuda vAhanam

srIman nArAyaNan who is identified as the one having garuda in his flag and the one who rides on garuda is the one who can bestow mOksham.

Translator's note: garuda is known as vEdhAthmA - meaning the soul of vEdham. Since garuda carries srIman nArAyaNan on him always, it is obvious that srIman nArAyaNan is the object of vEdham as well.


64.  "kAraNanthu dhyEya:" engiRapadiyE jagathkAraNa vasthuvEyiRE upAsyamAvathu.

"காரணந்து த்யேய:" என்கிறபடியே ஜகத்காரண வஸ்துவேயிறே உபாஸ்யமாவது.

sAsthram says "kAraNam thu dhyEya:". This means, the one who is the cause of srushti (creation), sthithi (sustenance) and samhAram (devolution) is the object of our meditation/worship.

Translator's note: thaithriya upanishad says "yathO vA imAni bhUthAni jAyanthE; yEna jAthAni jIvanti; yath prayanthy abhisamvisanthi; thadh vijigyAsasva; thadh brahmEthi" - The one from which all beings emanate, that which sustains all beings, that in which all beings are consumed in the end - that is to be pursued and that is brahmam. srIman nArAyaNan is the one who performs samashti srushti (upto pancha bhUthams) and empowers brahmA to perform vyashti srushti (variegated life, etc). He sustains everything as mahAvishNu himself. He empowers rudhran, agni, etc to perform annihilation and finally consumes them as well. So, it is clear that srIman nArAyaNan is the cause for everything and he is the only worshippable person.

65. mOksha pradhanumAy sarvaniyanthAvumAna sarvEsvaranukku adimai puguvathE karththavyam.

மோக்ஷ ப்ரதனுமாய் ஸர்வநியந்தாவுமான ஸர்வேச்வரனுக்கு அடிமை புகுவதே கர்த்தவ்யம்.

Adhi sEshan who constantly serves bhagavAn - prime example of how a jIvAthmA should serve bhagavAn

It is the duty of the jIvAthmA to serve srIman nArAyaNan who is the bestower of mOksham and controller of everything.

Translator's note: srIman nArAyaNan is the natural master of every one. It is natural for the jIvAthmA to serve his natural master instead of serving his own self or other dhEvathas.


66. seyya vENduvathonRillai. avanudaimaiyai avanukkAga isaiya amaiyum.

செய்ய வேண்டுவதொன்றில்லை. அவனுடைமையை அவனுக்காக இசைய அமையும்.

We dont have to do anything. All we need to do is to accept the truth - that the jIvAthmA is the property of bhagavAn.

Translator's note: All chEthanams (jIvAthmAs - sentient beings) and achEthanams (insentients) are bhagavAn's property. The jIvAthmAs simply have to accept that fact. Once the jIvAthmAs realize and accept this relatioship, that is sufficient for bhagavAn's grace to take effect. A nice example is given by our pUrvAchAryas. A very young prince goes for hunting along with his father (king). He some how gets separated from the king at that time and the king returns to his palace. A hunter picks up the prince and raises him to be a hunter. The prince becomes to think that he is the child of the hunter and totally forgets his past. But once some one who knew the prince when he was young meets him in the forest and immediately highlights the real identity of the prince. At that time, the prince just needs to accept the relationship with his father and he will automatically be accepted in the kingdom. Similarly, the jIvAthmA being in the samsAram since time immemorial, simply assumes that he is fully independent (sva svAthanthriyam) or he is just his body (dhEhAthma abhimAnam). But once he learns his true identity of pArathanthriyam and accepts his dependence on bhagavAn, bhagavAn's grace will automatically flow into him.


67. avan koduththa upakaraNangaLaik koNdu aprAptha vishayangaLil pOgAthE, "thanthanI koNdAkkinai" engiRapadiyE vaguththa vishayaththukkE sEshamAkkik koNdu kittugai.

அவன் கொடுத்த உபகரணங்களைக் கொண்டு அப்ராப்த விஷயங்களில் போகாதே, "தந்தநீ கொண்டாக்கினை"  என்கிறபடியே வகுத்த விஷயத்துக்கே சேஷமாக்கிக் கொண்டு கிட்டுகை.

Our body and our senses are given by bhagavAn. We should use those senses in his service (which is the most apt activity) instead of engaging in other worldly pleasures.

Translator's note: bhagavAn is the master and jIvAthmAs are his servitors. It is natural for the jIvAthmAs to engage their senses in service of srIman nArAyaNan. bhagavAm gives body and senses to jIvAthmAs to facilitate their service to him. nammAzhwAr says "thanthanI koNdAkkinai" (தந்தநீ கொண்டாக்கினை) in thiuvAimozhi 2.3.4 - in this pAsuram, AzhwAr reveals his gratitude to emperumAn. He says "I have been suffering in this samsAram since time immemorial. Today you have come closer to me and you are shining in my heart. How will I show my gratitude to you? Ok - Let me offer myself to you. But, I cannot do that even - because you already own me and my belongings. You have given this body to me and now you are engaging me in your own service". nampiLLAi in eedu vyAkyyAnam identifies that Athma samrpaNam is used as a reason to avoid sarva mukthi prasangam (everyone should have gone to paramapadham if it was purely bhagavAn's choice since he wants everyone to be in paramapadham) - but per the true nature of jIvAthmA Athma samarpaNam should not be done. He further explains that when the jIvAthmA is bewildered he performs Athma samarpaNam (offers himself to bhagavAn) and when he becomes realised of his real identity he is ashamed of himself for performing Athma samarpaNam and atones for such action thinking "how can I offer his own property to him as if I am giving something new to him - this is real cheating".

 
68. EkAntha bhOgaththukkAgap pOntha pirAtti asOkavanikaiyilE irunthAp pOlE  thORRA ninRathAyiRRu svarUpa gyAnam piRantha pinbu dhEhaththilE irukkiRa iruppu.

ஏகாந்த போகத்துக்காகப் போந்த பிராட்டி அசோகவநிகையிலே இருந்தாப் போலே  தோற்றா நின்றதாயிற்று ஸ்வரூப ஜ்ஞானம் பிறந்த பின்பு தேஹத்திலே இருக்கிற இருப்பு.



sIthA pirAtti accompanied srI rAma to the forest to exclusively engage/enjoy with him in the forest. But she lost that opportunity and ended up in asOka vanam (forest) and suffered in separation. Similarly, for the jIvAthmA who is in this samsAram, after realizing his relationship with bhagavAn, just being bound in the body is sorrowful.


69. thiRanthukidantha vAsalthORum nuzhainthu thiriyum padhArththam pOlE, karmAnuguNamAga dhEvAdhi sarIrangaL thORum pravEsiththuth thiriyum.

திறந்துகிடந்த வாசல்தோறும் நுழைந்து திரியும் பதார்த்தம் போலே, கர்மாநுகுணமாக தேவாதி சரீரங்கள் தோறும் ப்ரவேசித்துத் திரியும்.

Just like a dog which enters any house that is open, the jIvAthmA enters various types of bodies such as dhEva, manushya, thiryak (animal/bird), sthAvara (plants) based on his own karmA and continues his journey in samsAram.

Translator's note: Based on ones own karmA, one accepts a body. There are many different species that are seen in the world. krishNa says in bhagavath gIthA that whatever one desires at the end of their life, they become that. In manu smrithi, it is said that, when one commits an offense by mind he takes birth as a chaNdALa (so there is no scope for higher thinking), when one commits an offense by speech he takes birth as a bird (so there is no scope for speech) and when one commits an offense by action (body) he takes birth as a plant (so there is no scope for physical action).


70. bhakthimAnukkum bhakthiyuNdu. prapannanukkum bhakthi uNdu. ruchiyai ozhiya prapaththi paNNakkUdAthE.

பக்திமானுக்கும் பக்தியுண்டு. ப்ரபந்நனுக்கும் பக்தி உண்டு. ருசியை ஒழிய ப்ரபத்தி பண்ணக்கூடாதே.

bhakthi is the love/attachment towards bhagavAn. Both bhakthimAn (one who is a follower of bhakthi yOgam) and prapannan (one who is fully surrendered to bhagavAn) have bhakthi. Without that bhakthi, one cannot surrender unto bhagavAn. Even if one surrenders without bhakthi there is no use.

Translator's note: The difference is - for a bhakthimAn (bhakthi yOga nishtan), bhakthi is the upAyam (means) and for a prapannan (one who is fully surrendered), bhagavAn is the upAyam and bhakthi is taste (loving attachment) in his kainkaryam (service).


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