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          SrImate ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.
      tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 30 - Slokam 15 Part 1,
               tiruvAimozhi 1.4 - svApadeSam.


·       Slokam 15 (svApadeSam of tiruvAimozhi 1.4).

sadhrI bhavyAn (1.4.1) suvAcah (1.4.2) su-carita subhagAn (1.4.3) 
                                 kRshNa sArUpya saumyAn (1.4.4)
sva-AhAra udAra SilAn (1.4.5) tanudhRta bhagavan lakshmaNo (1.4.6) 
                                 bAlya guptAn (1.4.7) |
chAtra svac-chanda vRttIn (1.4.8) abhigata SiSirAn (1.4.9)  
                                 antara'nga ukti yogyAn (1.4.10)
AcAryAn kRshNa labdhau AvRNuta SaThajit preyasI dUta nItyA  ||

This is the first tiruvAimozhi for which svAmi deSikan has composed a 
Slokam to bring out the inner meaning of this tiruvAimozhi.  We saw 
that, in his nAyikA bhAvam, AzhvAr sends several birds as messengers 
to emperumAn to convey his longing for Him.  The inner meaning is 
that all these messengers represent the AcAryan ? in other words, 
AzhvAr stresses the importance of the intermediary role of the 
AcAryan in our attaining the Lotus feet of emperumAn.  While every 
pASuram of this tiruvAimozhi sings a different aspect of the guNam of 
aparAdha sahattvam of emperumAn, it also simultaneously reveals to us 
a corresponding guNam of our AcAryan that enables us to attain Him 
easily through the blessings of the Lotus feet of our AcAryan.  
Slokam 15 brings out the different guNa-s of our AcAryan that help us 
to attain the feet of emperumAn.   SrImad tirukkuDanthai ANDavan 
points out that in these pASuram-s, the birds that are sent as 
messengers refer to AcArya-s, and the prayer is to them is to 
communicate to emperumAn our deep love to be united with Him.  The 
two wings of the bird represent j~nAnam and anushThAnam ? the correct 
understanding of SAstric knowledge and its strict observance in their 
lives.  

svApadeSam for pASuram 1.4.1:  "am-SiRaiya namDa nArAi" pASuram.  In 
this pASuram, AzhvAr seeks the `am-SiRaiya maDa nArAi!' ? the female 
crane with its beautiful wings, to intercede with bhagavAn so that 
bhagavAn grants His Mercy on the jIvan..  svAmi deSikan captures the 
AcArya guNam conveyed here through the words "sadhrI bhavyAn".   SrI 
UV suggests that the pATham may be more appropriately "sadhra para 
bhavyAn", and gives the literal meaning as "sahAyattODu SErndavarAi 
SubharAna", or "SErnda vastukkaLAL anukUlarAna" ? "One who is 
associated with those that endow him with the guNam of being 
auspicious or being able to assist in our best interests".  The 
different interpretations reflect the different aspects of this 
association that the AcAryan has, that enable him to guide and assist 
us in our best interests ? such as the inseparable association with 
emperumAn, being associated with the lineage of prAcArya-s or 
pUrvAcArya-s, being equipped with j~nAnam and anushThAnam as the two 
wings of a bird, being assisted by the AcArya patni who treats the 
disciple as her own child, being endowed with auspicious qualities 
such as infinite and selfless mercy towards the disciple, being 
associated with easy accessibility, etc.  We will see these 
interpretations below.

SrImad tirukkuDanthai ANDavan gives the explanation as `eLidAgak 
kiTTum paDi bhavyarkaLai iruppavargaL' - those who are so simple that 
they are easily accessible, those who are endowed with the quality of 
saulabhyam or easy accessibility (sadhri means `along with, together 
with';  bhavyam means eLiyan, sulabhan, one who can be easily 
approached). 

SrI ve'nkaTeSAcArya explains the svAmi deSikan's phrase through the 
words -  "PurushakAra sAhityattAlE eLidAgak kiTTalAi irukkiRa 
AcAryargaLai, sarvadA pEDaiyODE sa'ncarikkaiyAlE bhavya'nkaLai 
irukkiRa nAraikaLAga nirUpittAr" ?  Our AcArya-s perform the role of 
being advocates for us with emperumAn, and represent us to emperumAn 
and pirATTi, and so they are easily accessible to us.  They are also 
simultaneously ever associated with emperumAn, the parama purushan.  
Here, AzhvAr compares this role of our AcArya-s to the female crane 
with modesty as one of her asttributes, and who is always together 
with her nAthan ? the male crane.  In addition, AzhvAr identifies 
another guNam of AcArya-s here by comparing them to the she-crane ? 
aLiyattAi ? one who is endowed with great mercy ? kAruNyam or 
dayA.    Note AzhvAr's words ? Ah Ah enRu enakku aruLi ? "Feeling 
extremely compassionate about my pitiable state, shower your mercy on 
me, Oh my Great AcAryan!".  

SrI PBA gives the interpretation for the guNa "sadhrI bhavyAn:" 
as ""SevalODu kUDiyirukkum nAraigaL pOlE emperumAnODu iNai piriyAdu 
irukkum AcAryargaL" ? AcArya-s who are ever inseparably associated 
with emperumAn like the she-crane that is always together with its 
purushan ? nIyum nin SEvalumAi.  (sadhRi ? together with, bhavyam ? 
existence).  

SrI UV brings out some additional finer points for this pASuram.  He 
notes that "nIyum nin SEvalumAi" can be understood as a reference the 
duality of AcAryan and AcArya patni.  He points out that AcArya patni 
can also equally advocate the case for the disciple to emperumAn.  He 
gives the example from SrImad rAmAyaNam (reference from IDu 
vyAkhyAnam) ? sa bhrAtuS-caraNo gADham nipIDya raghu nandanah  | 
sItAm uvAca ati-yaSA rAghavam ca mahA vratam || (ayodhyA. 31.2) ? 
While firmly holding the Feet of his Brother rAma, lakshmaNa 
addressed his words to sItA and to rAma.  He notes that sama-
prAdhAnyam or equal efficacy ? primary role, is what is denoted here, 
irrespectrive of to whom the request is made.  It is explicit here 
that upAyatvam is equally in the domain of pirATTi as well as 
emperumAn.  

Another interpretation for `nIyum nin SevalumAi' is a reference to 
AcAryan and to the prAcArya-s (the AcArya lineage going back above 
the current AcAryan) ? in other words, a reference to the AcArya 
paramparA of the lineage of AcArya-s.  

The word maDa in `maDa nArAi' refers to the quality of AcAryan 
forgiving the faults of the disciple, and showering his vAtsalyam 
(kindness akin to that of the cow towards the calf) on the 
disciple.  `aLiyattAi' refers to the mercy to remove the sorrow of 
the disciple.  The reference to `am-SiRai' or the beautiful wings is 
a reference to the j~nAnam and anushThAnam, as pointed out earlier ?
 "ubhAbhyAm eva pakshAbhyAm yathA ke pakshiNAm gatih, tathaiva j~nAna 
karmabhyAm prApyate purushottamah" .  The white color of the crane 
refers to the sattva guNam of AcAryan.  

In the context of singing the glory of emperumAn, the 
words `ve'nciRaip puL uyartArkku' was interpreted as One Who has 
garuDan who will not spare any enemy of bhagavAn's devotee' ? 
stressing bhagavAn's guNam of protecting His devotee at all costs.  
When the same phrase is looked at another way, it sings the glory of 
AcAryan.  garuDan is the form of all the veda-s.  AcAryan is one who 
has veda as his pramANa or support for all his j~nAna and karma 
anushThAna-s that will burn away even the worst sin of his 
disciple.  `van SiRaiyil avan vaikkil' ? Even if emperumAn is angry 
at the enormous sins of the jIva and refuses to as much as look at 
the sinful jIva, the prayer to the AcAryan is to take mercy and 
forgive the sins and protect the jIva.  

`van SiRaiyil avan vaikkil vaippuNDAl en SeiyyumO' ? `What difference 
does it make even if He punishes you in the process by putting you in 
prison?'.  SrI UV gives an example that illustrates the meaning of 
these words more than any words of mine can do.  When bhagavad 
rAmAnuja learned the significance of tiru mantra from tirukkOTTiyUr 
nambi after great effort, he imparted the knowledge right away to all 
his disciples without testing them much for their fitness to receive 
the instructions.  When his AcAryan questioned his action, bhagavad 
rAmAnuja said that he could not bear to see the suffering of his 
disciples, and had to uplift them right away without delay, and that 
he himself was willing to undergo any punishment as a consequence.  
Such is the extent of mercy of the AcAryan towards his disciples.   

All of these guNa-s of AcAryan that are conveyed in this pASuram by 
AzhvAr are condensed by svAmi deSikan in two words ? sadhrI bhavyAn. 

Now we will look at some pATha bheda-s ? alternate versions of svAmi 
deSikan's Slokam 15 for the phrase `sadhrI bhavyAn'.    These 
different versions are found in SrI UV's commentary for tAtparya 
ratnAvaLi. 

In the commentary on tiruvAimozhi by SrI periya parakAla svAmi 
(padineTTAyirappaDi), he uses the words `prApta upAyAn" instead 
of `sadhrI bhavyAn'.  The meaning is: "One who is equipped with the 
upAya-s or means for attaining Him".  The reference is to the 
AcAryan's infinite Grace (aLiyattAi!), his two wings of j~nAnam and 
anushThAnam (am-ciRaiya maDa nArAi!), and his association with his 
prAcArya-s and pUrvAcArya-s (nIyum nin SevalumAi).

Another version given is `sad hRI bhavyAn' ? He who is endowed with 
modesty.

A pATham ? "sad-dhI bhavyAn", is also found.  This means one who is 
endowed with the right kind of knowledge.  The right kind of 
knowledge is a key attribute of an AcAryan.  This appropriate 
knowledge finds use in AcAryan's role as purushakAra bhUtan of 
emperumAn ? His representative as intermediary in helping the jIva to 
attain Him.  In onpadinAyirappaDi (na'njIyar), this knowledge is 
referred to as "purusha kArattva upayogi j~nana sampat" - the wealth 
of knowledge that is of use in enabling the role of purushakArattvam, 
or intermediary pleading the case of the jIva to emperumAn.  "sad-
dhI" here is explained by SrI UV as "sad-dhi ya vidye veditavye" ? 
The possession of the right kind of knowledge, and the ability to 
communicate this knowledge to others who are in need of it. 

The sheer size of the write-up for this first AcArya guNam far 
exceeds the corresponding write-up of bhagavAn's guNam reflected in 
this same pASuram.  This makes me feel that nammAzhvAr primarily 
sings the glory of AcAryan in this tiruvAimozhi, and bhagavAns' guNam 
becomes only secondary.  Such is the importance of AcAryan in our 
sampradAyam ? the prtyaksha daivam or Living God for us, who guides 
us in our journey to attain Him.  

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan
(To be continued)



 
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