NOTE: Readers having difficulty in reading the text may need to change their
encoding to UTF-8.
--------------
srI:
SrI sAra sAram â I (41)
--
I â ThirumantrAdhikAram
--
The Significance of ânArAyaNanAyaâ
---
Swami Desikan gives another reference from the Divya Prabandham:
âânAnunnaiyanRiyilEnâ ityAdikaLaiyum ingkE anusandhippathu.â â
This quote is from a verse occurring in the nAnmukan ThiruvanthAthi of
Sri Thirumazhisai AzhvAr. Let us consider the verse in full:
âinRAka nALaiyE yAka inicciRithu
ninRAka ninnaruLen pAlathE â nanRAka
nAnunnai yanRi yilEn kaNDAi nAraNanE
neeyennai yanRi yilai.â (nAnmukan ThiruvanthAthi-7)
Meaning:
Oh nArAyaNa, either today or tomorrow or some time later, it is certain, Thy
grace will be on me. I do not exist without Thee, nor do Thou without me.
This verse offers the message: The jIva depends for his very existence
on nArAyaNa and nArAyaNaâs glory cannot manifest itself without the jIva.
This is the core of the word, ânArAyaNaâ.
SwAmi Desikan says, this verse and such like this are worth considering
in the context of the study of ânArAyaNaâ.
Next, Swami Desikan explains the component of this word, that is,
ânaraâ. According to him, this component too speaks about the Lord Himself.
He quotes four excerpts in support of his stand. We shall consider them one by
one:
1) âApO vai narasoonayahâ.
This is from the Manu Smriti. Let see the SlOka in full:
âApO nArA iti prOktA ApO vai narasoonavah /
tA yadasyAyanam poorvam tEna nArAyaNah smrutah //â (Manu Smriti, 1-10)
Meaning:
The waters are called nArA-s because they were born of nara (the Lord). They
were at first His abode. Therefore, He is called nArAyaNa.)
In this connection, we are reminded of another pramANam from SrI VarAha
PurANam:
âsrushTvA nAram tOyamantah sthitOham yEna syAnmE nAma nArAyaNEti /â (SrI
VarAha PurANam, 2-12)
Meaning:
I created the waters, which are called nArA-s, and I lay within them.
Therefore, I am called nArAyaNa.)
It may be noted that the waters, as mentioned in these two SlOkas,
refer by implication (upalakshaNa), to other tattvas as well.
SwAmi Desikan quotes another pramANam in support of this conclusion:
2) ânarAt jAtani tattvAniâ â This is from a SlOka in the MahAbhArata. We
shall study the SlOka in full:
ânarAt jAtAni tattvAni nAraNeeti tatO viduh /
tAnyEva cAyanam tasya tEna nArAyaNah smrutah //â (MahAbhArata, AnusAnika
Parva, 178-7)
Meaning:
All the tattvas (reals) had all their origin from nara. Therefore, they are
known as nArA-s. To Him they are the abode. Therefore, He is considered to be
nArAyaNa.)
SwAmi Desikan gives one more reference by way of a quote:
3) ânarasambandhinO nArAh narah sa purushOttamahâ â This is from the
ahirbhudnya samhita. Here is the full SlOka:
ânarasambandhinO nArAh narah sa purushOttamah /
nayatyakhilavij~nAnam nASayaTyakhilam tamah //â (ahirbhudnya samhita-52-50)
Meaning:
Those that are related to nara are nArAh. ânaraâ is PurushOthama. It is He
Who confers knowledge on those who have sought His protection. It is He Who
dispels their ignorance.
SwAmi Desikan provides yet another pramANam for ânaraâ:
4) âjahnuh nArANo narahâ. These are three names in SrI VishNusahasranAmam,
in the AnusAsanika Parva of MahAbhArata (232-4)
We can understand the significance of these nAma-s from SrI ParAsara
Bhattarâs commentary on SrI VishNuasahasranAmam.
âjahnuhâ â The Lord is called âjahnuhâ as He conceals His greatness
from the non-devotees. This meaning is from the point of etymology of the word,
âjahnuâ which is derived from the root âhAâ (to forsake). The
commentary quotes a SlOka from the UdyOga Parva of MahAbhArata:
âcakram tadvAsudEvasya mAyayA vartatE vibhOh /
Sapahnavam pANDhavEshu cEshTatE rAjasattamah //â (MahAbhArata, UdyOga Parva,
6-7-2)
Meaning:
That Discus of the Omni-present VAsudEva acts by His will for the benefit of
the PAnDhavas but is invisible (to the eyes of others), Oh Great King!
ânArAyaNahâ â The Lord is called ânArAyaNahâ as He is the Support of
the countless souls.
ânarahâ â He Who is imperishable. He has imperishable possessions, the
sentient and the non-sentient (both of which are eternal by nature).
Now, Swami Desikan continues:
âityAdikaLiRpaDiyE nara Sabdam thAnum nArAyaNan thannaiyE collukiRathuâ
â
Such pramaNas like the above convey that the word, ânaraâ refers to SrImaN
nArAyaNa only.
SwAmi Desikan confirms this explanation citing another quote:
âithu ânayatyakhila-vij~nAnam nASayatyakhilam tamah / na rishyati ca
sarvatraâ enRu vyAkhyAtam-AyiRRu.â -- The first part of the quote has been
seen above just now. Let us consider the quote along with the new addition:
ânayatyakhila-vij~nAnam nASayatyakhilam tamah /
na rishyati ca sarvatra narah tasmAt sanAtanah //â (ahirbudhnya samhita,
52-50)
Meaning:
It is He Who confers knowledge on those that have sought His protection. It is
He Who dispels all their ignorance. Wherever He may be, He does not undergo any
change. Hence He is called nara, because He is always the same.
(To continue)
dAsan
anbil S.SrInivAsan
----------
Share files, take polls, and make new friends - all under one roof. Go to
http://in.promos.yahoo.com/groups/
------------------------------------
Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan
http://www.sadagopan.org Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:Oppiliappan-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
mailto:Oppiliappan-fullfeatured@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Oppiliappan-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
|
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
oppiliappan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |