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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00065 May 2008

 
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srI:
SrI  sAra  sAram â I (21)
-- 
I â ThirumantrAdhikAram 
-- 
The Significance of the âuâ in PraNava (continued) 
--- 
        After fine-tuning the significance of the first two syllables of the 
praNava, SwAmi Desikan now guides the disciples in practical way of observing 
it in their lives:  
 âippaDippaTTa ananyArha-SEshatvam âdAsabhootah SarNAgatOsmi, tavAsmi dAsa 
iti vakttAram mAm tArayaâ enkiRapaDiyE pada-trayatthil thOTRukiRa 
svaroopa-pratipatti-yilum, upAya-parigraha-tthilum, purushArtha 
prArthanai-yilum anusandhEyam ennumiDatthai âkulathollaDiyEnâ, 
âpukalonRillAvaDiyEnâ, âARAvanbilaDiyEnâ enRu AzhvAr aruLic ceithAr.â 
        Thus the jIva should ever keep in mind the thought that he is a servant 
only to the Lord and not to anyone else. This thought should be there when he 
meditates on the meaning of the Tirumantram. This feeling should be there when 
he meditates on the first word, the praNava, which reveals to him the knowledge 
about the nature of his Atma; when he performs the means of prapatti in 
accordance with the second word, ânamahaâ; and when he seeks the fruit of 
mOksha from the Lord, as indicated in the third word, ânArAyaNAyaâ. 
        SrI RAmAnuja has set an example in his SaraNAgati Gadyam: âAs I cry, 
âI am Thy servant and seek refuge under Thee; I am Thy servantâ, help me to 
cross over this prakruti.â 
        Even SrI NammAzhvAr has spoken thus: 
 âkulathollaDiyEnâ; 
âpukalonRillAvaDiyEnâ; 
âARAvanbilaDiyEnâ. 
        All the three quotes are from among the last eleven verses of  
Tiruvaimozhiâs sixth centum. We shall consider one by one:
 âulakamunDa peruvAyA ulappil keertthiyammAnE
  nilavum cuDar coozhoLimoortthi neDiyAi aDiyEn AruyirE
  thilathamulakukkkAi ninRa thiruvEngkaDath themperumAnE
  kulathollaDiyEn unapAtham kooDumARu kooRAyE.â    (TiruvAimozhi, 6-10-1)
        The Azhvar addresses the Lord of TiruvEnkaDam: 
âOh My Lord! I am Your servant by virtue of my belonging to the family which 
is traditionally at Your service-- (kulathollaDiyEn).  Hence, please tell me 
how to attain Your feet â(unapAtham kooDumARu kooRAyE).â 
        SwAmi Desikan has given this quote which will help us to meditate on 
the nature of the Atma, which is the natural SEsha of the Lord. In particular, 
the AzhvArâs word, âkulatholladiyEnâ â traditionally I am Your servant, 
shows we are His servants without any cause or reason, that is, by nature.  
        After one gets the firm knowledge about his being the servant only of 
the Lord and none else, he should adopt the means to attain Him. With this in 
mind, SwAmi Desikan gives the second quote: âpukalonRillAvaDiyEnâ. It is 
from the tenth verse:
 âakalakillEn iRaiyumenRu alarmElmangai uRai mArbhA
  nikaril pukazhAi ulakam moonRuDaiyAi ennaiyALvAnE
  nikaril amarar munikkakaNangaL virumbum tiruvEnkaDatthAnE
  pukalonRillAvadiyEn unnaDikkeezh amarnthu pukunthEnE.â (TiruvAimozhi, 
6-10-10)
        The AzhvAr again addresses the Lord of TiruvenkaDam:
Oh the Lord of TiruvEnkaDam, Who are loved by the nitya-sooris and sages! I do 
not have any refuge â(pukalonRillAvadiyEn). I have now entered under Your 
feet to remain for ever and do service to You â (unnaDikkeezh amarnthu 
pukunthEnE).
             Here, the AzhvAr surrenders at the feet of the Lord, as indicated 
by the second word of the Tirumantram: ânamahaâ.
        Besides remembering oneâs nature of being the exclusive SEsha of the 
Lord and adopting the means to attain Him, SwAmi Desikan mentioned that he 
should also pray to the Lord for the purushArtha, namely, mOksha. Accordingly, 
he mentioned the third quote, âARAvanbilaDiyEnâ. This is from the second 
verse of the same series: 
 âkooRai neeRAi nilanAkik  koDuvallacurar KulemellAm
  ceeRAveriyum tirunEmi valavA! deivakkOmAnE!
  cERArcunaitthAmarai centheemalarum tiruvEngaDathAnE
  ARAvanpil adiyEn unnaDicEr vaNNam aruLAyE.â    (TiruvAimozhi, 6-10-2)
        Here, the AzhvAr prays to the Lord of TiruvEngaDam to grace him with 
the fruit of attaining His feet. He particularly points to the fact that the 
Lord Who is holding the glowing Discus in His hands which is capable of totally 
eliminating all the enemies, should also destroy the AzhvArâs enemies, who 
are blocking his salvation, and make way for him to attain His feet. 
        Such an ardent prayer is an essential for one to attain the Lordâs 
abode. This is indicated by the third word of the Tirumantra, ânArAyaNAyaâ. 
SwAmi Desikan cites the instance of the Azhvarâs prayer, as he is our 
foremost AchArya in this mundane world. 
        By citing these three quotes, SwAmi Desikan shows the pramANams â 
scriptural authority â to emphasize the necessity for ever thinking of 
oneself being the servant only of the Lord and no one else, while meditating on 
the Tirumantram. 
        With this, SwAmi Desikan concludes the discussion on the second 
syllable, âuâ of the Tirumantram.     

(To continue)
dAsan
Anbil S.SrInivAsan
--------------- 




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