NOTE: Readers having difficulty in reading the text may need to change their encoding to UTF-8. --------------- 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 --------------- Messenger blocked? Want to chat? Go to http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php ------------------------------------ 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! 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