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srI:
SrI sAra sAram â I (55)
--
I â ThirumantrAdhikAram
--
The Significance of ânArAyaNanAyaâ
---
After stressing the point that one cannot do service for the pleasure
of his master doing away with his own benefit, SwAmi DeSikan says he should not
seek his own benefit at the cost of his masterâs pleasure:
ââthanakkEyAka venaikkoLLumeethEâ enkiRapaDiyE pradhAnamAn
cEshi-prayOjanatthai ozhiya sva-prayOjanatthai apEkshikkavum kooDAthu.â ---
SwAmi DeSikan reveals the fact that between self-benefit and the
pleasure of oneâs master, the latter is of prime importance. The jIva should
not seek self-benefit excluding the pleasure of the Master, which should be
given the prominence. To prove his point, SwAmi DeSikan quotes from a verse of
SrI nammAzhvArâs TiruvAimozhi. Here is the full verse:
âenakkEyATcey ekkAlatthumenRu, en
manakkE vanthiDaiveeDinRi mannith
thanakkE yAka venaik koLLumeethE
enakkE kaNNanai yAnkoL ciRappE.â (ThiruvAimozhi, 2-9-4)
Meaning:
âenakkEyATcey ekkAlatthumenRu,â â Saying, âYou shall serve Me all
timesâ
âen manakkE vanthuâ â entering in to my mind;
âiDaiveeDinRi manniâ â stay put continuously without even a small break;
âthanakkE yAka enaik koLLum eethEâ -- this very acceptance of me as Yours;
âenakkEâ â befitting the nature of my Atma;
âkaNNanai yAnkoL ciRappEâ â the best benefit that I desire from the Lord.
This verse is considered by our poorvAchAriars as the crown of this
group of ten verses. The Lord could ask the AzhvAr, âServeâ ; or âServe
Meâ; or âServe Me aloneâ; but the AzhvAr will not be satisfied. Hence,
the AzhvAr says âThe Lord asks him to serve Him for everâ; he insists that
the Lord should not only enter into his mind but should stay put there for
ever, that too, uninterruptedly. He says that will only befit his Atma
svaroopa. Because, the AzhvAr says, it is the greatest favour he seeks from
the Lord.
Here, one is attracted by the discussion that took place between
AchArya EmbAr and SrI PiLLaithirunaRaiyoor araiyar, one of the disciples
present in the audience. Araiyar asks his AchArya, âWhy should the AzhvAr who
is blessed with wisdom and bhakti plead with the Lord to take him as a servant
exclusively of Him. Should he not leave it to the Lordâs will?â AchArya
EmbAr replies, âWhat you say is true. But the desire to attain that benefit
makes the AzhvAr plead with the Lord. For example, Goddess Sri, Who is staying
on the Lordâs chest for ever without any interruption, can continue as She
is. But, She is repeatedly uttering, âI will stay put without leaving Him
even for a moment. Why? That is because she relishes her residence there. The
AzhvArâs feelings are similar.â
The fact that emerges is that since a human is a sentient being. He
will not act with out benefit for himself. It is, therefore, impossible for any
one to consciously render service to the Lord keeping His pleasure alone in
mind and not even a bit of self-interest. At the same time, he should also not
aspire only self-promotion without giving due importance to the Lordâs
pleasure.
SwAmi DeSikan, therefore, points out:
âAkaiyAl, guNavath-svAmiyinuDaiya pravrutthi pOlE nipuNa-dAsanuDaiya
pravrutthiyum iruvar prayOjanatthaiyum viDAthE niRkum.â â
In the world, any good-natured employer acts in such a way as to
benefit both himself as well as his employees. Similarly, an efficient
employeeâs actions will be beneficial to both. The actions of both will be
beneficial to both. It is, therefore, the duty of an intelligent servant to
render service mainly for the benefit of his master. In the same way here too,
the good service rendered by the jIva will please the Lord, which in turn will
please the jIva.
SwAmi DeSikan cites a popular example to stress the importance of
rendering service for the Lordâs pleasure:
âsvAmi ukappukku SEshamAkath thanakku varum prayOjanam pathi-sannidhiyil
pathivrathA-alankAram pOlE mikavum ucitham.â â
A devoted wife adorns herself with jewels and beautiful dress in order
to please her husband. The husband too is happy to see his wife beautifully
adorned. Seeing his happiness, she also is pleased. In the same way, the jIva
who is Sesha of the Lord Who is Seshi, does service keeping the Lord in his
mind and in process he too attains happiness.
SwAmi DeSikan says that the same applies in the post-saraNAgati life
also:
âithu ingu ivanukku uttara-kruthyatthil kainkarya rastthilum thulyam.â â
The jIva who has performed prapatti, will consider the service he does
during the rest of his life in this world is for the pleasure of the Lord and
will himself be happy to see the Lord is satisfied with his service.
(To continue)
dAsan
anbil S.SrInivAsan
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