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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00074 Apr 2004

 
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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Sri Vara Vara munayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha



In the previous postings we saw how thirumangai azhvar elaborately talked about 
emperuman being param (paratvam) at the same time sulaban (sowlabhyam). Let him 
be what ever he is what is the use for us? Will be our question as we are 
always selfish and think about only our benefit at every instant. Now azhvar 
tells us the actual relationship that exists between azhvar (samastha 
jeevakodigalukkum upalakshanam, refers to all the jeevatmas) and the supreme 
lord (emperuman). First of all, why should azhvar tell us about the divine 
qualities of emperuman? That is because the only way we can get out of this 
ocean of samsAram is fall to his feet. The lord himself says, "mama mAyA 
durathyayA mAmEva yE prapathyanthE mAyAmEthAm taranthithE" (You can never come 
out of my maya, the only way is to surrender to my divine feet so that I will 
realise you from this ocean). Will we that easily fall into anyone's feet? Oh 
No. Our ego will stand upright preventing us to even bend our head before 
anyone. So first thing that has to be done is develop a special feeling for 
emperuman in our hearts. That seed of bhakthi that is sown in some part of our 
heart has to be then grown into a blossoming tree. Alavandaar in his geethArtha 
sangraham (14) says,



"svakalyANa gunAnathyakrisna svAdheenathAmathi: I

bhakthyutpaththivivruththarthA visteernA dasamOdhithA II



The very purpose of the 10th chapter was to develop sAdhana bhakthi in the 
minds of arjuna. For that geethAcharya elaborates about his infinite kalyana 
gunas and how he rules over anything and everything.



As the bhakthi of arjuna starting growing he wanted to see the vishvaroopa 
darshanam of emperuman that is the essence of the 11th chapter. Emperuman 
blessed arjuna with a divine eye to visualise the vishvaroopa darshanam. 
Through that arjuna realised how emperuman stays as everything in this world, 
How the world has been surrounded inside and outside by the paramatma ("antar 
bahista tat sarvam vyApya nArAyana stitaha:"). Probably thirumangai mannan also 
had the same darshan as arjuna and that is why he wonders,



(tannuruvAi ennuruvil nindra) Oh! How can the supreme lord who has so much 
divine qualities come and stay in this body (sareeram, equivalent to a 
drainage)? Will a millionaire stay even a second in a slum hut? Emperuman is 
ubhaya vibhooti nAthan. His bhOgam (enjoyment) in the nithya mandalam is beyond 
words. The nithya sooris are always at his service with great love. Then will 
he ever turn his face towards these samsAris who are always after lowkika 
pleasures and never want to look at him? But can that emperuman who is a 
ultimate source of krupai just leave his kids like that? Sastras say, "EkAki na 
ramEtha". Emperuman is unable to enjoy the sophistications of the nithya 
mandalam as he is always worried about his suffering kids in the leela 
vibhoothi. And that is why he time and again takes avatara to uplift us. He 
takes rAmavatara and advices, "sakrudEva prapannAya tavAsmeethicha yAchathE" 
then he becomes krishna and says, "mAm Ekam sharaNam vraja" but is that all? 
These avataras are seen outside us but emperuman stays inside us always. 
Thondaradi podi azhvar says, "pundhiyul pugundhu than pAl Adaram peruga 
vaiththa" (He enters our senses and creates bhakthi towards him inside us). 
Upanishads say, "jA suparnA sayujA..." There are two birds on a single tree 
that are alike. The tree is our sareeram (body) and the two birds are the 
jeevatma and paramatma. Both of them are jnana svaroopam and have a close 
relationship but the jeevatma has forgotten everything and is immersed in the 
lowkika pleasures and hence never turns towards the waiting paramatma. Then why 
is the paramatma still waiting? Due to its divine grace for the suffering 
jeevatma the paramatma doesn't want to just leave but waits patiently till the 
time the jeevan feels that the lowkika pleasures are boring and turns its face 
towards the almighty. Here azhvar says 'tannuruvAi' emperuman doesn't change 
his quality just because he stays inside the body. He remains as he is, not 
showing any interest to the sareerAnubhavam (feelings and emotions of the 
body). But he does stay inside the body that is considered as 'ennuru' by the 
jeevAtmas. So the paramatma stays without any change (tannuruvAi) inside the 
body of the jeevatma (ennuruvil). 'nindra' the emperuman keeps on standing. Why 
and till when? He stands indicating that it is not the place to halt for long. 
He prefers to leave this body along with the jeevan soon. Emperuman doesn't 
cherish his existence in this drainage so he cannot relax he is ever ready to 
start and hence stands. But why doesn't he leave immediately? Oh! How can he 
leave his kid suffering here and just leave? "koobhaththil vizhum kuzhaviyudan 
gudhiththu avAbhaththai theerkum annai pOl" (Like a mother diving into a 
drainage to save her fallen kid - Arthi prabhandam) emperuman who is the 
supreme mother for one and all can he just leave his fallen kid? So emperuman, 
the millionaire arrives at the slum hut where his stubborn son not 
understanding his position stays amidst a number of difficulties considering it 
to be his pleasure. To uplift his son from there and submit all his wealth to 
the son and make him a millionaire, the father enters the slum hut without a 
second thought. Similarly emperuman waits inside each one of us to sow the seed 
of bhakthi and vairAkhyam so that we will realise our actual status and final 
reach the land of ever happiness, the nithya vibhoothi from where we will never 
return back to this samsAram (na cha punarAvarthathE). Why is emperuman showing 
such grace on us?



(endhai) because he is our father. We have an inseparable relation with him. We 
are all sEshas and he is our sEshan (master). 



(To be continued)



Azhvar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam



Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan











































[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





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