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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