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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00068 Mar 2004

 
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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Sri Vara Vara munayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha



In the previous posting we saw about the kaivalya nishtan, who understands the 
misery of the world and hence wants to get rid of all these and reach a better 
place where he could enjoy his own SELF (athma). But that person ceases to 
understand that even the enjoyment of athma is not the ultimate but there is 
something beyond that that will grant him happiness forever. That is the 
moksha, where one enjoys the lord along with the nithya sooris. 



A samsari (Arthan/arthArthi) is the one who knows only the qualities of the 
achit and hence he considers the body alone to be the tattva and whatever 
worldly pleasures he attains to be the hitha (good) and hence his purushArtha 
is to attain the pleasures and therefore he cycles between birth and death. The 
next stage is the kaivalyArthi (jiggyAsu) the one who understands that there is 
something beyond this body. Thereby he realizes the existence of the chit 
tattvam. According to him hitha is that which removes his bondages from this 
samsara and leads him to Self-realization and the purushArtha is attaining 
kaivalyam. The last stage is the bhagavan lAbArthi (jnAni) who understands the 
tattva that is greater than the chit or achit, the Ishwara tattva. That which 
leads him to bhagavan is hitha according to a jnAni and his ultimate goal 
(purushArtha) is to attain the divine abode of emperuman, Moksha. Sri Krishna 
in bhagavat geetha talks elaborately about these four types of bhakthas and 
says that though all of them are generous according to him since they give him 
the chance to help them still the jnAni's are very close to his heart. 
According to geethAcharya, jnAni is his athma ("jnAnee thu Athmaiva mE 
matham"). 



In the seventh chapter of Srimad bhagavath geetha, geethacharyan talks about 
the true nature of the Ishvara tattva (svayAdhAthmyam) and how it is hidden by 
the moolaprakruthi (otherwise called the Ishvara mAya). Again in the tenth 
chapter, geethAcharyan talks about himself. It is no repetition but there he 
talks his svamAhAthmiyam, greatness. The Ishvara tattva has such greatness that 
it cannot be fully explained by even the emperuman himself. Can there be a task 
that cannot be accomplished by sarvasakthan,emperuman? Why not? How can we find 
the limit to something that doesn't have limit at all? The greatness of the 
divine couples has no limit and hence even they cannot find the same. In the 
first six chapters the nature of the chit and achit have been detailed. So the 
person who has understood the SELF wants to enjoy the same leaving behind this 
world. So now emperuman wants to educate him further that there is something 
beyond that and that is bhakthi towards the lord. To develop bhakthi/deep love 
towards the lord we have to first understand him fully. That is only given by 
emperuman in the 7th chapter where he further talks about the 4 types of 
bhakthas and finally completes with the greatness of the jnAni.



Ok then does thirumangai azhvar also talk about nature of emperuman to sow the 
seed of bhakthi in our hearts? Yes he does the same in the next line.



(ennum ponnuruvAi) At this point let me bring to your memory the excellent 
article on "All that glitters" written by Sri Sadagopan Iyengar recently in 
these groups. Where he talked about how we all consider gold to be so precious 
all through the posting and finally ended with his golden conclusion that there 
is something beyond gold that is highly precious "Anjali" that we do and on 
emperuman's side it is his thirumeni sowndaryam. Here thirumangai mannan 
stresses the same point comparing emperuman's thirumeni to be golden. Sri 
periyavAchAn pillai says, "ponnuruvAi endru svaroopa niroopanam" (the word 
ponnuruvai proves the nature of the divyAthma svaroopa). In his commentary, 
paramakArunikar Sri periya vAchan pillai excellently compares the nature of 
gold and how it is applicable to emperuman. First he says, "spruhaneeyam" that 
which could be enjoyed. Second, "vundu endru vuyir nirkai"- Pleasure of 
possession. Third, "sarvApEkshithangalaiyum sAdhiththu kolludhal"- Grants all 
our wishes. Fourth, "eththai vudaiyavan kAlilE lOkam adanga vizhumpadi 
erukkum"- the whole world falls to the feet of the one who possess this (Both 
gold and emperuman gives fame and power).



Here one thing has to be remembered, the glitters of gold can never even touch 
the greatness of emperuman but for mandha buddis (dull-headed people) like us 
it is very difficult to explain anything without an example and hence this 
comparison is made to atleast give us an hint of the greatness of emperuman. 
What we consider great in this world doesn't even equal a drop in the ocean of 
emperuman's greatness. Nammazhvar who tried to do the same comparison finally 
concluded, "sutturaiththa nan pon vun thirumEni oli ovvAdhu" and the sastras 
declare, "yathO vAchO nivarthanthE apprApya mansA saha" (emperuman's greatness 
is beyond our words and understanding)



Next kaliyan tries to imagine emperuman's greatness with another example. Let 
us enjoy the same in the next posting.



(To be continued)



Azhvar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam



Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan





































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