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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00092 Mar 2004

 
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Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer, 

Thanks to Sri Nanmaran swamy for adding few points on the topic of iraththal - 
begging. 

I wish to add following in continuation of swamy's points.

First these two words - aiyam and pichchai - sree perukkaaraNai chakravarthy 
aachaarya swamy in his thiruppaavai commentary book named 'sudhaaswadham'adds 
for this 'aiyam' - vide page no. 60 para 3 

*       guru mudhaliyavargaLukkuk koduththal aiyam. [giving to guru is aiyam] 
*       sanyaasi brahmachaari mudhaliyavargaLukkuk koduththal pichchai. [giving 
to a monk or a brahmachaari - an young boy who is following the second stageof 
life is pichchai]. 
*       alladhu [or] kEtpavargaLukkuk koduppadhu pichchai. [giving to those who 
asked it is pichchai.
*       avargaL kEtkaamal irukka naamE samarppippadhu aiyam. [giving to one who 
does not ask is aiyam] 

So giving alms to a monk or mendicant is not aiyam but pichchai - this is same 
as Bhikshai in sanskrit meaning giving alms to a sanyasin - that is whya person 
who receives his food by begging is called bhikshu - please referpage no. 756 
col 2 and 3 of Monier Williams Sanskrit English dictionary. 

Further bhikshu - a 'braahman' who has taken the sanyaasa aasramam or 
vaanaprastha aasramam - the fourth stage in his life as a mendicant has to 
sustain his life by begging for food. This is not to increase the number of 
beggars in the society but to create the vairaagyam or create the renunciation.

Also the monks following gouthama bhudhdha are also called bhikshus as per same 
dictionary. 

Next the point stated by sri nanmaran swamy is thakkaar meaning sanyaasi .

- this word 'thakkaar' is now used in many of the temples - dhivya dhEsams and 
other temples - the person who manages the temples as a 'trustee' is called 
'thakkaar' - they are the presiding officers in the temples during celebrations 
like brahmOthsavams etc. they are the donors who come by lineage. These persons 
are not appointed by government through the HR & CE department. they are also 
called aRam kaavalargaL. 

thakkaar means one who deserves - thagavu is naRgunam or thagudhiyaana upakaari 
- as per arum padha urai added in the 'vara mangai naachchiyaar bhaktha sabha 
triplicane' published '4000 dhivya prabhandham' book - meaning - one who does 
service with good intentions. That is why he is a trustee - in whom one can 
repose trust - thagavu ullavar thakkaar- or naRguNam uLLavar thakkaar.

The tamil great thiruvaLLuvar has added a chapter containing 10 kuRals on this 
topic of iravu - not night but begging - ch no 102

There are six kuRaLs where this word 'thakkaar' is used. 
1.      thakkaar thagavilar enbadhu avaravar 
echchaththaaR kaaNap padum

this is kuRal 114 in chapter naduvu nilaimai - meaning - naduvu nilaimai 
udaiyavar naduvu nilaimai illaadhavar enbadhu avaravarakkup pin enji niRkum 
pugazhaalum pazhiyaalum kaaNappadum. [meaning as given by Dr.M.Varadarajan in 
his thirukkuRal theLivurai]

2.      thaaLaaRRith thandha poruLellaam thakkaarkku 
vELaaNmai seidhaR poruttu

this is kuRaL no. 212 in chapter oppuravaRidhal - meaning - oppuravaaLan 
thannaal iyanRa muyaRchi seidhu sErththa poruL ellaam thakkavarkku udhavi 
seidhaRkE aagum.

3.      thaLLaa viLaiyuLum thakkaarum thaazhvilaachch
chelvarum sErvadhu naadu 
- this is kuRal no. 731 under chapter naadu 

4.      vagaimaanda vaazhkkaiyum vaan poruLum ennaam
thagai maanda thakkaar seRin 
- this is kuraL 897 in chapter periyaarai pizhaiyaamai 

5.      Edham perunchelvam thaanRuvvaan thakkaarkkonRu 
eedhal iyalbilaa dhaan 
- this is kuRal 1006 in chapter nanRiyil selvam

6.      irakka iraththakkaark kaaNin karappin 
avarpazhi thampazhi yanRu 
- this is kuRal 1051 in chapter iravu - meaning begging

As you can see thakkaar is dealt in all these 6 places as one who 'deserves' or 
big - and not as a sanyaasi as stated by sri nanmaaran swamy. 

Further - in kuRaL 1054 
iraththalum eedhalE pOlum karaththal
kanavilum thERRaadhaar maattu 

Meaning: uLLadhai maRaiththuk kooRum thanmaiyaik kanavilum 
aRiyaadhavaridaththil iRandhu kEtpadhum piRarkkuk koduppadhE pOnRa 
siRappudaiyadhu. - 

To ask for alms from a person who does not hide any thing or even dream of 
hiding things, even to beg with such a person is also like giving alms only, 
not really begging. 

So vaamanan - that supreme lord in dwarf form - going and begging with 
mahaabali who just did not hide his giving or giving with good intentions, even 
when stopped by his own guru, is not really begging in its real sense butgiving 
only - viz vaamanan giving to mahaabali some thing and not begging some thing 
from mahaabali. 

what is that vaamanan gave - we all know that very well - that vaamanan turned 
as thrivikraman - avan thiruvadi keezh adaikkalam - asylum under the feet of 
the thrvikraman - that great boon - otherwise where is the need for talking 
about this mahaabali - whenever we think of that supreme lord. 

So 'irandha kaLvaa' is absolutely apt - poruththamaana title to my krishNa - 
for though he did the drama of begging, he really not begged but gave, asper 
the tamil great thriuvaLLuvar also. 

Dhaasan

Vasudevan m.g.




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