Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra
Mahadesikaya nama:
Three is a Crowd--Part V
i.
Satkaara Yogyar: Those entitled to honour?these are
Bhaagavatas who have just stepped on to the first step of Sri Vaishnavism. They
adopt all the outward signs being a Vaishnava and are extremely proud of
belonging to the Sampradaayam, but lack the wisdom or conduct as ordained by
Acharyas.
ii.
Sahavaasa Yogyar: Those in whose company we should make our
living: These Sri Vaishnavas are blessed with Gnaanam and Anushttaanam and the
tutelage of a great Acharya.
iii.
Sadaanubhava Yogyar: Those whose every action and word are to be
enjoyed and emulated by us: These are parama Bhaagavataas whose eyes fill with
tears and whose hairs stand up at the very mention of the Lord?s name or
attributes and who are distressed beyond measure by separation from the Lord and
His devotees. 8. Eeshanaa Trayam: Every person is plagued by attachment to three factors, which is cumulatively known as Eeshanaa Trayam. Every person, on entering the Sanyaasa Aashramam, is expected to renounce these benumbing triad. These are Putreshanaa (attachment to one?s progeny), Daareshanaa (attachment to the wife) and Vitteshana (attachment to Wealth and other worldly possessions. 9. The Yagyopaveetam, which confers on the wearer the eligibility for exploring the rarified corridors of the Shruti/ Vedanta, consists of three separate threads and is known as the ?Muppuri Nool?. It is the practice of many Bhaagavataas rich in anushttaanam to wear three Yagyopaveetams (instead of the two usually worn by house-holders). In the case of ladies, the Mangala Sootram which takes the place of Yagyopaveetam, is tied with three knots. 10. Mukkani: The tastiest fruits are three?Maa, Palaa and Vaazhai?mango, jack fruit and banana, known collectively as Mukkani. 11. Normally, prizes for any competition or event are awarded in sets of three?first, second and third prizes. 12. The Mudal Azhwaars, forerunners of the twelve apostles of devotion, are three?Poigai Azhwar, Peyaazhwar and Bhootattaazhwar. 13.
The confluence of the three rivers
14. The ancient Tamizh language is often called ?Muttamizh? as it consists of literature in prosaic, poetic and dramatic forms. Swami Desikan?s prabandams are indeed an adornment to the three types of Tamizh??Cheppa sevikku amudenna tigazhum chezhum gunatthu?.muppatthu irandivai mutthamizh sernda mozhi tiruve?. 15. Granting that Sanskrit is older than English, the commonness of words in the two languages (Tri: and Three) denoting the number under discussion, indicates that English has indeed borrowed from Sanskrit. 16. Three is a Prime Number, not divisible by any other. 17. My son tells me of the Doberenier?s Triads about which he has just read in Chemistry. This principle lays down that when elements are arranged in the order of increasing atomic masses in a triad, the atomic mass of the middle element is equal to the average of the atomic masses of the other two elements. 18. The ancient dynasties which ruled Tamizh Nadu were again three in number?Cheras, Chozhas and Pandyas. These lines of rulers are so ancient that the Pandya Raja finds a mention in Srimad Ramayanam. 19. And in recent times, all music lovers pay obeisance to a Musical Trinity, viz., Sri Tyaagaraja Swamy, Sri Muthuswamy Deekshitar and Sri Syaama Shastri. 20. All our troubles stem from three types of sources?Aadyaatmikam (resulting from the body) , Aadibhoutikam (caused by other persons) and Aadidaivikam (resulting from divine forces like rain, sun, etc). 21. Avastthaa Trayam: The Varaahopanishad classifies states of wakefulness into Jaagrat or the fully-awake state, Swapnam or the dreaming stage and Sushupti, which is deep, dreamless sleep. 22. There are three modes of worshipping Emperuman, according to the Uddhava Gita?Vaidikam (as is used in most of the sannidhis in Tamilnadu, Taantrikam (in vogue in Keralite temples) and Misram (a mixture of the first two). ? Vaidika: Taantrika: Misra: iti me trividho
makha: Trayaanaam eepsitena eva vidhinaa maam samarchayet? 23. Three years was the time taken by Vyasa Maharshi to compose the Mahabharatam?three years of continuous composition, without sleep? ?Tribhi: varshai: sadaa
utthaayee Mahaabhaaratam aakhyaanam
kritavaan idam uttamam? 24. The Manusmriti tells us never to offend three types of beings: Kings, Serpents and a wise Brahmin, even if they have fallen on lean times. ?Kshatriyam chaiva Sarpam cha Braahmanam cha
bahushrutam Na avamanyeta vai bhooshnu: krisaan api kadaachana?. 25. Three are the sources of Dharma. The first and foremost is the Shruti, next are the Smritis (Dharma Shaastras) and the third, the conduct of good men, says the Mahabharata? ?Veda: paramo dharma:
Dharma Shaastreshu cha apara: Sishtaacheernascha sishtaanaam trividham Dharma lakshanam? 26.
If we regard Dharmam as a great tree,
three are its principal branches-Yagyam, Adhyayanam and Daanam, says the
Chaandogyopanishad??Trayo dharma:
skandhaa: yagyo adhyayanam daanam iti? 27.
Three Fathers: Apart from one?s actual
father, two others too are to be revered and regarded as equal to the parent:
these are one?s elder brother and teacher/Guru. There are thus three fathers one
is blessed with, according to Srimad Ramayanam? ? Jyeshtto bhraataa pitaa
chaiva yascha vidyaam prayacchati Triaste pitaro gyeyaa dharma cha pathi vartina:? 28. The Three Sons: Apart from one?s actual son, one?s younger brother and disciple are to be regarded as sons? ?Yaveeyaan sodara: putra:
sishyaschaapi gunodita: Putravat te traya: chintyaa:
dharmaschet atra kaaranam? 29.
Three again are the great sins that arise
from a wrong mind-set, according to Sita Devi?they are a. Uttering Untruth, b.
coveting another man?s wife and c. fighting with someone with absolutely no
reason? ?Treenyeva vyasanaani atra kaamajaani
bhavantyuta Mithyaa vaakyam gurutaram
tasmaat gurutarou ubhou Three sins are said to lead to one?s downfall?hankering after others? belongings, coveting others? wives and doubting the sincerity of one?s close friends? ?Parassvaanaam cha haranam para daara
abhimarsanam Suhridamm ati sankaam cha trayo doshaa: kshayaavahaa:? 30. Depending upon Her location vis-à-vis the Lord at temples, Sri Mahalakshmi is classified into three types by the Isvara Samhita- a. Yoga Lakshmi, resting in the Srivatsa on the Lord?s chest (?Srivatsagaa?) b. Bhoga Lakshmi, standing by the Lord?s side (?Paarsvagaa?) and c. Vira Lakshmi, installed at a separate sannidhi as a ?tanikkoil Naacchiaar? and worshipped independently, while the first two forms receive worship along with Emperuman. 59. Veda vaakyaas are of three types? a. Vidhi: These sentences of the Shruti prescribe a particular Karma or course of action: e.g. Svargakaamo yajeta, ( those desiring to attain Swargam, perform this yagyam) etc. b. Arttha Vaadam is the portion of the Vedas which praises the Karma ordained by the Vidhi vaakyaas, to induce the performer to perform karma. c. Mantram: These sentences prescribe the procedure for the performance of the karma ordained by the Vidhi vaakyaas. 60. Sri Ramanuja might have composed no less than 9 great works, most of them mighty tomes, weighty both in the physical and spiritual sense. However, three among them stand out?the Gadyatrayam?as they display his deep devotion and for highlighting the strategy of Prapatti, of which he doesn?t deal in detail elsewhere in his writings, except as an aid to Bhakti. Thus, the Saranaagati Gadyam, the Sri Ranga Gadyam and the Vaikuntta Gadyam are unparalleled paeans in prose addressed to the Paramatma, which are majestic in composition, mighty in purport and a pleasure to listen and recite. 61. Three Genders: Nature creates people in three moulds?Male, Female and Neuter, each category serving its own intended purpose. However, the Lord cannot be classified into any of these three categories, says Sri Nammazhwar??Aan allan, Pen allan, allaa Aliyum allan?. The use of the male word-ending (?allan?) by Azhwar here is quite significant, about which we shall see in detail some other time. 62. The complete family unit consists of a minimum of three members. The Shruti doesn?t favour an existence as a single, whether it be male or female. ?Ardho vaa esha aatmana:, yat patnee:? say the Vedas, in an original enunciation of the concept of the ?better half?. However, it is no use staying as mere husband and wife and a couple should necessarily graduate to the status of parents, without which their lives are not complete??Prajayaa hi manushya: poorna:?. Thus for a family to be complete, we must necessarily have a minimum of a man, his wife and a child. 63.
We know that the basic necessities of life are
three?Food, Clothing and Shelter. In the Sampradaayam too, we have three
similar concepts?Dhaarakam (life-support), Poshakam (that which helps us to
sustain and flourish) and Bhogyam (which affords immense pleasure). This is
brought out by Sri Nammazhwar?s words, describing Kanna Piraan as ?Unnum soru, parugum neer, tinnum vettrilai
ellaam Kannan Emperuman?. 64. Shastras tell us that the sources of cure for any malady are three in number?Mani, Mantram and Oushadham. This is brought out by Sri Kulasekhara Perumal in his Mukunda Mala, with three slokas describing Emperuman as all the aforesaid three. In slokas beginning with ?Bhaktaapaaya bhujanga Gaaruda Mani:? ? Shatrucchetaika Mantram? and ?Vyaamoha prasamoushadham?, Azhwar tells us that the Lord is indeed Mani, Mantram and Oushadham, and is the sole solution for all our problems. 65. Three Schools of Vedanta: Major schools of Philosophy which accept the authority of the Shruti are again three. Advaitam advocates the identity of the supreme soul and the individual soul, declaring only the Parabrahmam to be real and all the rest to be illusory. Dvaitam, on the other hand, argues that the Ultimate and the Jeevaatma can never be one and are indeed two distinctly separate entities. Visishtaavaitam toes the middle and more logical path, accepting the existence of both the Paramatma and other beings, with the qualification that the latter form the former?s body. The beauty of this formulation is that unlike the other two schools of thought, it doesn?t discard inconvenient and contradictory passages of the Shruti, but reconciles them to show the essential harmony of all Veda vaakyaas. 66.
Prastthaana Trayam: As we know only too
well, it is difficult for philosophers to agree on anything. However, if all the
aforesaid schools of thought are unanimous about something, it is that the
Upanishads, Bhagavat Gita and Brahma Sootras form the basis of all philosophical
thought and are acceptable praamaanas. 67.
Last, but by no conceivable means the
least, we have the glorious Sampradayam that is famed as the Munitraya Sampradayam, tracing its
origins to and owing allegiance to the tenets of three great souls?Sri
Nathamuni, Sri Yamuna Muni and Sri Ramanuja Muni and which has been blessed by
Mahans like Sri Upanishad Bhaashyakara, Sri Saakshaat Swami, Sri Tirukkudandai
Desikan and a glorious lineage of later Acharyas.
? Moondru ezhuttu adanai moondru ezhuttinaal
moondru ezhuttaakki Endru kondu iruppaarkku irakka nan kudayaam
Purushotthaman irukkai Moondradi nimirndu moondrinil tondri
moondrinil moondru uru aanaan Kaan tadam pozhil soozh Gangaiyin karai mel Kandam ennum kadi nagare?
Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama: dasan,
sadagopan
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