||    Sri Azhagiya Singhar's Third UpanyAsam on Feb 7 , 1999 : PART 1    ||

In the previous UpanyAsam , Srimath Azhagiya Singar spoke about Tattvam. This time , he focussed on Hitham and agreed to talk about PurushArtham on Feb 13 and thereafter initiate a series of upanyAsams on Madhura Kavi AzhwAr's Prabhandham : KaNNiNuNN siRutthAmpu .

The parama Hitham , the topic of today's upanyAsam , was identified as SaraNAgathi at the Lotus feet of Sarva Veda PrathipAdhyan , (the One celebrated by all the VedAs ), Sri GeethAchAryan through a SadaachAryan in the manner prescribed by the Charama slOkam.

The key slOkmas and pramANams that H.H. The Jeeyar used to weave this upanyAsam are the following:

A. The First slOkam of Charama SlOkAdhikAram of
Srimadh Rahasya Thraya Saaram of Swami Desikan :

ya upanishadhAm anthE yasmAth anantha-dayA ambudhE:
thruDitha janathA sOka: slOka: svayam samajAyatha I
tamiha vidhinA KrishNam dharmam prapathya sanAthanam
samitha dhurithA : sankha aathankha-thyaja: Sukham aasmahE II

(meaning): We pass our time on this earth (as PrapannAs) without any doubt or fear and stay in a state of freedom from sins as a direct result of performing SaraNAgathi in this life of ours to that Ocean of Mercy, Lord KrishNaa , who is seated near the assembly of Upanishads and from whom the Charama slOkam arose spontaneously to banish the sorrows of the SamsAris.

The key words in this slOkam are:

A.1: KrishNam dharmam SanAthanam ( KrishNA is SiddhOpAyam ). Swami Desikan was inspired by the following slOkam from MahA-BhAratham ( Vana parvam :71-123) for identifying Lord KrishnA as Siddha UpAyam (SiddhOpAyam) or the means for the obtainment of Moksham in his own RTS:

yE thE vEda vidhO viprA yE cha adhyAthma vidhO janA:
thE vidhanthi mahAthmAnam KRISHNAM DHARMAM SANAATHANAM

(MEANING): Those sacred ones, who comprehend the karma KhAndham (poorva mImAmsam) as well as the Jn~Ana KhAndham (Uttara mimAmsam) dealing with ParamAthmA always celebrate KrishNaa as the everlasting (sanaathana) dharmam (SiddhOpAyam).

A.2: Tam iha vidhinA prapathya , sankha-aathanka thyaja: , samitha-dhurithA: , sukham aasmahE ( Prapatthi is SaadhyOpAyam ; when it is performed as prescribed by Lord KrishNA , the people rid themselves of Fears , Doubts and sins and stay in a joyous state of mind.

A.3: YasmAth thruDitha janatha sOka: slOka: svayam samajAyatha (from whom -KrishNA-the charam slOkam arose spontaneously to banish the suffering samsAris' sorrows). His great sense of compassion for the sufferings of smasAris as DayAmbhudhi , the charama slOkam took its spontaneous birth (svayam samajAyatha). Here , H.H. The Jeeyar referred to another great slOkam born out of reaction to experiencing another heart-breaking sorrowful event. That event was the killing of one of the Krouncha bird dampathis by a hunter in front of Sage Valmiki and the slOkam is the famous one that led to the birth of Srimadh RaamAyaNam. That slOkam also arose spontaneously from Sage Valmiki's mouth. That slOkam in the form of an angry curse on the cruel hunter who struck down one of the Krouncha birds is:

maa nishAdha prathishtAm thvam agama: saasvathI samA:
yath Krouncha mithunAthEkam avadhI: kaama mOhitham

(Meaning): Oh (Cruel and Insensitive) Hunter ! May you have endless years without peace of mind , since you slew one of the pair of the KrounchA bird infatuated with passion (for its mate).

Both Sage Valmiki's and the Lord's charama slOkam had spontaneous births ( Svayam ajAyatha ). There are however differences. Valmiki"s reaction to the sorrow (sOkham) transformed into a slOkham; Lord KrishNA's reaction to the sorrows of the chEthanams and His limitless mercy led to the birth of a slOkam that led to the sukham of those sentient beings.

H.H. The Jeeyar gave a wonderful explanation to Sage valmIki's slOkam and pointed out that it is not a slOkam associated with Sokham, but a laudatory pallANDu for LORD SRINIVAASAN .

The revered Jeeyar combined the words maa with nishAdha to make it "MaanishAdha" instead of viewing them as separate words. In this view, MaanishAdaha translates into Sri (Maa) nivAsan (nishAdhan). One is reminded of MaalOlan here made up of Maa+lOlan , the name celebrating the Lord as Lakshmi Narasimhan . Next ,the Jeeyar translated the words, " prathishtAm tvam agama: saasvathi SamA " of the SlOkam as PallANDu of Sage Valmiki for Maanishadha SrinivAsan . That is Saasvatha MangaLaasAsanam. It was thrilling to hear this wonderful interpretation.

The other PramANams used in this UpanyAsam to underline the significance and importance of the performance of SaraNAgathi will be covered in the next posting.

Introduction for part II
*********************
In celebration of the glory of the fruits of SaraNAgathi and the immense dayA of our Lord , H.H. The Jeeyar reminded us of the anubhavam of Thirumazhisai and his MahA VisvAsam in the Lord's rakshakathvam . That is the moving 115th Paasuram of Thirumazhisai AzhwAr (B).

Next, he referred to AlavandhAr's nirvEdham (C) and reminded us of Swami Desikan's NyAsa Tilaka slOkam (D)in this context to pacify the worrying mind and linked it all together with the beautiful commentary of maNavALa Maa Muni on the 115th Paasuram of Thirumazhisai. We will cover all of these aspects relating to the glory of performing SaraNAgathi at the holy feet of a SadAchAryan in this posting.

B. The 115th Paasuram of Thirumazhisaip PirAn
*********************************************

atthanAhi annaiAhi aaLUM EmpirAnumAi
otthavavvAtha pal piRappozhitthu nammai AatkoLvAn
MutthanAr MukunthanAr puhunthu nammuLL mEvinAr
yetthinAl iDark kadal kiDatthi yEzhai nenjamE

(Meaning): The Lord enters our heart and resides there in splendour and protects us as the Father, Mother, and the ruling supreme Master and gives us the boon of freedom from the cycles of births and deaths and protects us. Oh My poor Mind ! why do you worry ?

Next, H.H. The Jeeyar referred to the soul-stirring slOkam of AlavandhAr about his worries in his SthOthra Rathnam, where his nirvEdham (despondency) over wasted life pours out. Great AchAryAs were not guilty of these sins, but described themselves as sinners to help us. Here is that slOkam. Once again, we see AlavandhAr addressing his appeal to MukundhanAr just as Thirumazhisai did in his 115th paasuram. This is because Mukundhan is the Moksha DhAyakan (grantor of Moksha siddhi) in our sampradhAyam.

C. AaLavandhAr's NirvEdha Slokam from SthOthra rathnam ( 23rd )
***************************************************************

na nindhitham karma tathasthi lOkhE
sahasrasO yann na mayA vyadhAi
sOham vibhAgavasarE Mukhundha
KranthAmi samprathyagathis tavAgrE

(meaning): Oh MukhundhA !There is not a sin that I have not committed in this world ! More over, I have committed these sins thousands of times. At this juncture, when all the fruits of these paapams have ripened and are going to impact me with fearsome consequences , I stand before you without any means of protection and scream aloud seeking Your grace to lift me up from my sea of worries and save me.

Like AlavandhAr , Swami Desikan was worried about being "aparAdha chakravarthi" or the emperor of all aparAdhams (trespasses). He however consoled his mind in the 24th slOkam of NyAsa Tilakam , a SarNAgathi grantham , presented before Sri RanganAthan. H.H. The Jeeyar quoted and explained the purport of that slOkam next.

D. Maanasa SambhOdanam of Swami Desikan : Nyaasa Tilakam
***********************************************************

yAvath jeevam Jagathi niyatham dEhayAthrA bhavithrI
thyakthA: sarvE thri chathura dina ghlAna bhOgA nabhOgA:
dhatthE RangE nijamapi padham desika aadEsa kaankshi
kim thE chinthE param abhimatham kidhyasE yath puna: thvam

(Extended Meaning): Oh My Mind ! It appears that you continue to harbor worries . Is that about continuing to bear your body as a prapannA until the Jeevan leaves it. You know however that deha yAthrai (life on earth after Prapatthi)will continue as determined by per your karmAs. Therefore ,please do not worry about that. Oh My Mind ! Let me ask you one more thing . Are you thinking about the joys in the after-life such as svargam and other sukhAnubhavams ? I say to you in this context that this kind of bliss is only for an extremely short span of time ( three to four days ) and hence you should stop worrying about these anithya sukhams.

May be you are worried about some thing else ! I wonder whether you worry whether you will really receive the boon of Moksham. Thou shall not worry about that at all. Our Lord Ranganathan grants without fail Moksham to those, who are recommended by SadAchAryALs. He follows closely their recommendations. Oh My Mind ! Now that you have received the AchArya anugraham and your prapatthi has been accepted by the most merciful AchAryA , Sri RanganAthan will most defenitely grant you the place in His Sri Vaikuntam. Therefore , please do not be distracted by any worries and stay free from anxieties and sorrows in your life here as a druptha Prapannan .

The words Swami Desikan chose in this slOkam are most meaningful and assertive about the weight that Sri RanganAthA gives to the AchAryan's recommendations. " RangI dEsika aadhEsa kaankshI nijam padham api dhatthE " is a key passage here. Lord RanganathA awaits the commands of the SadAchAryan and grants the place in Sri Vaikuntam for those recommended by the sadAchAryan . Swami Desikan than asks his mind: Puna: thvam yath kidhyasE ? ". Oh My Mind ! what else is there for you to worry about again ?

Thirumazhisai AzhwAr talked to his own wavering mind and comforted it and pointed out that our Lord is anxiously waiting for us to fall at the feet ofa SadAcharyan and perform SaraNAgathi so that He can bless the chEthanan recommended by the SadAcharyan and grant that chEthanan Moksham and Sri Vaikunta Vaasam ( tadh VishNo: paramam padham ).

E. MaNavALa Maa Muni's commentary on the 115th paasuram
**********************************************************

H.H. The Jeeyar used an effective analogy to illustrate the worries of a PrapannA that are not appropriate (asthAnam). He used MaNavALa Maa Muni's vykhyAnam for the Thirumazhisai Paasuram section ( YetthinAl Idark Kadal kidatthi ? ) . Here Thirumazhisai reminds us of the special and unique " Ozhikka OzhiyA uRavu" .

Sri MaNavALa Maa Muni's vykhyAnam deals with a worried, newly married girl. Her father found a great match for her and married her to that bridegroom. Instead of being happy about her good fortune, she worried so much about the Jn~Anam, Sakthi ,wisdom of her husband and wondered
about the protective capabilities of that husband . Sri MaNavALa Maamuni says : He is Sarva~jnan , Sarva sakthan , PrApakan .You can not protect yourself and He ( ParamAthmA ) has the right and power to protect you (the Jeevan ) . The need for MahA VisvAsam , an important angam of Prapatthi is being emphasized here . Thirumazhisai's Paasuram, Swami Desikan's slOkam relate to the same subject.

In the concluding post tomorrow , I will cover the inspiration for a famous slOkam used by Swami Desikan from KaaLi DaasA's Saakunthalam and Raghu Vamsam . That slOkma is found both in Sarama SlOkAdhikhAram of Srimath Rahasya Thraya Saaram and Taathparya Chandrikai of Swami Desikan . H.H. The Jeeyar concluded this one hour thought provoking UpanyAsam on SaraNAgathi as Parama Hitham with additional quotations from NyAsa Dasakam and Deva Naayaka PanchAsath . We will dwell on these PramANams next .

Azhagiya Singhar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Oppilaippan Koil VaradachAri SadagOpan

Home      Back