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Sri Rengarajan's analysis on the word "AruL " and recent releases of SaraNAgathi Journal focussing on Swamy Desikan's ChillaRai rahasyangaL and Desika Prabhandham (Volume 4 issues 2-4 , 2002).

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • February 15, 2002 


Dear BhakthAs:

In the context of the posting on AruL ,
SrIman Sampath Rengarajan of Thirukkudanthai
refreshed my memory on a posting on AruL 
that he had in the SaraNAgathi Journal few 
months back. It was one in a series of six 
deep articles that he posted in the SaraNAgathi
Journal .

It is a brilliant analysis of the concept of
AruL in SrI vaishNava sampradhAyam . It is my 
pleasure to forward you that essay by him .

BTW, we restarted SaraNAgathi journal  after
a break of 6 months in publication. We have released
three issues this year. Our intention is to publish
one issueper week. Those who wish to subscribe to
this electronic journal are welcome to send e-mail to:
saranagathi-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 

The focus on the last three issues starting from 
Jan 19, 2002 ( Volume 04.002) upto Purattasi SraVaNam
of this year 2002 and beyond will be on two main items:

1. ChillaRai RahasyangaL (CR)of Swamy Desikan (32 CR).
2. Desika prabhandham (405 paasurams ). 
Those intersted in the above SrI Sookthis are 
welcome to join this study group .

I have attached full text of SrI Sampath Rengarajan's
earlier article on AruL that appeared in SaraNAgathi.

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan 

The reference to this series of postings :

http://www.srivaishnava.org/sgati/volume1/v01007.htm

>Saranagathi - Part 6 by Sampath Rengarajan
>
>**************************************************
>
>In the last part we saw as to how this  pAsuram  
>contained the three thaththuvams  in it and also 
>as to how the three layers of meanings  namely ,
>the essence of 3  thaththuvams,  the  prapatti
>yOgam and eswaran  connects to each other.
>
>The  thathuva  artham thus forms the physical  body 
>and the prapatti angam the soul and the Isvaran 
>the  paramAthman,and HIS lotus feet.  There are many ways 
>as to why the inner most meaning  contains  only Isvaran 
>and nothing other than HIM.  ie.  as the  antharyamin  of 
>this pasruam it is only  eswaran who is present  in it.
>
>One way of seeing, is from the very first and 
>last words of pAsurams as where it starts and 
>where it ends.  The first  word if "nin" ie "Oh lord Your" 
>and the  last  word is  ninnaiye  " Oh Lord
>yours  only".  ie.  , the pasuram  itself  starts 
>from HIM and ends in HIM as similar to how the creations 
>orginate from HIM and ends with HIM.  This itself is 
>sufficent  to show that the  antharyAmin  for this  
>pAsuram is the LORD HIMself.
>
>It is now our  desire to go into  each and  every  
>line of this pAsuram  and serach  for the  links  
>for our soul  with the antharyAmin in it.  The first line 
>explains about kArpanyam angam. nin aruLAM gathi anRi 
>maRRonRillEn
>
>Swami  Desikan  reached a stage at which he addressed  
>the Lord as "nin", ie., this is a very personal way of 
>one to one relationship the jivAtma  has reached  with 
>the paramAtmA. The word "nin" is a second  person.  
>One must note that azwars and swami  desikan have addressed 
>the Lord en kaNNan, en appan,thirumAL, pugunthavan, and 
>many  others.These are all the examples as to how they 
>addressed the Lord as third persons.  Here, the intimacy 
>is reached such that  the pura vulagu or the external world 
>and its attachments have thinned out as Swami Desikan 
>addresses the Lord as "nin" ie., I have  no other state of 
>freedom  or gathi than Your aruL sudanthiram.
>Thus,the word aruL has to be understood prior to
>understanding  this kArpanyam angam.
>
>aruL : AruL in tamil has many meanings.  The notable  
>philosopher Mr Paul Brenton who mastered Hindu  philosophy 
>once said that there is no equivalent  word in any  language 
>to  substitute  the complex  and layers of  meanings  
>that the tamil word "AruL"  has.  Such is the word that 
>offers the  central  theme for this line and this angam.
>
>The  first  meaning  for  aruL  is  such  that  it  is  
>thAyAr  or mahAlakshmi.  ie., aruL  itself  means  
>Lakshmi.  The meaning  for aruL is also  such  that  
>aruL is  addressed  as aruL veLi or the "domain of aruL".  
>ie., aruL is itself a veLi or something that is spread  
>outside in this  universe  without any limits.  If someone 
>starts drawing  borders for aruL then the word will lose 
>its very meaning.  That is why it is also  presented
>earlier that when one surrenders all their freedom they
>need not feel shy or sad, as they then  enter the  domain 
>of the Lord and  qualify  for the  freedom known as Lord's 
>aruL sudanthiram.  This aruL freedom is a domain that 
>has no limits.
>
>AruL also means one's thaNmai or one's nature.  ie., 
>it is natural for the lord to have  this  sakthi  or 
>domain  with HIM always it seems.  AruL also means 
>anAthi iyaRkai ie., the nature that has no begining 
>and end.  ie., aruL was never created as one's nature 
>and it is always been part of one as its nature
>eternally.
>
>arul means para  nYAnam.  para  nyAnam  means  
>the  knowledge  that  is ever present.  aruL also 
>means most importantly the asaivu or movement of 
>the Athman.  This is the most importanat  meaning 
>for prapanna as this movement is the one he is 
>left  with at the end.  Lord's compassion  is
>also  known in  tamil  as aruL.  aruL is also  the
>capacity or pakkuvam of the buddhi to catogerise good 
>and bad, and to understand the vedic srutis and 
>through that pave the way for  the good of the Athman 
>and according to each and everyone's tharam or standard 
>or level what ever  vasthu  such person want to know, 
>such capacity  becomes  the aruL  for  them.
>AzwAr  delivered  aruL in scores   of   pasurams.
>Only  a  few  are   mentioned   herewith.
>
>Thirumangai   delivered   "aNdAy  unaik   kAnbathOr   
>aruL  ennaku aruLithiyEl" ie., here he addressed  
>arul  first  as a bAgyam  or koduppinai or the "gathi" 
>to have the  prathyaksha darshanam  of thiruviNNagarAn. 
>Secondly  he is  asking the  same as a boon  or something 
>divinley given ie., the word aruL is addressed as a boon.
>
>In another pAsuram on oppiliappan he delivers "un aruL ennum 
>Or vaL uruvi erinthEn". Here, he addresses  aruL as a
>karuvi or the holy  sword that cuts off all the  samsaric  ills.
>Azwars  have also  called  aruL with  various adaimozhis 
>such as pon aruL, un aruL,  pEr aruL, thiru aruL etc., 
>and Saint vaLLalAr in his magnum opus "thiru aruL paa" 
>addresses the param poruL as aruL perum jOthi thus  
>glorifying the different forms of aruL.  AzwArs themselves 
>used aruL for several pathams also.  It is worth discussing 
>aruL for several hours in a lecture as referred from 
>AzwAr pAsuram itself. However,we move on to understand 
>aruL and its nature of existance further.
>
>How is aruL  existing in this  universe ?  what are 
>the  different common modes inn which aruL can be 
>identified ? kAnbAr  kAnumidam kAnap padumidam - ie., 
>for those who see a place, it is seen there
>
>aRivAr ariyumidam ariyap padumidam - ie., for those 
>who learn from a source, it is that  source  for such  
>learners;for those who tastes  it - it is the  material  
>that  they  taste.anubavippAr anubavikkumidam anibaviakka  
>padum  idam  -  ie ., for   those  who experience  it, it is 
>such state of experience.mugaruvAr - mugarumidam - for  those 
>who  infer it is the thing   that they  infer.   kEtpar 
>kEtkumidam  - for those who listen, it is the aruL mozhi  
>that they listen (from achAryALs).
>
>How can one get such aruL ?  One just have to enquire  
>through his  or her buddhi, the three  thaththuvams 
>and analyse the good and bad,  and approach an achAryAL 
>who is the  embodiment  of good alone,  and involve in serving 
>him by doing his thiru paNi and do the errand and other works 
>or assignments  that he will assign as  aruL kattaLai 
>(order of aruL) and one must do such  without pausing to ask 
>questions or stopping ie.,non stop. Only such bAgwatha bagwath kaimkaryam
>will fetch one the aruL of the Lord.
>
>Swami Desikan thiruvadikaLE saraNam
>Sri Boomi devi thAyAr samEtha Sri Oppiliappan thiruvadikaLE saraNam
>Sampath Rengarajan
>
>



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