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Thirumaalai-5

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varadarajan_tcs • May 24, 2002 


Sri Parthasarathi thunai,
Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha


" Mattrondrum Venda Maname Madhilarangar
  Kattrinum meitha kazhalinai keezh- uttra
  Thirumaalai paadum seer Thondaradipodi Emperumaanai
  Eppozhudum peesu"

" Srimat Krishna samahvaya Namo yaamuna soonave 
  yetkadakshai kalakshyanam sulabha: Sridara: sadaa"

Pranams,

"Bhakthiyinudaya  pushkaraiyopAadi prapatti nishtA hetuvAna 
vishvaasamum Silarukku kittukai aridhAgaiyAle" says Sri PVP in
his avadhArikai.  We all know that in Kali we people are not capable 
of doing Karma, Jnana, Bhakthi yogAs to attain the divine feet of the 
Emperuman.  But here Sri Pillai puts forward the fact that the Maha 
vishvAsam which is essential for prappati (ripened form of bhakthi) 
is difficult for a few  to obtain.  At the present juncture the word 
few must be however changed to many since many lack confidence in the 
supreme and hence prappati and bhakthi are not done by many.  So the 
Vishnu dharmam and following its footsteps Thirumaalai detail about 
the easiest way to attain bhagavan, nAma Sankeertanam.  All types of 
yOgas are explained by paramatma in his Bhagavat geetha.  But there 
is no use learning Vedanta alone when nothing is put into practice.  
We find many vEdantins who talk a lot in public but do not possess 
that vairakhyam, they preach  and hence he will not be a Jyana Yogi 
though he knows a lot about Jyana Yoga.  Anybody can say, body is 
different from atma and that atma cannot be affected due to fire rain 
etc. but can they really bring it to practice is what is essential 
and only when they have it in anushtanam (practice) what ever they 
preach will be accepted by others.

While talking about this we remember two persons who really practiced 
what they preached.  Once when Vivekananda was delivering a lecture 
in Chicago about body and soul, one person wanted to test how much of 
his preaching did he really put into practice.  So the next day, when 
Sri Vivekananda was delivering his lecture, the man shot at the 
stage.  But Vivekandanda kept on lecturing unaffected by the sound of 
the shot.  Then the person apologized and accepted that vivekananda 
actually practiced what he preached.  Is it possible for us? I know 
many of us will say a big no.  In our Acharya paramparai, all of us 
know of thirumalai anantAzhvan one of Sri Ramanuja's dear
shishyas.  
Once a snake bit him and his shisyas were frightened and wanted to 
take him to a doctor immediately but Sri ananthAzhvan replied that 
his body itself was like a snake with poison spread throughout and 
now another snake has bitten it.  We will see which snake is more 
powerful.  If the snake which bit was more powerful then I will 
continue my kainkaryam to paramapadanAthan in Srivaikundam and if the 
snake(body) which got bitten is more powerful then my kainkaryam to 
Lord Venkateshwara will continue.  Such was the vairAkhyam of our 
Acharyas.  Such vairAkhyams is not at all possible to common man.  So 
Jnana yoga is impossible for us.

For Karma yoga we need Acharam and again we do not possess that too.  
So nothing can be made Ishwararpanam(for the sake of god) and we are 
all selfish so again karma yoga is also difficult.  Ok if all these 
are not possible then emperuman gives us a simpler way.  He says do 
bhakthi or Prappati in my feet as he says "Mam Ikam Sharanam 
Vraja"(charama slokam).  But again for this mahA vishvAsam is 
absolutely necessary.  We should believe that we are incapable and 
emperuman is alone capable of anything and everything.  That again is 
not easy since we never believe anyone and leaving our ego and 
falling under some ones feet is highly impossible for we jeevatmas.  
Prahladan had that mahA vishvAsam even when he was put in fire, when 
he was pushed down a mountain.  But we samsaris loose confidence even 
if we face a small problem.  We start saying things like why does 
this happen to me inspite of my prayers to the bhagavan?  If bhagavan 
was really there then will this happen to me? and so on.  Emperuman 
says "Ananyat chintayantOmamÂ…Â…Â…..Yogakshemam
Vahanmyaham" do we really follow him but instead we expect him
alone to take care of our affairs and make our life very smooth.  

During Sri Ramanuja's time one Srivaishnava was shouting in front
of the thirumadapalli(temple kitchen) of Srirangam temple.  Acharya 
enquired what his problem was.  He said that he was a kainkaryaparan
(person who does kainkaryam to bhagavan) in the temple.  Till today 
he got prasAdam from the temple and was feeding his family.  Now that 
his family has increased in size the prasAdam was not enough and so 
he was demanding for more prasAdam.  Sri Ramanuja asked him if he 
believed in namperumal.  The srivaishnava replied that he believed 
Acharyan more.  Then Aacharya said,  then go and stay in your place 
and you will get your prasAdam.  After this incident Acharya went to 
have darshan of emperuman and completely forgot about the incident.  
After some days he met the srivaishnava in the banks of kAveri in 
front of a small hut.  Now Acharya asked him how was his living going 
on for which the srivaishnava replied that by the grace of the 
Acharyan and emperuman he was fine with the prasAdam being delivered 
to him by the person, who was appointed by the Acharya everyday.  
Ethirajar was totally surprised to hear this as he hasn't
appointed anyone.  After enquiring he realized that the person who 
was doing this job was none other than Periya perumal himself.  He 
has come to keep up the words of his Bhakthan(Ramanujar) who told the 
srivaishanava that he will get his prasAdam if he stays in his own 
place.  This is how emperuman also keeps up his words
"Yogakshemam vahanmyaham".  But again here the srivaishavan
had the mahA vishvAsam that the Acharya's word will never go
wrong.  
That is why emperuman came to give fruit to his mahA vishvAsam.  In 
our sampradayam we regard Acharya vishvAsam more essential than the 
bhagavat vishvAsam. 

So by the above it is proved even bhakthi or prappati which is 
considered easier to the other yOgas is difficult 
for us in the present situation.  So Thondaradipodi Alwar in this 
prabhandam highlights the importance of nAma Sankeetanam which can be 
done by one and all.  Since this needs no Acharam, anushtanam or 
anyother qualification.  This can be done by any person of any caste 
and creed and any gender.  This can be done at any time.  As 
Thirumangai alwar in Periya thirumozhi says "Tunjum pOdhu
azhaimin tuyarvaril ninaimin tuyarileer sollilum n
andram"(1-1-10).  He
says chant the nArAyana nAmam  even when you are sleepy and think of 
it when you are in some danger and say it even when you are happy and 
do not have any miseries.  So there is no restrictions for Thirunaama 
Keertanam.  Moreover even if we say the Bhagavan nAmA to tease 
someone or without knowing its importance it still gives you the 
palan.  Like a medicine which gives cure to a disease for those who 
know its effect well and those who do not know it equally, similarly 
bhagavan nAmA also gives palan equally to all.  "Sanketyam 
Paarihasyam va stoham helanamevavA" says Srimad Bhaagavatam. 
Some people tease a bhagavatan by saying see there govinda! govinda! 
is going or if something is lost then they say govindA govinda.  
According to bhaagavatam even to those people the Govinda nAma gives 
palan.  Emperuman tries to add good points to the jeevatmAs so that 
he can help them in someway.  So even if we do it without knowing we 
ultimately attain the palan.  That is why our Acharyas recommend 
saying bhagavan nAma loudly so that it will be heard by others and 
they will also get benefitted.

"EvvAzhvAr eppadipatta thirunAmaththile ezhindavar AgayAle 
aththirunAma vaibhavaththai pEsugirAr epprabhandhaththile"  says
PVP in his avadArikai.  Since Sri Thondaradipodi Alwar was immersed 
in the bhagavan nAmam, he talks about the same in his prabhandam also.
  
We will conclude the introduction in the next posting and proceed to 
the excellent meanings of the paasurams.

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai
Sumithra Varadarajan




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