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RE: ThiruviNNagarappan Thirumanjanak Kattiyam : Part 1

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Sadagopan • November 13, 1998 


Dear BhakthAs :
There was a question about the significance
of a passage on the Thirumanjanak Kattiyam 
realting to the conversation between the Jivan
and the Lord in His wet cloth and
TuLasi garland . The details related 
to that symbolic dialog might be of 
interest to you .

V.sadagopan 

 >Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 19:16:05
>From: Sadagopan 
>Subject: RE: ThiruviNNagarappan Thirumanjanak Kattiyam : Part 1
>Cc: BJ
>
>>From: "Bharadwaj, Jaganath" 
>>To: "'Sadagopan'" 
>>Subject: RE: ThiruviNNagarappan Thirumanjanak Kattiyam : Part 1
>>Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 09:48:05 -0500
>
>Dear Sri Jagan:
>
>> Could you tell us the significance
>>of Lord Ranganatha having the conversation with the Jeeva in "wet
>>clothes" is?  It is the assumptions behind certain practices that are
>>lost over the centuries.  Only those who have either done Kaalakshepam
>>or read a lot will be able to elaborate on these finer points.
>> Bharadvaj Jagan
>
>Thanks for your question on the symbolism of 
>Sriman NaarAyaNA with wet cloth and TulLasi 
>garland conversing with the deluded Jeevan .
>
>This is connected to a practise referred to in
>Yaj~nyavalkya Smr*ti as Jala-divya and Tulasi-divya .
>Divya is the practise of solemnly swearing under oath.
>To Parasara Bhattar's eye , the Lord's sevai during 
>the Just-begun Thirumanjanam reminded him of the above 
>two of the ten ways of solemnly attesting to patent truth 
>about the relationship ( Ozhikka OzhiyAtha uRavu) between
>the Sarva Seshi and the Sesha BhUthan ( Lord and the Jeevan ). 
>
>The Lord is proving His claim as the Master of the stubborn
>Jeevan, which in turn claims that it is an independent entity ,
>empowered by its own self.
>
>Parasara Bhattar as a ParamAchAryan and Sri Ranganatha's dear
>purOhitha was very keen on reminding us about the anarthams
>and ViparIthams that accrue from three delusions that 
>affect a confused jeevan :
>
>1. SareerAthma Bramam ( Equating perishable Sariram to
>   eternal aathmA and the delusion caused by that )
> 
>2. SvatantrAthma Bramam( Forgetting that the Jeevan 
>   is the Sesha BhUthan to the sarva Seshi and 
>   concluding that the Seshan has an independent satthA /
>   existence ). 
>
>3. Nireesvara Vaatha Ruchi ( Taste for thinking that 
>   there is no Isvaran , who is the sarvasEshi. Here 
>   the Jivan thinks that it is Isvaran Himself .The
>   literal meaning of Isan is "one who rules:aaLhiRavan ,
>   the rest are aaLappadupavai or IsithavyangaL .
>   Jeevans are IsithavyangaL . Confusion on this 
>   matter is the most dangerous with profound 
>   consequences). 
>
>all these three are called MahA VirOdhis for Moksham .
>
>These engagements in pursuit of ViparItha Jn~Anam will
>destroy the Jeevan"s lot to enjoy the Lord as Sarva Seshi
>and perform Nithya Kaimkaryam for Him at Sri Vaikuntam 
>thru the practise of the Moksha upAyams of Bhakthi or 
>Prapatthi .
>
>To help the jeevans struggling in SamsAric life ,
>Parasara Bhattar reminds us all about Isvara LakshaNams 
>here .Three of the concepts associated with Artha Panchakam
>are touched here : PrApyam ( Seshi/Isvaran/Isvara Vargam-
>our Lord with Periya PirAtti) ),PrApthA (chEthanan/Jeevan/
>sEshan ) and prApthi virODhi(SarIram ) .
>
>Parasara Bhattar is following the path established by
>AchArya RaamAnujA and his purvAchaaryargaL here. AchArya 
>RaamAnujA stated very clearly as to what is Isvara
>LakshaNam in his gadhyam :
>
>svAdhIna thrividha chEthanAchethana svarUpa 
>sthithi pravrutthi bhEdham 
>
>This passage from AchAryA's gadhyam composed 
>right in front of Lord RanganAtha and Sri Ranga Naayaki
>during their Serthi sevai on a Panguni Uttaram day
>is extremely deep in meaning and is central to our
>siddhAntham .
>
>The LakshaNam of the Sarva Seshi , our Lord is 
>hinted here . This profound statement sums 
>up the attributes of the Lord as the One , who
>has under His control the three kinds of ChEthanams
>( Bhaddha , Muktha and Nithya Sooris) , three kinds 
>of AchEthanams ( prakr*uthi, Kaalam and Suddha Satvam)
>and their svarUpam, sthithi and pravrutthi as well .
>
>The differnces between the Lord , the Vibhu and 
>the Jeevan is aNu  are again three fold :
>Our Lord in contradistinction to the sesha Jeevan
>has these three LakshaNams :
>
>1. ananyAdheenathvam ( unlike the jeevan 
>   and achEthanam , Isvaran is not under 
>   anyone's control or suzeranity .He controls
>   all the others ) 
>
>2. nirupAdhika Seshathvam ( natural disposition 
>   to be the Seshi of all , the jeevans and 
>   achEthanams without exception )
>
>3. nirupAdhika Niyanthruthvam (natural disposition
>   to command/rule every one and getting them to 
>   go about their vyApArams : karthruthvam and
>   BhOkthruthvam of the Jeevan are thus under 
>   His control).
>
>Thus the Isvara LakshaNams are unique and in no
>way can the Jeevan delude itself to think that
>it has independent existence and it is the Lord 
>Himself. This can lead only to utter disaster 
>of repeated cycles of births and deaths . A clear
>understanding of the Isvaraand Jiva LakshaNams
>through Bhakthi or Parapatthi at the feet of
>a sadAchAryaa would remove these three bramams
>and lead to Moksha Siddhi .
>
>Thus ,Parasara Bhattar is reminding all those 
>assembled for enjoying the Thirumanjanam and 
>perhaps in his own special way reminding 
>the Lord Himself about His paaratantryam , 
>just as ANDAL reminded the Lord
>about His sworn duties and to get up from His 
>comfortable nidhrai and go about doing His sworn
>duties etched on top of the VedAs (i-e) Upanishads .
>
>Namo NaarAyaNA ,
>Oppiliappan Koil VaradachAri Sadagopan     
>
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