Divine revelations of lOkAchArya - 6

srI:
srImathE rAmAnujAya nama:
srImadh varavaramunayE nama:
srI vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:

Note: srI U. vE. gOpAlakrishNa dhAsar (kOnAr) who was living in chennai and a sishya of kOil kandhAdai vAdhUla aNNan swamy compiled a set of beautiful phrases/sentences from nampiLLai's eedu (documented by vadakku thiruvIdhi piLLai) vyAkyAnam long ago. kOil vidhwAn srI U. vE. R narasimhAchAryar swamy (paramapadhavAsi) wrote simple thamizh meanings for those phrases/sentences. This book (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByVemcKfGLucbWJNTUMzVS1KTzA/edit?usp=sharing) was originally released on 7-1-68 and was re-published by puthur raghurAman swamy (editior: srI sailEsa dhayApAthram magazine). In this series we are relishing this great compilation with the english translation for the same.

Please view the previous article at http://ponnadi.blogspot.in/2013/08/divine-revelations-of-lokacharya-5.html

 nampiLLai - thiruvallikkENi

51. munbu mukam thORRAthE ninRAnAgilum Abaththu vandhavARE mukam kAtti rakshikkumavanAyiRRu. avanippadi iruppAnoruvanAgaiyAlE svArAdhan.

முன்பு முகம் தோற்றாதே நின்றானாகிலும் ஆபத்து வந்தவாறே முகம் காட்டி ரக்ஷிக்குமவனாயிற்று. அவனிப்படி இருப்பானொருவனாகையாலே ஸ்வாராதன்.

Even though bhagavAn may not reveal himself for a long time, when there is imminent danger, he will reveal himself and give his protection. It is because of this quality, he is explained as most easily approachable and worshippable.



Translator's note: bhagavAn stays with the jIvAthmA in the body as antharyAmi and is always caring for the well-being of the jIvAthmA. He physically appears and gives his protection to his devotees during imminent danger. gajEndhra was depending on his own self effort to fight the crocodile and protect himself for 1000s of years. But the moment he called out to bhagavAn, bhagavAn came flying immediately, killed the crocodile and affectionately protected him.


52. thAn rakshikkumidaththil iththalaiyil AnukUlyaththukku sUchakamAna aprathishEdhamE vENduvathu.

தான் ரக்ஷிக்குமிடத்தில் இத்தலையில் ஆநுகூல்யத்துக்கு ஸூசகமான அப்ரதிஷேதமே வேண்டுவது.


When bhagavAn attempts to help/protect a jIvAthmA, he only expects that the jIvAthmA does not reject his help. That itself is seen as a favourable act of jIvAthmA by bhagavAn.

Translator's note: non-rejection of bhagavAn's krupai is beautifully explained by ANdAL in thiruppAvai 28th pAsuram. Here, ANdAL says just like krishNa protected the cattle which did not reject his grace, he should protect her as well who is not rejecting his help. piLLai lOkAchAryar, in mumukshuppadi 273rd sUthram, explains the same principle. - pERRukku vENduvathu vilakkAmaiyum irappumiRE (பேற்றுக்கு வேண்டுவது விலக்காமையும் இரப்புமிறே) - For the jIvAthmA to achieve the ultimate goal of bhagavath kainkaryam, he only needs the following: a) he should stop rejecting bhagavAn's causeless grace b) he should have the desire to achieve that goal (nothing will be identified as purushArtham unless a purusha desires for that).


53. dhEvathAnthara sparsamudaiyArudaiya sparsaththiRku srIvaishNavargaLudaiya pAdharENuvaik koNdu pariharikkap pArungOL.

தேவதாந்தர ஸ்பர்சமுடையாருடைய ஸ்பர்சத்திற்கு ஸ்ரீவைஷ்ணவர்களுடைய பாதரேணுவைக் கொண்டு பரிஹரிக்கப் பாருங்கோள்.

To atone the contact of a person who is related/attached to dhEvathAnthrams (dhEvathas other than srIman nArAyaNan), one should use the dust of the lotus feet of srIvaishNavas.

Translator's note: dhEvathas other than srIman nArAyaNan are conditioned jIvAthmAs and are themselves bound in this samsAram due to their own karmA. They are also filled with ahankAram and rajO/thamO guNams. Hence, our pUrvAchAryas fully avoided any relationship with those dhEvathas and persons who are attached such dhEvathas. The severity and seriousness of this aspect can be understood from the following incident. Once a dhEvathAntharaparar’s (one who is devoted to other dhEvathas) dhoti (cloth) touches parasAra bhattar accidentally. Even being a great scholar, bhattar gets shaken up by this simple incident of having mild contact with a dhEvathAntharaparar. He runs to his mother and asks what to do. His mother says the only way is to accept sripAdha thIrtham of a abrAhmaNa srivaishnava. bhattar locates one such srivaishNava and requests for his sripAdha thIrtham. That srivaishNava looking at the stature (position) of bhattar refuses to give sripAdha thIrtham but bhattar insists and accepts the same from him.


54. bhagavath vishayaththil paNNina anjalimAthramum saraNyan nIrmaiyAlE migai.

பகவத் விஷயத்தில் பண்ணின அஞ்சலிமாத்ரமும் ஸரண்யன் நீர்மையாலே மிகை.

bhagavAn is the refuge to all who surrenders unto him. Out of his magnanimous nature, when some one simply folds their palms and offers their salutations to him, he treats that as a great act and fully protects such persons.

namperumAL showering his protection for a simple anjali

Translator's note: dhraupadhi (the wife of pANdavas) surrenders to krishNa and helps krishNa once by tearing a piece of her own saree to cover krishNa's wound when he gets hurt. But considering that as a big favour he helps pANdavas throughout their whole life for the sake of her. Even before leaving to paramapadham he reveals his heart that he has not done enough to dhraupadhi and feels sad for that. Such was his magnanimous nature. nampiLLai follows in the foot steps of ALavandhAr who highlighted bhagavAn's magnanimous nature in sthOthra rathanam slOkam 28:

thvadhangrim udhdhichya kathApi kEnachith
yathA thathA vApi sakruth kruthOnjali: 
thavaiva mushNAthi asubAni asEshatha 
subAni pushNAthi na jAthu hIyathE

த்வதங்க்ரிம் உத்திச்ய கதாபி கேநசித்
யதா ததா வாபி ஸக்ருத் க்ருதோஞ்ஜலி:
தவைவ முஷ்ணாதி அசுபாநி அஸேஷத
சுபாநி புஷ்ணாதி ந ஜாது ஹீயதே


Even when some one performs an anjali just once even in an improper way to your lotus feet, that eradicates all his sins and brings all auspiciousness to him.

55. ingirukkum nALaikku purushakAramAga mumukshukkaLuNdu. anguththaikku nithyasUrigaLuNdu.

இங்கிருக்கும் நாளைக்கு புருஷகாரமாக முமுக்ஷுக்களுண்டு. அங்குத்தைக்கு நித்யஸூரிகளுண்டு.

mumukshu = one who desires for mOksham. For the time we spend in samsAram after becoming a mumukshu, we have other mumukshus for companionship (to discuss bhagavath vishayam). Once we reach parampadham we have the nithyas (and mukthas) for companionship.
emperumAnAr - srIperumbUthUr

Translator's note: In this samsAram, we can engage together with srIvaishNavas and serve bhagavAn, bhAgavathas and AchAryas. Once we reach paramapadham, we can engage with nithyas and mukthas in service. AchAryas guide us when we are in samsAram. They give us true knowledge and lead us into proper implementation of such knowledge. Only with their help, our time will be spent usefully in samsAram. 


56. oruvan vaishNavanAgaiyAvathu ithu - sarvEsvaran rakshakan enRoruvan pakkalilE oru vArththai kEttuvittu.

ஒருவன் வைஷ்ணவனாகையாவது இது - ஸர்வேச்வரன் ரக்ஷகன் என்றொருவன் பக்கலிலே ஒரு வார்த்தை கேட்டுவிட்டு.

One becomes a vaishNava by hearing from another vaishNava that srIman nArAyaNan is the master of all dhEvathas like brahmA, rudhran, etc and srIman nArAyaNan is the ultimate refuge for everyone.

Translator's note: This principle can be understood from the life of kshathrabandhu. He was a person born in kshathriya family but was filled with misdeeds. He once helps a rishi (sage) and the sage explains him about kEsava nAmam (the name kEsava - one of the meanings of kEsava is "srIman nArAyaNan is the lord of brahmA and rudhran"). He becomes purified and ultimately gets blessed by bhagavAn. This incident is identified by thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr in thirumAlai 4th pAsuram.


57. kazhivathOr kAthaluRRArkkum uNdO kaNgaL thunjuthal enRiREyiruppathu svarUpamithu enRaRinthAl svarUpAnurUpamAna vruththiyum ithukku virOdhiyAnavaRRaith thaLLuthalum illaiyAgil gyAnam piRanthathillaiyAmiththanaiyiRE. ithillaiyAgil AzhwArgaL pOna vazhiyil anvayiththilanAmiththanaiyiRE.

கழிவதோர் காதலுற்றார்க்கும் உண்டோ கண்கள் துஞ்சுதல் என்றிறேயிருப்பது ஸ்வரூபமிது என்றறிந்தால் ஸ்வரூபாநுரூபமான வ்ருத்தியும் இதுக்கு விரோதியானவற்றைத் தள்ளுதலும் இல்லையாகில் ஜ்ஞானம் பிறந்ததில்லையாமித்தனையிறே. இதில்லையாகில் ஆழ்வார்கள் போன வழியில் அந்வயித்திலனாமித்தனையிறே. 

nammAzhwAr says "Once a person develops great attachment towards bhagavath vishayam, they cannot really sleep (or think about anything else) for even a single moment". For some one who developed attachment towards bhagavAn, until they fully attain bhagavAn, they cannot rest. This is the true nature. Even after understanding this, if one does not accept that is favourable for the AthmA and reject that is unfavourable for the AthmA, there is no scope for further development of their knowledge. They also do not qualify to follow the path of AzhwArs (who showed the true path of detachment towards other worldly matters and full attachment towards bhagavAn).


58. nArAyaNa sabdhaththiRku upAyathva ubayOkiyAna vAthsalyAdhigaLum, upEyathva ubayOkiyAna sEshithvAdhi guNangaLum arththam.

நாராயண சப்தத்திற்கு உபாயத்வ உபயோகியான வாத்ஸல்யாதிகளும், உபேயத்வ உபயோகியான ஸேஷித்வாதி குணங்களும் அர்த்தம்.


bhagavAn is both upAyam (means/path) and upEyam (goal). The term "nArAyaNa" indicates both these aspects. nArAyaNa means one who is filled with auspicious qualities. Some of his qualities establish his upAyathvam (him being the means). They are vAthsalyam (maternal affection), svAmithvam (propreitorship of everything), sausIlyam (magnanimity), saulabhyam (easy accessibility). Some of his qualities establish his upEyathvam (him being the goal). They are sEshithvam (being the master), etc.

Translator's note: piLLai lOkAchAryar in mumukshuppadi sUthrams 136 to 138, explains the various auspicious qualities of bhagavAn and their role in facilitating emperumAn being the upAyam for us. And subsequently goes on to establish that all such auspicious qualities are directly and fully manifested in archAvathAra emperumAns.


59. srushtyAdhigaLil sathyasankalpanAyirukkum, Asritha virOdhigaLaLavilE asathyasankalpanAyirukkum.

ஸ்ருஷ்ட்யாதிகளில் ஸத்யஸங்கல்பனாயிருக்கும், ஆச்ரித விரோதிகளளவிலே அஸத்யஸங்கல்பனாயிருக்கும்.

During creation, etc bhagavAn manifests his sathya sankalpam (that he can accomplish whatever he vows to do). But when dealing with the enemies of his devotees, he acts differently - i.e., he punishes those enemies of his devotees even though he has the ability to correct/reform them as well.


60. Asritha virOdhigaLaith thanakku virOdhigaLAgak koNdu vazhakku pEsumavan.

ஆச்ரித விரோதிகளைத் தனக்கு விரோதிகளாகக் கொண்டு வழக்கு பேசுமவன்.

bhagavAn considers the enemies of his devotees as his own enemies and argues with them.

Translator's note: For example, when dhuryOdhana developed animosity towards pANdavas (who are dear to krishNa) and troubled them, krishNa went to dhuryOdhana as a messenger of pANdavas and speaks in favour of pANdavas.


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