Thiruvaaymozhi 9.1-aiyO! Why do YOU NOT think this life is only temp. enjoyment?

From the Bhakti List Archives

• August 13, 1998


SrI:

Dearest Sisters and Brothers,

AzhwAr, very beautifully and firmly established that BhAgawatha 
Seshathvam alone is the most enjoyable one, in his last ten (8.10). Such 
an opportunity is granted by Emperumaan only. He alone is the bandhu 
(relation) for the AthmA, naturally. All other relations are ALL 
incidental and are temporary. They ARE never permanent. Our relation 
with Emperumaan alone IS ever permanent. AZHWAR ADVISES THIS IN THIS 
TEN. A beautiful philosophical, down-to-earth ten; very much applicable 
to us, who are deeply caught and trapped in samsaaric afflictions and 
false notions about relations. Let us enjoy!

1. Wife, children, relations, friends, servants will all stay with one 
as long as there is wealth in his hands; they all will pretend to be 
affectionate and caring towards him and when the wealth diminishes, 
their love will proportionately reduce. Hence, Catch hold of Emperumaan 
tightly- he is the One who retained all the worlds in His stomach and 
saved. There is NONE to save us and help us except Him. With Hi grace, 
by becoming His servant, get saved. (here, "koNda peNdir"- four 
meanings- 1. The person, whom one has mentally considered as 
spouse/relation / life partner. 2. By offering his wealth, one acquires 
the lady. 3. The one who has occupied the one's heart completely so as 
to make his parents total paupers and 4. The one who makes him think 
that the Lord, the AchAryan, the life, the wealth and everything is 
she.- The essence: Because of her- all these problems.)  

2. As long as the relations find that there is use in sticking to a 
person (due to his wealth) they will be with him pretending affection. 
The moment the wealth is spent out, they will also vanish (after 
consuming all his wealth so far, like a blood sucker leech). Hence, 
consider that there is no relation for us except Sri Raman. He is the 
One who aimed an arrow through seven trees and showed His strength. Go 
to Him as the only refuge. Realise that there is none else and no use 
going to others for surrendering and redemption.

3. The world (means people), when it sees the wealth in one's hands, it 
will praise him and wish him well with "vaazhgha" (jaya) Gosham, until 
they get his wealth. When the poverty strikes him, there will be 
absolutely none to even say "aiyO". (and sympathise). Hence, do not 
believe such false / fake relations. Bhagawaan KaNNan, only in order to 
kill and destroy the asurAs appeared as MathurA. There is no protection 
for His devotees except Him and there is no means except Himself to 
obtain His grace.

4. In order to have someone to save us during our bad times with no 
wealth, even if we appoint a person (when we are wealthy), such a person 
will become useless and cheap (aRpan) and will offer no help, when we 
need. What is the use of describing such a person who is so useless? 
Talk of Sri krishNan and His guNAs and hold His Lotus Feet tightly. 
There is none but Him who can save us; Only that will be useful to us.

5.  One thinks "we are living very happily and in a grand manner" when 
he is surrounded by sweet talking ladies and great wealth with youthful 
appearance. As soon as the old age creeps in and the wealth diminishes, 
the same ladies simply brush him aside and ignore him completely, He 
gets tremendous sufferings and it is so painful. This worldly life is so 
cheap and lowly. Hence, please DO NOT believe. Emperumaan alone can 
grant us the eternal permanent happiness and most enjoyable life always. 
To become the servant of Sri KrishNan of Vada mathurA alone is the Best 
thing we need to do. When He comes to saves (which He is always willing 
and is ready), receive Him with full smiling face (with no other fake, 
wrong expression on our face) and enthusiastically take Him in. There is 
NO ENJOYMENT EQUAL TO THAT.

6. Why do YOU ALL Not think that this life is NOT permanent enjoyment? 
AiyO! Without realising that Bhagawaan alone is the eternal permanent 
enjoyment, there are many before us (in the past) who have been born and 
dead! Oh No! they have all wasted their lives! AiyO! (Wow! Dearest 
sisters and brothers! Can you visualise AzhwAr's laments and cries! Can 
you imagine him in front of your eyes looking at us with tremendous pity 
and sympathy for our sorry state of affairs and still we are running 
amuck after worldly enjoyments! Poor azhwAr! Even today his words  are 
true! And we are here in this foul smelling, stinky dirty waters with 
shits and worms thinking that it is all sandal paste drinking them day 
in and day out. What a pity!). hence please at least now, involve 
yourself in Bhagawaan KrishNan's kalyANa guNAs and talk in praise of 
Him. There is nothing else that can save us; To tell shortly, there is 
nothing else that is good for our AthmA.

7. There is nothing else to talk except asking you to catch hold of 
Emperumaan alone. That is the only way. Do not wander looking for some 
other means and measures to save yourself. You all need not do anything 
else in this vast world. You need not talk anything else. Think of 
Emperumaan is the BEST THING. Hence, talk about MathurA Sri KrishNan's 
guNAs. He appeared for the lowly cowherd group and went along with them 
to the forest to feed the cows. To talk His guNAs daily is the faultless 
life that we can lead. To pay obeisance to Him and praise Him talking 
His gunAs is the best that we can do.

8. Realise that living and talking in praise of Emperumaan and His guNAs 
alone is the best thing that we can do. (aiyO! I need to tell all this 
to these people and beg for that! Is it not natural for anyone to 
realise? That is the tone of this statement from AzhwAr!) He appeared in 
MathurA as Srti krishNan only to let His bhAgawathAs talk about Him and 
His solwabhya guNAs and spend their time in this world usefully. We 
should consider talking in praise of Him alone as the support for us. It 
is the Great life to sing in praise of Him only. There is no life 
grander than that.

9. If one catches hold of something (or someone) else other than 
Emperumaan as the saviour, thinking that he (or it) will save him till 
the end, it WILL NOT. They will lose their precious life. It is like 
trying to make a bigger hole for wearing a better stud on the ear lobe, 
thereby puncturing the whole lobe and spoiling it. Hence, realise that 
He alone is the saviour for us. Sri krishNan, who appeared in MathurA is 
the large shouldered Lord. There is no asylum for us except He. 
(NampiLLai interprets that the first two lines talk about kaivalya 
anubhavam thinking that AthmAnubhavam alone is the ultimate. With that 
even the worldly life is also wasted. Neither here; nor there)

10. There is none except KaNNapiraan who can save us. In order to 
establish that affirmative true statement, Sri KrsihNan took His 
KrishNAvataar and lessened the burden for the bhUmi. If there is 
anything that belong to you (you think it belongs to you), it actually 
belongs to Him. Hence, surrender at His Feet and get saved. There is no 
other doubt "Is it ours? Or His property?" Whatever you think as yours 
are all His only. There is nothing but He and His property everywhere. 
Surrender at His Feet with at least a tinge of feeling of being His 
servant always and be saved.

11.  Sri SadagOpar of Thirukkurugoor firmly established that there is 
none but KaNNan who is our support in his faultless sweet Tamil garland 
of 1000 pAsurams on Emperumaan. Out of these 1000, readers of these ten 
immediately become our masters. They are bhAgawathAs who enslave us for 
ever there after.

NammAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE saraNam



Ram Ram

With Best Regards

NarayaNa dAsan madhavakkannan


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