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Thirumaalai-63

From the Bhakti List Archives

Varadarajan Sourirajan • September 25, 2002 


Sri Parthasarathi thunai,
Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

“ Mattrondrum vEinda 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,

Paasuram-41

“vAnulAr ariyalAgA vAnavA enbharAgil
  thEnulan thulabha mAlai senniyAi enbharAgil
  voonamAyinagal seiyum voonakAragargalElum
  pOnagam seitha sEdam tharuvarEl, punidhamandrE.”

In this paasuram, alwar talks about the greatness of bhAgavata uchchistam (left overs).  Sage naradha is regarded as a parama bhaktha by all.  But he attained this position only due to the bhagavata sEsham.  In his previous birth, naradha was a son of a servant maid.  During one chaturmAsyam, some sadhoos came to their village and were deeply involved in bhagavat vishayam.  NaradhaÂ’s mother was doing service to these sadhoos.  She was a bhAgavatai and hence she had instructed naradha to regard the sadhoos with respect and do service to them when she was not there.  He and his mother had only the left over food, of the sadhoos as prasadam.  Due to this, naradha became clear in mind and body.  The sadhoos pitied the boy and taught him the bhagavan nAma.  Till the end of the chaturmAsam, naradha used to always stay away and listen to all the discussions of the mahans, thereby he started getting attracted to bhagavan and bhagavat vishayam.  While the sadhoos left the place naradha cried but they told him to medi

vAnulAr ariyalAgA vAnavA enbharAgil:  The devas have a higher position than all of us but when it comes to understanding bhagavan, they are also as ignorant as us.  Because even the Vedas are unable to fully understand the magimai of emperuman.  The devas run to bhagavan for help but at many times they are unable to see him. They either hear his voice as asireeree or they get the answer through brahma (while in his penance).  That’s why even in the gajendra mOksha vriththAntham we see that even the devas were waiting to see who the “Adhimoolam” was.  So if one understands that emperuman is the supreme, not understood by even the devas, (Here Sri PVP goes deeper inside and says in his vyakhyanam that, if one is capable of understanding emperuman to be the sole upAyam) and,

  thEnulan thulabha mAlai senniyAi enbharAgil:  If he understands emperuman not only as parmAtma but also as our perumal, who accepts the small thulasi garland given to him by his bhaktha with great regard and always wears it on his chest, then (Here Sri PVP in his vyakhyanam says, one who accepts emperuman as upEyam)

voonamAyinagal seiyum voonakAragargalElum:  Even if the person was a great sinner in the past, killing number of jeevatmas and not stopping with that he has also made others do the same still,

  pOnagam seitha sEdam tharuvarEl, punidhamandrE:  If such a bhAgavata who has realized emperuman to be the upayam and upEyam gives his left over prasAdam (they generally wonÂ’t, but if he accepts to give) then it should be considered to be the most sacred, says alwar.

There are many prayaschittams for various papams given by the rishis.  But for bhAgavatas these prayaschittams are not necessary.  Just on realizing that emperuman is everything, upAyam and upEyam if they surrender into his feet then all the sins are washed out.  Thondaradi podi alwar himself got a little side-tracked from bhagavat bhakthi and got involved in lowkika kAmam for a short period due to bhagavat sankalpam.  But after realizing his mistake he didnÂ’t follow any prayaschitta kAndam and do any prayaschittam instead he totally ignored his past and rolled in the pAda-dhooli of bhAgavatas and even changed his name from vipra nArayanan to thondar- adi- podi(the dust under the feet of bhagavatas).  So for the bhagavatas only the realization is important and If one realizes the same then he has to be regarded with great respect and if he gives his prasadam it has to be accepted as maha prasadam and very sacred.  Rishis and alwars may have said many things but our acharyas showed us the same putting it into

 Thirukachchi nambigal was not a brahmin but Ramanujar was a high class Brahmin still he wished for the prasadam of thirukachchi nambigal.  When he couldnÂ’t get it he lost heart.  It became one of the reasons for ramanujar to take up sanyasa and become ethirajar.  When it was a clash between bhAgavata prasadam and family life, our acharya considered bhAgavata prasadam as more important and sacrificed his family life for it.  Such is the importance given to bhAgavata uchchistam by our acharyas.

AzhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigaLE saraNam
Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai
Sumithra Varadarajan


 



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