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Srimadh Azhagiya Singar's third Tele-Upanyaasam of February , 13:Part 2 ( Concluding Part )

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • Sun Apr 04 1999 - 13:10:11 PDT 


Dear BhakthAs :

The slOkam from Srimadh Rahasya Thraya Saaram 
that formed the basis of this Tele-UpanyAsam is :

Vithamasi padhE Lakshmi-kaantham vichithra vibhUthikam 
   sachiva gamitha: sampadha aavirbhavath sahaja aakruthi:
sputa tadh apruthakithsaddhi: siddhyath guNAshtaka tathpalO
   bhajathi PARAMAM SAAMYAM bhOgE nivrutthi kathA unjitham 

The anvaya kramam for this slOkam is as follows :

(1)vithamasi padhE (2)vichithra vibhUthikam Lakshmikaantham
   sachiva gamitha: sampadhya (3)aavirbhavan sahaja aakruthi 
(4)sputa tath apruthakithsaddhi: (5)sidhyath guNAshtaka: tathpala:
(6)bhOge  nivrutthi kathA unjitham paramam saamyam bhajathi 


We will comment on each of these meaningful words 
packed by Swami Sri Desikan in this powerful slOkam 
and annotate the above six clusters in paranthesis 
with passages from the pUrvAchArya granthams .

1.Vithamasi Padham :What is It ?

Swami Desikan starts with his tribute to that vithamasi Padham ,
which is beyond our prakruthi maNdalam that is devoid of 
RajO and TamO guNams and is completely constituted by 
suddha sathvam . Therefore this Srivaikunta padham is
Parama padham and stands for the abode of the sarva-prAkara 
Visishtan ( who is assoicated with anantha kalyANa guNams 
and divya mangaLa vigraham ), Sriman NaaraayaNan . This is
the Sri Vaikunta Divya RaajAdhAni , which was visualized 
in  a moment of blissful ecstasy by AchArya RaamAnujA 
in Sri Vaikunta gadhyam following the inspiration from 
JithanthE sthOthram of Sounaka Muni .

Swami Desikan quotes these slOkams fom JithanthE 
sthOthram in the gathi VisEshAdhikAram chapter 
of the RahasyaThraya Saaram :

lOkam Vaikunta-naamAnam divyam shAtguNya samyutham
avaishNavAnAm aprApyam guNa-thraya vivarjitham

nithya siddhai: samAkeerNam tanmayai: paanchakaalikai: 
sabhA prAsAdha samyuktham vanaisccha upavanai: subham 

vaapi koopa taDAkaisccha vruksha shaDaisccha manDitham 
aprAkrutham surairvandhyam ayuthArka sama prabham

prakrushta satthvaraasim tham kadhA dhrakshyAmi chakshushA ?

--JithanthE sthOthram : 2.18-20.5

(meaning): The aprAkrutha Sri Vaikunta lOkam 
is self-luminous from the radiance arising from
BhagavAn's six guNams( Jn~Anam, Sakthi et al);
it is beyond the reach of those , who are not VaishNavAs;
it is devoid of the three guNams (Satthvam ,Rajas and Tamas);
it is populated by the nithya sooris and those ,
who have performed pancha kaala prakriyAs and
Prapatthi thereafter ;it shines with beautiful
assembly halls , great mansions ,dense green forests,
beautiful flower gardens ,deep big and small wells
with nectarine waters and charming groves ;it is
praised by the dEvAs and shines with the effulgence of 
tens of thousands of rising Suns ( Udhyath Bhaanu-
Satha sahasram );it is entirely made up of suddha satthvam.
When am I going to see this Sri Vaikuntam with my own eyes
asks Sri Sounaka Maharishi .    

One can map the chUrNikais of Sri Vaikunta gadhyam 
to this descriptive prayer of Sounaka Maharishi .
AlavandhAr was equally inspired by the vision of
Sounakar and we hear the echoes of JithanthE sthOthram
in his SthOthrarathnam . AlavandhAr wanted to
reside in this aprAkrutha divya dEsam and wanted to
please the Lord there with his nithya kaimkaryam  :

bhavanthamEva anucharan nirantharam 
prasAntha nissEsha manOrathAnthara :
kathAham eikAnthika nithya kimkara:
PRAHARSHAYISHAAMI sanAtha jeevitha:

AlavanthAr asks the Lord in this 46th slOkam of
his SthOthrarathnam as to when he is going to be 
blessed to perform the nithya-niyatha-anavaratha-
niravadhya-eikAnthika kaimkaryam that will gladden
the heart of Sri VaikuntanAthan in His vithamasi padham .

Here at this visEsha sthAnam ,the Muktha-jeevan enjoys
the limitless auspicious attributes of the Lord , who
is of the embodiment of BrahmAnandham.The jeevan is 
the enjoyer of that BrahmAnadham and in the words of 
ChAndhOgya Upanishad ," sarvam ha pasya: pasyathi 
SARVAM AAPNOTHI SARAVASA:". The muktha jeevan visualizes
everything all that were created from time immemorial
and with the power of its sankalpam alone enjoys all 
of them at all times. 

Here at this vithamasi padham , the muktha Jeevan enjoys
the limitless and the most glorious attributes of SarvAnandha
Brahman without let. The muktha jeevan sees and enjoys nothing 
else at this vithamasi padham .It is but natural , since 
all entities are totally incorporated in Brahmam and His glories .
This is the BhUmaadhikaraNa vishaya vaakhyam of ChAndhOgya
Upanishad:" yO vai BhUmA tath sukham yathra nAnyath
pasyathi nAnyath sruNOthi nAnyath vijAnAthi sa BhUmA".
That is the unmatchable and ultimate sukham and Aanandham .
The anubhavam of the Jeevan is ParipUrNAnubhavam and is 
bhOgyatamam ( the supreme BhOgam )at this vithamasi padham .

2.Vichithra vibhUthikam LakshmikAntham sachiva gamitha:sampadhya

The muktha jeevan arrives at this vithamasi padham ,
where Sriman NaarAyaNan ( Lakshmikaanthan) , the Lord of 
both the LeelA vibhUthi and Nithya VibhUthi resides.
This is His AasthAnam (supreme abode).The muktha jeevan was 
brought by the Aadhi vaahikAs ( sachitha gamitha:)to this 
vithamasi padham located on the other side of VirajA river.
There , the consort of MahA lakshmi sits on the throne
of Adhi sEshan at His ThirumAmaNi maNtapam and awaits 
the Muktha Jeevan escorted by the AchAryAs and the nithya-
sooris .This Lord , BhUmi-NeeLA-Sri Devi samEtha VaikuntanAthan ,
is the master of both the LeelA VibhUthi and the Nithya VibhUthi . 

3-5: What is the status of the Jeevan as it arrives ?
     What kind of attributes does it possess?

3. aavirbhavath sahaja aakruthi: here , the muktha jeevan 
shines with its natural aakArams ( attributes )that have
come to the fore: amalathvam ,Aanandhathvam , Jn~Anathvam 
and aNuthvam .

4.sputa tath apruthaksiddhi: as it stands in front of
its Master at the Vithamasi padham ,the muktha jeevan 
is in a state of total inseperable relationship( apruthak-
siddhi: ); The extraordinarily unique "ozhikka ozhiyAtha uRavu"
celebrated by ANDAL in Her Thiruppaavai Paasuram ( SiRRam
siRu kaalE vanthunnaic chEvitthu --)is permeating it .

5.sidhyath guNAshtaka tath phala: as the muktha jeevan
arrives in front of the divya paryankAsanam of the Lord ,
it has acquired all of the eight aathma guNAs and their 
fruits .It is in a pefect state befitting a Muktha Jeevan 
that is going to have the Bhaagyam of climbing the paryankam 
of the Lord and to be embraced by Him .

6.BhOgE nivrutthi kathA unjitham PARAMAM SAAMYAM bhajathi

Here the unique aanandhAnubhavam of the jeevan is referred to.
It acquires all the bhOgams of its Master except jagath
vyApAram .It has become like Him ( taadhrukEva bhavathi).
It is never ever going to return to the karma bhUmi (anAvrutthi )
as decalred by the last Brhama soothram . It has acquired 
the ultimate boon and goal (parama purushArtham ).It enjoys
the company of aathma sambhandhis like AchAryan and Isvaran
at this Vithamasi Padham .The jeevan repeats NammAzhwAr's prayer:
" meeLA adimaip paNi koNdaruLa vENum ".The Lord looks at His
dear consort , MahA lakshmi and says : " asthu thE ( May ALL
that you have prayed for come your way through our anugrahams)".
As the sarNya dampathis cast their merciful glances at the muktha
jeevan, it becomes the beneficiary of the ThiruvaruL 
of the Parama sEshi and " pankayatthAL ThiruvaruL ".The muktha
jeevan remembers its journey via archirAdhi maargam (karai
yERum gathiyE senRu), and sings pallANDu to the SaraNya Dampathis:

" ViNNUlahil viyappellAm viLangak kaNDu
    ViNNavar thamm kuzhAngaLudan Vedam paaDi
  PaNNulahil padiyAtha isayil paadum
    PallANDE PallANDum paaduvOmE "
    -- Sri Parama Padha sOPAnam of Swami Desikan

(meaning ): After journeying to Sri VaikuNtam by
archirAdhi maargam , we witnessed all the wonderous
aspects of the Vithamasi padham , joined the nithya-
sooris and the other mukthAs in Veda PaarAyaNam and 
ended up singing PallANDu to the Lord through divine
music , which has no parallel in the karma bhUmi . 

This is the parama PurushArtham that was the theme
of the upanyAsam of the revered Sri NaarAyaNa YathIndhra 
MahA Desikan of AhObila Mata samsthAnam .H.H. the Jeeyar 
reminded us that this is the BhAshyakaara SiddhAntham ,
which in turn is rooted deeply in the Oupanishadha 
siddhAntham ( the tenets revealed by the Upanishads 
and Brahma Soothrams ). 

AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam 
oppiliappan Sannidhi V.Sadagopan
BahudhAnya Samvathsara Panguni VisAkam