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PART VI: Swamy Desikan's Taathparya RathnAvaLi:3rd SlOkam

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • December 17, 2001 


Dec 17, 2001: Vaayatthu VaazhvIrkAL Dinam

ANDAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
                 
SrI:

Sri RanganAtha ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Dear RasikAs of Swamy NammAzhwAr's dhivya prabhandhams:

On this second ThiruppAavi day , adiyEn will continue with 
the third SlOkam of DTR:

PaanjAli-ghAthra-sObhA-hrutha-hrudhaya-vadhU-varga-pumbhAvanIthyA
Pathyou PadhmAsahAyE praNayini bhajatha: prEyasI-paaratanthryam 
bhakthi: srungrA-vruthyA pariNamathi MunE: bhaava-bhandha-praTimnA
yOgAth prAguttharAvasTithiriha virahO DesikA: tathra dhUthA:

(Meaning): Just as in the case of Dhroupathi's exquisite
beauty --witnessed during the time of her bath-- intoxicated 
the minds of all the ladies attending to her and led them 
to wish they could enjoy her as men , the deep bhakthi
that Swamy NammAzhwAr had for Sri Devi Vallabhan 
(Sriman NaarAyaNan) transformed into srungAra bhAvam 
and led him to send messengers to " Her " Lord in 
the role of ParAnkusa Naayaki to be united with Him .

Additional Comments based on UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam:
********************************************************
PaanjAli (Dhroupathi) had exquisite beauty marked by
the combination of all SaamudhrikA LakshaNams . When she
had her daily bath , she was attended by number of her 
woman servants. They had the opportunity to be witnesses
to her extraordinary soundharyam during those times.
They were overtaken by that superb beauty of their 
mistress and wished to be transformed into men so
that they could enjoy her enticing beauty . In their
minds , they became men ( Yaa: SthriyO dhrushtavasyasthA:
PumbhAvam manasA yayu:). The first quadrant of this slOkam 
cites this dhrushtAntham :

" paanjAlI ghAthra sObhA hrutha-hrudhaya vadhU 
  pumbhAva neethyA "

PaanjAli ghAthra Sobhai(beauty of the limbs) robbed 
the hearts of the assembled ladies and made them wish
they were men to enjoy her .

As in this case ( PaanjAlI neethi) , Swami NammAzhwAr's
unconditional and deep bhakthi (BhAva bhandha praTimnA bhakthi)
for the Lord of SrI Devi transformed (pariNamathi) into 
an intensity of love (srungAra vrutthi ) equal to that of 
Sri Devi(prEyasI paaratanthryam ) for Her Lord . 
The Bhakthi vrutthi transformed into srungAra Vrutthi 
for SaThakOpa Muni (MunE: bhaava bhandha praTimnA bhakthi: 
srungAra vrutthyA pariNamathi) and he transformed into
ParAnkusa Naayaki . 

Swamy NammAzhwAr in the intensity of his passion to 
unite with the Lord became ParAnkusa Naayaki . He was
joyous during his union (samslEsham ) with the Lord 
during the practise of his Bhakthi yOgam and was down
the dumps , when that union was interrupted (VislEsham).

For great bhakthAs , the enjoyment of the Lord during yOgam
is the bhOgam of intimate union . The interruption of 
that union with the Lord is unspeakable sorrow. 
When  supreme bhakthi nishtars like Swamy NammAzhwAr , 
Kaliyan (as ParakAla Naayaki )and Swamy Desikan( as Venkata Naayaki
in front of Dhaiva Naayaka PerumAL at ThiruvahIndhrapuram )
experience seperation and feel the anguish of vislEsham , 
they send AchAryAs as messengers to the Lord to describe 
their sorrowful state due to seperation .They appeal to 
the AchAryAs to intercede on their behalf and unite them 
back with their dear Lord.

Here, Bhakthi is compared to the love of a lady for 
her lover , the aanandha yOgAnubhavam to union with
the Lord (samslEsham ) and the state of mind before and 
after union to VislEsham characterized by unbearable agony.
Swamy NammAzhwAr paasurams inviting various birds (AchAryAs)
to intercede on her (ParAnkusa Naayaki's ) behalf with 
the Lord arose out of that manObhAvam(feeling state).

In Srimath RaamAyaNam , SitA PirAtti asks AnjanEyar
to take Her message to Her Lord . The tatthvArtham 
here is that AnjanEyaA had the role of AchAryAs in
intercession with Lord Ramachandra as the messenger 
(ambassador)and SitA PirAtti had the role of a "Jeevan"
seeking union with Her Lord.

In NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi , ANDAL relies on the power
of Her father /AchAryan to unite Her with Her Lord 
( Vittucchitthar TangaL Devarai valla parisu varuvipparEl , 
athu kANDmE ).The sorrow of ANDAL over seperation from 
Her Lord seeks the intervention of Her AchAryan to unite Her
with the Lord(Desika: tathra dhUthA:).

In this  Third SlOkam of DTR , Swamy Desikan focuses on
the origin of the thUthu paasurams of Swamy NammAzhwAr.

Sri RanganAyaki SamEtha Sri RanganAtha ParabrahmaNE Nama: 
Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VardAchAri SatakOpan 



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