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Part XIII: Swamy Desikan's Taathparya RathnAvaLi: Eleventh SlOkam

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Sadagopan • December 26, 2001 


Tuesday , Dec 25 , 2001

ThoomaNi Madatthu ThiruppAvai Dinam 

ANDAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
                
SrI:

Dear RasikAs of Swamy NammAzhwAr's Dhivya Prabhandhams:

On this Thoo-MaNi Maadatthu ThiruppAavi day , 
adiyEn will continue with the eleventh SlOkam of DTR: 

nissImOdhyadh guNathvAthamitharasatayA anantha-leelAsvdhathvAth
svAyathAsEsha-satthAsTithi yathanabhidhA vaibhavAth vaisva-rUpyAth
thraiksha-brahmAthma-bhAvAth sadhasadhavagathE: sarva tatthvEshu
                                                     --poorthE:
pasyan yOgi Param Tatth-padhakamalanathou anvasAth aathma-chittham 

The ten guNams saluted by Swamy NammAzhwAr in ThiruvAimozhi 1.1
according to Swamy Desikan are:

1)  NissImOdhyath GuNam
2)  Amitha Rasa GuNam
3)  anantha leelAspadham
4-6)SvAyatthAsEsha-satthA-sTithiyathanabhidhA Vaibhavam 
7) Viasva Roopyam
8) Thrayaksha-BrahmAthma BhAvam
9) sadhasadhava gathi
10)sarva TatthvEshu poorthi GuNam   


Extend Meanings of the above 10 guNams 
following UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam:

The essence of the above ten guNams of the Lord saluted in 
the first ten pasurams (TVM :1.1.1) and the effect of these 
ten guNams summarized by Swamy Desikan are referred to 
in the fourth paadham of this slOkam :

"pasyan yOgi Param Taddh-padhakamalam 
 anvasAth aathma-chittham"

Yogi here refers to SaThakOpar. Through the salutations of 
the ten guNams of the Lord , SaThakOpa Muni saw clearly 
the Parathvam of the Lord (Supermacy of Sriman NaarAyaNan )
over every other god . SaThakOpan described his longing for 
worshipping the sacred lotus feet of the Lord and asked 
his manas (mind) to awaken and arise to worship those 
sacred Thiruvadi of the Lord .This mesage is about 
aathmAthmIya-Bhara NyAsam . The Overall guNam celebrated in 
these ten paasurams is about the Parathvam ( unquestionable 
Supermacy ) of  Sriman NaarAyaNan , our Sarva SwAmi. 

We will now enjoy the ten guNams housed in each of
the ten paasurams , one by one:

1. First GuNam/First Paasuram : NissIma Udhyath GuNathvam:
 
NissIma means matchless ,incomparable and UNSURPASSED. 
Udhuyath Gunam means lofty and majestic guNam. This is 
to be connected to " UyaRvaRa Uyar-nalamudamai " aspect of 
the Lord associated with His Parathvam celebrated in 
the first paadham of the first paasuram of TVM.
One can connect this GuNam to His power to grant " MayaRvaRa 
mathi nalam aruLvathu " and " being "amararkaL adhipathi" 
( the second and the third paadhams of the first Paasuram of TVM).
Swamy NammAzhwAr commands his mind to rise up and worship those 
lustorous ThiruvadikaL , which destroy all sorrows born out 
of aj~nAnam (nescience): " ThuyaraRu sudaradi thozhuthyezhan 
mananE" (Fourth Paadham of the First Paasuram of TVM).
One can witness the genius of Swamy Desikan to summarize 
the ten guNams housed in one Paasuram with such brilliance
and unite it all to a central theme : Parathvam of the Lord 
as Para VaasudEvan.His understanding of the inner thoughts of
Swamy NammAzhwAr is extraordinary .

For reference purposes , the English translation of this
Paasuram (TVM 1.1.1)by Dr.V.N.VedAntha Desikan is given below:

" Oh My Mind ! Worship , for being elevated , the effulgent
feet , which will remove our sufferings ,of the One Lord ,
who possesses auspicious qualities that can not at all
be excelled , who endowed with the Jnaana-Bhakthi faculty
which effaces the weakness of the intellect (that doubts,
confuses , argues and fails to see what ought to be seen ) 
and who is the Lord of the Nithyasooris and Devas of unfailing 
knowledge (or who is Lord DevarAjA /Varadhan of Kaanchi)."

2.Second GuNam/Second (Manana Kamala) Paasuram: amitha-rasatayA:

"amitha " stands for unlimited bliss , which is the Jn~Anananthvam
guNam of Sriman NaarAyaNan. "amitham" is aparicchinnam (wholesome/
undividable) and " Rasatayaa" stands for the aanandham 
(Jn~Anandham)."JnAnandhamayam Devam " is the salutation 
for Lord HayagrIvan , the Lord of all VidhyAs. Besides 
aparicchinna Jn~Ananadha Svaroopathvam ,aditional items 
covered here (in TVM 1.1.2 and Its summary as second
guNam in DTR) are :

(1)chEthanAchEthana VailakshaNyam ( contrariness/differneces/ 
disparity between Isvaran and sentients as well as insentients)

(2) absence of Kaala ParicchEdham ( unaffected by Kaala tatthvam).
Kaalam (Time with its measures of Past , present and future) 
has no influence in nithya Vibhoothi of the Lord . 

(3) the GuNam of not having an equal or Superior
(OkkAr  MikkAr irAmai).

The main GuNam for this second paasuram is "Jn~Anandhathvam"
(Bliss Consciousness principle). The revelatory word in 
Swamy NammAzhwAr Paasuram is " Muzhu Nalam " , which is 
placed in the third line of the paasuram.The Svaroopa-Niroopaka
Dharmams( proofs for the svaroopam of the Lord) relating to
His uniqueness is saluted here. 

For reference purposes , the meaning of the second paasuram 
of First Thirumozhi is given below (Dr.V.N.V):

" The Lord, as described above , can not be compared even
when the usual blemishes (like rajas and Tamas) of the mind
have been wiped off and the mind is progressively blossoming
into perfection.His splendour is not possible of mental 
perception. The five organs of senses too can not experience 
His nature and presence. He is all Jn~Ana and Aanandha (His 
form may be described as personifying knowledge and Joy). 
He has no peer or superior at all times. And , He is my soul, 
my life.

We will continue with the other 8 guNams in 
the subsequent postings .      

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



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