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aruL mozhi - Thai

From the Bhakti List Archives

Parthasarati Dileepan • Thu Feb 27 1997 - 12:03:36 PST 


The following is my translation of Srimad 
Azhgaiya Singar’s aruL mozhi (divine words) 
that appeared in last month’s issue of Sri 
Nrisimha Priya.  The Tamil original reads
a lot better than my translation.  If there
is interest I will post the original in Tamil.


-- Dileepan

======================================================
Sri:

Azhgiya Singar’s divine words  -   Translated 
from the Thai (Jan/Feb 97) issue of Sri Nrisimha 
priya.
---------

Swami Emperumanar has given us a wonderful 
picture of our Lord’s divine body in a single 
verse (choorNigai) at the beginning of 
Saranagathi Gadhyam.  We have been 
discussing each word of this verse in Sri 
Nrisimha Priya.  This was interrupted due to the 
Sapthathi celebration during the month of 
Karthigai.  Now that the Sapthathi celebration is 
successfully concluded let us resume our 
attention to the narration of our Lord’s divine 
body.

Last time we explained that our Lord’s divine 
body is characterized by (1) achinthyam, 
(2)dhivyam, and (3) adhbhudham.  Now, let us 
get into two more characteristics, namely, 
“nithyam” and “niravadhyam”.

Unlike the transient nature of our bodies, our 
Lord’s divine body is not temporary, but 
permanent.  Such a permanent body is that of 
Paravasudevan.  The bodies adorned by the 
Lord during Vibhava avatharas like Rama and 
Krishna are temporary in nature.  Pramanas 
such as “nithyam nithyaakruthi dharam” say 
that the divine body of Paravasudevan is 
permanent.  These pramanas are alluded to 
succinctly by Sri Bhashyakkaara with the single 
word “nithyam”.

Even tough the divine bodies adorned by our 
Lord during the times of His avatharas are 
impermanent,  Paravasudeva’s divine body is 
always present, i.e., “nithyam”.  Thus,  Sri 
Ramanuja shows the error of those who argue 
that the Lord’s divine body was created by 
someone.  It is important to note that the divine 
bodies taken by our Lord during His avatharas 
were not unreal.  Even though they are 
impermanent, they were very much real.  Others 
say that the avathara bodies were created by 
avidhya.  This is shown to be an erroneous view.

There are numerous pramanas for the fact that 
Paravasudeva’s body is permanent.  While 
explaining the permanent nature of our Lord’s 
divine body in Thathvathraiyam, Sri 
Manavalamaamuni says about the word 
“nithyam”, “Svaroopa guNangaLOpaathi 
an^aathi n^ithanamaa yirukkai”.  That is, our 
Lord’s shape is permanent, His characteristics 
are permanent, so is His divine body.  
Swaroopa guNangaLOpaathi - similar  to the 
Swaroopa and Gunas; an^aathi n^ithanamaay 
irukkai - being without origin or end.  Thus, our 
Lord’s divine body is permanent.

Such a divine body is “niravadhyam” as well, 
says Emperumanaar.  Nirvadhyam means free 
of blemishes.  The bodies of  Jeevathmas suffer 
from numerous blemishes.  Our bodies result 
from Karma (papa and puNya).  As a result of 
these there are many blemishes in our bodies.   
But our Lord’s divine body is not a result of 
puNya or papa karmas and thus free of all 
these blemishes.   Our bodies suffer old age.  
His divine body does not.

In the above we dealt with the blemishes in our 
bodies and the fact that our Lord’s body is free 
of blemishes.  Next, we shall see that our Lord’s 
divine body is free of even the sole blemish one 
may find in His Dhivya Athma Swaroopam.  
This is shown by Swami Sri Desikan.  Even 
though the Lord’s Dhivya Athma Swamroopa is 
a reservoir of innumerous auspicious qualities, 
there is one problem.  It is beyond the 
comprehension of novices at meditation.   Only 
those who have matured with long years of 
meditation and contemplation can comprehend the 
Dhivya Athma Swaroopam of our Lord; not by 
those who are beginners in meditation.  Our 
Lord’s divine body is free of even this “flaw”.  
Anyone can readily contemplate upon His 
divine body.  Thus, this divine body is superior 
to the Dhivya Athma Swaroopam of our Lord.

In the Gadhyas, Swami Emperumanaar uses the 
string of terms “dhivya-adhbhudha-nithya-
niravadhya”.  In line with this, we have 
explanined these terms separately as 
“dhivaythvam”, “adhbhuthathvam”, 
“nithyathvam”, and “niravadhyathvam”.  
However, Sri Periyavaachchaan PiLLai did not 
separate “nithya-niravadhya” as two separate 
terms.  In stead, he interpreted the two terms 
jointly as a single quality, 
“nithyaniravadhyam”; i.e., permanently free of 
flaws.   Some substances are free of flaws 
during some  period of time.   But at other times 
they attain flaws.  Our Lord’s divine body is not 
like that.

One flaw that Sri Periyavachan Pillai denies for 
our Lord’s divine body is unique.  Existing for 
one’s own use or purpose (Svaarthyamaay) is a 
serious blemish.  Our Lord’s divine body is 
always free of this blemish.  That Sri Sukthi is 
as follows, “nithya niravadhyam - 
nithyan^irdhOshamaayirukkai.  adhaavadhu, 
enRum okka Svaarththamaay iraadhozigai.”

Suppose that a wealthy man feels that all his 
wealth is his own; it is not for anyone else; only 
he will  enjoy it and no one else can benefit 
from it.  Such wealth is seriously flawed.  It is 
useless wealth.  On the other hand, if he spends 
his wealth for the benefit of others, then the 
wealth becomes useful.  Now consider who 
benefits from our Lord’s divine body.  This 
divine body belongs to our Lord.  It is He who 
adorns the divine body.  But for whose benefit 
has He taken on this divine body?   If this 
blissful divine body is just for His own 
enjoyment, then it becomes “svaarththam”.  If 
no one else is to benefit from His divine body It 
becomes useless.   But our Lord’s divine body 
is not for His own benefit.  It is not 
“svaarththam”.  It is “praarththam”, always for 
others.  Not for just a few days, but it is always 
for the enjoyment of others.  Thus, it is only 
proper to say that His divine body is “nithya 
niravadhyam”.

Na thE roopam nachAkArO nAyudhAn^I na chASpadham |
thathApi purushakArO bhakthAnAm thvam prakAsaSE ||

O! Lord! Your Dhivya Athma Svaroopam, 
Dhivya Mangala Vigraham, Dhivyaayudham, 
Sri Vaigundam, etc. are not for Your use; they 
all are for the benefit of bhakthaas.

Thus, it is clear that our Lord’s divine body is 
for the purpose of showering blissful 
happiness in the hearts of bhathaas.

When Thirumangai Azhvaar visited 
ThiruvindhaLoor, he could not get the Lord’s 
dharsan when he wanted.  Frustrated, the 
Azhvaar sang 

“vaasivalleer andhaLooreer vaazhndhE pOm neerE!”

         (Periya Thirumozhi 4.9.4).
		 
Periyavaachchaan Pillai writes in his 
commentary that the Azhvaar came to 
Thiru indhaLUr with the belief that the Lord’s 
divine body is for those who desire it.  But if 
that is not so, the Azhvaar spurns It with, “You 
can have it for Your own sake.”  Such 
expression is common among worldly affairs 
when one is denied the use of someone else’s 
possession.   Thus, it is clear that our Lord’s 
divine body exists for the benefit of bhakthaas.  
It does not have the flaw that It exists for its 
own sake.  This is why Periyavaachchaan Pillai 
says His divine body is “nithya niravdhyam”.

Thus, our Lord’s divine body is superior to our 
bodies, It is even superior to our Lord’s Dhivya 
Athma Svaroopam.

Subham

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