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Sri Azhagiya Singhar's Third UpanyAsam on Feb 7 , 1999 : PART 1

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • Mon Feb 15 1999 - 18:07:03 PST 


Dear BhakthAs :

In the previous UpanyAsam , Srimath Azhagiya Singar 
spoke about Tattvam . This time , he focussed on 
Hitham and agreed to talk about PurushArtham on Feb 13 
and thereafter initiate a series of upanyAsams on 
Madhura Kavi AzhwAr's Prabhandham : KaNNiNuNN
siRutthAmpu .

The parama Hitham , the topic of today's 
upanyAsam , was identified as SaraNAgathi 
at the Lotus feet of Sarva Veda PrathipAdhyan ,
(the One celebrated by all the VedAs ),
Sri GeethAchAryan through a SadaachAryan 
in the manner prescribed by the Charama slOkam . 

The key slOkmas and pramANams that H.H. The Jeeyar
used to weave this upanyAsam are the following :

A. The First slOkam of Charama SlOkAdhikAram of
   Srimadh Rahasya Thraya Saaram of Swami Desikan :

ya upanishadhAm anthE yasmAth anantha-dayA ambudhE: 
  thruDitha janathA sOka: slOka: svayam samajAyatha I
tamiha vidhinA KrishNam dharmam prapathya sanAthanam 
  samitha dhurithA : sankha aathankha-thyaja: Sukham aasmahE II

(meaning ) : We pass our time on this earth (as PrapannAs )
without any doubt or fear and stay in a state of  freedom 
from sins as a direct result of performing SaraNAgathi 
in this life of ours to that Ocean of Mercy , Lord KrishNaa , 
who is seated near the assembly of Upanishads and from whom 
the Charama slOkam arose spontaneously to banish the sorrows of 
the SamsAris .

The key words in this slOkam are :

A.1: KrishNam dharmam SanAthanam ( KrishNA is SiddhOpAyam ).
Swami Desikan was inspired by the following slOkam from MahA-
BhAratham ( Vana parvam :71-123) for identifying Lord KrishnA 
as Siddha UpAyam (SiddhOpAyam )or the means for the obtainment
of Moksham in his own RTS :

yE thE vEda vidhO viprA yE cha adhyAthma vidhO janA:
thE vidhanthi mahAthmAnam KRISHNAM DHARMAM SANAATHANAM 

(MEANING):Those sacred ones , who comprehend the karma 
KhAndham ( poorva mImAmsam ) as well as the Jn~Ana
KhAndham ( Uttara mimAmsam )dealing with ParamAthmA always
celebrate KrishNaa  as the everlasting (sanaathana) 
dharmam ( SiddhOpAyam ). 

A.2: Tam iha vidhinA prapathya , sankha-aathanka thyaja: , 
   samitha-dhurithA: , sukham aasmahE  ( Prapatthi is
   SaadhyOpAyam ; when it is performed as prescribed 
   by Lord KrishNA , the people rid themselves of Fears ,
   Doubts and sins and stay in a joyous state of mind.

A.3: YasmAth thruDitha janatha sOka: slOka: svayam samajAyatha
     (from whom -KrishNA-the charam slOkam arose spontaneously to
      banish the suffering samsAris' sorrows ). His great
      sense of compassion for the sufferings of smasAris 
      as DayAmbhudhi , the charama slOkam took its spontaneous
      birth (svayam samajAyatha).Here , H.H. The Jeeyar referred
      to another great slOkam born out of reaction to experiencing
      another heart-breaking sorrowful event . That event was the 
      killing of one of the Krouncha bird dampathis by a hunter
      in front of Sage Valmiki and the slOkam is the famous 
      one that led to the birth of Srimadh RaamAyaNam . That
      slOkam also arose spontaneously from Sage Valmiki's mouth.
      That slOkam in the form of an angry curse on the cruel hunter
      who struck down one of the Krouncha birds  is :

      maa nishAdha prathishtAm thvam agama: saasvathI samA:
      yath Krouncha mithunAthEkam avadhI: kaama mOhitham 
  
      (Meaning ): Oh (Cruel and Insensitive )Hunter !
      May you have endless years without peace of mind ,
      since you slew one of the pair of the KrounchA
      bird infatuated with passion (for its mate).   

      Both Sage Valmiki's and the Lord's charama slOkam 
      had  spontaneous births ( Svayam ajAyatha ) . There 
      are however differences . Valmiki"s reaction to 
      the sorrow (sOkham )transformed into a slOkham ; 
      Lord KrishNA's  reaction to the sorrows of the chEthanams
      and His limitless mercy led to the birth of a slOkam
      that led to the sukham of those sentient beings.

      H.H. The Jeeyar gave a wonderful explanation to 
      Sage valmIki's slOkam and pointed out that it 
      is not a slOkam associated with Sokham , but a 
      laudatory pallANDu for LORD SRINIVAASAN .         

      The revered Jeeyar combined the words maa with 
      nishAdha to make it " MaanishAdha" instead of 
      viewing them as separate words. In this view ,
      MaanishAdaha translates into Sri ( Maa) nivAsan
      (nishAdhan ). One is reminded of MaalOlan here 
      made up of Maa+lOlan , the name celebrating the Lord
      as Lakshmi Narasimhan .Next ,the Jeeyar translated 
      the words , " prathishtAm tvam agama: saasvathi SamA "
      of the SlOkam as PallANDu of Sage Valmiki for
      Maanishadha SrinivAsan . That is Saasvatha MangaLaasAsanam .
      It was thrilling to hear this wondeful intrepretation . 

The other PramANams used in this UpanyAsam to
underline the significance and importance of 
the performance of SaraNAgathi will be covered in the next 
posting .

Azhagiya Singhar ThiruvadikaLE SaraNam 
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan