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Selected excerpts from MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy's ThiruppAvai Monograph: Part XXII-> Fifteenth day : ellE iLankiLiyE Dinam

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Sadagopan • December 30, 2000 


Srimathyai GodhAyai Nama:
SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

Dear BhakthAs: This Paasuram is considered by our AchAryAs
as " ThiruppAvayilum ThiruppAvai". Among the dhivya prabhandhams ,
Godhai's  Prabhandhams are the most exalted;even among Her 
two Prabhandhams, ThiruppAvai has the loftiest position. In all 
the thirty paasurams of ThiruppAvai, this paasuram is the most
important.Even in this paasuram , the passage " naanE thaan
aayiduha" is the supremely important one with depths and
depths of meaning . 

PerukkAraNai Swamy has elaborated on the deeper meanings of 
the paasurams for almost 25 pages based on the four pages
of Abhinava Desikan . We will cover the highlights of
this abiding message of " naanE thAnn aayyiudaha" 
briefly due to the restrictions of space and time .
This message can see us through many storms and 
controversies that we face during our lives as 
Sri VaishNavAs , when it comes to BhAgavatha daasyam ,
an essential prerequisite among the codes of conduct 
for a true Sri VaishNavan .

This paasuram unlike the other " awakening Paasurams"
is set in Paraspara SamvAdham (mutual dialog )pattern/mode
to heighten the rasAnubhavam about the importance of 
BhAgavatha Daasyam over Bhagavath daasyam . 

Bhagavath daasyam is celebrated by ANDAL in 
" SiRRam SiRukAlE vanthunnai sEvithtu" paasuram . 
In the "ellE iLankiLiyE" paasuram , which precedes 
the "siRRam siRukAlE --" paasuram , ANDAL points 
out that " Bhagavath daasyathtukku ellai nilam is
BhAgavatha daasyam" and sings about the latter first
in "ellE iLankiLiyE " and then goes on to sing about 
Bhagavath daasyam (later) in " SiRRam siRukAlE" paasuram.

Those who understand the importance of BhAgavath 
daasyam and stay away from the unpardonable apachArams to
the servants of the Lord are very , very dear to Him. 
That is why our Lord says in His upadEsam: 
"Jn~Anithu aathmaiva" and "mama bhaktha bhakthEshu".
Another utthama Sri VaishNavar wants the boon of being the Lord's 
servant's servants seven times over ( Thvath Bhruthya Bhruthya--).
Swamy NammAzhwAr celebrates the importance of BhAgaavtha-
daasyam in His paasuram: "nedumARkkadimai--".ThiruppANar
instructs us in this context: " adiyArkku yennai aatpaduthtum 
Vimalan". Swamy NaammAzhwAr referred to saptha parva 
daasyathvam in his paasurap pahuthi: "adiyAr adiyAr 
tamm adiyAr adiyAr--" . 

This concept of BhAgavatha daasyam can not be explained
successfully by upadEsam ; it can only be understood 
through anushtAnam of BhAgavatha daasyam . ANDAL bleesed
us with this paasuram so that one can emulate the practise of
utthama Sri VaishnavAs. She enhances the efficency of 
the instruction by setting this paasuram in the "Ukthi-
prakyukthi" (Q&A)mode . Offering our salutations to BhagavAn 
as a part of the sathsangam of BhAgavathAs is the most
exalted way to worship Him ; therefore , PeriyAzhwAr 
addresed the Utthama adhikAris as " yengaL kuzhaam 
puhunthu koodu manamudayeer !".

Charactrestrics of Utthama Sri Vaishnavaas
********************************************
BhUvarAhAcchAr Swamy sums up the TEN distingushing
codes of conduct for our interaction with UtthamAdhikAris 
( BhaagavathAs/BhakthAs of BhagavAn)as instructd by ANDAL 
through the "ukthi-prayukthi " lines of this very important
paasuram :

1. " ellE ilankiLiyE": the implied sense is that the speech
     of the devotee (BHagavathA) is most welcome.

2. " innam uRangudiyO?": it is wrong to indulge in other things
     (vishayams) when the company of BhagavathAs is available.

3. " chil yenRu azhayEnmin": Not a single harsh word should be
     used in conversation with BhAgavathAs.

4. " nangaimeer pOdarhinREn": BhAgavathAs should be addressed 
     most respectfully with utter/sincere humility.

5. " Vallai un katturaigaL": even the chastisement by 
     a BhAgavathA (which will always be constructive) 
     should be accepted gracefully.

6. " ValleergaL neengaLE NAANE THAAN AAYIDUGA" : Owning others'
     mistakes as one's own is the hallmark (LakshaNam) of 
     a true Sri VaishNavan. For example , BharathA holds 
     himself responsible for RaamA's exile to the forest.

7. " ollai nee pOdhAi": seperation form the BhAgavathAs even
     for a second is unbearable.

8. " unakenna vERudayai" : The path laid down by one's poorvAs
     need to be followed , not what is dictated by one's own mind.

9. " ellArum pOndhArO pOnthAr ponthu yeNNikkoL ": seeing 
     a congregation of BhAgavathAs (and being part of that 
     group)is the most desired fruit in this life. The enjoyment 
     is not complete even if one BhAgavathA  is missing. 
     Their sight (darsana soubhAgaym)and touch ( adorning
     the dust from their sacred feet )are all vital factors 
     to change one's purpose in this life and acquire lasting
     soubhAgyams.
     
10." VallAnai konRAnai mARRArai mARRazhikka vallAnai Mayanai paadu":
     Singing His ( Lord's) virtues , valour , victory and other
     kalyANa guNAs are vital to a Sri VaishNavA as  means of 
     pleasing other Sri VaishNavAs; as such , it results in 
     the service of BhAgavathAs( BhAgavatha daasyam), which is
     the boundary limit of Bhagavath Kaimkaryam .

These ten golden rules are to be cherished by us says
ANDAL , the avathAram of BhUmi Devi for our ujjeevanam
(salvation)after Her own dialog on Laghu Upayam with
Her Lord BhU VarAhan to redeem us .

Inner Meanings according to PerukkAraNai Swamy
***********************************************
iLam KiLIyE !             Oh ChEthanms , who are locked up
                          in the cage of SamsAram and thus
                          unable to spread your wings and
                          have sanchAram to perform Bhagavan-
                          mukhOllAsa Kaimkaryams!

innam uranguthiyO ?       Oh ChEthanams , who have taken so
                          many births and have not succeeded in
                          acquiring Jn~Anam about Tatthva-Hitha-
                          PurushArtham from a SadAchAryan!

yellE !                   What a wonder ?Even now you can get up
                          and join the BhAgavatha GhOshti observing
                          this Paavai nOnbhu !

Nangaimeer                As the Ones , who are enjoying the poorna
                          Sukham as true BhaagavathAs

chil yenRu                Please do not address adiyEn (aparAdhi)        
azhayEn                   in an unbearbale (asahya ) manner 

pOtharhinREn              adiyEn will awaken and engage in 
                          sadh-vishayams( Bhagavath-BhAgavatha-
                          AchArya Kaimkaryams).

vallai unn                adiyEn remembers well the stories 
katturaikaL               about sages Rsihyasrungar and Soubhari 
pandayunn vAiaRithum      heard from mahAns

valleerkaL neengaLE       all of You have also shared these
                          vrutthAnthams with adiyEn .

naanE thAnn aayiduha      adiyEn stays (however)enjoying Vishaya
                          Sukhams without VairAgyam 

ollai nee pOthAi          (bhAgavathAs outside say ): Oh iLam
                           kiLiyE! Please retain VairAgyam, 
                           abandon the taste for vishaya sukhams
                           and abandon the proclivity for 
                           the anubhavam of  kaivalyam ( in favor 
                           of Moksham).

yellOrum pOntharO          (iLam KiLi inside): Are all the chethenams
                           of our Lord's world engaged in performing
                           kaimkaryam to Him ?

pOndhAr pOndhu             (BhaagavathALs): Most of them knowing
yeNNikkoLL                  the futility and purposelessness of
                            chasing vishaya sukhams are engaged in
                            Bhagavath-BhAgavatha Kaimkaryams .Please
                            come out and count(see) for yourself!

VallAnai konRAnai          (BhAgavathALs outside say): Oh iLam kiLI !  
mARRazhikka VallAnai ,      Please sing of our Lord , who changes 
Maayanaip Paadu !           the world-enchnating MaayA inside us         
                            and rules over it in our favor !
                            Please sing the keerthi of our Lord ,
                            who controls the strong indhriyams that
                            lead us astray and reorients them to
                            serve Him and His BhAgavathAs !

adiyEn dedicates this posting to a great BhaagavathOtthma Here ,
Sriman Venkat Kanumalla Swamy , who has dedicated His whole
life and property to the service of Sri RanganAthA and 
Sriamth Azhagiya Singar , our ParamAchAryan .May the SaraNya
Dampahtis and our AchAryan blees him with all Kaimkarya
SoubhAgyams ! 

Our AchAryans are our "nadamAdum Dhaivams" and are 
MaayAvis in that they transform us from the status of
nithya samsAris (Iron) to Nithya Soori(Gold) Paksham .
We become aware of our Svaroopa Nishtai by singing 
about the greatness of our AchAryans and meditating
on their Taniyans .

ANDAL , Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
RaamAnuja Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan 



   


   
  


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