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Twelfth day of Dhanur Maasam : Artha Panchakam& Thiruppavai: Part 3

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • January 2, 1997 


Dear BhakthAs of GodhA Piratti :

We will together start the discussions on the First of the five 
doctrines of Arhta Panchakam now. We will be guided by 
Swami Desikan's RTS and the excellent essay of Dr. Rangarajan
on the subject of Artha Panchakam and Thiruppavai .. 

*****First doctrine : PARA SVARUPAM

The Taittireeya Upanishad passage 3.1 states majestically 
that Brahman is the one which is behind the creation ,
protection and dissolution of the Universe ( Jagath KaaraNathvam,
Rakshakthvam and Upasamharakam ) . This upanishadic 
passage  starts with the famous pronouncement :
YathO vaa imAni bhoothAni JaayantE---tadh Brahma .

The Brahma Sutram , JanmAhdasya yatha: , has  been 
based on this Upanishadic passage . The Bhagavad 
RamAnuja SiddhAntham has established that the 
SUKSHMA CHIDH ACHIDH VISISHTA BRAHMAN IS
NONE OTHER THAN NARAYANAN  . This is the conclusion 
of Acharya Ramanuja , the Thiruppavai Jeeyar . 

The basis for that is the identification and salutation of Narayana 
as the Jagadh KaaraNan by AndAL right at the beginning of 
and the end of Thiruppavai as " Oozhi Mudalvan (Verse 4 ) ,
"Aalin ilayaai (Verse 26 ) .She points out through these 
salutations that NarAyanan is the SUKSHMA CHIDH AND
 ACHIDH VISISHTA PARABRAHMAN . She elaborates this 
principle by addressing NarayanA in her twenty first Paasuram
as " Ulahinil ThORRamAi ninra SudarE . Here , Dr. Rangarajan 
points out that AndAL indicates  the kaarya Dasai of Jagadh
KaaraNa activities as suggested by the " Baheesyaam --" passage 
of Taittireeya AraNyakam . Here BhagavAn's sankalpam to create 
is referred to .

In this context , AndAL uses NarAyaNa nAmam 
in verses 1 , 7 and10 :

NaarayaNanE namaakE parai taruvAn ( Paasuram 1 )

NaarayaNan moorthi Kesavan ( Paasuram 7 )

NaaRRatthuzuhAi  mudi NaarayaNan (Paasuram 10 ) 

This Brahma Sabdham is saluted by AndAL in her 25 th 
verse , when She addresses NarayaNA as " nedumAlE ".
nedumAL and ThirumAl are unique names affiliated with 
VishNu/NarAyaNan in Tamil . 

Swami Desikan states in the context of describing 
Isvara Svarupam in RTS the Svarupam of PrApya 
Brahman is contained in Mula manthram's PrathamAksharam
( PraNavam ) and in the  purva  and Uttara portions of Dvya manthram 
( Sriman NaarayaNa -- and SrimathE NarayanAya --) .
The same Brahma sabdham denoting NarAyaNa is 
indicated by the words Maam and Aham in the Sarama 
Slokam revealed in Bhagadh GitA .

In the next posting , the Isvara Svarupam of NaarAyaNa 
as the one united always with His consort will be discussed .

samastha chidhachid vasthu sarireeyAkhilAthmanE I
SrimathE nirmalAnandhOdhanvatE VishNavE nama : II
---MangaLa Slokam of Vedantha  Saaram of Sri RamanujA

(Meaning ) : My salutations to the blemishless  Lord VishNu , 
who is always  united with His consort ,  MahA Lakshmi and 
who is like an ocean of Aanandham .

SrimathE nArayNAya nama :

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan