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Dhanur Maasam: Thiruppavai--Artha panchakam ( JeevAthma Svarupam)

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • January 4, 1997 


Dear GodhA PriyAs :

So Far we enjoyed the first of the pentads of the Artha 
Panchakam ( Viz)., Isvara Svarupam. Now on this day , we will
focus on the second of the Pentads , JeevAthma Svarupam .
I think this is intended for the fourteenth day , which I missed out. 

JeevAthma Svarupam
************************

Plenty indeed are the instances in Thiruppavai , where Isvara svarupam 
is celebrated. Few indeed are  the sites , where Jeevathma Svarupam is
pointed out. It is appropriate to state that  those small number of citations 
cover profound docctrines associated with the nature of Jeevan and its 
attributes. 

At  the outset , we can recognize that the Jeevans are of three types :
Baddhar, Mukthar and Nityar . Baddhars are bound with samsArA
and they are influenced by their AnAdhi karmAs . MukthAs are liberated 
jeevans freed from the bonds of samsArA due to bhagavadh prasAdham
and are also  known as Mumukshus . NityAs or Nitya Suris are like Isvara 
in many ways except for their ability to create , protect and dissolve this
universe.
Further , they differ from Isvaran in that they can not grant Moksham 
for anyone . Those powers  are reserved for Isvaran. Otherwise , Nityars 
share every other KalyaNa guNAs of IsvarA and offer him Nitya  Kaimkaryam 
in Parama Padham . The Nityars are represented by Adhi Seshan , GarudA and 
VishvaksenA  .

Places where we have references to JeevAtma Svarupam in the Rahasya Trayam
*********************************************************************************
********

In the PraNavam of Mula Manthram , it is represented by MakAram and in the 
Naara sabdham of the Mula Manthram .  In the Dvayam , it is met in the "Uttaman
"
denoted by the word "PrapathyE ". The Jeevathma Svarupam is embedded in 
the "madhyaman "  word " Vraja " in the sarama slokam; additional places , where

it is encountered are in the Padham "Tvaa " and the Vaakyam " Maa sucha : " in
the 
same sarama slokam of GeethAchAryan . Volumes have  be written about 
the inner meanings by Swami Desikan in  Rahasya Traya Saaram and related works .

Thiruppavai and JeevAthma Svarupam
********************************************

The instances where the Jeevaathma svarupam referred by
the Aayar Sirumis (AndAL and Gopis ) are : 

namakkE (Verse 1) , naamumum ( Verse 2) , NaangaL
Nam paavaikku (Verse 3 ) , NaangaLum mArghazhi neerAdi ( Verse 4 ) , 
Naam Thumalar thoovi ( verse 5) , Naam sevitthAl ( verse 8) , 
PuNNIyam yaam udayOm (verse 28 ) et al . 

The most celebrated reference to JeevAthmA svarupam and the  relation 
of the Jeevan to  ParamAthmA is contained in the most sacred verse starting
with the words " chirram chiru kaalE vandhunnai sevitthu ". The profound 
doctrines of JeevAthma svarupam (Viz)., Ananya Bhogyathvam , Ananya
UpAyathvam and AnanyArha Seshathvam are housed in this verse. As Professor
VasudhA NaarayaNan referred to in her posting today , It was Paraasara
Bhattar who advised us to recite this most important verse alone , when we 
are unable to recite the entire Thiruppavai of AndAL . 

The Ananya Bhogyathvam is celebrated by the passage of this 29th verse:
" Un PoRRAmaRai adiyEh pORRum " . Ananya UpAyathvam is asked for 
in the section of this verse : " Nee kuRREval YengaLai koLLAmar pohAthu ".
The doctrine of the Ananyarha Seshatvam of the Jeevan is indicated by 
the passage: " uRROmEyAvOm unakkE naam aat chyvOm ".  The three 
Athma Svarupa lakshaNams of the Jeevan are thus woven in to this
extraordinarily important twenty ninth paasuram . 

Every day of our lives , we should make it a habit to recite this verse pregnant
with the meanings of VisishtAdhvaitam dealing with the relationship between
Chidh , Achidh and Isvaran and seek the blessings of AndAL to keep us
rooted in the Brahma Gathi .

In the next posting , we will enjoy together the third of the Artha Panchakam
pentad : UpAya Svarupam.

savayasa: iva yE nitya nirdhosha gandhA : ( tasmai NamO nama: ) 

AndAL ThiruvadigalE SaraNam 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan