thirup pAvai - part 20 - "thozhilan"
From the Bhakti List Archives
• January 10, 1998
Sri ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam "koor vEl kodunthozhilan" The inner most meaning here for this line is tha achArya sthAnam that is in the middle rungs of the ladder that the jivAtma ascends in its way to the Lord. It has been discussed as to why a Father is given the achArya sthAnam in the HINDU marriage tradition. The ritual saraNagathi or baranyAsam itself is considered a marraige with the Lord. Thus in the marriage of saranAgathi performed as a nOnbu by Sri ANDAL (done for paving the way for the jivAtmAs), the reference to Sri Nandagopan is directed to achAryan. In this vyakyAnam the word "sthAnam" or "position" here is important. In an overall meaning a jivAtmA can attain (through the nOnbu or marraige known as saranAgathi) the Lord as its eternal purushan mainly through the blessings of achAryAn and the same is realised through the mantra upadEsam that is performed during this occassion. Thus the knowledge of achAryan comes first to the jivAtmA through the "thiru aruL" of the Lord. Then through the achAryan comes the realisation of the eternal bondage with the purushan the Lord by the mantra upadEsam. Thus the reference is made to mantra upadEsam through reference to the "Mother yasOdhai" only after the "achArya sthAnam". This realisation becomes complete and full only and only by Lord's thiru uLLam knonw as "siddha upAyam". The word "thozhilan" here refers to the position or occupation or sthAnam. What is the thozhil or occupation that the achArya sthAnam performs for a jivAtma in its ascendance to the Lord. achAryAs parichchayam or acquaintance brings the jivAtmA to the limelight. The jivAtman is surrounded by the annyAnam that is similar to a deep dark black hole and thick dark smoke. These are the "7" screens that cover the jivAtma in its realisation of self. Though the jivAtma has the "pakkuvam" or maturity it still needs to fully realise its own self. This is also similar to a cleansing job, ie., like washing a vessel with the cleaning liquid. AchAryAs vicinity itselves clears some of these screens of. However the mantra upadEsam and the anusanthAnam such mantram (ie.,dwayam mantram) alone makes this realisation to almost near as "far" as the jivAtmA is considered. AchArya does the mantra upadEsam and baranyAsam as a full time "thozhil" and tirelessly for so many jivAtmAs who comes with the desire to surrender to the Lord. In fact it is understood in Sri SampradhAyam that they are "mandated" to perform these for the matured jivAtmAs. Thus the "thozhilan" here is the achAryan who has the thozhil of protecting the jivAtmAs from their annyAnams taking the toll on them. In Srivaishnavam "AcharyA sthAnam" is given the utmost importance. This can be very well seen from the thaniyan "Lakshmi nAtha samArambAm". ie., It is said that Lord Himself facilitated the achArya pArampariyam as HE HIMself being the first achAryan for the thAyAr Sri Lakshmi. Coming to the pAsuram, one may ask as to why such thozhil is referred as "kodum thozhil". Here the tamil word kodum doesnot refer to some thozhil. ie., this sentence has to be split as "koor vEl kodum" and "thozhilan nandagOpan" and kumaran. The word "kodum" is referred to the "annyAnam" that is destroyed by the "koor vEL" here known as the "thiru aruL" of the achAryAn. Why is the "annyAnam" so dangerous or kodum. It is because of the fact that such annyAnam prevented the jivAtmA all along from fully realising the nature of its own self. Why is achAryAs "thiru aruL" so sharp as "koor vEl", because it destroys the annyAnam in a nodi. ie., "nooRRAndu iruLaiyum nodiyilE pOkkidum OLiyAkum". ie,. the iruL or the darkness that has been blanketting the jivAtmA for centuries ie., in its several births so far, will be pierced in just one split second by the "oLi" or bright light that is passed from the blessings of the achAryAL. The breaking the screen of annyAnam is first important and it is implied as such that jivAtma couldnot have done it without achAryAs "thiru aruL". ie., the "thiru aruL" of the Lord is made through "achAryA" for the jivAtma. Such oLi or thiru aruL is usually attained from achAryA by doing bAgwatha kaimkaryam. ie.,Such will be facilitated by being in the company of devout and learned bAgwathALs (sath sangam). Then one will be able to learn through them the importance of acharyAs and reach the "sath" acharya and do errand service to them and attain their "thiru aruL". That is when, the jivAtma begins to realise by discovering the swaya swaroopam. Sri ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam Sampath Rengarajan
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