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oththAr mikkAr... TVM 2.3.2

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Vijay Triplicane • July 24, 2000 


Lakshmi. wrote:
---------------------------
2.My second doubt is regarding the Verse "Othaar
MiKaarai Ellaiyaya Maamaya". When Alwar says
Emberuman doesn't have anyone equalising(OtHaar) Him
it is obvious that no one is above him.Then why he
agains puts the phrase Mikkaar.
---------------------------

That is an interesting observation. In general, when we say that there
is no equal to somebody(oththAr), it implicitly means that there is none
higher than him (mikkAr) either. Theologically speaking, this could be
correct and that the expression 'mikkAr illai'  might even seem
redundant. But in a philosophical context, you don't leave room for any
assumptions and stress more clearly without any doubt.

    I looked into the bhagavad vishayam vyAkyAnam  for this pAsuram.
This "oththAr mikkAr illai Aya mAmAya!" is directly taken from
svEthAsvathara upanishad. " ... na thath samaschApyadhikascha dhrusyathE
...." (The one who has no equal and nothing exceeding him...)

Allow me to indulge more into this pAsuram.

oththAr mikkArai illai Aya mAmAya!
oththAi epporutkum uyirAy ennaip peRRa
aththAyAyth than^dhaiyAy aRiyAdhana aRiviththu
aththA! n^I seydhana adiyEn aRiyEnE.
                                                                -- TVM
2.3.2

oththAr mikkAr illai Aya mAmAya -
    'samAdhika dharidhranAy adhyAscharyamAna padiyai udaiyavanE'.  Even
the Lord Sriman Narayana lacks one thing. He does not have 'anything
equal to or exceeding him'. If one lacks something he is called a
dharidhran, and he is sama adhika dharidhran (oththAr mikkAr illai ). It
is indeed very surprising to see how such a 'dharidhran could do so many
unimaginable favours to me. (Aya mAmAya)

oththAy epporutkum -
    As explained above you are a sarvAdhikan. You are above everything.
And you chose to come among us as one of us through your avathArams.
mEnmai yOdE varil kitta oNNAdhu enRu agaluvargaL, thAzha vittu varil
kARkadaikkoLLuvargaL; AgaiyAl sajAthIyanAy van^dhu avadharikka vENum ...
(If you appear as the most superior among us, we would be afraid and shy
away from you. If you appear inferior to us, we won't even attempt to
approach you and hence you chose to appear as one among us (sa
jAthIyanAy)... )

uyirAy ennaip peRRa aththAyAyth than^dhaiyAy aRiyAdhana aRiviththu -
    And having appeared as one among us what did you do? You were my
soul, my dear mother, my father and my AchAryan. uyirAy - sarva
padhArththa dhArakanAy, thAyAy - thAyAmpadi 'priya'paranAy, than^dhayAy
- pithAvAmpadi 'hitha'paranumAy, aRiyAdhana aRiviththu - as an AchAryan,
you taught me everything that I didn't know because of my ignorance.

aththA! n^I seydhana adiyEn aRiyEnE -
    svAmI, you are the most superior and hence you did all these
upakAram to me. I can just enjoy the favours. Can I ever attempt to
explain it ...Only you know that too!

An interesting anecdote:
    During Sri embAr's upanyAsam of this pAsuram, he asked his sishyAs,
"Who do you think is the most important teacher (parama guru) to this
soul?". Some said, "AchAryan", some others said, "the srivaishNavan who
took you to the AchAryan". embAr replied, "No. Even if somebody has
taken you to the AchAryan and even if the AchAryan wishes to teach you,
it is the sarvEsvaran within you who created this inclination to learn
("allEn ennAdhapadi isaiviththu ennai") (instead of saying "no") and
hence He is the parama guru"

adiyEn rAmAnuja dhAsan,
Vijay Triplicane
(Viji)


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