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Re: SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 74 - Part 2? A comment

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Unknown Sender • Sun Jun 02 2002 - 15:22:26 PDT 


ShrI RAmAnujasya CaraNoU Sharanam PrapadhyE

NamskAram,Thiru krishnamAcAri dAsan avarkaLE.

I want to thank you for your rendering of the bHasyam for the 696th name: 
thIrTHankarA of BhagavAn ShrI VishnU. I would like to raise a question: My 
principal interest is in the meaning of words. 

My question arises from the use of the second THavargA in the word: thIrTHA. 
Thamiz will not distinguish between thIrtha and thIrTHa. 

Taking the name as one involving thIrTHa, we can break it onto th + ArTHa: 
Meaning or purpose of th. What is "th". It is the root for thyAga, thyAjyA, 
with the verb, "thyajathi".  thIrTHa is the "meaning of 'th". 

I am fascinated by the simple Thamiz of NammAazvAr. One hardly needs a 
commentator to get the main message in his poetry. Even after 2000 years or 
more, his Thamiz is not much different from the Thamiz of today. Truly 
amazing. 

Since you were kindly quoted NammAazvAr, let us translate the pAcuram into 
English:

Having decided that there is no other refuge other than the "thIrthan", which 
You are, I gave up (I am deliberately not using the word "surrender" here) my 
heart to you. Then,  in regards to one who masters singing from among the one 
thousand "liberators" of Shad[a]KOpan (Six + Master) hailing from the rich 
village of "KuRukUr", it shall be that the DhEvAs will extoll him/her 
appreciatively to their wives as "heavenly liberators". 

Thamiz has the words, "thYAgam" and "thIrthal". Let us take a look at 
MAnikkaVacakar: ThirupPavai 3

Punmai thIrththu AatKondAl pollAdhO? Will it be bad if you get rid of [or 
remove] my base nature and take charge of me. 

So one meaning of "thIrthal" is to give up, and in causal form "to make give 
up", "to remove", "to liberate" etc.  More over, "thIrthal" always seems to 
imply a termination of a problem and the beginning of another. For example in 
mathmatics, problem solving: kELviyai thIrthal. Solve an equation: 
SAmyaththaith thIrthal etc. thIrthukKattudhal: To finish it off. 

We have the paired word 'thuRaththal" to renounce, which also implies giving 
up. thIrthal and thuRaththal go together and gives rise to a subtle battle in 
life. BhagaVan KrishnA illustrates this in Ch. 18 in the GIthA.

In the very first stanza, ArjunA asks the decisive question to get clarity on 
this issue: "Please tell me waht is the diference between "SanyAsa" and 
"thYagA". That the two are paired is not clear until you get the answer; but 
the thamiz words "thuRaththal" and "thIrthal" show right away that there is a 
problem, and that the solution may be a subtle one capable of fooling even 
the most learned. 

If we look for further evidence, we see that the Jains have a lineage of 
"thIrthankaRas". So who is a thIrthankarA for the Jains? He is one who is 
gone beyond the giving up of the four karmAs arising from jhAthi 
considerations. A thIrthankaRa must give up all 8 karmAs: the above four + 
three additional ones defined by the gunAs and one more, which I do not 
remember. He must be a sanyAci for the Jains.

In NammAazvAr, there is no reference to holy waters. He is concerned with 
CaranAGathi to be liberated from the cycle of samsAra. 

The last chapter of the GIthA addresses this in full. It seems to me that one 
has to overcome one's ignorance as in the Chapter on jnAna in the GIthA. Even 
though Bhakthi is an unconditional answer, the need for Bhakthi is part of 
knowledge. That is the question of avidhyA is for ever present. That seems to 
be the position of SankarA, who has composed some of the most devotional 
songs unsurpassed in beauty, themes, and metrics. 

As is known, the road to Bhakthi is not one that is paved. There is an 
eternal struggle betwen thyAga (giving up) and nYAsa (to lead a life or to 
make a living). The GIthA answers in a subtle way the need for knowledge. 
thyAga and nyAsa are the same, when nyAsa becomes sanYasa as defined in the 
GIthA. That means do not give up making a living (nYasa) but make it  good 
(sam) by doing what you have to do after careful thinking and not worrying 
about results. Give up (thIrthal) the fruits of your action. Do your actions. 
Then you are a ThuRavi. 

A ThIrthankarA is one who models this for others to follow. BhagavAn KrishnA 
is the most outstanding and so is Lord RAmA. For they made their living just 
like all ordinary mortals, but they did so without worrying about the 
consequences. Duties defined their actions not the consequences. 

A thIrthankAra is one such. He is a model for 'thIrthal" which I believe is 
the Thamiz word for "thyAgam". In particular he has to showcase his living. 
In the ch. on rAjaYogA, vivasvAn is presented as an outstanding example of 
rAjaYogi. Sure who can model for us what work is other than the sun! He comes 
everyday for us to see (You cannot say it about Chandran!). And he is for 
all. He is also a liberator of sins: kRura PApaHarE krushAnO" : The one who 
removes the most deadly sins. nAdhaJothi Shri MuthuSwAmi DIkschithar: 
SUryaMUrthE NamOsthUthE. When the Lord is SURyaNArAynan, He is a 
thIrthankarA. I do not know a name for Shri NArAyanan that is the equivalent 
of ChandraMoulI just as Lord CivA does not have a name that is the equivalent 
of SURyaNARAyanan. 

Vandhanam.

May He endow us with Grace. 

Visu








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