Input for CD ROM On AzhwArs : Part XI.4: Swamy NammAzhwAr's THIRUVAASIRIYAM (Second Prabhandham).
From the Bhakti List Archives
• March 3, 2001
The Meanings of the 7 paasurams of TA (K.C.VaradAchAri)
*******************************************************
(1) Vision of the Sesha Saayee at the Milky Ocean:
***************************************************
Like the lustrous emerald-green mountain with
huge red-clouds, crimson Sun , cool Moon adorned
and wearing many stars with coral-red reefs asleep
on the palm of the Ocean's lord , Thou art wrapt in
yellow robe, adorned with crown and necklace,and bright
jewels , bright-lipped and red-eyed, with an entrancing
body resting on the couch-like serpent , poisonous and
brooding. In the midst of the Ocean enjoyest Thou yogic
sleep , so that SivA , BrahmA , IndrA and other hosts of
Gods may worship Thee.! Oh Thou lotus-navelled One !
Oh Supreme Godhead! Oh Thou who hast feet that measured
the three worlds !
(2)SnEha-Poorva anudhyAna Bhakthi from that vision:
****************************************************
Through its intense desire to wear on its head
the signs of the Lord's sovereignity , the Soul
struggles to attain the sacred feet of the Lord
(VishNu-Thrivikrama) resounding with ankle bells.
That Lord is the world creator-devourer.Abandoning
puerile ends , the Soul melts and loses itself in
devotion and love to Him in that delight of enjoying
the transcendent nectar-flood. Let it. If Lordship ,
established place and imperishable strength over
the three worlds be got but without getting liberation ,
will knowers aim at that?(Certainly not).
(3)Importance of BhAgavatha Kaimkaryam:
****************************************
Because of whose will the three worlds tread
the good path He is famed as Sole refuge , who
destins all to be true , who among the three gods
is Chief, whose chest is luminous , who in the cool
ocean full of high waves that roar like thunder-bolts
at which the mountains quake , bound a serpent king
(Vaasuki) round the huge(MandrA) mountain and churned
for nectar, to That One Supreme God 's devotees , we shall
become servants , hereafter , creation after creation.
(4)Desire for the AarAdhanam of the Lord's Holy Feet:
******************************************************
Will it not come to pass that creation after creation
unceasingly undisturbed , we shall seek refuge at
the feet of the Primeval Divine Wonderful Being ,
Who once upon a time , when all the world's were hot
and all the worlds and all beings ceased to be , was
unattainable by countless souls;Then unaided , the Sole
Seed , out of His navel , He brought forth the supremely
powerful Brahma , Sivan and other Gods and willed
the existence of the three worlds ?.
(5) The Power of ThrivikramA's holy feet
*****************************************
Making Thy one lotus-foot face downwards covering
the Earth entire , Oh Thou Primordial Cause !
With the other brilliant lotus-foot hast Thou
covered the entire sky, so that the Brahman's
world felt wonder and joy and the gods , the path
shown by the VedAs tread! With eyes like the lotus-garden
in bloom , with lips like (bhimbA) fruit ,wearing
a crown , lustrous like the dawn or an infinite-
rayed thousand Sun , Thou art with a thousand
shoulders like the KalpakA forest (that grantest all)!
To Thee canst not the worlds be devoted slaves?Oh Lord !
(6)Obstaces to the attainment of the Lord's Holy Feet:
*******************************************************
Alas! man's nature is this: to adore the wodden doll,
whilst his mother, who brought him forth is unattended
stands before him ! Whilst the Supreme God -- who brought
forth the world , raised it , created it out of Himself,
measured it , muses on it and saves it-- exists,
to worship some other god(s) , waht one has seen reveals one's
stupidity that causes pain to the knowers (of truth): their
sevices to the lesser gods causes pain and causes them
to engage in other prohibited actions. The fruits granted
by these undesirable pursuits are nothing but joys mixed
with grief. They become the causes of complete submergence,
unceasing , in the beginningless vast deluding samsArA ,
through manifold deluding things of senses.
(7)parama PurushArtham is the Worship of sriman Naarayanan:
************************************************************
He upholds Rudra , who wears the Moon on his matted locks ,
Brahmaa the four-faced, IndrA , the chief of of the dEvAs!
Having the color of green leaf, He upholds all the worlds
including the earth with all its creatures and all
the elements ,water, fire,air and light-pervaded ehter,
the brilliant Sun and Moon with their splendid rays.
All are kept without falling asunder through His power
within Himself, so that they are not seen (in PraLayaa).
It is He , who is resting on the banyan leaf (in the ocean
at cosmic withdrawal).Him , our Lord , the Great MaayAvi
alone , and no other God shall we adore.
In the final paasuram of ThiruvAsiriyam, Swamy NammAzhwAr
answers the question raised by a veda Manthram: "Kasmai
DevAya HavishOvidEma?" (To which God should we offer
oblation/aahUthi?).SN answers that question unambigously
and with certainity that we should offer our worship to
that Sarvan , Sakala GuNa ParipUrNan celebrated by
the VedAs and Saathvika PurANAs as the One in whom
all things attain rest and seek refuge ( Saravm
SamApnOsi tatOsi Sarvah).
Celebration of ThiruvikramAvathAram in ThiruvAsiriyam
******************************************************
SN has been awed by the vision of Thrivikraman , who
grew from a Vaamana roopam to the directions-striding
Thrivikraman.The SookshmArthams of this avathAram enchanted
SN and he celebrated that avathAram at a few places in TA.
In the first Paasuram , where SN enjoys the Lord resting
at the Milky Ocean, the memory of Thrivikraman propels him
to address the Lord as :" Tanip Peru Naayaka , Moovulahu
aLantha sEvadiyOyE" ( Oh matchless SarvEsvara with
broad feet to measure the three worlds ).
In the second paasuram of TA , SN celebrates that
heroic valor ( MaayA peru ViRal)and enjoys Him as
"anbhilinn thERal amudha VeLLam "(the delectable
BhOgyam of tne nectarine flood for those , who
approach Him with SnEham/freindship and preethi/love).
In the fifth paasuram, SN salutes magnificently
the happenings during ThrivikramAvathAram on
the Earth and Brahma lOkam and beyond.In the sixth
paasuram, SN refers again to the measurement of
the Earth and Sky with two steps and salutes
Sriman NaarAyaNan as " Mudhal Peru KadavuL"
( Primordial Great Lord).
Celebration Of ThrivikramAvathAram in Yajur Vedam
**************************************************
Many indeed are the Yajur Veda Mathrams that salute
ThrivikramAvathAram for its esoteric references to
eastablish Him as Adhi dhaivam and as SarvEsvaran's
avathAram. Yajur manthram( Book II.25) celebrates
Sriman NaarAyaNA's pervasion (VyApthi) of the sky ,
air and earth , nay throughout His Universe as
Thrivikraman ( Dhivi VishNur vyagumstha--antharikshE
VishNur vyakthragumstha--pruthivyAm VishNur
vyakthragumstha GaayathrENa ChandasA --).
Yajur Vadam : Book V.15 and 18: " Idham VishNur vichakramE
trEdhA nidhadhE padham and --VishNOr nukam veeryANi
pra vOcham---vichakramANas-thrEdhOrugAyO VishNavE thvA".
Here the pervasion of the earth, air and sky in gross
and subtle form as Thrivikraman and His valor in doing
so is saluted as reasons for offering AarAdhanam to Him
and Him alone.
Yajur Vedam X.19 refers to His Visvaroopam as " dhyAvA
pruthvee VisvarUpE".Yajur Vedam Book XXXIV.43 salutes
the protective and blessing power of the most merciful
Lord through His three steps to establis His laws :
" ThrINi padhA vi chakramE VishNurgOpthA adhAbhya:,
athO dharmANi dhArayan".
The Saanthi paatam ( Yajur Vedam :XXXVI.9) invokes
the valor of Thrivikraman at the end of the manthram:
Sam nO mithra: Sam VaruNa: Sam nO BhavathvaryamA
sam na IndhrO Bruhaspathi: Sam nO VISHNURURUKRAMA:
In one Yajur Veda Mantharam of Book XXXIII , the revelation
is made : " I(Jeevan) also am in these three steps of VishNu-
Thrivikraman , where with this universe is permeated.
Sri K.C.VaradachAri Comments further: " The AlwAr
wonders at the greatest exploit of VishNu , which
makes Him ALL-PERVADING SOVERIGN OF ALL THINGS ,
SOULS AND GODS ;all the powers of other gods are
subordinated to this Rulership principle of Vishnu-
Thrivikraman.
ThiruvAsiriyam of Swamy NammAzhwAr salutes this
powerful truism of SarvEsvarathvam of Sriman NaarAyaNan
and performs upadEsam for us not to go astray from
that fundamental doctrine .
Swamy NammAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Daasan Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan
--------------------------------------------------------------
- SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to: bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/