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Copy of: MM"s YathirAja Vimsathi (YRV ): Part 5

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V. Sadagopan • Fri Mar 21 1997 - 18:27:10 PST 


Dear Friends : This posting did not seem to
go through . Hence I am retransmitting it .
Please erase this , if you have reveived it
already . Thanks .
V.Sadagopan

---------- Forwarded Message ----------

From:	V. Sadagopan, 75041,3037
TO:	OM, INTERNET:BHAKTI@LISTS.BEST.COM
DATE:	3/20/97 6:25 PM

RE:	Copy of: MM"s YathirAja Vimsathi (YRV ): Part 5

Dear Members of the YathirAja  Darsana group :

I will cover the fifth Verse of the YRV today .

This slokam is a continuation of the prayer of MM 
for Kaimkaryam to the Acharya Saarvabhouman,
Sri RamAnujA . 

Slokam 5
***********

ashtAksharAkya ManurAja padha traya artha nishtAm 
mama athra vithara adhya yathindra nAtha: I
sishtAgraganya jana sevya bhavath padhAbhjE
hrushtAsthu nithyam anubhuya mama asya buddhhi : II

(meaning ) : O Lord of our kulam ! In this samsAric life 
full of afflictions ,  I pray to you for the boon of  developing taste 
right now for firmness of mind to follow steadfastly the three 
doctrines elaborated by the mantra Raajam , Ashtaksharam .
May I of limited intellect and achievement be blessed to have 
the uninterrupted meditation on your holy feet that has been 
fit for worship by mahAns like KuratthAzhwAn, EmbAr, PiLLAn 
and others .

(Comments ) : Sri MM prays , " Mama athra adhya vithara " . 
He asks : " Please grant  me this boon  at this juncture , when  
my taste has been awakened , while I am still under the influence 
of SamsAric afflictions . What is the taste that he is referring to that got 
awakened ? It is the taste for the firmness of mind to be rooted 
in the king of mantrAs consisting of three padhams ( PraNavam,
Nama: Padham and nArAyaNa padham ) and their corresponding  
meanings ( AnanyArha Seshatvam , Ananya SaraNathvam and 
Ananya Bhogyathvam ) .  

MM refers to the AshtAkshara manthram or Periya Thiru manthiram 
as Manu rAjam . The word Manu is a paryAyam ( Synonym) for 
Manthram . Manu Raajam refers therefore to Manthra rAjam .
In our sampradhAyam , Ashtakshara Manthram is revered as 
Manthra Raajam ; Dhvayam is referred to as Manthra rathnam .
MM recognizes AshtAksharam as made up of three padhams
( PraNavam , NamO: and nArAyaNAya ) in the manner in which
Mumukshuppadi and other granthams describe it.  The meanings
of the three padhams have been explained as references to the 
mighty doctrines of ananyArha Seshathvam , Ananya saraNathvam 
and Ananya Bhogyathvam .

What are these doctrines ?

The first doctrine is  AnanyArha Seshathvam. It is made up 
of two words : AnanyArha and Seshathvam. AnanyArham means 
that the jeevan does not belong to anyone but the Lord. Jeevan is 
not a servant of anyone but Sriman NaarAyaNan . Seshan means 
one who performs Kaimkaryam with reverence like a servant .
The knowledge about this unconditional service to the Lord and
Lord alone by the jeevan is known as Seshathva J~nanam . 

One who accepts and enjoys that service is Seshi.
BhagavAn is the supreme master of all the jeevans and 
accepts with joy the services rendered by the jeevans.Hence
He is saluted as Sarva Seshi . 

The second doctrine is Ananya SaraNathvam . This is the state of 
jeevan experienced during its prapatthi . The jeevan recognizes that 
it is ananya SaraNan (i-e) It is not capable of practicing successfully
the Karma, J~nana and Bhakthi YogAs . It feels helpless .It does not
have the means to gain the Lord's grace except through prapatthi
in a state of helplessness. Ananya Saranan simply means in 
Tamil , vEru uphAyam illaathavan . His state is ananya saraNathvam .

The third doctrine is ananya Bhogyathvam . This is the state of 
a paramaikAnthi . His enjoyment is soley devoted to the thoughts
about the Lord and Kaimmkaryam to HIM and HIM alone . That 
is this jeevan's sole  bhogyam or the exclusive object of enjoyment .

MM prays to Acharya RaamAnuja : " Manu Raaja Padha Traya 
artha nishtAm athra , adhya vithara" . MM has gotten a glimpse of 
the powerful meanings of the Manu Raajam . He wants that 
flash of the knowledge about the meanings ( padha Traya Artham )
to be firmly rooted without any slippage in his mind . He prays for
the conferral of the boon of Nishtai ( Firm resolution to practise
the meanings of the Manthra Raajam )  .

MM Chooses the word "Athra " and Adhya " regarding the place
and time for this boon to become effective. By choosing the word
"Athra " , MM seeks the boon to be operational right here in this 
samsAric world known for its tApa thrayams .  By the choice of
the word , "adhya " , he refers to his present state of joy through 
the quick glimpse obtained about the power of Manthra Raajam and 
the taste (longing ) that he has developed  for firm attachment 
to a way of life rooted in these three doctrines as the guiding 
light for the rest of the journey on this earth (deha yAthrA ) . He does
not want this  boon to become operational in another place
(Sri VaikunTam ) or time . Hence MM chose " Athra and Adhya " 
in his SaraNAgathi  to Sri RamAnujA . 

MM IN SHORT SEEKS PADHA TRAYAARTHA NISHTAI . 

SaraNAgathi has been described to fall in to one of the 
four categories of Nishtais : Sva Nishtai , Ukthi Nishtai ,
AchArya Nishtai and Bhagavatha Nishtai . 

Thirumangai according to PBA Swamy hints at 
the supermacy of Bhagavatha Nishtai when he states :
" MaRRellAm pEsithulum ninn Thiruvettezhatthum kaRRu 
naan uRRathum unnadiyArkkadimai ". Here , Thirumangai 
implies that Bhagavatha Seshathvam is the central principle 
enunciated by Manthra Raajam . Hence MM chose Padha TrayArtha 
Nishtai as Bhagavatha Nishtai and takes that as the theme
of the second part f this slokam : " SishtAgra GaNya 
Jana sEvya Bhavath padhAbjE hrishtA asthu nithyam
anubhuya mamAsya Buddhi : " .

MM describes his buddhi as lowly and not filled with 
auspicious thoughts ( neesanEn , NiraivonRumilEn ) .
He wants that buddhi of his to be lifted to loftier heights and 
to be filled forever with the sanctifying thoughts about the lotus
feet of the BhagavathOtthama , Aachharya Saarvabhouman , 
RaamAnujA . MM describes further the sanctity of those Lotus feet .
He says that they are the ones that were fit for great disciples 
such as KurEsa , AandAn , AruLALa perumALemperumAn
and other mahAns . MM wishes to have the joy of the fruits 
( HrushtA ) from the saraNagathi and the kaimkaryam 
associated with the observance of the Bhagavatha Nishtai .

AzhwArgal , AcharyAL  ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam 
Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan