Search:
Bhakti List Archives

YathirAja Vimsathi (Continued )

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • March 28, 1997 


Dear members of the Bhakthi group :

Now that with Swami NammAzhwAr's blessings 
the Naadha Paddhathi of RPS has come to a conclusion ,
I will continue with YathirAja Vimsahti of Sri MaNavALa 
MaamunigaL(MM)  , where I left last time . 

It is my intention to alternate between the two granthams 
out of my sincere and deep regards for both the sampradhAyams ,
which as I have referred to many times have the very same root . 
When we study the individual tributes of MM , AmudanAr and 
Swami Desikan (SD ) , we find a lot of shared sentiments . I will
touch upon them , wherever possible. 

Slokam 9 
***********

nithyam thvaham paribhavAmi guruncha mantram
tathdevathAmapi na kinchith ahO api pibhEmi !
ittham satObhya satavath bhavadheeya sankhE 
dhrushta: charAmi YathirAja tadhOsmi Moorka : II

(Meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! Daily I disgrace my AchArya , 
the manhtram and the DevathA associated with that 
mantram . I do not seem to be afraid of doing so even
a little. What a pity ? I roam boldly  among the group of your 
devout sishyAs like a great one , who reveres Acharyan,
mathram and its adhishtAna devatha . I am indeed a 
ruffian ! 

(Commnets ) : This slokam is a continuation of the 
NaicchAnusandhAnam of Swami MM . He refers to
three kinds of humilation that he causes .

First is the slight to the AchAryA (Acharya Paribhavam ).
This is related to both the disregard for the upadesam 
given by the AchArya and  initiating unfit  (AnadhikhAris ) 
ones with the received upadesam .

The second kind of disgrace is related to the manthram 
( mathra paribhavam). This relates to the forgetting  
the meaning of the manthram and the wrong intrepretation of 
the same. 

The third  humiliation is DevathA paribhavam . This is assoicated
with the indulgence of the manas , Vaak and Kaayam in matters
other than the Manthra DevathA . 

Swami MM says : I  am guilty of these three types of ApachArams 
(offenses) and  am not repentent over them. I  boldly strut about 
pretending that I am a saasthra PrAmANyan ( believer in the saasthrAs ) 
and mingle with the true disciples of yours as a mindless ruffian . 
This indeed is a pity. 

Slokam 10 : 

haa hantha hantha mansA kriyayA cha vaachA 
yOham charaami sathatham trividhApachArAn I
sOham tavApriyakara: priyakruthvadevam 
kaalam nayAmi YathirAja TadhOsmi Moorka : II

(Meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! What a tragedy ! I committ
three kinds of Apacharams through my mind , speech
and body . I continue to do many things that cause 
you displeasure. Yet I go on acting like I am doing 
all that you instructed me to do . I am spending my 
time in this fashion .I am indeed a despicable ruffian . 

Here In  a continued mood of Naicchiyam , Swami MM
states that he is guilt y of the three types of apachAram
(Viz )., BhagavadhApachAram , BhagavathApachAram and 
AsahyApachAram . I have wounded your feelings . Yet , I 
pretend as though I am a strict observer of the rules 
laid out by you a smy AchAryan . What a pity that I go 
on wiling away my time like this on this earth ! 

Slokam 11 :
************

paapE kruthE yathi bhavanthi bhaya AnuthApa lajjA:
puna: KaraNAm asya katham katEtha I
mOhEna mE na bhavathi iha bhayathilEsa: 
tasmAth puna: puna: agham YathirAja kurvE II

(Meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! If one feels fear and repentance 
over commiting sins , how can that person engage 
in committing the sin once again . As far as I am concerned , 
I do not seem to experience any sense of shame or repentance 
over repeated commission of sins . Therefore , I keep on
piling up my sins . 

(Commnets ) : The commision of sins is not easy to avoid
in this world. Inspite of it , if one feels repugnance over 
the act of committing a sin and fears or feel ashamed 
about such a sinful  act , there is prAyascchittham .
Thereafter , Atleast knowingly , that sin will not be committed.
Swami MM refrets about his position here , where he does not
feel any regret or repentance over his sins . He appeals to 
YathirAjA's compassion to turn him around. 

Regarding fear of repeating one's sins , the story is told of 
one of the disciples of KurEsa by the name of SEra piLLai
piLLai AzhwAn . He was haughty and committed a lot of 
BhagavathApacharams . KurEsa wanted to help him. One day ,
he asked his sishyA for a DhAnam . SishYa was intrigued and 
thrilled about his achAryA's request . KurEsa asked his sishyA 
to give udaga dhAnam with the pledge that he will never 
committ apacharam to BhagavathAs by mind , speech or body.
The sishya made such a dhanam and abided by  that pledge.
One day , his anger overrode his sense of control and he 
committed a bhagavathApachAram . When he recognized what he
had done , he was so ashamed that he stayed away from the house
of his AchAryA . When KurEsa did not see his sishya that day , he came to
the house of sishyA and asked him about the reason for his absence 
from the Ghoshti. The sishyA with tears in his eyes explained as 
to waht had happened and fell flat at the feet of his AchAryA .
KurEsa lifted his sishya from ground and blessed him with the statement :
If you repent over your Maanaseeka apacharam to BhagavathAs ,
the Lord will forgive you ; If you committ any apachAram with your
limbs , the king will straighten you out. From here on , please 
be firm on not committing any apachAram with your speech ." 
This is referred to in Sri Vachana BhooshaNa VyaakhyAnam .
That is what is being alluded to here according to PBA Swamy.

Slokam 12 :
************

anthar bahis sakalavasthushu  santham Eesam 
antha: Puras sthithamiva aveekshamANa : I
gandharbha vasya hrudhayas sathatham bhavAmi
hantha tvadh agra gamanasya yatheendhra ! naarha : II

(Meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! I am not fit to stand before you .
I am like a man blind from birth who can not recognize 
anobject in front of jhim . Similarly , I am unable to see
the Lord , who pervades the inside (antharyAmi ) and
outside every object of His creation . I am always under 
the influence of my desires ( KAma Paravasan ) . What 
a tragedy ! I do not have the qualifications to stand before you.

In the prevous slokam , Swami MM said : Puna: Puna: agham 
YathirAja KurvE . This verse is considered a response to those
who questioned him about the appropriateness of Swami MM
cheating the Lord , who is Sarva Kaama Saakshi ( Witness to
all of our deeds ) . Lord is present without division in the 
gross (Sthulam ) and subtle (Sookshmam ) as a pervasive 
principle . IN his answer , Swami MM points out that he si like 
the bindman from birth, who can not see the objects in front of 
him. That is why he committ sall these sins . He goes on to 
describe his unfitness to stand before Sri RaamAnujA . 

Swami MaNavALa Maamunigal ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan