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sri rama navami- rama sthuthi - 10

From the Bhakti List Archives

M.G.Vasudevan • May 14, 2001 


Dear Sri vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

The highlight of the verse 8 in viraadha sthuthi [dealt in the previous
post] is that the supreme Lord Raama, as creator, knows his subjects. But
his subjects do not know him fully. After seeking him only he allows the
subjects to know him, realise him. 

Now let us see the 9th verse. Here we have a beautiful definition of the
brahmins.
Pannal aam enRu ulagam pala palavum ninaiyumaal
Un alaal perum dheivam uyarnthuLOr ozhukku anRe
Anna oordhiyai mudhal aam anthaNar maattu arum dheivam
Nin alaal illaamai neRi ninRaar ninaiyaarO?

Word by word meaning for few words: 
Pannal - thudhiththal - thOththiram seidhal- praise, eulogize, worship,
appreciate
Un alaal- nee allaal- excepting you
Ozhukku- ozhukkam- discipline
Ozhukku- leakage
Annam - swan- hamsa pakshi
Oordhi - vaahanam - vehicle for transportation

Meaning- Generally people of this world, who do not have real good knowledge
and discipline, think they can worship different gods. To worship different
gods is not their character for the well disciplined brahmins. Oh my lord,
the greatest of great god is yourself, oh raamaa! These brahmins think you
are the only fittest to be worshipped and consider that is the good
discipline. That brahma [who uses swan as his transport vehicle] is the
first to think like this and leads these well-mannered brahmins. They will
consider no other god as wonderfully equal to you.
 
Points: 1. A beautiful definition is given for to consider who is a brahmin.
"anna oordhiyai mudhalaam anthaNarmaattu un alaal perum dheivam uyarnthuLOr
ozhukku anRe" - "those who has good discipline accept there is only one
supreme god, and it is you, yourself, oh raamaa! They are only brahmins
including that brahma. 

[Because brahma has this discipline, he is considered a brahmin. Brahma
knows that he is created by you, oh raamaa, so he also has this discipline
of these brahmins and able to lead them in this cult]. 

2. This word anthaNar has more meanings.
a) am +thaNar- azhagiya thatpaththinai udaiyOr- one who has in their body
well controlled heat - [thaNal in tamil mean burning fire, thatpam is latent
heat, veppam is external heat]. Because of satvic food, the body has a
uniform heat. Further due to yoga, doing praanaayaamam etc the body heat is
kept uniformly. Whereas for others who do not have discipline in food, the
body heat levels vary, thereby leading to high emotions, thus causing lot of
heat generated in body.

b) anthaNar= antham + aNar 
antham - mudivu - end
aNavuthal - seeking 
- vEdhaththin antham is vEdhaantham - end of vEdhaas is vEdhaantha. 
athai naaduvathaal anthaNar- one who always read and practice as stated in
the vedhaantha- so anthaNar
or it can also be said one who seeks the end of their cycle of births and
deaths [janmam or piRavip perunkadal] by resorting to karma gnaana, bhakthi,
prapaththi upaayam - so anthaNar

c) anthaNar- azhagiya thaNNali udaiyOr- 
thaN - kuLirntha
aLi - vaNdu, 
aLi - krupai
anthaNar is one who has beautiful calm and cool grace towards others [means
think good of others, bless for others welfare. Always think lokhaas
samasthaas sukhinO bhavanthu sarve janaa sukhinO bhavanthu etc].

3. Swami dhEsikan gives an excellent definition for anthaNar. See
ninRa nilaikku uRa niRkum karumamum nEr mathiyaal
nanRu ena naadiya gnaanamum nalgum uL kaN udaiyaar
onRiya baththiyum onRum ilaa viraivaarkku aruLaal
anRu payan tharumaarum aRinthavar anthaNarE --16 adhikaara sangraham

One who knows is an anthaNar. What an anthaNar knows is answered as 
-	he knows karma yOgaa - which helps him to do the work to perfection
and thereby he will be lead to the permanent upaaya of seeking the lord
-	he knows the gnaana yogaa - to seek that gnana sharp intellect which
helps him to  seek that aathmaa by being an inner upaayam (antharanka
upaayam)  
-	he knows the bhakthi yogaa - which helps to do the dhyaanam -
meditation on that lord while forgetting himself and surrounding world
-	he knows that prapaththi yoga by his grace - for those who do not
have the knowledge or patience to undertake any one of three stated above 
	such people who knows vEdhaas are anthaNar.

	[Note: May be my giving the English meaning is poor and not able to
convey properly. What I want to say is Swamy gives a good definition for
anthaNar].

	4. Now see another discipline given spelt out for anthaNar- 
	viLangu noolar vEdha naavar needhiyaana kELviyaar valankoLa 
	kudanthaiyuL kidantha maal- 56 thiruch chantha viruththam

	anthaNar surround that emperumaan who is lying in that
thirukkudanthai kshEthram- how are they is nicely indicated- 
	they have the cross thread in the chest which never leaves them, 
	the tongue always carry the vEdham- means utters vEdham, 
	the questions they put are always well meant, express justice to be
meted out without any partiality.

	5. See another reference in 1-5-9 thirumangai aazhvar in periya
thirumozhi 
	"thoNdaam inamum imaiyOrum thuNai nool maarbin anthaNarum" 
	-who has in the chest the sacred thread- they are the anthaNar.

	6. See one more reference for anthaNar from thirumangai aazhvar in
periya thirumozhi- 
	"vai Odhu vEdham maliginRa tholseer maraiyaaLar naLum muRaiyaal
vaLarththa thee Onga - 3-2-2 
	the mouth always utters the vedhaas and have good command over
vedhaas, who are well disciplined, such people raise the fire daily in their
yagna vEdhigai- they are anthaNar. 

	7. maRam thigazhum manam ozhiththu vanjam aaRRi
	aimpulangaL adakki idarppaar aththunbam
	thuRanthu iru muppozhudhu Eththi ellai yillaath
	thol neRikkaN nilai ninRa thoNdar aana
	aRam thigazhum manaththavar tham gathiyaip ponni
	aNi arangaththu aravaNaip paLLi koLLum maayOnaik kaNdu
	en kaNgaL neer malaga enRu kolO nirkum naaLE. 
	- 1-7 kulasekhara aazhvar in perumaaL thirumozhi.

	These anthaNar- aRam thigazhum manaththavar tham gathiyai -
aravaNaip paLLi koLLum maayOnai- that supreme lord is worshipped by these
people- I want to see that lord, says aazhvaar. 

	How are these people- manaththavar -one who has a mind like that -
anthaNar- who have-
	-    warfare or vengeance removed from the heart 
-	the five senses well controlled
-	forgiven the one who creates nuisance, forgotten that nuisance also 
-	worships six times in a day
-	stand by the limitless oldest systems [ which is nothing but vEdhaas
which are the oldest without any time limit]
-	become servants to the lord and their servants
-	dharmam in their heart 

8. See another verse wherein the discipline of brahmins and non discipline
of others are expressed with that Lord sundararajan of thirumaal irum solai
as the supreme lord. 

dheivam pala, avar noolum pala, avai thEr pozhudhil
poivam pala enRu thOnRum pullOrkatku pOdha, nallOr
uivam palanum avanE enRu Odhi uNarvar nenjE
koivam palar soriyum sOlai maamalaik koNdalaiyE

since the meaning is just same as kamban's, I am not elaborating the
meaning.

[I am unable to quote the source for this verse. But since the verse is apt
and included in the commentary, what I am referring to write these posts, I
add it here. If any learned member can give the source I welcome. May be the
tamil professor who joined the list recently can give the source and I
request the member for this.]

Before we conclude this post the next verse-
Poru ariya samayangaL pugalkinRa puththELir
Iru vinaiyum udaiyaar udaiyarpOl arunthavam ninRu iyaRRuvaar
Thiru uraiyum maNi maarba ninakku ennai seyaRpaala
Oru vinaiyum illaarpOl uRangudhiyaal uRangaadhaai.

Dhaasan Vasudevan M.G.

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