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Daya and Anukmapa: Nammazhwaar& Swami Desikan --Part 5

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • November 13, 1996 


Dear BhakthAs of  Lord Srinivasa :

AzhwAr revealed to us in the first decad that the Lord
is our Upaayam. In the second decad, he instruced us that 
He is our Upeyam . In the third decad , he described the 
SubhAsrayam of the Lord . In the fourth  decad , he dwells 
further on the message of the second decad and states that 
the fruits of seeking  and  attaining Lord as Upeyam is far 
superior to Iswaryam (Riches ) and Kaivalyam ( the state of 
existence of self in its  true form as  free from bondage ; a  state 
of Moksha ) . 

The sections of the decad ( 4.3, 4.5 and 4.7 ) are particularly 
important for the understanding of the  concept of Daya of the Lord.

In  decad 4.3 , AzhwAr celebrates the Aasritha Anyonyathvam of
the Lord . That arises from His Daya. In the magnificient verse,
4.3.3 ( Eka murthy Iru Murthy --) , AzhwAr asks Sriman NarAyana 
a question :  O Lord , You accepted my love and communed me with 
great joy and appears as though You are better for that experience .
O my dear One ! What a stupendous effort you took to make me
Yours ? You seem to be happy that You have fulfilled Your goal 
of creating me. " Both Your soul and my soul , so to say , are 
now evidently satisfied ." 

In pasuram 4.3.5( KaNNi Yenadhyuir --) , AzhwAr celebrates the 
Vaatsalyam and AnukampA of the Lord further . He says : " My 
master, who wields a Kala chakra in his right hand seems not 
to be fully satisfied with the level of union with me. He has now made
my love the sum and substance of His glory . " What an honor it is for me 
and my soul says the ecstatic AzhwAr at the thought of the Daya of the Lord.

In Pasuram 4.3.7 ( Kurai KazhalgaL --) , AzhwAr makes  a discovery 
about  the depth and extent of Lord's daya and says joyously : 
" O Lord ! All along I was thinking that I was drawing sustenance from
You ; now I have found out that You are drawing sustenance from my
soul. O Lord ! how can I even attempt to describe the vastness of Your Daya !

After experiencing the Lord's infinite mercy ,  in decad 4.5 Azhwaar
poses a rhetorical question: " What  more do I need in all seven
births hereafter ? ".He says that he has become KrithArthan and 
the Lord has elevated him to that exalted status.AzhwAr is overwhelmed 
by the Lord's Daya and exults : " The Lord , who is the soul of all beings 
and all worlds and of my soul too as well, made my soul enjoy Him 
as He enjoyed my soul ; Could it ever be believed ? An all-pervasive
force enjoying and enlivening an atomic trifle ? A whole and an infinitesimal
part enjoying mutually and equally ? Miracle He makes ! ".

In verse 4.5.8 , celebrates his union with the Lord .He says : " I have 
joined the Lord this day . For that very reason , He holds me dearer than
His consort Lakshmi . No surprise for those who know that  he loves 
most the latest   devotee and the poorest in qualifications. " 

IN decad 4.7 , AzhwAr celebrates the Lord as Sath Bahu GuNan,
one with limitlesss auspicious qualities. He reminds the Lord of His
daya and beseeches Him to come before him in physical form . 

MaNavALa Maamuni salutes this great AzhwAr , who proved that 
there is no supreme being worthy of worship than Sriman NarAyana
who is the root cause of this Universe and its chetanas and Achetanam 
this way : 

" ONRUMILAI THEVU IVVULAHAM PADAITTHA MAAL
ANRIYENA AARUMARIYAVEH --NANRAAHA
MOODALITTHU PESIYARUL MOIMAHIZHOHN TAAL THOZHAVEH
KAATHALIKKUMENNUDAYA KAI " 

(MEANING) : My hands will only salute the holy feet of 
VagulAbharaNan , who proved clearly that there is no 
supreme being other than Sriman NarayaNa that 
created this Universe.

AzhwAr Thiruvadigaleh saraNam ,

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan