Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Thiruvaymozhi 8.8.3 & Mumuksupatti

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mohan Sagar • November 30, 1996 


Vijay Triplicane writes:

>In his very first paasuram, aazhwaar says perumaaL's sacred feet
>	"came" towards him. (He didn't go for it.) It is perumaaL's wish and
>	His happiness and thats why HE sent his thiruvadigaL to the
>	aazhwaar. Upon receiving it only did aazhwaar's thoughts "Go"
>	towards him. By this our poorvaachaaryars explain that perumaaL is
>	the one who initiates this devotion in us. He is more interested in
>	coming to us and getting us to Him!! 
>
>	In thiruvaaymozhi 8.8.3, nammaazhwaar says 
>	uNarvi lumpa roruvanai
>	  avana tharuLaa luRalporuttu,en
>	  uNarvi NnuLLE yiruththinEn
>	    athuvum avana thinnaruLE,
>
>	
>	aazhwaar says in the last two lines from above
>	uNarvin uLLE iruththiNnENn
>	=>  i held Him in my heart/soul
>	Then quickly aazhwaar points out that it is not as if he (aazhwaar)
>	out of his effort did this ... and says
>	adhuvum avaNnadhu iNnNnaruLE
>	=>  That is also because of HIS grace. 
>	HE (the perumaaL) is the one who wants to be in the heart of His
>	bhakthaas..
>

It is interesting to note how this very verse is cited in Mumuksupatti's
discussion on the Lord's exclusivity as the Upaya("ekam" in "...mam ekam
saranam vraja...") Manalavamamunigal elaborates on how our simple acceptance
through prapatti becomes insignificant when compared to the Lord's "labors"
to bring us to Him.  For it is the Lord Who, out of His Boundless
Compassion, provides us with the gifts of life and conscience, and Who
reveals His Kalyana Gunas through His Avatharas and as the Archa,
cultivating in us such devotion as to guide us to Him. 

Because of this, the Srirangam Acharyas state, prapatti cannot be considered
to be an act, i.e. an upaya.  For in actuality, the realization of Him as
the Upaya and Upeya "is also because of His Grace."

Daasanu Daasan,

Mohan