Re: Azhwars Nitya suris or baddha jivatmas
From the Bhakti List Archives
• November 13, 1997
Regarding Azhwars Nitya suris or baddha jivatmas ------------------------------------------------ Two quotations are submitted here for your careful consideration from Arayirappadi guruparampara prabhaavam by Pinbazhagiya PerumaaL Jeeyar from the chapter "dhivya prabhandha praamaaNya Samarththanam". This chapter starts out with a discussion of dEvathanthra issues and establishes the primacy of Sriman Narayana over other devthaas such as Brahmma and Sivan. This follows with a comparison of the status of Azhvaars and these other devathaas. The following quote appears in this section where the Jeeyar argues that the Azhvaars should not be equated to the other devathaas. Here, "avargaL" refers to Brahmma, Siva, etc., and "ivargaL" refers to Azhvaars. "ini avargaLOdu SamarO ivvaazhvaargaL? ennil:- anRu; karmaththaiyittu Srushtiththaan enRadhu avarkaLai; Sva ichchaiyaalE avadharippiththaan enRadhu ivargaLai." (Free translation: Now, are they alike? No; the Lord created them (Brahmma, Siva, etc.) according to their karmas. But the Lord created Azhvaars out of His own compassion.) .... "raajaSa thaamaSamisra Sathvam thalaiyeduththa pOdhu bhagavath vishaya pravruththi ganaththu irukkaiyaalE sEshaboothar engiRadhu avargaLai; mukguNaththiraNdavai agaRRi onRinilonRi ninRu" enRum, "nilai ninRa thoNdaraana aRanthigazhum manaththavar" enRum sollugiRa sudhdha sathva nishtaraagaiyaalE theLivuRRa sindhaiyaraana sEshaboothar engiRadhu ivargaLai." (Free translation: Brahmma, Siva, etc. are said to be SEshaboothas of our Lord only when Sathvam is on the ascendancy and Rajas and Thamas are feeble for them. However, since the Azhvaras are said to be free of rajas and thamas, and characterized by _sudhdha sathvam_, they are clear minded SEshaboothaas.) p.s. Jeeyar's use of "Sudhdha sathvam" seems to be significant here.) At 11:32 AM 11/12/97 -0800, Mani Varadarajan wrote: > > But I am not one to disagree with his erudition, so I > will have to ask him about this in person. > It does seem, however, to devalue the life > histories of the Alvars if they are simply > divine incarnations. The stories > of Thirumangai and Thondaradippodi make > no sense anymore. > Azhvaar stories are fascinating one way or the other. They making sense is not dependent upon whether Azhvaars were baddhas or nithyasoories. Threatening the Lord with a sword is fantastic which ever way you look at, especially in the light of ARAyirappadi proclaiming that the Lord was only "jyAna SAkshaathkaaram" and not "prathyaksha SAkshAthkaaram" for the Azhvaars. Further, Azhvaar's verses are considered divinely inspired. ARAyirappadi says, "yaanaayth thannai thaan paadi" (He Himslef sang in His own praise). Perhaps Azhvaar's life histories must be understood in this context. Then how does it matter whether they were (are) baddhaas or nithyasoories? Either way the life histories can be inspirational for the rest of us. Garuthmaan and AthisEsha are just as much of role models for us as the kainkaryaparars serving the various Sri Vaishnava Mutts and Ashramams today. Someone being a Nithyasoori does not make them too lofty for us bhaddhaas. Is not the assurance that we can serve the Lord in just as much as the Nithyasoories that make us long for mOksham? -- adiyEn
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