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Sri PVP Vyakhyanam of Prathama Jitante Stotram shlokam 5

From the Bhakti List Archives

M.N.Ramanuja • October 3, 2002 


		Srimate Ramanujaya Nama:

               Sri PeriyaVachchan Pillai tiruvadigaLE sharaNam 


              shrImat kriShNa samAhvAya namO yAmunasUnavE ;

            yatkaTAkShaika lakShyANAm sulabha: shrIdhara: sadA.


Sri PeriyaVachchan Pillai  vyakhyanam  Prathama Jitanta Stotram 5


5*     na tE rUpam na chAkArO nAyudhAni nachAspadam ;

      tathApi puruShAkArO bhaktAnAm tvam prakAshasE .*


Meaning:: --rUpam-- (Your) divine spiritual l characteristics. --tE-- for 
You. --na-- not meant. (implying that though basically independent it 
becomes dependent to Your refugees). -- AkAra: cha -- Your divine and 
auspicious personality. -- tE na -- not for You. -- AyudhAni -- divine 
arsenals. --tE na--  not for Your purpose. --Aspadam cha-- Your divine 
abode Vaikuntham and other paraphernalia. --tE na-- are not intended for 
You. (implying that all these are intended for Your subservients). 
--bhaktAnAm tvam -- You are the property of devotees. --tathApi-- even 
though having all Your svarUpa rUpa guNa and vibhUti  (characteristics, 
personality, quality and extensive wealth) at the behest of Your refugees. 
-- puruShAkAra: -- You shine brightly with the virtue of absolute 
greatness as described in the PuruShasUkta.


Introduction:: (na tE rUpam etc.) This slokam expresses that You make 
Yourself and Your possessions very favourable to those who will cross the 
samsAra by resorting only to You as the means as cited in " tvAmeva 
sharaNam prApya nistaranti ". The refugees write off (assign)  themselves 
and their belongings to God by virtue of their spiritual characteristics 
(svarUpa). He, on the other hand, extends and lays out Himself and His 
belongings for them by virtue of His affection and good-nature etc 
(vAtsalya soushiilya etc). Therefore, this slokam is concerned with His 
vAtsalya, soushiilya etc. Besides, this indicates His favourability as a 
refuge. Because , vAtsalya, soushiilya (affection and good-naturedness) 
etc are also characteristics of a good refuge as much as svAmitva and 
soulabhya (masterhood and easy accessibility) etc as cited in 
"Ekastvamasi" earlier. 


vyAkhyAnam:: (na tE rUpam) "rUpam" indicates divine spiritual 
characteristics, because "AkAra" has been used next to indicate the divine 
personality. In what sense does this slokam deny the possession of svarUpa 
etc to God? Since svarUpa etc are denied for Him after using the word 
'tE', what in fact is denied is the use of these for His personal 
advantage or benefit or purpose. Only the selfish end is denied here. 
Reading  as "tE rUpam na tE" makes it clearer. Even Your divine spiritual 
characteristic is not for You. If at all, it serves for the protection of 
the refugees and is favourable to them, the svarUpam which is independent 
becomes dependent to them and abides by their wishes. Compare "mayi 
bhrutyE sthitE dEvAn AjnApayata kim nrupai:" and "kimkarau samupasthitau". 
One who was the controller of everyone and every thing became the son of a 
nameless samsAri. This verily is the transfer of purpose of the svarUpam 
in favour of the refugees (Ashrita). This word "svarUpam" is also 
representative of His jnAna, shakti etc. For, refer to  the slokams of 
Kurattalwan:-

* parijana paribarhA bhUShaNAnyAyudhAni ;

pravara guNagaNAshcha jnAnashaktyAdayastE;

paramapadam athAnDAnyAtmadEhastathAtmA;

varada sakalam Etat samshritArtham chakartha.*


Oh Varada, Your nityasUri attendants (ViShvaksEnar, AdishESha etc), 
paraphernalia (chhatram chAmaram etc), ornaments and weapons, great set of 
qualities, jnAna, shakti etc, paramapadam (vaikunTham), the universal 
galaxies, Your body and Your soul, all these in entirity You gave away for 
the benefit of refugees (AshritAs). As cited in "yassarvajnas sarvavit" He 
who is omniscient, became "avijnAtA" for the sake of His refugees; and 
again after swearing not to lift any weapon, He forswore and lifting a 
weapon became asatyasankalpa (one of untrue oath).  


*ananyAdhInatvam tava kila jagur vaidika gira: ; 

parAdhInam tvAm tu pranataparatantram manumahE; 

upAlambhO ayam bhO: shrayati sArvajnyamapi tE ; 

yatO dOSham bhaktEShviha varada naivAkalayasi ..*


In these words,  Kurattalwan  too stated the subordinateness  of the Lord 
to the refugees and His utter ignorance of their offences and defects.


Even His divine personality is having a form favourable to the protection 
of the refugees. In Paramapadam, His personality is enjoyable for the 
nityasUris. When He comes to the vyUham, His form is enjoyable to the 
inhabitants of svEtadvIpa. His form is accessible for surrendering by the 
BrahmA and others. When He descends to the Earth, He makes His divine 
personality which is intangible to the senses, tangible to the senses for 
the sake of defence and deliverance of soft-hearted people, and by His 
grace lets a chosen few  enjoy His visible form. This word "AkAra" extends 
even to the divine ornaments that adorn it. Kurattalwan verily said 
"bhUShaNAni AyudhAni".  As said in "vastrANyAbharaNAni cha , tam vinA 
kaikayIputram  bharatam dharma chAriNam"  the clothes and ornaments are 
intended for the refugees. 


"AyudhAni" -- the weapons in His arsenal, appear like 'weapons'  for 

decimating the enemies to the enemies of the  refugees, but shine like 
ornaments for those refugee devotees who are rid of sins and enjoy seeing 
God's form. Refer to the pAsurams "eppOdum kaikazhalA nEmiyAn  nammEl 
vinai kadivAn" and "kUrArAzhi veNshangEndi kodiyEn pAl vArAy" and 
"shangennum chakkaramennum tuzhAyennum" which reflect the same purport. It 
is also implied to extend upto  the attendants and the paraphernalia.  
'parijana' or attendants, as in  "yatra pUrvE sAdhyAs santi dEvA:" 
"adiyArgaL kuzhAngaLai kUduvadenru kolO? ", are the aspired destination 
for the refugees. Even though the "parichchadas" (paraphernalia) also are 
one among the nityasuris, they are in the form suitable to be employed by 
the other nityasuris in the service of the Lord (like chhatram chAmaram 
etc).


(na chAspadam) paramapadam , vyUham vibhavam and other bhOgasthAnams are 
not only places of enjoyment for the Lord Himself but also established and 
intended for the enjoyment of the respective refugees in the different 
places by displaying Himself in the respective places for the benefit of 
the respective inhabitants. 


"tathApi puruShAkAra:" In spite of all these condescensions, You are 
always integrated with Your property of puruShatva. As described in 
PuruSha sUktam in "puruSha EvEdagm sarvam" and "sahasrashIrShA puruSha:",  
one who  is always above all, (bhaktAnAm tvam ) shines by being 
subordinate to the devotees to prove that He is "subservient to the 
refugees".  The fact that the devotees have offered themselves totally to 
You, is by virtue of appropriateness for their svarUpam.  But Your placing 
Yourself at their disposal  is by virtue of the desire of the Ashritas. 
This idea was explained by Kurattalwan in "samshritArtham chakartha"  
quoted earlier. 


"prakAshasE" -shine forth -; if a doubt arises about the inappropriateness 
of this paradoxical subservience of the independent Lord,  the Itihasa and 
PurANas say that He shines forth by being subservient to the devotees in 
slokams like "  yadvinA bharatam tvAm cha shatrughnam chApi mAnada; 
bhavEnmama sukham kinchit bhasmasAtkurutAm shikhI"  -- whatever happiness 
comes without and in the absence of bharata, you and shatrughna, let fire 
consume that happiness into ashes.  "nisruShTAtmA suhritsu cha " etc . His 
glory is being easily accessible to the devotees and behaving subservient 
to them. 


If the first shlokam is the summary, then this shlokam is the meaning of 
"hrishIkEsha". He pulls back the devotees from inappropriate 
'vishayAntaras' and makes Himself their object of attraction.  Training 
them from aprApta vishayas and diverting them towards right goal is verily 
the work of the master.   


..... contd.



Dasan 
Ramanuja
     




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