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PVP Vyakhyanam of Prathama Jitanta stotram Slokam 3

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M.N.Ramanuja • September 16, 2002 


		Srimate Ramanujaya Nama:


Sri PeriyaVachchan Pillai  vyakhyanam  Prathama Jitanta Stotram 3


3>       Ekastvamasi lOkasya sraShTA samhArakastathA

         adhyakShashcha anumantA cha guNamAyA samAvrita:


Recall: The first slokam was concerned with the selection of the prApyam - 
the goal to be obtained. The second slokam is an explanation for the word 
'namaste'. The need for the explanation arises for, though the word 
'nama:' is common for other means also,  as in 'madyAjI mAm namaskuru", 
here it is a synonym for 'sharaNa'. The going for 'sharaNam' that was 
advised in  'gachchadhvam Enam sharaNam sharaNyam puruSharShabhA:'  was 
followed by namaskAram as in  'draupadyA sahitAs sarvE namashchakrur 
janArdanam'   which proves that the word 'sharaNam' and 'namas' are 
synonymous.


Meaning: lOkasya - of all the worlds .  sraShTA - creator. tvam Eka: asi - 
You are the only one.  tathA - likewise. samhAraka: - the annihilator (you 
alone).  adhyakSha: cha - patiently awaiting the time and opportunity for 
protecting. anumantA cha - Allowing a person who voluntarily involves 
himself in activities which lead to further imprisonment in the samsAra. 
guNamAyA samAvrita: - You are also curtained and made invisible by 
Prakruti which consists of three guNas called sattva, rajas and tamas. 


Intro: Having mentioned the prApya and prApaka in the previous two verses, 
further slokams delineate the sharaNyatva (capability of providing refuge 
or surrenderability) as justification for accepting the upAya or the means 
in the previous slokam. This slokam,  mentions the great qualities like  
omniscience etc  connected with His being the origin of the universe. Just 
as "kAraNam tu dhyEya:" the origin is to be meditated upon, so also the 
origin is to be surrendered to. Because, after mentioning in  "yO 
brahmANam vidadhAti pUrvam yO vai vEdAmscha prahiNOti tasmai" about the 
origin of the universe, comes "mumukShur vai sharaNam aham prapadyE" in 
which the vEdas ordain prapatti at His feet as the first rung in the 
ladder of liberation process.  


Commentary:  lOkasya sraShTA -- the creator of every object that is 
directly tangible and heard from the Sruthis.  tvam -- You. This singular 
is to eliminate specifically all other creators. As in "AkAshAd vAyu: 
vAyOr agni: agnEr Apa: adbhya: pruthivI" and in "brahmA asrujat"  Vedas 
ascribe creatorship to achetanas and chetanas how can we say that the Lord 
is the creator of all?   for, the one who is embedded in all chetanas and 
achetanas is the true creator.  Manu said " svAt sharIrAt sisrukShur 
vividhA: prajA:". ParAshara said " sa Eva srujyas sa cha sargakartA sa Eva 
pAtyatti cha pAlyatE cha... varadO varENya:". BrahmasUtra states "tad abhi 
dhyAnAd eva tu tallingAt sa:". The word 'Eka'  implies that He does not 
need any help or helper for His activities.  "EkAkI na ramEta" implies 
that the loss if any, is His. "bahusyAm prajAyEya" implies that the sole 
purpose and benefit and pride of possession are all His own. 
"EkamEvAdvitIyam" implies the non-expectancy of any assistance or the 
absence of necessity for any co-executor. This aspect of unaidedness was 
stressed by NammazhvAr in "tani mAppugazhE enchAnrum". Thus when He can 
create and do all these alone without anybody's request or pleas, there is 
no need to reiterate that He would provide protection without doubt when 
some appellate actually requests for protection. 

   In the charama slokam "sarvadharmAn parityajya mAmEkam.." the word Eka 
stresses the absence of need for any means, whereas, in this slokam the 
word Eka stresses His unaided and single-handed creatorship.  

tathA samhAraka: -- Just as You well-wishingly go about Your activities of 
creation, so also You alone can well-wishingly go about the destruction 
activity. After all it is only with Your best intentions and in the 
interest of the one whom You destroy that when You provided the chethanas 
with body and organs in order to enable them to achieve their social 
desires  (purushArtha) , when some chethanas employing this body get down 
to unsocial activities tormenting and harassing other beings transgressing 
their limits, and in so doing irredeemably push themselves to perdition, 
then You destroy those bad elements with absolutely good intentions in 
their interest. This aspect also emphasises His refuge-worthiness because 
He does not allow the bad element to push himself to eternal perdition at 
his own hands. 

    adhyakShashcha -- He awaits patiently for the occasion or the event 
when the main purpose or objective of His creation -- that of  voluntary 
generation of ardent desire for MokSha in these chethanas-- comes about.   

See "AL pArtthu uzhitaruvAy kanDukoL" in TiruvandAdi. Using this body 
which was provided for the purpose of achieving the human desired needs, 
when the chetanas, not only get down to  hunt for purushArthas, but in the 
process,  subject themselves to the eternal cycle of creation and 
annihilation the Lord becomes disappointed in His expectations of the 
chetanas.  See "vyasanEShu manuShyANAm bhrusham bhavati duhkhita:".  So 
being the Lord, it is easy to imagine His obliging reaction when someone 
pleads for protection or redemption.  

anumantA cha --- when out of indulgence and craving for other objects 
(other than God) the chetanas engage themselves in ritual and non-ritual 
activities in order to possess and enjoy them, the Lord turns His  eyes 
away and ignores without inhibiting  the chetanas. Why? God thinks " At 
least to obtain those  trivial purushArthas, the chetana approached Me for 
help! I am omnipotent ever. Let me wait for the right time and place for 
redeeming and protecting the  chetanas". So affectionate being the God, is 
it necessary to describe  how well-wishingly obliging He would be if the 
chetana were to turn to Him and plead for protection. 

guNamAyA samAvruta: ---  what is the reason for these chetanas to become 
outward-faced away from God ?  It is because of the Maya which is 
characterised by the three guNas. See "bhagavat svarUpa tirOdhAna karIm" . 
Since the Maya enshrouds this chetana it is equivalent to enshrouding Him 
from the chetana. If this chetana, which is His belonging,  is a victim of 
the three guNas, and emotionally relents as in "poi ninra jnAnamum 
polla....", then He alone who is free from these guNas and omniscient, 
should take the chetana under His refuge.  See "sattvAdayo na santIshe 
yatra cha prAkrutA guNA:" . 

    When the  first slokam is a summary for everything, this slokam 
is a detailing of  'vishva bhAvana'. The characteristic of God is being a 
support for the creation sustenance and annihilation and also being 
non-expectant of any assistance. This aspect is described in this slokam.


       Periyavachchan Pillai tiruvadikaLE sharaNam  


contd       

Ramanuja 




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