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Sri P.V.P vyakhyanam of Prathama Jitante stotram, slokam 4

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M.N.Ramanuja • September 27, 2002 


Dear Bhagavatas, 



		Srimate Ramanujaya Nama:

               Sri PeriyaVachchan Pillai tiruvadigaLE sharaNam 


Sri PeriyaVachchan Pillai  vyakhyanam  Prathama Jitanta Stotram 4


4*   samsAra sAgaram ghOram ananta klEsha bhAjanam

     tvAmEva sharaNam prApya nistaranti manIShiNa: *


Meaning:: -- manIShiNa: -- those who have conquered their mindstuff. 
--tvAmeva -- You alone. --sharaNam -- As the means. --prApya-- having 
resorted to. --anantha klEsha bhAjanam--  birthplace  of  perennial 
adversities. --ghOram-- very cruel and appaling. --samsAra sAgaram-- this 
ocean of samsara. --nistaranti-- do cross over.


Intro:: Since the fore-mentioned  virtue of  God of being the originator 
of the universe is common to both *kAraNam tu dhyEya:* *yO brahmANam 
vidadhAti pUrvam* indicating the right person to be worshipped (upAsya) 
and  *mumukShur vai sharaNam aham prapadye*  indicating the  surrender to 
the right person,  is there any practical precedent to say that prapatti 
apart from being just an organ of upAsana  (worship) is an independent and 
self-sufficient means of  liberation?  yes; there are a few persons who 
were subjected to creation, that pipelined their mind in the right path, 
who accepting only You as the sole means could cross the samsAra, 
according to this slokam. This clarifies that prapatti was not merely 
hypothetically declared in the pramANas as the best means but carries the 
conviction of being followed in practice by (religious ) elites. 


VyAkhyAnam:: What is samsAra ? It is a complex of  ignorance  (avidya), 
deeds (karma), trace or residue (of previous desires) (vAsanA), taste 
(ruchi) and connection with nature (prakriti sambandham) and six emotional  
states (kAma krodha etc) or six deformations (garbha janma jarA etc). Even 
children, friends and spouses being the effects of these causes are also 
to be encompassed by the word samsAra. ** janma samsAra bandhanAt 
...muchyatE** implies that birth etc fall under the class of effects and 
ignorance etc.,  fall under the class of causes. SamsAra is described as 
an ocean owing to several reasons. It has no beginning and no end. It has 
no spatial or temporal boundaries. It pulls deep into itself those that 
step into it. It can only be entered into, but once entered into, one 
cannot  find a way out to the shore by oneself  without special help.  


**ghOram** it is appaling -- that is, it is unlike hell and other places 
from which people can return with the knowledge of the sufferings 
inflicted there. On the other hand, like a sugar coated pill, though it is 
a cause of spiritual destruction of the soul, it is outwardly attractive 
to all on account of its trivial  pleasures as cited in ** innamudenat 
tOnRi ** . People in the samsAra, generally implement  several means and 
methods to establish their egoism and to obtain desired objects of 
pleasure other than God (viShayAntara).  

*ananta klEsha bhAjanam*  it is the reservoir of endless adversities 
caused by three types of suffering (tApatraya). There is no end to 
sufferings in this land in stark contrast to that special land of 
perennial beatitude cited in *nalam antamilladOr nAdu*. 


*tvAmeva sharaNam prApya*  the cruelty of the samsAra beset with 
inequalties was stated above. Now is  revealed, the easy accessibility 
(sowlabhyam) of the means that can take us across this samsAra. 


*tvAm* You who have the great qualities required of creatorship etc 
mentioned in the previous slokam, *Eva* the emphasis implies that just as 
being single-handed and non-expectant of assistance in the process of 
creation, You, as a means, are non-expectant of any other co-means to be 
followed. You are absolutely self-sufficient as means too. In the 
Ahirbudhnya samhitA which is supportive of this concept, the same 
non-expectancy of other co-means has been upheld as follows. 


(aham asmyaparAdhAnAm AlayO akinchanO agati: 

tvamEvopAya bhUtO mE bhavEti prArthanA mati:

sharaNAgatir ityuktA sA dEvE asmin prayujyatAm)    


(i.e. I am a treasure house of crimes. I am insolvent and  have no means. 
The prayerful  thought  that You alone must become my means, is defined as 
sharaNAgati or surrender. Let this be implemented before this God.)


 Even the God who is a good refuge said "mAmEva yE prapadyantE...".

Even the service to AchArya is meant to understand the implications of 
this emphasis. The word 'sharaNam' in this sloka is used to preclude any 
upAsana or long worship. In the phrase 'vrajAmi sharaNam tava' of the 
second sloka, 'vrajAmi' has been substituted by 'prApya' in this sloka. It 
is done to signify that just as the attainment of the God is easy, so also 
even His form as the means is very easily accessible. After all, in 
*Arenakku nin pAdamE sharaNAgat tandozhindAy* NammAzhwar pronounced the 
sanction of this means to him by God as a 'manna' from Him by His grace.     

'nistaranti'  they cross (this ocean) by Your aid.  'manIShiNa:'       
'manO jEtAra: = manIShiNa:'. Those who have conquered and controlled their 
mind that chases and indulges in other (trivial) objects (viShayAntara 
pravaNam) and their mind that runs after and employs other means 
(sAdhanAntara pravaNam)  for salvation. With the quotation "samsArArNava 
magnAnAm" , another Scripture also explained this idea in detail.  


*samsArArNava magnAnAm viShayAkrAnta chEtasAm 

  viShNupOtam vinA nAnyat  kinchidasti parAyaNam **


   For the people who are drowned in the ocean of samsAra  and whose minds 
are besieged by the objects of senses, there is no better means or resort 
to cross the ocean than the boat in the form of Lord ViShNu. 

     

When the first slokam is overall summary, this slokam is concerned with 
the word 'namastE'. The second slokam describes the method of its 
implementation. And in order to attract people to follow it ardently, this 
slokam exemplifies the great benefits attained by great religious masters. 


........continued.


Adiyen ramanuja dasan

Ramanuja




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