SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
After SrI rAmAnuja had recited the 4th and 5th chUrNais (quoting from ithihAsam (epic)), bhagavAn wants to know whether he has the true knowledge of the ultimate fruit of surrendering (prApyam) and whether he has the desire for it. bhagavadh rAmAnuja says that bhagavAn himself has to shower the grace on him so that he gets firm belief and devotion in the true meaning of kainkaryam. bhagavAn wants to know why he should grant him this, and SrI rAmAnuja says that this is because he has recited the verse from ithihAsam. First, the chUrNai:
EvambhUtha thathvayAthAthmyAvabhOdha thadhichchArahithasyApi
EthadhuchchAraNa mAthrAvalambanEna uchyamAnArtha paramArtha
nishtam mE mana: thvamEva adhyaiyva kAraya II
Word-by-Word meaning
EvambhUtha – like this
thathva – truth
yAthAthmya – true nature
avabhOdha – perception or knowledge
thath – that
ichchA – desire
rahitha – deprived of
api – also
Ethath – this
uchchAraNa – utterance
mAthra – merely
avalambanEna – holding onto in this manner
uchyamAnArtham – meaning of the words uttered
paramArtham – deep meaning
nishtam – to be devoted
mE – my
mana: – mind
thvamEva – only you
adhyaiva – this moment
kAraya – make it happen
Explanatory Notes:
EvambhUtha thathvayAthAthmyAvabhOdha thadhichchArahithasyApi – EvambhUtha – like this; thathva – truth; yAthAthmya – true nature; avabhOdha – perception or knowledge; thath – that; ichchA – desire; rahitha – deprived of; api – also. Simple meaning: Even if I do not have the perception of true nature of truth. What is the truth that he is referring to? What is the svarUpam (basic nature) of jIvAthmA (soul), the svarUpam of paramAthmA (bhagavAn); what is the fruit of surrendering (kainkaryam) . Not only do I not know the true meaning of these; I do not have the desire in knowing it.
EthadhuchchAraNa mAthrAvalambanEna – Ethath – this; uchchAraNa – utterance; mAthra – merely; avalambanEna – holding onto in this manner. Simple meaning: Holding on to the mere utterance of the SlOkam which is to be recited. I did not know the inner meanings of the words in the SlOkam. I do not even have the desire to know it. But I merely uttered it. Since I uttered it, you should……
uchyamAnArtha paramArtha nishtam mE mana: uchyamAnArtham – meaning of the words uttered; paramArtham – deep meaning; nishtam – to be devoted; mE – my; mana: – mind. My mind should be fully immersed in the meaning of the words that I uttered. Not the mere superficial meaning, but the inner, deep meaning of the words. And, that should be told to my mind, which is always wandering from one thing to another, without any hold. bhagavAn wonders if this is possible…..
thvamEva adhyaiyva kAraya – thvamEva – only you; adhyaiva – this moment; kAraya – make it happen. SrI rAmAnuja says that bhagavAn should make it happen. bhagavAn says that rAmAnuja has requested him just now. I shall consider it after a few days. But SrI rAmAjuna does not want to wait. He says, do it now itself, without any delay. He says that bhagavAn doesn’t expect help from anyone else to carry out any task. SrI rAmAnuja says that he does not qualify to receive such a grace from bhagavAn and he is not going to get qualified a few days from now. Since neither bhagavAn expects support from anyone nor is rAmAnuja going to get qualified to receive his grace, why delay it? Please shower your mercy on me now itself so that I will be able to devote myself to the deep meanings of all the things stated above (true nature of his own svarUpam, bhagavAn’s svarUpam, benefit that he would get on surrendering to bhagavAn etc).
We shall next understand the 7th and last chUrNai in this gadhyam.
Translation by krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan.
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