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SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

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Introduction

When bhagavAn opines “Don’t worry that you don’t have anything favourable towards me; as long as you don’t have prohibited practices which will destroy the qualifications you may have earned, I will create virtues in you and will bestow the goal too”, ALavandhAr says “I am complete with unfavourable aspects”.

na nindhitham karma thadhasthi lOkE
sahasraSO yanna mayA vyadhAyi |
SO’ham vipAkAvasarE mukundha!
krandhAmi samprathyagathis thavAgrE ||

Word by word meaning

mukundha – Oh lord who bestows liberation!
yath nindhitham karma – those prohibited  actions
mayA – by me
sahasraSa: – thousands of times
na vyadhAyi – not performed
thath – such evil actions
lOkE – in SAsthram [world indicates SAsthram which conducts the world]
na asthi – not present;
sa: aham – I, who is of such nature,
vipAka avasarE samprathi – right now, when [such actions] culminate into results
agathi: – due to having no other refuge
thava agrE – in front of your highness
krandhAmi – crying

Simple Translation

Oh lord who bestows liberation! Those prohibited actions which were not performed by me thousands of times, are not present in SAsthram [world indicates SAsthram which conducts the world]; right now, when [such actions] culminate into results, I am crying in front of your highness, due to having no other refuge.

vyAkyAnam (Commentary)

• sahasraSO yanna mayA vyadhAyi, nindhitham karma that lOkE nAsthi – Forbidden actions which are done by me thousands of times, athipAthaka (very cruel), mahApAthaka (greatly cruel) actions. They are not even highlighted in SAsthram. SAsthram may prohibit several actions, but a person need not engage in all such actions [I engage in all such prohibited actions].
• sOham – [such I] After engaging in such prohibited actions, I neither engage in atonement nor I have remorse for having done such actions.
• vipAkAvasarE – At that stage, when such actions reap their results which can only be experienced to have them exhausted.
• mukundha! – mukthi bhUmi pradha (Oh bestower of the land of liberation)! [Calling emperumAn by this name] After having realised that “your highness is the only means to uplift one who is such difficult state”. sAthvatha samhithA 16.23 “dhurAchArO’pi sarvASI kruthagnO nAsthika: …” (Even if one is engaged in forbidden activities, eats anything, ungrateful and atheist since time immemorial, if only he surrenders unto bhagavAn with full faith, consider him to be faultless by the greatness of bhagavAn); SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 18.3 “… dhOshO yadhyapi thasya syAth sathAmEthadhagarhitham ||” (I will never abandon this vibhIshaNa who approached me in a friendly manner. Whether he has faults or not, virtuous people will not condemn acceptance of him); SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 38.35 “… vadhArham api kAkuthstha: krupayA paryapAlayath ||” (Though kAkAsura was qualified to be killed, SrI rAma, who is the apt refuge, saved kAkAsura by his own grace); yajur vEdham kANdam 6.5 “… thasmAdhapi vadhyam prapannam na prathiprayachchanthi” (Thus, one who takes shelter, even if he is a murderer, he cannot be exposed); ahirbudhnya samhithA 37.33 and 37.34 “anEnaiva prapannasya bhagavantham sanAthanam | thasyAnubandhA: pApmAnas sarvE naSyanthi thath kshaNAth || kruthAnyEna sarvANi thapAmsi thapathAm vara | sarvE thIrthAs sarvayagyAs sarvadhAnAni thath kshaNath || kruthAnyEthEna mOkshaScha thasya hasthE na samSaya: ||” (For the one who surrenders unto that ancient bhagavAn with this manthram, all sins are destroyed at once. Oh best among sages! he has performed all austerities, visited all holy rivers/abodes, performed all sacrifices and charities at once. mOksham (liberation) too is readily available for him. There is no doubt about this).
• agathi: – Other than your highness’s simplicity, considering my lack of refuge as the only reason [you have to protect me].
• samprathi krandhAmi – Like those who have pursued difficult means, [without doing any of that] I am crying so loud so that you cannot conceal yourself from me and others will blame you with lack of good qualities [for not helping me].
• thavAgrE – in front of your highness, who said [as SrI rAma] in SrI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam 10.9 “… hrIrEshA hi mamAthulA | …” (Oh sages! Let you all kindly be happy. Since I have been attained by you who are well qualified, I am feeling more embarassment than before).

In the next article we will enjoy the next SlOkam.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

archived in http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org

pramEyam (goal) – http://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
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SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

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Introduction

ALavandhAr declaring his qualification, engages the prapaththi (surrender) which came about [in previous pAsuram]. This SlOkam can also be explained as practicing the means which is apt for the goal which was explained previously. Previously, in SlOkam 15 “thvAm Seela” and SlOkam 16 “ullangitha“, ALavandhAr said evil-minded people would not know your glories; good people would know your glories. In SlOkam 21 “namO nama:“, ALavandhAr explained that only those who understand their nature to be subservient for bhagavAn would attain him; for those who consider themselves to be independent, it would be impossible to attain him. [Here, ] ALavandhAr says, while surrendering, one cannot do it with their own strength; one should surrender unto bhagavAn highlighting one’s Akinchanya (lack of any possession).

na dharmanishtO’smi na chAthmavEdhI
na bhakthimAmsthvachcharaNAravindhE |
akinchanO’nanyagathiS SaraNya!
thvathpAdhamUlam SaraNam prapadhyE ||

Word by word meaning

SaraNya – Oh my lord who is apt to be surrendered to!
dharma nishta: na asmi – I am not firm on karma yOgam:
Athma vEdhI cha na asmi – I do not have the knowledge about the self;
thvath charaNa aravindhE – in your divine lotus feet
bhakthimAn na – do not have bhakthi (devotion);
akinchana: – having no means
ananya gathi: – me who is having no other refuge
thvath pAdha mUlam – your divine lotus feet
SaraNam prapadhyE – firmly accept as the means

Simple Translation

Oh my lord who is apt to be surrendered to! I am not firm on karma yOgam: I do not have the knowledge about the self; I do not have bhakthi (devotion) at your divine lotus feet; I who is having having no other means and no other refuge, firmly accept your divine lotus feet as the means.

vyAkyAnam (Commentary)

• na dharma nishtO’smi – Neither I am saying “I am [not a] dhArmika” (well established follower); nor I am saying “I am a nAsthika” (one who completely disregards dharma); But I am saying “I have no attachment to any dharma”. bhagavAn will abandon us and say “you try to uplift yourself”, if we have some thing in us to make others think about us as a “dhArmika” or to make ourselves believe that “I have something good in me [to attain bhagavAn]”. [So] ALavandhAr is saying “I have no attachment to any self-efforts which lead to your divine feet”.
• na cha Athma vEdhI – I will not impose on you to accept me like those who are engaged in the process of self-realisation. When only those who have rid their sins by practicing karma yOga, will realise the true self, and when such engagement in karma yOga is not present, it is implied that there is no gyAna yOga [which is a result of such karma yOga], why is ALavandhAr explicitly saying there is no gyAna [yOga]? As said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 7.19 “bahUnAm janmanAm anthE gyAnavAn” (after many births one becomes a gyAni), since due to previous efforts, one may be born as gyAni and be engaging in gyAna yOga. ALavandhAr says that he does not have such engagement as well.
• thvach charaNAravindhE na bhakthimAn – I do not have incessant devotion towards the infinitely enjoyable divine feet of  you who is the lord for this AthmA [me]. bhakthi [yOga] has karma [yOga] and gyAna [yOga] as anga [limbs]; when there is no karma and gyAna, how can there be bhakthi? As explained for gyAna yOga, if the bhakthi was acquired from the efforts in previous births, that may be present. ALavandhAr says that he does not have such bhakthi [yOga] too. thirumAlai 25 “kuLiththu mUnRu analai” (taking bath and engaging in fire yagya), thiruvAimozhi 5.7.1 “nORRa nOnbu” (karma yOga which involves austerities), thiruppAvai 28 “kaRavaigaL pin senRu” (Going behind the cattle to the forest) [all these pAsuram explain in great detail, the same principle explained in this SlOkam].
• akinchana: – I have none of these – anuthApam (remorse [for not having such aspects), Athma guNams (good qualities) which bring about these yOga, the ability or desire of a qualified person and so on.
• ananya gathi: – When you don’t have such aspects in you, do you have any other rakshaka (protector) to give shelter? ALavandhAr is saying “I have no other person to provide shelter?”; as said in thiruvAimozhi 5.7.1 “unnai vittu onRum ARRakiRkinRilEn” (I am unable to sustain myself without you), without bhagavAn nothing can be done.
• SaraNya – One who is apt to be the refuge, for those who have nothing in them.
• thvath pAdha mUlam – The divine feet of your highness. The divine feet are said as mUlam (root/cause), they are exclusively thought about, even without considering his divine qualities and other limbs.
• SaraNam prapadhyE – I cling on to them as that which will remove the hurdles first and bestow kainkaryam (service) eventually. ahirbudhnya samhithA 37.29 “upAyE gruharakthrOS …” (SaraNam generally indicates means, house, protector; here it is explaining upAyam (means) only). ahirbudhnya samhithA 37.30 and 37.31 “aham asmi aparAdhAnAm Alaya: …” (“I am the abode of all faults; I have no means [to protect myself]. I have no refuge other than you. Let you be my means” – the thought with this prayer is called SaraNAgathi. Let this be done towards bhagavAn). SvEthASvathAra upanishath “yO brahmANam vithadhAthi pUrvam .. mumukshurvai SaraNam aham prapadhyE” (That SrIman nArAyaNan who blessed brahmA with all the knowledge during creation … I am surrendering unto that brahmam).

Thus, the adhikAri svarUpam (nature of the qualified person [to engage in SaraNAgathi]) and SaraNAgathi prayOgam [how surrender is done] are explained.

In the next article we will enjoy the next SlOkam.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

archived in http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org

pramEyam (goal) – http://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

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Introduction

Being won over by the previously explained bhagavAn‘s greatness came about from his true nature, his wealth/control which came about from his inseparable relationship with ubhaya vibhUthi (paramapadham (spiritual realm) and samsAram (material realm)), his simplicity which came about from his great qualities, ALavandhAr meditates upon the greatness of bhagavAn who is the refuge, as done by SvEtha dhvIpa vAsis (residents of SvEtha dhvIpam) in jithanthE sthOthram 1 “jithanthE” (Let him be victorious), as done by arjuna in SrI bhagavath gIthA “nama: purasthAdhatha prushtathasthE” (I bow down to you, in front of you and behind you) and as done by nammAzhwAr in thiruvAimozhi 1.3.4 “yArum Or nilaimaiyan” (anyone to know him that he in “such and such manner”). Also explained as – Having previously explained the nature of the goal, here the nature of the person who pursues that goal is explained. Another explanation – Having previously explained the nature of bhagavAn, the refuge, here he highlights the nature of SaraNAgathi (the process of surrender) which is going to be explained subsequently.

namO namO vAngmanasAthibhUmayE
namO namO vAngmanasaikabhUmayE |
namO namO’nanthamahAvibhUthayE
namO namO’nanthadhayaikaSindhavaE ||

Word by word meaning

vAng manasa athibhUmayE – to you who is beyond the reach of the speech and mind (of those who try to know you by their own efforts)
nama: nama: – namaskAram, namaskAram (salutations! salutations!);
vAng manasa Eka bhUmayE – to you who is within the reach of the speech and mind (of those who have known you, by your grace)
namO nama: – namaskAram (salutation);
anantha mahA vibhUthayE – to you who have boundless great wealth
namO nama: – namaskAram (salutation);
anantha dhayA Eka SindhavE – to you who is an ocean of mercy
namO nama: – namaskAram (salutation).

Simple Translation

My namaskAram, namaskAram (salutations! salutations!) to you who is beyond the reach of the speech and mind (of those who try to know you by their own efforts); my namaskAram (salutation) to you who is within the reach of the speech and mind (of those who have known you, by your grace); my namaskAram (salutation) to you who have boundless great wealth; my namaskAram (salutation) to you who is an ocean of mercy.

vyAkyAnam (Commentary)

• vAngmanasAthibhUmayE namO nama: – For you who is beyond the reach of the speech and mind of those who try to know about you through their own efforts, however greatly knowledgeable they are. thaiththirIya upanishath Anandhavalli 9.1 “yathO vAchO nivarthanthE …” (the words returned being unable to glorify bhagavAn‘s quality of bliss fully and even the mind cannot comprehend that); SrIvishNu purANam 1.9.59 “yannAyam bhagavAn brahmA jAnAthi purushOththamam” (That purushOththama who is not known to brahmA even). “nama:” indicates the true nature of AthmA, which is free from ahankAram. SrIvishNu purANam 6.7.11 “anAthmani Athma budhdhiryA asvE svamithi yA mathi: |
  avidhyAtharusambhUthibIjamEthath dhvividhA sthithtam ||” (Considering that which is not AthmA (i.e., body) as AthmA and considering that which is not one’s property (i.e., AthmA and that which is owned by the AthmA which are fully owned by bhagavAn) as one’s own are the two seeds for this tree of samsAram (which is the cycle of birth and death based on one’s actions). Here ahankAram is considering the AthmA as body – dhEhAthma abhimAnam. mamakAram is considering oneself as the owner – sva svAthanthriyam). “ahamapi na mama | bhagavatha EvAhamasmi ithyEvam amamathAm yOjayathyathO nam ithi” (nama: is said to be the bestower of the thinking “I am not for me; I am a servitor of bhagavAn”). mahAbhAratham SAnthi parvam13.4 “dhvayaksharasthu bhavEnmruthyus thryaksharam brahmaNa: padham |” (two lettered word “mama” (mine) leads to material realm; three lettered word “na mama” (not mine) leads to eternal liberation) and so on. Since “nama:” is synonymous to SaraNAgathi, it also highlights that. Repetition of “nama:” is due to being captivated with its meaning. thaiththirIya AraNyaka 4 “sakruththE agnE nama: | dhvishthE nama: | thristhE nama: | chathusthE nama: | panchakruthvasthE nama: | dhaSakruthvasthE nama: | SathakruthvasthE nama: | AsahasrakruthvasthE nama: | aparimithakruthvasthE nama: ||” (Oh agni (presiding deity for fire)! I salute you once; twice; thrice; four times; five times; ten times; hundred times; upto thousand times; countless times).
• vAngmanasaika bhUmayE nama: – For you who is within the reach the speech and mind of those who know you by your grace. SrI bhagavath gIthA 10.5 “bhavanthi bhAvA bhUthAnAm maththa Eva pruthagvidhA:” (The gyAnam etc of the creatures occur due to my sankalpam (divine will) only) and so on.
• anantha mahA vibhUthayE – For you who is the lord of the two immeasurable vibhUthis (realms/wealth). You are beyond the reach of speech and mind because you are the lord of the immeasurable wealth.
• anantha dhayaika SindhavE – For you who is an ocean of immeasurable mercy which makes you within the reach of speech and mind. You mercy’s infinite nature is such that you who is omnipotent, is understood/controlled by a cowherd girl as said in SrIvishNu purANam 5.6.14 “… yadhi SaknOshi gachcha thvam …” (yaSOdhA tied the mischievous krishNa into a mortar with a rope and angrily told him “Oh one with mischievous activities! if you are capable, free yourself and go now”).

In the next article we will enjoy the next SlOkam.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

archived in http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org

pramEyam (goal) – http://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

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Introduction

ALavandhAr now explains the greatness of the devotees who are the enjoyers of the previously explained qualities of bhagavAn. Alternative explanation – If there is so much greatness for those devotees who acquired such greatness from bhagavAn as said in brahma sUthram 1.1.20 “asminnasya cha thadhyOgam SAsthi” (Sruthi explains blissful togetherness of jIvAthmA with brahmam which is blissful), it is obvious that bhagavAn’s greatness cannot be measured.

thvadhASrithAnAm jagadhudhbhavasthithi
praNASasamsAravimOchanAdhaya: |
bhavanthi leelA vidhayaScha vaidhikAs
thvadhIya gambhIra manOnusAriNa: ||

Word by word meaning (1)

thvadhASrithAnAm – for your devotees (like brahmA et al)
jagath udhbhava sthithi praNASa samsAra vimOchana Adhaya: – creating the world, protecting, annihilating, helping to cross over the samsAra (material realm|), etc
leelA bhavanthi – are like sports;
vaidhikA: vidhaya: cha – the rules of vEdham too
thvadhIya gambhIra manOnusAriNa: bhavanthi – follow the deep divine hearts of your devotees

Simple Translation (1)

For your devotees (like brahmA et al) creating the world, protecting, annihilating, helping to cross over the samsAra (material realm), etc., are like sports; the rules of vEdham too follow the deep divine hearts of your devotees.

Word by word meaning (2)

jagath udhbhava sthithi praNASa samsAra vimOchana Adhaya: – creating the world, protecting, annihilating, helping to cross over the samsAra, etc
leelA – (your) sports
thvath ASrithAnAm bhavanthi – exist for your devotees;
vaidhikA: vidhaya: cha – the rules of vEdham too
thvadhIya gambhIra manOnusAriNa: bhavanthi – follow your deep divine heart

Simple Translation (2)

Creating the world, protecting, annihilating, helping to cross over the samsAra, etc are your sports and they exist for your devotees only. The rules of vEdham too follows your deep divine heart

vyAkyAnam (Commentary)

• thvadhASrithAnAm … – brahmA, rudhra et al and the four mAnasa kumAras (sons) of brahmA viz sanaka et al and so on. If brahmA et al who acquired the skills of udhbhava (creation), sthithi (sustenance), praNASa (annihilation), samsAra vimOchanAdhaya: (lead others to liberation) etc., from you through your instructions and engage in in them, when those devotees who are exclusively existing for you are to do the same (creation etc), it will be for their sport. When the mukthAthmAs (liberated souls) enjoy with you, they make their gyAthis (relatives) appear in front of them, through their sankalpam (divine will). brahma sUthram 4.4.8 “sankalpAdhEva thachruthE:” (mukthAthmAs create with their will. Since Sruthi (vEdham) says so). chAndhOgya upanishath 8.2.1 “sankalpAdhEvAsya pitharassamuththishtanthi” (If the mukthAthmA desires to see his forefathers, those forefathers appear in front of him through his sankalpam (divine will)). They (liberated souls) do not engage in creation etc [and only engage in serving bhagavAn in SrIvaikuNtam], not because they are incapable but because they are not meant to do. “Adhi” (in the end of this part of the SlOkam – Adhaya:) indicates other aspects such as assuming multiple forms and controlling them etc. brahma sUthram 4.4.17 “jagath vyApAra varjam” (mukthAthmA’s wealth is [exclusive engagement with brahmam only] without any engagement in worldly creation etc; this is because creation etc., are attributed to brahmam only; also [for mukthAthmA] does not have the scope [of such creation etc]); brahma sUthram 4.4.21 “bhOga mAthra sAmya lingAchcha” (due to mukthAthmA being identified as the one having equality [with bhagavAn] in enjoying brahmam, there is no engagement in creation etc [for mukthAthmA]).
• jagadhudhbhavasthithi praNASasamsAravimOchanAdhaya: leelA thvadhASrithAnAm bhavanthi – Alternative explanation – bhagavAn engages in creation etc based on the wishes of mumukshus (those devotees of bhagavAn who are desiring to be liberated). While bhagavAn’s nature is unsurpassed enjoyability, he is said as samsAra vimOchaka (one who liberates others from samsAram) due to the desires of his devotees. By “Adhi” (in the end of this part of the SlOkam – Adhaya:), his many incarnations for the aforementioned purpose, his assuming many forms during the divine rAsa krIdA (romantic sport) and so on.
• vidhayaScha vaidhikA: – Independent vaidhika rules such as “idham kuru| idham mA kArshI: ||” (Do this; Don’t do this).
• thvadhIya gambhIra manOnusAriNa: – [Such rules] are following the deep hearts of those who are surrendered to you exclusively without any expectation. gambhIrathva (depth) for manas (mind/heart) is – instead of engaging in lowly wealth (worldly wealth) etc and being ananya prayOjana (exclusively pleasing bhagavAn only). SvEthASvathara upanishath 1.1 “brahmavAdhinO vadhanthi” (brahmavAdhis (knowers of brahmam/bhagavAn) are saying); thaiththirIya AraNyaka 1.9 “sa hOvAcha vyAsa: pArASarya:” (Spoken by sage parASara’s son, illustrious vyAsa); thaiththirIya upanishath SikshAvalli 11 “atha yathi thE karma vichikithsA vA vruththa vichikithsA vA syAth | yE thathra brAhmaNAs sammarSina: | yukthA AyukthA: | alUkshA dharmakAmA: syu: | yathA thE thathra varthEran | thathA thathra varthEthA: |” (If you get any doubts in karma (ritual activities) or AchAram (practices), you follow what is done by brAhmaNas who are experts in analysis,  engaged in vEdha SAsthram, capable in all matters, devoid of kAma (lust) and krOdha (anger) and desirous of dharma (virtuous activities)). For those who are not fully engaged in bhagavath vishayam (matters related to bhagavAn) as defined in thiruvAimozhi 9.6.2 “ninaithoRum sollum thoRum nenjidindhugum” (every time I think about him, every time I speak/hear about him, my heart becomes broken), SAsthram ordains [to engage them in him in a procedural manner] as in bruhadhAraNyaka upanishath 6.6.6 “nidhidhyASithavya:” ([bhagavAn] should be meditated upon), bruhadhAraNyaka upanishath  6.4.21 “vigyAya pragyAm kurvItha brAhmaNa:” (Knowledgeable brAhmaNa should know about that paramAthmA through hearing and thinking and meditate upon him) and muNdaka upanishath 2.2.6 “OmithyEva dhyAyathAthmAnam” (Meditate upon paramAthmA, considering him as “Om”). Alternative explanation – Also explained as following your deep heart. vishNu dharmam 6.31 “Sruthi: smruthir mamaivAgyA yasthAmullanghya varththathE | AgyAchchEthI mam dhrOhI madhbhakthO’pi na vaishNava: ||” (vEdham and smruthi are my orders. One who fails to follow such orders, is considered to have violated my orders; he is a traitor; even if he is my devotee, he is not a vaishNava).

In the next article we will enjoy the next SlOkam.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

archived in http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org

pramEyam (goal) – http://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

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Introduction

ALavandhAr says just like bhagavAn‘s auspicious qualities are countless, each quality in itself is boundless.

uparyuparyubjabhuvO’pi pUrushAn
prakalpya thE yE SathamithyanukramAth |
giras thvadhEkaikaguNAvadhIpsayA
sadhA sthithA nOdhyamathO’thiSErathE ||

Word by word meaning

abjabhuva: upari upari api – more and more for brahmAs
thE yE Satham ithi anukramAth – by reciting “thE yE Satham” (such hundred) repeatedly
pUrushAn prakalpya – imagining new brahmAs
thvath Ekaika guNa avadhi IpsayA – desiring to see the boundary of your each quality
sadhA sthithA: – always focussed on
gira: – vEdha vAkyams (sacred sounds/hymns)
udhyamatha: – crossing over the starting stage
na athiSErathE – have not moved forward

Simple Translation

By reciting “thE yE Satham” (such hundred) repeatedly for more and more brahmAs, vEdha vAkyams (sacred sounds/hymns) are always focussed on imagining new brahmAs, desiring to see the boundary of your each quality, have not moved forward crossing over the starting stage.

vyAkyAnam (Commentary)

• abjabhuva: uparyupari thE yE SathamithyanukramAth pUrushAn prakalpya: – Being born in the divine naval without separation, on top of brahmA who learned [vEdham] directly from him [bhagavAn], placing that brahmA at the level of a human being, in the manner of thaiththirIya upanishath Anandhavalli “thE yE Satham” (the bliss of such hundred persons together) starting with the bliss of such a human being and increasing the bliss to another brahmA, and repeating the same with many imaginary brahmAs of great potential [by multiplying the bliss 100s of times at every step].
• Ekaika guNAvadhIpsayA sadhA sthithA gira: – The sacred texts which are always existing and desiring to see the boundary [ultimate state] of Anandha guNam (bliss). By saying “Ekaika (Eka Eka)” (only one), it implies bhagavAn‘s features like his youth etc which brings about bliss. “sadhA sthithA gira:” also indicates the nithyathva (eternal) and apaurushEyathva (author-less) nature of vEdham. Since “gira:” (sounds/hymns) is used instead of saying vEdha akshara rASi (collection of letters), as said in SrIvishNu purANam 1.5.63 “… vEdha SabdhEbhya EvAthau …” (brahmA named the creatures starting with dhEvathAs, their forms, and explanations for vaidhika activities [by learning them] from the words of vEdham), even laukIka Sabdhams (worldly words) are derived from vaidhika Sabdhams (scriptural texts) only.

How did they [hymns/texts] see the qualities of bhagavAn?

• nOdhyamadhO’thiSErathE – While they ventured into the qualities of bhagavAn, they could not move a step forward. thaiththirIya upanishath Anandhavalli 8 – Starting with “saishAnandhasya mImAmsA bhavathi” (the bliss of brahmam (bhagavAn) is analysed here) and goes up to  “sa EkO brahmaNa Anandha:” (This is brahmA’s bliss). As said in thaiththirIya upanishath Anandhavalli 8 “yuvA syAth” (Let him be a youthful man [as the texts are trying to analyse the bliss from the best possible starting point]), the youthful nature is attributed to the svarUpa (true nature) and guNams (qualities); it can also indicate the thEjas (glow) acquired by the youthful nature. adhyAyaka – gyAnam (knowledge); ASishta: – Sakthi (power/capability); dhradishta: – vIrya (bravery); balishta: – balam (Strength); thasyEyam – aiSvaryam (wealth/opulence). SrIvaikuNta sthavam 51 “thrayyudhyathA thava yuvathvamukhair guNaugai: …” (vEdham tried to explore your bliss which was nourished by your countless qualities such as youth etc and measured it saying “thE yE Satham” (hundred times of that) and declared loudly “he cannot be comprehended by the mind and speech”). and so on.
• udhyamatha: – started.
• nAthiSErathE – [but] the ability to cross over is not present.

In the next article we will enjoy the next SlOkam.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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