SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
am pon arangarkkum – mukthAthmAs, as is said in thirumAlai 2 “pOy indhira lOgam ALum” (Going to paramapadham and enjoying there), will be travelling through archirAdhi mArgam (the path leading to paramapadham), bathing well in virajA river, being touched by amAnava, will be accepting divine bodies, in paramapadham. On the other hand, there is this cruel world which increases bondage. Unlike these two, since SrIrangam can be entered with this material body itself and is also the eliminator of bondage, to be known as “arangamAnagar” (the great SrIrangam town), it is beyond the two vibhUthis (nithya and leelA) and hence known as thrithIyA vibhUthi (third realm). In such thiruvarangam thiruppathi, for periya perumAL who is said to be remaining firmly to accept his devotees like a stationary object unlike avathArams (incarnations) which ended their time sooner or later as said in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 4.9.3 “adiyavarai AtkoLvAn amarum Ur” (The town where emperumAn who accepts his servitors is residing firmly).
viLAnjOlaip piLLai is identifying periya perumAL as the prominent one since
- periya perumAL is the prominent one in comparison with his other forms as said in thiruvAimozhi 7.2.11 “mugil vaNNan adi mEl sonna sol mAlai Ayiram” (The thousand garlands of words which were spoken on cloud-hued emperumAn), thiruvAimozhi thaniyan “madhiL arangar vaN pugazh mEl AnRa thamizh maRaigaL Ayiramum” (the thousand pAsurams which were sung on the divine qualities of SrI ranganAtha who is in fortified SrIrangam) SrIrangarAja sthavam 78 “SatakOpa vAk vapushi ranga gruhESayitham” (one who is present in nammAzhwAr’s divine words and form, and is present in SrIrangam)
- periya perumAL is the ultimate goal revealed by the ultimate prabandham thiruvAimozhi as said in “pramANam Satajith sUkthi: pramEyam rangachandhramA:” (Authentic source of knowledge is nammAzhwAr’s words and authentic goal is SrIranganAtha)
- he has been praised by all ten AzhwArs
- he is the root of our guru paramparai
- and since this dhivyadhESam is the root for all dhivyadhESams starting with thirumalA thiruppathi.
“am pon arangarkku” explains the meaning of akAra and nArAyaNa words which are brief and detailed explanation of bhagavAn. By the case in “arangarkku“, the meaning of the fourth case, that is servitude, which is hidden in praNavam is explained.
Subsequently, as said in “makArO jIva vAchaka:” (makAra indicates jIvAthmA), the chEthana who is the abode for this servitude which is shown explicitly in praNavam, and the explanation of such makAram, which is the word nAra, which explicitly explains eternity, multitude etc of the chEthanas who were implied in makAram, is also mercifully explained.
Avikkum – and For AthmA – For prathyayams (suffices), revealing their meaning of the prakruthi (root word they are associated with), is normal; hence, the meaning of Aya, SEshathvam (servitude), which is luptha (hidden) in akAram, should be for ISvara [i.e servitude towards ISvara], it is associated with chEthana (makAram) here [servitude of AthmA]. Why is this so? Here, servitude is considered as the relationship between ISvara and chEthana, and hence can identify both the entities, and thus, though it is resting on chEthana, there is nothing wrong in saying it to be associated with ISvara.
Avikkum – “am pon” should be prefixed here (for AthmA) too. In this manner, being a servitor of periya perumAL, the natural lord, being superior to matter, being filled with gyAnam (knowledge) and Anandham (bliss), having knowledge, being unchangeable, having a singular form, being in three categories viz badhdha (bound souls), muktha (liberated souls) and nithya (eternally free souls), AthmAs are having periya perumAL as the only, apt lord as said in thaiththirIya nArAyaNavalli “pathim viSvasya” (being the lord of the universe), thiruvAimozhi 7.2.10 “mUvulagALi” (ruler of all three worlds), periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 4.9.10 “ennai ALan” (one who rules me) and are said to be his servitors. Avi usually indicates prANa (vital air) as said in “sarvam hitham prANinAm vratham” (All vrathams are good for living beings), which are in five places in the body, as said in thiruvAimozhi 10.10.3 “AvikkOr paRRukkombu” (emperumAn is the supporting pole for AthmA), since Avi is used to indicate AthmA, viLAnjOlaip piLLai also followed the same and mercifully used Avi to indicate AthmA.
am pon arangarkkum Avikkum – Though piLLai lOkAchAryar explained in granthams such as artha panchakam etc, sva svarUpam (AthmA’s nature) first and then para svarUpam (bhagavAn’s nature), as seen in Sruthi vAkyams (quotes from vEdham) such as yajur brAmaNam 3.7 “yasyAsmi” (the one for whom I am a servitor) and in praNavam which is the source [for vEdham] (which has akAram first) and in hArItha samhithA “prApyasya brahamaNO rUpam” (nature of brahmam which is to be attained), since bhagavAn’s nature is highlighted first, viLAnjOlaip piLLai is also following the same method.
The samuchchayam (collection) which is in sAma vEdham kauthumIyA samhithA “yuvathiScha kumAriNI” is anvAchayam (importance for one of the collections); similarly “arangarkkum Avikkum” is also anvAchayam and not sama samuchchayam (equal importance for all entities in the collection); this is because, the servitor and the lord will not have equal importance. [But isn’t it equality highlighted for bhagavAn and muktha (liberated soul) in SAsthram?] As said in brahma sUthram 4.4.21 “bhOga mAthra sAmya lingAchcha” (There is equality in enjoyment only for bhagavAn and muktha) and in 4.4.17 “jagath vyApAra varjam” (muktha does not engage in creation etc), chEthana has equality with ISvaran only in enjoyment and not in all aspects. The intent in muNdaka upanishath 3.1.3 “niranjana: paramam sAmyam upaithi” (muktha attains top-most equality with brahmam), SrI bhagavath gIthA 14.2 “mama sAdharmyam AgathA:” (He attains equality with me) and in periya thirumozhi 11.3.5 “thammaiyE nALum vaNangith thozhuvArkkuth thammaiyE okka aruL seyvar” (For those who worship him, he will bless them equality with him).
Will be continued in the next part …
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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