SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Continuing from previous article.
With his great mercy, viLAnjOlaip piLLai desired in his divine heart to explain the distinguished meanings which were elaborately shown in SrIvachana bhUshaNa dhivya SAsthram which is the essence of nammAzhwAr’s thiruvAimozhi and is the ultimate confidential matter, in a brief manner to be easily understood by all. Just as charama SlOkam is the most important part in SrI bhagavath gIthA, the final prakaraNam (section) which ultimately explains the ultimate pramANam (SAsthram), pramEyam (goal) and pramAthA (AchAryas), is the most important part in SrIvachana bhUshaNam. Hence, he mercifully explains the distinguished meanings of this section and the distinguished meanings which are explained in previous sections which help us understand this section, in seven pAsurams without making it elaborate, through this prabandham named “saptha kAdhai” which is enjoyable in all means as said in the thaniyan “vAzhi avan amudha vAy mozhigaL“.
When asked “How is that?”
In SrIvachana bhUshaNam, starting with 1st sUthram “vEdhArtham aRudhiyiduvadhu” up to 22nd sUthram “prapathyupadhESam paNNiRRum ivaLukkAga“, the distinguished meanings which were shown in purushakAra prakaraNam [pirAtti being recommendation authority] are revealed as essence in first pAsuram “ambon arangarkkum” as per maxims such as in lakshmI thanthram “ahanthA brahmaNasthasya” (I remain the consciousness of brahmam).
Starting with 23rd sUthram “prapaththikku“ up to 79th sUthram “EkAnthI vyapadhEshtavya:“, distingsuidhsed meanings which were shown in upAya prakaraNam [bhagavAn being the means], are shown in first pAsuram “umbar thivam ennum vAzhvukkuch chErndha neRi“.
Starting with 80th sUthram “upAyaththukku” up to 307th sUthram “upEya virOdhigaLumAy irukkum“, the distinguished meanings shown in adhikAri nishtA prakaraNam [the quality of prapanna] are shown in the pAsurams “anju poruLum“, “pArththa guruvin aLavil” and “thannai iRaiyai“.
Starting with 308th sUthram “thAn hithOpadhESam paNNumbOdhu” up to 365th sUthram “ugappum upakAra smruthiyum nadakka vENum“, the distinguished meanings shown in AchArya anuvarthana prakaraNam [serving AchArya] are shown in the pAsuram “en pakkal OdhinAr …“.
Starting with 366th sUthram “svadhOsha anusandhAnam bhaya hEthu” up to 406th sUthram “nivarthaka gyAnam abhaya hEthu“, the distinguished meanings shown in bhagavath nirhEthuka krupA prabhAva prakaraNam [the greatness of bhagavAn’s unconditional grace] are shown in the pAsuram “azhukkenRu ivai aRindhEn“.
Starting with 407th sUthram “svathanthranai upAyamAgath thAn paRRina pOdhiRE ipprasangandhAn uLLadhu” up to 463rd sUthram “anantharam palaparyantham Akkum“, the distinguished meanings shown in the final prakaraNam [AchArya vaibhavam] are shown briefly in all the seven pAsurams starting with “ambon arangarkkum” up to “thIngEdhumillA“.
In this manner, as he mercifully explains these in a summarizing manner, through positive explanation and negation, there is nothing wrong in saying that this prabandham is a condensed version of the meanings shown in SrIvachana bhUshaNam.
Just as nammAzhwAr mercifully explained prathama parvam (Initial stage – bhagavath bhakthi) in thiruvAsiriyam starting with “chekkar mA mugil“, viLAnjOlaip piLLai too is mercifully explaining the charama parvam (ultimate stage – AchArya bhakthi) in this prabandham starting with “ambon arangarkkum“.
There is a lot of difference between that prabandham and this prabandham.
When asked “What are those?”,
thiruvAsiriyam was composed in Asiriyap pA (a type of poem rule in thamizh) which does not have strict rules on the number of lines etc. Also it spoke about prathama parvam which is common cause for bandham (bondage) and mOksham (liberation) as said in SvEthaSvathara upanishath “samsAra bandha sthithi mOksha hEthu” (cause for both bondage and liberation), skandha purANam “sidhdhir bhavathivAnEthi samSayOchyutha sEvinAm” (Those who worship achyutha will worry for the success or failure of their wishes), thiruvAimozhi 3.2.1 “annAL nI thandha Akkai” (The body you gave during creation) and thiruvAimozhi 10.7.10 “mangavottu un mAmAyai” (Let this great prakruthi (my body) which is yours, perish).
But, this saptha kAdhai is in veNbA which is having rules for number of lines. Also, it is perfectly presenting the charama parvam as said in chAndhOgya upanishath “thamasa:pAram dharSayathi AchAryasthu thE gathim vakthA” (Now, your AchArya will give you instructions for mOksham), “na samSayOsthi thadhbhaktha paricharyArathAthmanAm” (Serving the devotees of bhagavAn will undoubtedly get the desired result) and pramEya sAram 9 “nIdhiyAl vandhippArkkuNdu izhiyAvAn” (Those who worship the AchAryan properly will attain SrIvaikuNtam, where there is no rebirth).
Alternatively, supported by ANdAL’s divine words [ANdAL said in nAchchiyAr thirumozhi 10.10 “vittuchiththar thangaL dhEvarai varuvipparEl adhu kANdumE” (If periyAzhwAr, who is the head of SrIvillipuththUr, invites that emperumAn who is under his control, in the ways possible for him)], in this prabandham, which is the condensed form of the fourth vAkyam (SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:) in vAkya guruparamparai (asmath gurubhyO nama: … SrIdharAya nama:), the first vAkyam (asmath gurubhyO nama:), is explained in sequence. That is,
- The 1st aksharam (letter)” “as” is explained in the first line “ambon arangarkkum” and in the first pAsuram
- The 2nd aksharam “math” is explained in the pAsuram “anju poruLum aLiththavan“
- The 3rd aksharam “gu” is explained in the pAsuram “pArththa guru“
- The 4th aksharam “rubh” is explained in the pAsuram “oru mandhiraththin“
- The 5th aksharam “yO” is explained in the pAsuram “en pakkal OdhinAr“
- The 6th aksharam “na” is explained in “ambonarangA” and in the 6th pAsuram
- The 7th aksharam “ma” is explained in “sEruvarE andhAmandhAn” in the 7th pAsuram
Just as SrI rAmAyaNa has 24000 SlOkams based on gAyathri chandhas which has 24 letters, this prabandham is an expansion of those 7 letters into 7 pAsurams.
Just as SrI madhurakavigaL and vaduga nambi presented charama parvam through their words and actions properly, viLAnjOlaip piLLai is making it explicit with his words and actions.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
archived in https://divyaprabandham.koyil.org
pramEyam (goal) – https://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org