upadhESa raththina mAlai – 72

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pAsuram 72

pUruvAchAriyargaL bhOdham anuttAnangaL
kURuvAr varththaigaLaik koNdu neer thERi – iruL
tharumA gyAlaththE inbam uRRu vAzhum theruL
tharumA thEsikanaich chErndhu.                                   72

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Word by word meaning

neer sErndhu – You surrender to
thEsikanai – AchAryan (preceptor)
mA – having greatness
theruL tharum – who advises good knowledge,
thERi – and learn as is
koNdu – and accept
vArththaigaLai – the words of
kUruvAr – those who say truthfully
pOdham – about knowledge
anuttAnangaL – and matching conduct
pUruvAchAriyargaL – of the earlier AchAryas (preceptors);
iruL tharumA gyAlaththE – and in this big world that creates darkness that is ignorance
vAzhum – you shall live
inbu uRRu – in bliss.

vyAkyAnam

{Again, piLLai lOkam jeeyar, due to his immense mercy, is summarizing the previous pAsurams related to AchAryan and disciple, and then gets into the commentary of this pAsuram}.

Earlier in this prabandham where he (maNavALa mAmunigaL) started with ‘than guruvin thALiNaigaL [upadhEsa raththina mAlai – 60]’, he talked that if one who does not have association with the divine feet of the ultimate goal that is AchAryan, then Isvaran who is the top most head would not give the true goal, so they won’t achieve that;

that, after reaching the AchAryan who is complete in knowledge and matching conduct, the husband of thAyAr would himself divine such disciple the SrIvaikuNtam;

that, this being the case, those who are interested in reaching true goal, you show love towards your AchAryan’s feet and you will get the paramapadham as surely as having a fruit in your hand;

that, if you think about the favour of AchAryan, there is no room for separating from him, and not just that, he who has fully involved himself in the services to the AchAryan has no room for separating him;

that, in this way about how the disciple and AchAryan protect the divine body and Athma,

that, how the disciple would not be having interest in that place (SrIvaikuNtam) and would consider services to AchAryan’s divine feet only as the limitless true goal, and so would live nurturing that;

and showing those who are like that and what their conduct is (pinbazhagiya perumAL jeeyar),

and that, since the words of advice of those who are ignorant of the ways of the AchAryas would be of confusion, what we need to follow is the conduct of AchAryas who are able to clear such ignorance;

that, in this way the supportable and opposable types of people are to be accepted and rejected respectively based on thinking through this;

that, due to association with these two types of people what good and bad qualities would arise;

that, such opposable types who give wrong advice are foolish.

After divining these, now he is setting to show that one would get the greatest benefit that is the great life of having AchAryan’s love that is reached based on the advice of those who are subservient to AchAryas;

and so by the aforementioned details of pAsurams he gives the essence of meanings of SrI vachana bhUshaNam.

First he started with ‘pinnavarum kaRka upadhEsamAyp pEsuginREn [upadhEsa raththina mAlai – 1]’, and he set forth in this way such advice to others, and completes that;

and now addressing those interested in surviving/reaching true goal, saying that you gain faith in the words (of devotees) that reflect the knowledge and conduct of pUrvAchAryas, and surrender to AchAryan who through giving knowledge, etc., takes care of us; and in this world that generates ignorance, surrender to such highly valued AchAryan and live with happiness; saying so he completes his divining to us.

It is talking about the way for living (surviving/reaching true goal), by

pUruvAchAriyargaL bhOdham anuttAnangaL kURuvAr vArththaigaLaik koNdu.

That is, what with the unblemished true knowledge of pUrvAchAryas starting from SrIman nAthamunigaL who is highly knowledgeable who knows the full extent of truth, up to the recent AchAryas, what with their unblemished conduct that is according to such knowledge,

he (maNavALa mAmunigaL) says that you use the words of those (devotees) who talk about these greatness and thus help reach the divine feet of AchAryan;

Detailed information on wealth – guru paramparA (lineage of preceptors)
(courtesy: http://www.adiyenramanujadasan.org/images/SrivaishanavaGuruparampara.jpg)

neer thERi – unlike the knowledge of SAsthram that could be the reason for confusion, use the words that bring clarity to mind and that is easy to follow;

that is, it is required to get their association in order to get the association of AchAryan as said in ‘kodiyaik koL kombilE thuvakkum pOdhu suLLikkAl vENumApOlE AchArya anvayaththukkum idhu vENum [SrI vachana bhUshaNam – 442]’ (since it is rare to get to the AchAryan that can be the savior, it is essential to have the association with the devotees first, like how it is required to give a small stick as a support for the creeper to grow enough before it could spread into the awning (pandhal)). Using this as the goodness;

pOdham anuttAnangaL – what is said here is – gyAnam (knowledge) and anuttAnam (conduct).

kURuvAr vArththaigaLaik koNdu neer thERi – Even if one learns SAsthram with all the lines explained, it would be hard to get clarity as Asthika and reach the goal. If one follows those who have learned such SAsthram and are having matching conduct, their words would help create interest and faith, bring clarity, and help reach the true goal.

So, you who are interested in reaching the true goal, you hear their words, and as said in ‘atha rAma: prasannAthmA SruthvA vAyu suthasya ha [SrI rAmAyaNam – yudhdha kANdam – 18.1]’ (after that rAman heard the words of the son of vAyu (wind god), that is hanuman, and became having clear mind), be of good existence (saththai) before going to AchAryan, and for growing that state reach the AchAryan and surrender to him, and experience the benefit of that here.

neer thERi – Like a muddled water would become clearer, you who due to the connection with non-sentient having the muddled mind, listen to their mystic words and become clear in your mind like the ‘thERRAm’ seed that can clear the well water; and based on that clarity, surrender to AchAryan and enjoy the benefit that comes out of it right in front of your eyes.

You become reformed by their (aforementioned people’s) words, and do it in action, that is, reach the AchAryan.  As said in ‘thamEva gurumApnuyAth [?]’ (You take him itself as your AchAryan).

So if you hear about – the knowledge of those people about being subservient and due to that their following of the AchAryan, and about their matching conduct – then you would get clarity in your mind, and due to that would surrender to AchAryan, and would be able to get the related benefit.

Next it talks about the benefit one gets when they understand the words (of such devotees) that create faith, and enable reaching the AchAryan:

theruL tharumA thEsikanaich chErndhu, iruL tharumA gyAlaththE neer inb(am)uRRu vAzhum – that is, surrender to the greatly beneficial AchAryan who is complete in knowledge, conduct, etc., gives knowledge etc., and protects us, and due to that greatness (rAja kula mAhAthmiyam), in this material world itself which creates ignorance and which does not have any true joy as said in ‘illai kaNdeer inbam [thiruvAimozhi 9.1.5]’ (~ there is no pleasure that you see), here itself, you shall live with limitless bliss as said in ‘andhamil pErinbam [thiruvAimozhi 10.9.11]’ (endless bliss) that is available in SrI vaikuNtam referred as ‘theLivisumbu thirunAdu’ (~brightest place, full of bliss).

neer vAzhum – As said in ‘periyArkku AtpattakkAl peRadha payan peRumARE [thiruvAimozhi 10.9.10]’ (~ if one serves the noble ones, one would get the unobtainable benefit), the unobtainable benefit that is services to AchAryan – you would be able to do that here when he is in this world as said in ‘avan innAdu thannil irukkum nAL [upadhEsa raththina mAlai – 64]’, and get that wealth that is service (kainkaryam), and live with taste in that. It is due to wealth only one gets good life.

iruL tharumA gyAlaththE inb(am)uRRu vAzhum – Not in some other place {SrIvaikuNtam} or in some other body {special body one gets there}, but here itself and in this birth itself, as said in ‘ingE kANa ippiRappE magizhvar [thiruvAimozhi 8.5.11]’ (here for one to see in this birth itself will become happy), you get the wealth that is love of AchAryan towards you, and live well. It is said as ‘mOdhathvam [?]’ (you shall get happiness).

His (maNavALa mAmunigaL’s) words ‘pinnavarum kaRka upadhEsamAyp pEsuginREn [upadhEsa raththina mAlai – 1]’, is completing with good life as he says here as ‘neer vAzhum’.

So, surrendering to AchAryan, and good life – are Not two things.

By this it has explained the reference (pramANam) words, ‘AchAryasya prasAdhEna mama sarvamabhIpsitham | prApnuyAmithi viSvAsO yasyAsthi sa sukhIbhavEth [anthimOpAya nishtai – page 8]’ (Those who have got the faith that due to the mercy of AchAryan all their wishes would be fulfilled, they would live happily).

– – – – – – – – – –

Translation: raghurAm SrInivAsa dhAsan

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