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