SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Introduction
When asked “Though a person is lacking love towards his AchAryan, due to AchAryan’s instructions, he has learnt the essence of SAsthram such as artha panchakam etc. Learning those SAsthrams which are arts of knowledge elaborately, due to the knowledge acquired through such effort, why can’t he be liberated?” That special knowledge acquired without such special love is useless, similar to an elephant bathing as said in “Srutham thasya sarvam kunjara sauchavath” (All of those knowledge acquired from AchAryan without love towards him, is similar to an elephant bathing); thus as said in upadhESa raththina mAlai 60 “naNNAr avargaL thirunAdu” (they will not reach the paramapadham, the divine abode), they will only end up falling down deep into samsAram.
pAsuram
pArththa guruvin aLavil parivinRi
sIrththa migu gyAnam ellAm sErndhAlum kArththa kadal
maNNin mEl thunbuRRu mangumE thEngAmal
naNNumE kIzhA naragu
Word-by-word meanings
pArththa – One who mercifully glanced through his instructions
guruvin aLavil – towards AchAryan
parivinRi – (one who remains) without love
sIrththa – being heavy, due to truly informing about Sriya:pathi (consort of SrI mahAlakshmi)
migu – best
gyAnam ellAm – all knowledge
sErndhAlum – though one is having without any shortage
kArththa kadal – surrounded by the ocean which appears dark like a cloud
maNNin mEl – on this earth
thunbuRRu – experience countless sorrows
mangum – will die; (subsequently)
kIzhAm – being inferior due to the continuous experiencing of sorrows
naragu – hell
thEngAmal – without a break
naNNum – reach and experience suffering.
Simple Explanation
Even if a person is having the best of all knowledge which is heavy, due to truly informing about Sriya:pathi, without any shortage, if he lacks love towards AchAryan, who mercifully glanced through his instructions, he will experience countless sorrows on this earth surrounded by the ocean which appears dark like a cloud and will die; subsequently, without a break, he will reach and experience suffering in hell which is inferior due to the continuous experiencing of sorrows.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
pArththa guruvin aLavil – The person who is so hard-hearted and was abandoned even by sarvESvaran who tries to capture the AthmA by different ways, tried so hard thinking “It is impossible for us to reform him” and left with teary eyes, as said in pramEya sAram 2 “palam onRum kANAmai kANum karuththAr” (AchAryas who bless without seeking any benefits), was unconditionally and mercifully glanced for his liberation, without seeking kyAthi (fame), lAbha (wealth), pUjA (worship) and was instructed knowledge which eliminates the darkness of ignorance with the traces as said in “agyAna thimirAndhasya gyAnAnjanaSalAkayA | chakshurunmeelithamyEna” (Salutations to the guru who opened the eyes which were blinded by ignorance, with the stick of gyAnam). Towards such AchArya who is a great benefactor,
parivu inRi – As said in upadhESa raththina mAlai 60 “than guruvin thALiNaigaL thannil anbu onRu illAdhAr” (One who does not have love towards one’s guru), being won over by this great benediction of the guru, one should remain caring towards such guru as said in thiruvAimozhi 2.7.8 “unakku en seygEn” (What can I do to you?) and “kimiva SrInidhE vidhyathE mE” (Oh SrInidhi! What do I have?), and think “What shall I, who have nothing in me, do?” and feel sorrow and engage in whatever little service possible. One who does not have such love to do these things; parivu – partiality towards the guru. With this, love is implied. This person is not doing what is desired by wise people towards their AchAryan as said in “bhUyO nA thE mama thu SathathA vardhathAmEsha bhUya:” (My love in your matter should grow hundred times).
When asked “Though he lacks love towards AchAryan, why can’t he be liberated with his distinguished knowledge?”
sIrththa … – As said in SrIvishNu purANam “thadhgyAnam” (That knowledge), mudhal thiruvandhAdhi 67 “thAmaraiyAL kELvan oruvanaiyE nOkkum uNarvu” (True knowledge will only focus on the divine consort of SrI mahAlakshmi who resides on the lotus flower), since the knowledge truly reveals SrIman nArAyaNan who is sarvESvaran, it is great, and is top most as said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 4.38 “na hi gyAnEna sadhruSam pavithram iha vidhyathE” (In this world, there is nothing purifying as knowledge about self). Though one has abundance of such knowledge, as said in nyAya kusumAnjali “arthEnaiva viSEshO hi nirAkArathayA dhiyAm” (Different types of knowledge depend upon different matters), since there is difference in the knowledge acquired about bhagavAn based on the particular aspect of bhagavAn, viLAnjOlaip piLLai is saying “gyAnam ellAm sErndhAlum” (Even if all types of knowledge are acquired). Since it is said as “sErndhAlum” (if acquired – that means it is very difficult), such knowledge which is born from SAsthram, will never be acquired by the person who is ungrateful towards the AchAryan as said in “AthmanOnAthmakalpasya svAthmESAnasya yOgyathAm | kruthavantham na yOvEththi kruthagnO nAsthitha thath sama:“. But even if he somehow acquires such knowledge, it appears that such knowledge will not fulfil any purpose.
When asked “How will it not fulfil the purpose?”
kArththa … – viLAnjOlaip piLLai is saying “Even if he acquires the knowledge, he has fallen to a very lowly state. Hence, it will not fulfil the purpose”.
kArththa kadal maNNin mEl thunbuRRu mangumE – Such person who lacks love towards AchAryan, on this earth which is surrounded by ocean which appears dark like cloud due to the presence of abundance of water as said in “sAgara mEkalAm” (surrounded by the layer of water), will experience great sorrow, to be seen by everyone in this world itself, as said in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 62.3 “athyutkatai puNyapApairihaiva palamaSnuthE” (For certain immense good or bad deeds, the result will be experienced in this world itself) which is opposite to what is said in thiruvAimozhi 8.5.11 “ingE kANa ippiRappE magizhvar” (will acquire joy [only] in this world itself to be seen by all, in this birth itself). After experiencing such great sorrow which has no comparison, will die being pulled by the servitors of yama during death as said in SrIvishNu purANam 6.5.42 “klESAdhuthkrAnthim ApnOthi yama kinkara pIditha:” (Being captured by the servitors of yama, will suffer during death). In “kArththa“, “ith” is for sounding well, it implies “kArkkadal” (dark cloud like ocean).
thunbuRRu – viLAnjOlaip piLLai is simply stating the result of suffering, since if he has to list out his sufferings such as AdhyAthmika etc, they will be countless as said in thiruvAimozhi 4.9.1 “eNNArAth thuyar” (Innumerable sufferings).
mangumE – mangudhal – naSiththal (getting destroyed). Don’t doubt whether such person will be destroyed or not. He will certainly be destroyed.
When asked “Though he is suffering in this world in this manner, will he at least remain happy in the subsequent life?”
thEngAmal … – viLAnjOlaip piLLai is saying, he will never be happy anywhere.
thEngAmal naNNumE kIzhAm naragu – The person who got destroyed in this manner, will go to yama lOkam (narakam), accept a yAthanA SarIram (a special body which will forbear big suffering), continuosly experience pure suffering instead of sufferings mixed with joy, at all times.
Alternatively, when asked “Is there any possibility of redemption for him who suffered and got destroyed?”
thEngAmal naNNumE kIzhAm naragu – There is no crossing-over from the great ocean of samsAram.
thEngAmal naNNumE kIzhAm naragu – In this manner, after going through suffering and getting destroyed, he will go to yama lOkam, accept a yAthanA SarIram and suffer in hell; then, as said in panchAgni vidhyA in chAndhOgya upanishath “athaithamEvAthvAnam punar nivarthanthE athatithamAkASam AkASAdhvAyum vAyurbhUthvA dhUmObhavathi dhUmObhUthvA abhranbhavathi abhrambhUthvA mEgObhavathi mEgObhUthvA pravarshathi” (After remaining in the moon for the time karma remains, AthmAs return to sky; then they reach air; then they blend into that air which changes into smoke, pre-cloud and finally cloud; then they fall on the ground through rain), after giving up this body, AthmA hangs in the sky without any support, then sun obsorbs the AthmA which is in the mist, through his rays and places the AthmA in the cloud; while that cloud falls as rain which supports crops, the AthmA enters through the water into the crop; when that crop becomes matured and cooked and becomes food, through that the AthmA enters into a male body; when that food changes into sperm, through that, the AthmA enters into a female body; subsequently AthmA gets into an embryo.
- While remaining in the mother’s womb, AthmA suffers based on the hot, spicy etc foods. With this suffering, remaining in the sack of mother’s womb without being able to fold or stretch the limbs. With such suffering, AthmA exits the womb.
- In childhood, he remains in dirty/soiled places without even realising it, cannot act independently. Subsequently, he wastes the time in playing.
- In youth, he desires worldly pleasures which lead to hell, engages in bad deeds with all three faculties (mind, body and speech), remains desirous due to three types of desires and suffers due to three types of thApams (AdhyAthmika, Adhi bauthika, Adhi dhaivika), engages in three types of urges and earns three types of aparAdhams (mistakes – bhagavath apachAram, bhAgavatha apachAram, asahyApachAram).
- In old age, becoming very weak and helpless, getting close to death being unconscious, and then experiencing the pain of leaving the body
- And then becoming bound by death.
In this manner, being submerged in the samsAra which is said as in thiruvAimozhi 2.6.7 “vidiyA vennaragam” (cruel hell without a dawn), which goes on continuously without a break as said in “maraNam jananam janma maraNAyaiva kEvalam” (birth is only for death and death is only for birth) and will end up being nithya samsAri (eternally bound soul) without being able to cross over the ocean of samsAra.
kIzhAm naragu – As said in pramEya sAram 9 “nIL nirayam” (eternal hell), unlike the narakam which is yama’s punishment which has redemption at some point, this samsAram is where there is no scope for crossing-over.
naNNumE kIzhAm naragu – Being unable to cross-over such narakam, he will remain in this samsAra forever.
We will see the next pAsuram in the next article.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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