perumAL thirumozhi 2nd decad

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perumAL thirumozhi

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For those who get involved with emperumAn and desire to attain him, there are a few advantages which happen on their own. ahirbhudhnya samhithai, a part of SrI pAncharAthra SAsthram (a treatise on sampradhAyic principles enunciated by emperumAn himself, over five nights, to sages) in 37-27 and 37-28 SlOkams says

shOdAhi vEdhavidhushO vadhanthyEnam mahAmunE l
AnukUlyasya sankalpam prAthikUlyasya varjanam     ll

rakshishyathIthi viSvAsO gOpthruthva varaNam thathA l
AthmanikshEpa kArpaNyE shatvidhA SaraNAgathi        ll

(Oh great sages! Those who know vEdhas say that this SaraNAgathi (surrendering to emperumAn) is of six parts. These are:

  1. taking a vow to be favourable towards emperumAn and his followers [this is Anukulyasya sankalpam],
  2. giving up those which are inimical (to them) [this is prAthikUlyasya varjanam]
  3. firm belief that the possessor (in this case emperumAn) will protect the possessed (all the AthmAs) [this is rakshyasthIthi viSvAsam],
  4. requesting emperumAn to protect oneself [this is gOpthruthva varaNam],
  5. proffering the AthmA to him (viz. offering oneself to emperumAn) [this is Athma nikshEpam] and
  6. firmly believing that one need not carry out any activity on one’s own (for one’s sustenance) [this is kArpaNyam].

AnukUlyasya sankalpam is firmness in being favourable to emperumAn and his followers. Since emperumAn is the repository of all auspicious qualities, for a person who has surrendered (to emperumAn), being favourable to him and his followers is a natural corollary. It is only to ensure that the person who has surrendered does not withdraw thinking that there is no space for him to be involved with emperumAn that emperumAn accepts a divine form such as one made of metal or stone or lime plaster etc, which is desired by the follower; he takes a bath when the follower offers him thirumanjanam (divine bath); he partakes food when the follower offers, else he remains starved. If emperumAn does not comply like this, there is no possibility for the follower to be involved in kainkaryam (carrying out service) for emperumAn. emperumAn considers his followers as his AthmA (reason for his existence) as brought by the following:

  • SrI bhagavath gIthA SlOkam 7-18 “udhArAs sarva EvaithE gyAnI thvAthmaiva mE matham” (all the four types of devotees (those who come to me seeking lost wealth, those who seek new wealth, those who seek kaivalya mOksham (AthmA enjoying itself eternally and not carrying out service to emperumAn) and the knowledgeable ones, who seek me) are magnanimous ones). It is my philosophy that the knowledgeable one is my AthmA (one who sustains me)).
  • mahAbhAratham udhyOga parvam 74-27 “dhvishadhannam na bhOkthavyam dhvishannam na bhOjayEth l pANdavAn dhvishasE rAjan mama prANA hi pANdavA:  ll” (Oh king! The food offered by one who hates is not fit to be partaken nor should he be offered food. You hate pANdavas. Aren’t pANdavas my prANan (those who sustain me)?)
  • periya thirumozhi 10-1-8 “paththarAvi” (one who considers his devotees as his life (they sustain him)).

Thus, we see that being favourable towards the followers of emperumAn is equivalent to being favourable towards himself

Hence, AzhwAr says that the quality of being favourable to emperumAn as well as to his followers nourished in him. In the previous decad, he showed how the quality of being favourable to emperumAn emerged in him. In this decad, he shows how that quality emerged towards his followers.

In the next article, we will take up the first pAasuram of this decad.

adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan

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