SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: Sri varavaramunayE nama:
periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Fourth Centum
pravESam
In nAvakAriyam decad [4.4], periyAzhwAr had reviled those, who had turned their faces away from emperumAn [and who were indulging in worldly pursuits]. Unable to give up on them, on account of his great compassion, AzhwAr decided that he would instruct them hitham [that which is good for them], just as it has been mentioned in thiruvAimozhi 1.3.8 “mALum Or idaththilum vaNakkodu mALvadhu valam” (even if one were to surrender to emperumAn during the last moments of one’s life, it would be the best), such that one could surely uplift oneself by surrendering to emperumAn, even if it is carried out in the last moments of one’s life. AzhwAr decided in his divine mind that if they are told this, they could surrender to emperumAn even during the last moments of one’s life, since the person has thinking ability. Thus, in the previous thirumozhi [4.5], at the beginning [4.5.1] he said that “Those, whose minds engage with worldly pursuits due to desire in them, would keep reciting those names [their relatives or materials, desired by them]. When the final moments arrive in their lives, they will not be able to recite even those names. However, if they are able to recite the divine names of emperumAn, it is not possible for us to mention the benefits which they will derive”. In the subsequent pAsurams of that thirumozhi [4.5], he mentioned the griefs which one would experience in their final moments and that if they, somehow, surrender to emperumAn before reaching their final moments, they could escape from the cruel punishments which the messengers of yama [the lord of righteousness] would mete out to them. They would ascend the path to SrI vaikuNtam, through archis [the path of light], experience joy in being with emperumAn, by being together in the assembly of nithyasUris, until the entity “time” remains [in other words, forever], without having to return to samsAram. He had mentioned these to those people such that it would remain strongly in their minds.
There are people, who do not have the ability to desist from their attachments towards worldly pursuits and to recite the divine names of emperumAn, with total affection towards him. In order to uplift them, by making them recite the divine names of emperumAn, he tells them that they will not be able to derive any benefit by naming their children with names which reflect worldly pursuits and that this would not yield them any benefit for their subsequent births too. Hence, leaving those other names aside, AzhwAr tells them, even if they have to survive by taking alms from others, to name their children after the divine names of sarvESvaran [emperumAn, lord of all], who removes the grief of all. He tells them to remain happy, praising their children, calling them by the divine names of emperumAn. With this as the reason, the mother of the child too, in line with the saying “jananI kruthArthA” [the mother, attaining the benefits which are to be attained], will not enter narakam [hell] and will get uplifted. Thus, by saying this nine times [through the first nine pAsurams], AzhwAr brings clarity to their hearts, in this thirumozhi.
thiruvAimozhip piLLai, in his svApadhESam, says the following: A person should attain an AchAryan, who is eminent in matters related to emperumAn, carry out servitude to that AchAryan, and uplift himself, after getting instructions from the AchAryan regarding he distinctions of emperumAn’s divine names. However, instead of knowing about such distinctions, which result from devotion arising out of carrying out servitude, through an AchAryan, people, through their own efforts, will learn the divine names of emperumAn, recite those divine names with pride and, in an effort to reach higher planes of parabhakthi, paragyAnam and parama bhakthi [knowing about emperumAn, attaining emperumAn and sustaining oneself only if united with emperumAn, respectively], will reach a stage where they are not sure as to how they should proceed further [in the decad 4.4, nAvakAriyam, thiruvAimozhip piLLai kept saying that one should attain an AchAryan and learn emperumAn’s divine names through him; it is only after reciting AchAryan’s divine names that emperumAn’s divine names should be recited; his emphasis had always been on reciting AchAryan’s divine names; it is this, that he is speaking about mercifully, here too]. Thus, through knowledge gained from SAsthrams [sacred texts], one should attain an expert AchAryan, carry out servitude to him repeatedly, learn the divine names of emperumAn from him, and through the knowledge gained from the instructions of the AchAryan, such a person will make the ultimate step gained by those who had carried out these through their own efforts [reciting the divine names of emperumAn] as the first step [carrying out servitude to emperumAn is the first step; carrying out servitude to the followers of emperumAn is the intermediary step; carrying out servitude to AchAryan is the ultimate step]. AzhwAr, thus, mercifully spoke about those who carried out servitude by reciting the divine names of emperumAn. Then, in 4.5 decad, AzhwAr mentioned the benefits which such people, who had gained knowledge through an AchAryan, will get after knowing the servitude to be carried out at the correct place, at the correct time, and at the correct stage, through their bhakthi pAravaSyam [being under the control of devotion towards emperumAn]. AzhwAr now decides in his divine mind to bring those, who have not known the manner in which the divine names of emperumAn are to be recited, under his merciful affection. Women are those, who are with a naturally soft heart and who are fully focussed on pArathanthryam [to be dependent on others], as mentioned in manumsrithi “nasthrI svAthanthryam” (a lady is not independent [in protecting herself]). Until the time that she gets married, she is dependent on her parents. After marriage, she is dependent on her spouse. Even if the husband slips from the path of righteousness, she does not let go of that path. When he goes in the path of righteousness, she will travel that path with him; without looking at the manner of whether he is going by the path as mentioned in SAsthrams or not, due to her pAthivrathyam [total devotion to the spouse], she will be fully under his protection. Even when the spouse is no more, she, in line with the SAsthrams, becomes dependent on her son et al. When this condition does not exist [viz. when she does not have children], she will be under the protection of her parents or her relatives et al. Even when these people are not there for her, she will be under the compassion of the people of the world. Thus, AzhwAr decides that more than the father, it is the mother, who is benefitted more by naming the children after the divine names of emperumAn, since she will not have to cross the path of nirayam [hell]. Thus, he says in all the pAsurams in this thirumozhi that it is the mother, more than the father, who is benefitted by this, without any shortcoming, saying “tham annai naragam pugAL” (a mother, who has given the divine name of emperumAn to her son, will not have to enter hell].
- pAsuram 4.6.1 – kAsum kaRaiyudai
- pAsuram 4.6.2 – angoru kURai
- pAsuram 4.6.3 – uchchiyil eNNeyum
- pAsuram 4.6.4 – mAnida sAdhiyil
- pAsuram 4.6.5 – malam udai
- pAsuram 4.6.6 – nAdum nagarum
- pAsuram 4.6.7 – maNNil piRandhu
- pAsuram 4.6.8 – nambi bimbi
- pAsuram 4.6.9 – Uththaik kuzhiyil
- pAsuram 4.6.10 – sIraNi mAl
We shall next consider the 1st pAsuram of this thirumozhi.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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