SrI UpakAra Sangraham Part - 64

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srI:

SrI upakAra sangraham – 64

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adikAram – 1

poorva upakAra paramparai

(The Foremost Series of Favours)

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SECTION – 5 (20) [continued]

(27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for

MOKSHAM)

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We have been studying the points made by Swami

Desikan in this sub-section:

 

(20) ivaRRilE pothintha

paratattva-paramahita-parama-puruShArthangkaLAkiRa

mahAnidhikaLaith thiRanthu kAttinathuvum;

 

Of the three points, the first one, the Tattva, in

particular, the para-tattva, was shown by the Lord in

the earlier part of this sub-section, a favour

conferred by Him on us. Now, of the remaining two, we

must first take up the third one, namely, the

Parama-puruShArtam, the highest goal a person must

attain. This will be followed by the second, namely,

Parama-hita.

 

Parama-PuruShartam – the Highest Goal

 

After a general knowledge about the three Tattvas,

one must come to the firm conclusion on who is the

best fitted to be the Para-tattva. Without this

fixation, it is no use in talking about the means of

attaining the ultimate reality. For this, the only

authority is shAstra on the basis of which it is

possible to decide the highest goal one should attain.

Similarly, it is only from the scriptures we can know

about the best means of attaining the goal.

 

This fact is clearly stated in the following

statements:

 

“mAyAm na sEvE bhadram tE na vruthA dharmam-AcarE /

shuddha-bhAvam gatO bhaktyA shAstrAd vEdmi janArdanam

//”

(MahAbhArata, UdhyOga Parva, 68-15)

 

(This was told by Sanjaya to DrudarAShtra: “I do not

enjoy material things. I don’t perform dharmic rites

unnecessarily. I attained the nature of purity though

bhakti and came to know of JanArdana from the

scriptures.”)

 

The Lord, SrI KriShNa Himself says in the

Bhagavadgita:

 

“tasmAcchAstram pramANam tE kAryAkArya-vyavasthitau /

j~nAtvaA shAstra-vidhAnoktam karma kartum-ihAharsi

//” (Gita,16-24)

 

(Therefore, the scripture alone is the authority to

know what ought to be done and what not.)

 

It is also from the shAstra, we come to know that

SrImaN nArAyaNa, the Consort of Sri, Who is of the

nature of limitless bliss and knowledge, without any

blemishes, full of numerous auspicious qualities, with

a divine auspicious form, having both the vibhootis

(the leelA and the nitya vibhootis) as His body and

for Whom creation, maintenance and the like of this

Universe are just a play, is the Parabrahman. And it

is He, one’s ultimate goal.

The highest goal, however, a little further and that

is, to do service at the feet of the Lord. Still, it

does not end there. It extends further as far as the

service of those who are dear to Him, that is,

BhAgavatas. It has been stated in the scriptures too:

 

“ArAdhanam sarvEShAm viShNOr ArAdhanam param /

tasmAt parataram prOktam tadeeya ArAdhanam param // ”

(PAdmOttaram, 29-81)

 

(Of all the forms of worship, the worship of ViShNu is

the best; but superior even to this is the excellent

worship offered to ViShNu’s devotees.)

 

“When we study these passages, it becomes clear that,

of all forms of service which a shESha of the Lord may

render, that which is rendered to the BhAgavtas is the

most important and is the most pleasing to the Lord,

in the same way as the fondling of the prince is most

pleasing to the king.” (SwAmi Desikan in

Srimad-rahaShya-trayasAra)

 

SrI ThiruppANAzhvAr, says:

 

“adiyArkk ennaiyAtpaduttha vimalan”

(amalanAdipirAn,1)

 

(The Lord Who is spotless, and Who has made me the

servant of His devotees.)

 

SrI Thirumangai AzhvAr says:

 

“maRRum Or deivam uLathenRu iruppArOdu uRRilEn,

uRRathm unnadiyArkkadimai.”

 

(Periya

Thirumaozhi, 8-10-3)

 

(I will not remain in the company of those who think

there is another deity deserving of worship than Thee;

I have accepted with delight the duty of serving Thy

devotees.)

 

SrI KulashEkara AzhvAr, who was a ruler, yearns for

the service to the BhAgavatas, in several pAsurams in

his PerumAL Thirumozhi:

 

“vanperu vAnakam uyya amararuyya

maNNuyya maNNulakil manicar uyya

thunbamiku thuyarakala ayarvonRillAc

cukam vaLara akamakizhum thondarvAzha

anbodu thenthisai nOkkippaLLi koLLum

aNiyarangan muRRatthu adiyArthangaL

inbamiku perungkuzhuvu kaNdu yAnum

isainthu udanE enRukolO irukkum nALE?”

(PerumAL Thirumozhi, 1-10)

 

(In order that the large worlds to survive; that the

devas to survive; that this earth to survive; that the

people of this earth to survive; to remove the sins

that give misery; to increase the happiness without a

trace of misery; that the devotees survive happily;

the beautiful SrIranganata is lying on the snake-bed

at SrIrangam facing the southern direction. His

devotees are assembled in His temple premises; When

will I be able to see that big crowd of devotees and

be with them?)

 

“vanponnip pErARupOl varum kaNNaneer koNdu arangkan

kOyil thirumuRRam

cERucey thoNdar cEvadic cezhum cERu en

cennikkaNivanE?” (PerumAL Thirumozhi, 2-3)

(When can I adorn my head with the mud touched by the

feet of the devotees of Sri ranganAta assembled at His

temple, where that muddy water is flooding the

premises, like the river kAvEri out side SrIrangam?)

 

SrI ThoNdaradip-podiyAzhvAr speaks about the

greatness of a devotee of a devotee of a devotee …….

Of the Lord:

 

“mEmporuL pOkavittu meymmaiyai mika uNarnthu

Amparisu aRinthukoNdu aimpulau akatthatakki

kAmpaRatthalai ciraitthu unkadaitthalai

irunthuvAzhum

cOmparai ukatthi pOlum coozhpunal arangkatthAnE!”

(ThirumAlai, 38)

 

(Oh, Lord surrounded by waters (of KavEri)! There are

those who subdue their senses, sever attachments,

concentrate on the spirit and realize the truth. There

are others who shave their heads and live at Your

portals like idlers. You seems to be pleased with

them.)

Here, the AzhvAr, who has a name which means “the

dust of the feet of Lord’s devotees, points out whom

the Lord loves. He says that the Lord seems to love

the person who is lazy, remaining inactive in respect

of the Lord Himself (mEmporuL), but living at the feet

of a devotee who is at the end of chain of His

devotes.

 

Satrughna and KidAmbi AcchAn, a close disciple of SrI

rAmAnuja are the notable examples for such persons

deserving the Lord’s love.

The ParamapuruShArtam doesn’t stop there too. The

real form of BhAgavata service is puruShArtha-kAShtai,

the dead-end of puruShArtam , as stated by SrI

PeriyAzhvAr:

 

“pEsuvAr adiyArkaL enthammai viRkavum peRuvArkaLE”

 

(PeriyAzhvAr Thirumozhi, 4-4-10)

(These who are the servants of the Bhagavatas, and who

utter the names of BhagavAn are entitled even to sell

us!)

SwAmi Desikan makes a clear statement in a verse:

 

“nAthE nastruNmanyadanyadapi vA tannAbhi-nAleekinee-

nAleeka-spruhaNeeya-saurbhumucA vAcA na

yAcAmahE /

shuddhAnAm tu labhEmahi sthiradhiyAm

shuddhAnta-siddhAntinAm

muktaishvarya-dina-prabhAta-samayAsattim

prasattim muhuh //”

(SrImad

rahasyatraya-sAram, PuruShArtha-kAShtAthikAram, 37)

 

(With our words which emit a fragrance that would be

eagerly desired by the lotus which arose in the pond

of the Lord’s navel, we do not beg of the Lord the

pleasures of this world and of heaven, which are like

a straw, nor kaivlaya, nor even mokSha. We only pray

that we should have the grace of the pure and

firm-minded BhAgavatas, who are like the chaste wives

in the royal harem; for their grace is like the dawn,

which heralds the day of the splendour of mOkSha.)

This is the highest goal to be attained by a sAttvika

jIva, as revealed by the Lord, as the essence of the

three mantras.

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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