SrI sArasAram --I (55)

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srI:

SrI sAra sAram – I (55)

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I – ThirumantrAdhikAram

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The Significance of ‘nArAyaNanAya’

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After stressing the point that one cannot do service for the pleasure of his

master doing away with his own benefit, SwAmi DeSikan says he should not seek

his own benefit at the cost of his master’s pleasure:

“‘thanakkEyAka venaikkoLLumeethE’ enkiRapaDiyE pradhAnamAn

cEshi-prayOjanatthai ozhiya sva-prayOjanatthai apEkshikkavum kooDAthu.†---

SwAmi DeSikan reveals the fact that between self-benefit and the pleasure of

one’s master, the latter is of prime importance. The jIva should not seek

self-benefit excluding the pleasure of the Master, which should be given the

prominence. To prove his point, SwAmi DeSikan quotes from a verse of SrI

nammAzhvAr’s TiruvAimozhi. Here is the full verse:

“enakkEyATcey ekkAlatthumenRu, en

manakkE vanthiDaiveeDinRi mannith

thanakkE yAka venaik koLLumeethE

enakkE kaNNanai yAnkoL ciRappE.†(ThiruvAimozhi, 2-9-4)

Meaning:

“enakkEyATcey ekkAlatthumenRu,†– Saying, ‘You shall serve Me all

times’

“en manakkE vanthu†– entering in to my mind;

“iDaiveeDinRi manni†– stay put continuously without even a small break;

“thanakkE yAka enaik koLLum eethE†-- this very acceptance of me as Yours;

“enakkE†– befitting the nature of my Atma;

“kaNNanai yAnkoL ciRappE†– the best benefit that I desire from the Lord.

This verse is considered by our poorvAchAriars as the crown of this group of

ten verses. The Lord could ask the AzhvAr, ‘Serve’ ; or ‘Serve Me’; or

‘Serve Me alone’; but the AzhvAr will not be satisfied. Hence, the AzhvAr

says ‘The Lord asks him to serve Him for ever’; he insists that the Lord

should not only enter into his mind but should stay put there for ever, that

too, uninterruptedly. He says that will only befit his Atma svaroopa. Because,

the AzhvAr says, it is the greatest favour he seeks from the Lord.

Here, one is attracted by the discussion that took place between AchArya EmbAr

and SrI PiLLaithirunaRaiyoor araiyar, one of the disciples present in the

audience. Araiyar asks his AchArya, “Why should the AzhvAr who is blessed with

wisdom and bhakti plead with the Lord to take him as a servant exclusively of

Him. Should he not leave it to the Lord’s will?†AchArya EmbAr replies,

“What you say is true. But the desire to attain that benefit makes the AzhvAr

plead with the Lord. For example, Goddess Sri, Who is staying on the Lord’s

chest for ever without any interruption, can continue as She is. But, She is

repeatedly uttering, ‘I will stay put without leaving Him even for a moment.

Why? That is because she relishes her residence there. The AzhvAr’s feelings

are similar.â€

The fact that emerges is that since a human is a sentient being. He will not

act with out benefit for himself. It is, therefore, impossible for any one to

consciously render service to the Lord keeping His pleasure alone in mind and

not even a bit of self-interest. At the same time, he should also not aspire

only self-promotion without giving due importance to the Lord’s pleasure.

SwAmi DeSikan, therefore, points out:

“AkaiyAl, guNavath-svAmiyinuDaiya pravrutthi pOlE nipuNa-dAsanuDaiya

pravrutthiyum iruvar prayOjanatthaiyum viDAthE niRkum.†–

In the world, any good-natured employer acts in such a way as to benefit both

himself as well as his employees. Similarly, an efficient employee’s actions

will be beneficial to both. The actions of both will be beneficial to both. It

is, therefore, the duty of an intelligent servant to render service mainly for

the benefit of his master. In the same way here too, the good service rendered

by the jIva will please the Lord, which in turn will please the jIva.

SwAmi DeSikan cites a popular example to stress the importance of rendering

service for the Lord’s pleasure:

“svAmi ukappukku SEshamAkath thanakku varum prayOjanam pathi-sannidhiyil

pathivrathA-alankAram pOlE mikavum ucitham.†–

A devoted wife adorns herself with jewels and beautiful dress in order to

please her husband. The husband too is happy to see his wife beautifully

adorned. Seeing his happiness, she also is pleased. In the same way, the jIva

who is Sesha of the Lord Who is Seshi, does service keeping the Lord in his mind

and in process he too attains happiness.

SwAmi DeSikan says that the same applies in the post-saraNAgati life also:

“ithu ingu ivanukku uttara-kruthyatthil kainkarya rastthilum thulyam.†–

The jIva who has performed prapatti, will consider the service he does during

the rest of his life in this world is for the pleasure of the Lord and will

himself be happy to see the Lord is satisfied with his service.

(To continue)

dAsan

anbil S.SrInivAsan

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