dhivya prabhandha prAmANya samarthanam – 2

sri:
srimathE rAmAnujAya nama:
srimadh varavaramunayE nama:
sri vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:


In the previous article (https://granthams.koyil.org/2013/02/dhivya-prabhandha-pramanya-samarthanam-1/) we saw the first part of this beautiful section in 6000 padi guru paramparA prabhAvam. Now we will see the continuation of that section.

AzhwArs identify that whatever explained previously in case of other dhEvathas is also applicable for evey one of us. Let us see how:

• thiruvAimozhi – 1.4.9 – vAdAtha malaradikkIzh vaikkavE vagukkinRu (வாடாத மலரடிக்கீழ் வைக்கவே வகுக்கின்று) – Our true nature is to serve emperumAn by offering fresh flowers to his fresh lotus feet
• thiruvAimozhi – 2.7.11 – ennaiyAkkikkonNdu (என்னையாக்கிக்கொண்டு) – after creating me and accepting me
• thiruvAimozhi – 3.2.1 – aNNAL NI thaNdha Akkaiyin vazhi uzhalvEn (அந்நாள் நீ தந்த ஆக்கையின் வழி உழல்வேன்)  – I become subservient to the body that was given to me by you
• thiruvAimozhi – 8.7.1 – ennaith than ponnadik kIzh iruththi (என்னைத் தன் பொன்னடிக் கீழ் இருத்தி) – Keeping me at his golden feet
• thiruvAimozhi – 6.10.1 – kulathol adiyEn (குலதொல் அடியேன்) – I am born in a family in which served you for many many generations
• thiruvAimozhi – 9.2.1 – kudikudi vazhi vaNdhu Atcheyyum thonNdar (குடிகுடி வழி வந்து ஆட்செய்யும் தொண்டர்) – Servitor in family which served emperumAn for many many generations
• thiruvAimozhi – 1.5.1 – aruvinaiyEn kaLavEzh venNnNey thoduvunNda kaLvA enban (அருவினையேன் களவேழ் வெண்ணெய் தொடுவுண்ட கள்வா என்பன்) – I (who is unqualified to glorify him) will pretend to be his mother yasOdhai and chastise him for stealing butter
• and more

Through the above pAsurams, we can understand that AzhwArs (all pAsurams happens to be from nammAzhwAr) have stated that he is also given his body by bhagavAn, he is also given a place in bhagavAn’s sarIram, he also worships srIman nArAyaNan, he is also not qualified to glorify bhagavAn, etc – i.e., the qualities that were explained for other dhEvathas are not unique to them and are common for all jIvAthmAs.


But, are AzhwArs the same as dhEvathas? Ofcourse not. AzhwArs are far greater than other dhEvathas. Let us see how:

• dhEvathas (brahmA, rudhran, etc) are given their position based on their karmam. AzhwArs were personally hand-picked from samsAram by emperumAn out of his desire to reform many jIvAthmAs.
• dhEvathas reside in bhagavAn’s form during praLayam for protection. AzhwArs are glorified as “NIkkamillAvadiyAr” (நீக்கமில்லாவடியார்) – those who are never separated from bhagavAn.
• dhEvathas are called servitors of bhagavAn only because they glorify him when sathva guNam (mode of goodness) arises in them. AzhwArs are fully situated in sudhdha sathvam (pure goodness) and are constantly engaged in kainkaryam without any break.
• When dhEvathas become affected with rajO/thamO guNam they sometimes ask “Who is that vishNu?” and at times even fight with bhagavaN like it happened during bANAsura charithram where rudhran fought against krishna bhagavAn.

Thinking about all of these, thirumazhisai AzhwAr sung “pidhirum manamilEn pinYchagan thannOdu ethirvan avan enakku NErAn” where he himself says he is greater than rudhran because he is constantly thinking about srIman nArAyaNan. Thus, we can understand that AzhwArs are far greater than other dhEvathas.


Establishing that AzhwArs’ varNam and the language of dhivya prabhandhams does not minimize the glories of dhivya prabhandhams


But, How can we understand that dhivya prabhandhams to be equivalent to samskritha vEdham (which is nithyam – eternal, apuarushEyam – not compiled by any one and nirdhOsham – no defects). dhivya prabhandhams are in thamizh language (instead of the dhEva bhAshai samskritham) and that are sung (some) AzhwArs who are not born in brAmaNa varNam. It can be compared easily – let us see how.
If the dhivya prabhandhams were sung by brAhamaNa AzhwArs only, only brAhmaNas will be able to understand that and attain salvation and the others may not be able to relate to that and benefit. Also, since prapathi is sarvAdhikAram (any one can perform prapathi) and dhivya prabandhams fully focus on prapathi, emperumAn facilitated AzhwArs to be born in different varNams for the upliftment of samsAris who are immersed in this ocean of samsAram.


Even though dhivya prabhandhams are in thamizh which is not hailed as dhEva bhAshai as in the case of samskritham, they are great due to the following aspects:

• mathsya purANam – harikIrththim viNaivANyath brAhmanNENa NarOththama; bhAshAgANam Na gAthavyam thasmAth pApam thvayA krutham (ஹரிகீர்த்திம் விநைவாந்யத் ப்ராஹ்மணேந நரோத்தம; பாஷாகாநம் ந காதவ்யம் தஸ்மாத் பாபம் த்வயா க்ருதம்) – Oh best of men! Except while glorifying lord vishNu, poems/songs in other languages cannot be uttered; But since you punished the ones who were glorifying Lord vishNu (in other languages) you have acquired sins for that.
• Since, nammAzhwAr said “vadamozhi maRai” (வடமொழி மறை) in thiruvAimozhi 8.9.7 – northern language (samkritha) vEdham, it is clear that there is southern language (dhrAvida) vEdham (which is thiruvAimozhi and other 3 prabhandhams of nammAzhwAr).
• Since nammAzhwAr says “poyyil pAdal” (பொய்யில் பாடல்) in thiruvAimozhi 4.3.11  which means his pAsurams are fully truth and not mixed with any lies.
• As azhagiya maNavALa perumAL nAyanAr identifies in AchArya hrudhayam – “Agasthiyamum aNAdhi” (ஆகஸ்தியமும் அநாதி) – thamizh language which was taught by agasthya muni is also beginningless (similar to samskritham)

Just like samskritha vEdham, dhivya prabhandhams are also nithyam (eternal). Let us see how:

• As per suptha prabhudhdha (ஸுப்த ப்ரபுத்த) nyAyam, when a teacher teaches to his students every day after awakening the students from sleep – their teaching is considered as continuous, bhagavAn periodically wakes up jIvAthmAs through AzhwArs with the eternal dhivya prabhandham.
• Just like bhagavAn preserves vEdham in his heart during praLayam and reveals them it brahmA, etc., dhivya prabhandhams are also revealed in every chatur yugam through AzhwArs.

Thus dhivya prabhandhams also are as valid as vEdham itself with respect to apuarushEyathvam, nithyathvam and nirdhOshathvam.


Now, Let us see that dhivya prabhandhams are in fact much greater than samskritha vEdham.
In bhagavath gIthai, kaNNan emperumAn declares that “thraigunNya vishayA vEdhA:” (த்ரைகுண்ய விஷயா வேதா:) meaning samskritha vEdham is meant for people of all modes (sathvam, rajas and thamas). But dhivya prabhandhams are presented by AzhwArs who were divinely blessed with blemishless knowledge by bhagavAn himself  for the whole purpose of uplifting jIvAthmAs from this samsAram and leading them in to the path of emancipation through prapathi (surrender). So, it is fully meant for people who want to be fully situated sudhdha sathvam (pure goodness). Thus dhivya prabhandhams are far greater than samskritha vEdham.


archAvathAra upAdhANa vaishNava uthpaththi chiNthaNam
mAthruyONi parIkshayAs thulyamAhur maNIshinNa:


அர்சாவதார உபாதாந வைஷ்ணவ உத்பத்தி சிந்தநம்
மாத்ருயோநி பரீக்ஷயாஸ் துல்யமாஹுர் மநீஷிண:


The learned people state that “analysing archAvathAra emperumAn based on the raw material (metal, wood, stone, etc) and the qualities of a vaishnava based on his birth are considered as doubting the chastity of ones own mother (which is very cruel)”.


The same principle is explained by azhagiya maNavALa perumAL nAyanAr beautifully in his AchArya hrudhayam 75th chUrNikai as:


vIttinbha inbhappAkkaLil dhravya bhAshA NirUpanNa samam inbha mAriyil ArAychchi
வீட்டின்ப இன்பப்பாக்களில் த்ரவ்ய பாஷா நிரூபண ஸமம் இன்ப மாரியில் ஆராய்ச்சி

(mAmunigaL beautifully explains this in his vyAkyAnam as follows.
emperumAn out of his causeless mercy descend into the temples and homes of his most dear devotees who melt by simply hearing about him. He takes the form that is desired by his devotees. AzhwArs are most dear to bhagavAn because they were hand picked by bhagavAn from this samsAram and blessed by him and thus became so attached to him. Their dhivya prabhandhams are glorified by great intellects like srIman nAthamunigaL, srI yAmunAchAryar, srI rAmAnujar, etc. Thus having any misconception in archAvathAra emperumAns based on the raw material that is used to make the divine vigraham, AzhwArs because of their varNam and their dhivya prabhandhams based on their language is considered very cruel.)


Thus it is fully established that dhivya prabhandhams are most glories and are the most valid pramANams for us to accept and follow.


AzhwArs’ bhagavath dharshanam


Did AzhwArs see emperumAn in prathyaksham (directly) or in mAnasa/jnAna sAkshAthkAram? It is jnAna sAkshAthkAram only and not direct vision. But sometimes we see AzhwArs saying in thiruvAimozhi 1.9.9“kamalak kanNnNan en kanNnNinuLLAn kAnNban” (கமலக் கண்ணன் என் கண்ணினுள்ளான் காண்பன்) – puNdarikAkshan is within my eyes and I am seeing him, thiruvAimozhi 5.5.1 “Nambiyai NAn kanNdapin” (நம்பியை நான் கண்டபின்) – After seeing thirukkuRungudi nambi, etc. Those are all jnAna sAkshAthkAram (vision in mind) which is equivalent to direct vision.


In many pAsurams AzhwArs crave for a direct vision of emperumAn. In thiruvAimozhi 4.7.10 nammAzhwAr says “pakkam NOkki NinRalaNdhEn pAviyEn kAnNginRilEn” (பக்கம் நோக்கி நின்றலந்தேன் பாவியேன் காண்கின்றிலேன்) – I was looking for your arrival and being very unfortunate, unable to see you. He shows great desire to see emperumAn directly. In thiruvAimozhi 4.7.4 “kAnNa vaNdhu en kanN mugappE” (காண வந்து என் கண் முகப்பே) pAsuram he says that even brahmA, rudhran, etc cannot directly see emperumAn and him desiring to have that dharshan is not reasonable. But in the next pAsuram “appanE adalAzhiyAnE” (அப்பனே அடலாழியானே) itself he cries out “Because of your glorious generosity and since you are capable of removing any hurdles, please present your beautiful form in front of me”. Finally in 4.7.10 he first says “kAnNginRilEn” (காண்கின்றிலேன்) saying he still does not see emperumAn directly and finishes the pAsuram saying “thakka jnYAnak kanNgaLAlE kanNdu thazhuvuvanE” (தக்க ஜ்ஞானக் கண்களாலே கண்டு தழுவுவனே) – I will see him with my inner eyes and embrace him. Thus we can understand that AzhwArs saw emperumAn through their inner eyes and not external eyes. This is what is explained by azhagiya maNavALa perumAL nAyanAr in AchArya hrudhayam chUrNikai 230 “kanNdEn enRa paththum utkanNnNAlE” (கண்டேன் என்ற பத்தும் உட்கண்ணாலே) meaning 10 places where AzhwAr identifies that he saw emperumAn relates to mAnasa sAkshAthkAram (inner vision only). (mAmunigaL in his vyAkyAnam, most beautifully brings out the 10 places where AzhwAr says he saw emperumAn). This is the principle of sudhdha sampradhAyam as taught by our pUrvAchAryas. nammAzhwAr, thirumangai AzhwAr, mudhalAzhwArs, etc., identified in their pAsurams that they saw emperumAn only through their inner eyes. Now, archAvathAra emperumAns is the only place where prathyaksha dharshanam (direct vision) is possible. 

Thus, the ones who are fully faithful towards AzhwArs (who are most glorious, who are the leaders of prapanna kulam, who appeared for the upliftment of everyone and who blessed us with their dhrAvida vEdham which can be easily understood by everyone) are called jIvan mukthars (Note: this is to highlight the glories of srIvaishnavas as it is explained by AzhwArs themselves as nilath thEvar/bhUsurar – sUris of this world – this is not the same jIvan mukthar concept of advaitham).

Those srIvaishNavas who have given up any interest in heretical doctrines and materialistic aspirations, who are so fixed in sAsthram that they do not give up their AchAram/anushtAnam even when their life is under threat, being subservient to bhagavAn vishNu instead of their own senses, always contemplating on the true knowledge about the jIvAthmA, giving up violence fully and being situated in full control over their senses, being merciful towards all living beings, giving up all attachment towards lust and wealth, being full realised, being content, having good control over the prasAdham (food) they consume, not being coward and at the same time not being angry, not having mamakAram towards wife and children, etc are considered to be jIvan mukthars as nammAzhwAr said in thiruvAimozhi 5.5.11 “aRiyakkaRRuvallAr AzhkadalnYAlaththuLLE vaittanNavar” (அறியக்கற்றுவல்லார் ஆழ்கடல்ஞாலத்துள்ளே வைட்டணவர்) – the one who knows the core principles of thiruvAimozhi and lives by that are great vaishNavas in this world itself.


Thus, AzhwArs, out of their mercy, blessed us these dhivya prabhandhams for the upliftment of everyone in this world and then ascended to paramapadham.


Thus ends this beautiful section named dhivya prabhandha prAmANya samarthanam in 6000 padi guru paramparA prabhAvam.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan


Sources: 6000 padi guru paramparA prabhAvam

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