Divine revelations of lOkAchArya – 1

Note: srI U. vE.
gOpAlakrishNa dhAsar (kOnAr) who was living in chennai and a sishya of
kOil kandhAdai vAdhUla aNNan swamy compiled a set of beautiful
phrases/sentences from nampiLLai‘s eedu (documented by vadakku thiruvIdhi piLLai) vyAkyAnam long ago. kOil vidhwAn srI U. vE. R
narasimhAchAryar swamy (paramapadhavAsi) wrote simple thamizh meanings
for those phrases/sentences. This book (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByVemcKfGLucbWJNTUMzVS1KTzA/edit?usp=sharing) was originally released on 7-1-68 and
was re-published by puthur raghurAman swamy (editior: srI sailEsa
dhayApAthram magazine). In this series we are relishing this great compilation with the english translation for the same.

 nampiLLai – kUram

 

1. svapakshaththai sthApikkavE parapaksham nirasththamAmirE. neRcheyyap puRREyumAppOlE. 


ஸ்வபக்ஷத்தை ஸ்தாபிக்கவே பரபக்ஷம் நிரஸ்தமாமிரே. நெற்செய்யப் புற்றேயுமாப்போலே.


If ones own philosophy is established, other’s philosophy is automatically refuted. Just like when the paddy is raised and beaten properly, the weeds will automatically be destroyed.




2. svarUpAnusandhAnaththukku IdAyirukkiRa thirumanthiraththinudaiya arththAnusandhAnam mOkshasAdhanam.


ஸ்வரூபாநுஸந்தாநத்துக்கு ஈடாயிருக்கிற திருமந்திரத்தினுடைய அர்த்தாநுஸந்தாநம் மோக்ஷஸாதநம்.

thirumanthram reveals the true nature of jIvAthmA, i.e., “I (jIvAthmA), who is subservient only to srIman nArAyaNan, should give up any self-interest and accept him as the total refuge. I should serve srIman nArAyaNan (who is the master of everyone) in all possible ways” (gist of piLLai lOkAchAryar‘s mumukshuppadi sUthram 115 summarizing thirumanthram). By constantly remembering the meanings of thirumanthram, one becomes truly situated in the knowledge of self and becomes eligible for salvation.

3. chakkaravarththi thirumagan avathariththa pinbu vAnarajAthi vIRupeRRAp pOlE kANum AzhwArgaL avathariththu thiryakjAthi vIRupeRRathu.

சக்கரவர்த்தி திருமகன் அவதரித்த பின்பு வானரஜாதி வீறுபெற்றாப் போலே காணும் ஆழ்வார்கள் அவதரித்து திர்யக்ஜாதி வீறுபெற்றது.

srI rAma embracing hanuman

 

AzhwAr’s thUdhu (message) to thirumUzhikkaLathAn emperumAn

After the appearance of srI rAma (who is the son of dasaratha chakkaravarthi), the monkeys acquired fame (since they got the association of srI rAma and helped him during the battle). Similarly, after the appearance of AzhwArs, birds acquired fame  – since they were requested to be messengers by AzhwArs to go and inform to bhagavAn about their sufferings in separation. 
Translator’s note: Detailed explanation of AzhwAr’s thUdhu can be seen at https://www.kaarimaaran.com/downloads/thoodhu.xls

4. gatakarudaiya Athma guNaththOpAdhi rUpa guNamum udhdhEsyam.


கடகருடைய ஆத்ம குணத்தோபாதி ரூப குணமும் உத்தேச்யம்.

AchAryan is usually identified as gataka – the one who connects two persons. Both his Athma guNams (auspicious virtues/qualities of the soul) like krupai (mercy), kAruNyam (compassion), etc and his rUpa guNams (auspicious virtues/qualities of the divine form) like saundharyam (beauty), mArdhavam (tender nature), etc are the objects of appreciation for the sishya,

5. Iswaran Asritha sparsamuLLa dhravyaththAlallathu dhariyAn.


ஈச்வரன் ஆச்ரித ஸ்பர்சமுள்ள த்ரவ்யத்தாலல்லது தரியான்.

bhagavAn (who is abode and controller of everything) cannot sustain himself without the objects that are related to his devotees. 
Translator’s note: For example, krishNa longed for butter since they were hand-made by the cow-herd girls who are very attached to him.

6. yOgyanukku ayOgyathai sampAdhikka vENdA; ayOgyanukku yOgyathai sampAdhikka vENdA; AgaiyAl IswarOpAyam sarvAdhikAram.


யோக்யனுக்கு அயோக்யதை ஸம்பாதிக்க வேண்டா; அயோக்யனுக்கு யோக்யதை ஸம்பாதிக்க வேண்டா; ஆகையால் ஈச்வரோபாயம் ஸர்வாதிகாரம்.

One who is qualified need not give up his qualification to approach emperumAn; One who is not qualified need not earn qualification to approach emperumAn; So, Iswaran as the only refuge is common for every one and every one naturally is privileged to surrender to bhagavAn.




7. nAm AzhwArai anubavikkumpOthu cheruppu vaiththuth thiruvadi thozhappukkAppOlE pOgavoNNAthu.


நாம் ஆழ்வாரை அனுபவிக்கும்போது செருப்பு வைத்துத் திருவடி தொழப்புக்காப்போலே போகவொண்ணாது.

When one person went into the temple, he left his chappals/shoes outside. But even while worshipping emperumAn, he was constantly worried about the safety of his chappals. This is not beneficial. Similarly, when we worship AzhwAr, we should have our full focus on AzhwAr only and should not be thinking about other sensual pleasures or materialistic aspirations.




8. avan viduvathu budhdhi pUrvam prAthikUlyam paNNinArai; kaikkoLLugaikku mithra bAvamE amaiyum.


அவன் விடுவது புத்தி பூர்வம் ப்ராதிகூல்யம் பண்ணினாரை; கைக்கொள்ளுகைக்கு மித்ர பாவமே அமையும்.

bhagavAn gives up (and punishes too) the ones who intentionally acts against the desires of bhagavAn. But he accepts and blesses the ones who even pretend as a friend. 
Translator’s note: It is explained by the pUrvAchAryas that, even while killing hiraNya kasipu, narasimha bhagavAn checks his heart to see if there is any good intention at all but finds all hatred. sIthA pirAtti instructs rAvaNa to become a friend of srI rAma to be forgiven (she says rAvaNa need not even surrender to srI rAma, he can just show some friendship towards him to be forgiven and accepted).

9. AsritharilE oruvanukkuch cheythathum thanakkuch cheythathAga ninaiththirAthapOthu bhagavath sambandhamillai.


ஆச்ரிதரிலே ஒருவனுக்குச் செய்ததும் தனக்குச் செய்ததாக நினைத்திராதபோது பகவத் ஸம்பந்தமில்லை.

When a srIvaishNava is done a favour by bhagavAn, if we feel happy and cherish that as if bhagavAn helped us, that indicates that we have truly understood our true relationship with bhagavAn. If we dont feel happy for the other person, that means we have not truly understood our relationship with bhagavAn who is the master of every one.




10. ammi thuNaiyAga ARizhigaiyiRE, ivanai vittu upAyAntharaththaip paRRugai.


அம்மி துணையாக ஆறிழிகையிறே, இவனை விட்டு உபாயாந்தரத்தைப் பற்றுகை.


ammi – grinding stone (heavy). Instead of accepting srIman nArAyaNan as the total refuge, accepting other upAyams (karma, gyAnam, bhakthi, etc) to achieve him is like jumping into a river with a heavy stone tied to us – the stone will drown into the river and will pull us along as well (suicidal).




Full series can be viewed at: https://granthams.koyil.org/divine-revelations-of-lokacharya-english/.