Divine revelations of lOkAchArya – 3

Please view the previous article at https://granthams.koyil.org/2013/07/divine-revelations-of-lokacharya-2/

21. prApthi palamAy varumathiRE kainkaryam.


ப்ராப்தி பலமாய் வருமதிறே கைங்கர்யம்.

jIvAthmA, by nature, is a servitor of the supreme lord srIman nArAyaNan. Only if he serves bhagavAn/bhAgavathas he will have his svarUpam satisfied. Such kainkaryam (service) is the result of reaching bhagavAn.




22. sEshikku udhdhEsyamAnathu sEshabhUthanukku udhdhEsyamAych chollavENumO.


சேஷிக்கு உத்தேச்யமானது சேஷபூதனுக்கு உத்தேச்யமாய்ச் சொல்லவேணுமோ.

Whatever is dear to bhagavAn who is the lord, it automatically becomes dear to jIvAthmA who is the servant of bhagavAn.

23. karaNangaLukkuk kidaiththa kAryangaL koLLavE svarUpavirOdhiyAy vandhERiyAnavai thannadaiyEpOm.


கரணங்களுக்குக் கிடைத்த கார்யங்கள் கொள்ளவே ஸ்வரூபவிரோதியாய் வந்தேறியானவை தன்னடையேபோம்.


poigai AzhwAr identifies the real purpose of our sense organs in mudhal thiruvanthAdhi 11th pAsuram:


vAyavanaiyallathu vAzhththAthu
kaiyulagam thAyavanaiyallathu thAmthozhA
pEymulainanchu UNAga vuNdAn uruvOdu pErallAl 
kANAkaN kELA chevi


வாயவனையல்லது வாழ்த்தாது
கையுலகம் தாயவனையல்லது தாம்தொழா
பேய்முலைநஞ்சு ஊணாகவுண்டான் உருவோடு பேரல்லால்
காணாகண் கேளா செவி

My mouth will only glorify bhagavAn. My hands will only worship the one who measured the whole world as thrivikraman. My eyes will not see anything but the divine form of kaNNan emperumAn who consumed the poison from the breast of evil-minded pUthanA and my ears will not hear anything other than his names.


By engaging the senses in bhagavath vishayam, the hurdles that stop the progress of jIvAthmA will automatically be removed.




24. guNangaLukku piriththu sthithiyAthal, upalambamAthal illAthAp pOlE vibhUthikkum avanaiyozhiya sthithiyAthal upalambamAthalillai.


குணங்களுக்கு பிரித்து ஸ்திதியாதல், உபலம்பமாதல் இல்லாதாப் போலே விபூதிக்கும் அவனையொழிய ஸ்திதியாதல் உபலம்பமாதலில்லை.

sthithi – existence, upalambam – observability. An attribute can neither exist nor can be observed without the substance. For example, in red cloth – the redness and the cloth are inseparable – so redness can neither exist without that cloth nor can it be observed separately. Similarly, bhagavAn‘s wealth (nithya vibhUthi – spiritual world, leelA vibhUthi – material world) can neither exist nor can be observed without bhagavAn.




25. karma nibanthanamAna AkAram smruthi vishayamAgAthapadiyAna pAkam piRanthAl thadhIyamAyE thORRi ellAmokka anubhAvyamAyirukkum.


கர்ம நிபந்தநமான ஆகாரம் ஸ்ம்ருதி விஷயமாகாதபடியான பாகம் பிறந்தால் ததீயமாயே தோற்றி எல்லாமொக்க அநுபாவ்யமாயிருக்கும்.


Once we fully realize that bodily comforts/distresses are due to our own puNyam/pApam only, we will understand that every thing is owned by sarvEsvaran and naturally acceptable. 

Translator’s note: This principle is explained beautifully by piLLai lOkAchAryar in thathva thrayam 74, 75, 76 sUthrams which we can understand through the beautiful commentary of maNavALa mAmunigaL. He explains that since everything is owned by bhagavAn, everything is favourable only. It is only due to our bodily conception we consider some as favourable and others as unfavourable. For example, due to the bodily conception, if one person feels hot in one place during summer, the same person feels cold in the same place during winter. But if we go beyond the bodily conception – one will understand the true nature of jIvAthmA, accept whatever situation one is placed in and will work positively with a favourable attitude towards bhagavAn in all such situations.




26. vaishNava santhAnaththilE piRanthArkku Isvara marmangaL theriyumiRE.


வைஷ்ணவ ஸந்தாநத்திலே பிறந்தார்க்கு ஈஸ்வர மர்மங்கள் தெரியுமிறே.

One who is born in vaishNava family, will know the intricacies/confidential matters of bhagavAn. For example, ANdAL who was the daughter of periyAzhwAr was fully aware of the divine qualities/intricacies of bhagavAn.




27. manushya janmaththukku palam bhagavath samAsrayaNamAy irukka, athu illAthAr manushyar allar.


மனுஷ்ய ஜந்மத்துக்கு பலம் பகவத் ஸமாஸ்ரயணமாய் இருக்க, அது இல்லாதார் மனுஷ்யர் அல்லர்.

The purpose of human birth is to approach bhagavAn and accept his refuge. If that was not done, those people will not even be considered as humans.




28. prAthikUlya varjanamiRE vENduvathu.


ப்ராதிகூல்ய வர்ஜநமிறே வேண்டுவது.


It is essential for the jIvAthmA to atleast abstain from unfavourable acts towards bhagavAn. 

Translator’s note: piLLai lOkAchAryar explains this beautifully in mumukshuppadi 203rd sUthram through rAmAyaNa slOkam “cha chAla chApam cha mumOcha vIra”. When rAvaNan was holding on to the bow and shooting arrows at srI rAma, srI rAma was counter-attacking as well – but when rAvANa’s bow was broken by srI rAma and he dropped it down, srI rAma immediately stopped attacking rAvaNa and gave him a life-line.This principle is explained in context of all other upAyams (other than bhagavAn himself) which stop bhagavAn from uplifting us.




29. oru chiRAyai visvasiththu ARu mAsaththukku vENum chORum thaNNIrum ERRikkoNdu kadalilizhiyA ninRAn. avvOpAthi visvAsamAgilum vENdavO bhagavath vishayaththaip paRRuvArkku.


ஒரு சிறாயை விச்வஸித்து ஆறு மாஸத்துக்கு வேணும் சோறும் தண்ணீரும் ஏற்றிக்கொண்டு கடலிலிழியா நின்றான். அவ்வோபாதி விச்வாஸமாகிலும் வேண்டவோ பகவத் விஷயத்தைப் பற்றுவார்க்கு.


chiRAy – small boat. People have faith on a boat and board it with food and water that are required for six months and venture into the ocean. Should we not have atleast the same faith in taking shelter of bhagavAn? In today’s world, we have faith in so many aspects like doctors, travel on vehicles (on the road, water and air), job, bank balance, properties, etc – if only we (who have surrendered to bhagavAn through an AchAryan) had similar faith towards bhagavAn we will have total commitment towards him and give up on these totally material aspirations.




30. prApyaththil prathamAvathi bhagavachchEshathvaththaLavilE niRkai;  charamAvathi bhAgavatha sEshathvaththaLavilE varugai.


ப்ராப்யத்தில் ப்ரதமாவதி பகவச்சேஷத்வத்தளவிலே நிற்கை;  சரமாவதி பாகவத சேஷத்வத்தளவிலே வருகை.

With respect to the achievable goal – the first level is to stay as a servitor of bhagavAn; the ultimate level is to become a servitor of bhAgavathas.

Translator’s note: For more details on this 30th vAkyam,  please read https://granthams.koyil.org/anthimopaya-nishtai-english/.