anthimOpAya nishtai – 14 – bhAgavatha apachAram

srI:

srImathE rAmAnujAya nama:
srImadh varavaramunayE nama:
srI vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:

In the previous article (https://granthams.koyil.org/2013/07/anthimopaya-nishtai-13/),
we observed AchArya apachAram in detail and the ill-effects of committing such apachArams. We will continue with understanding bhAgavatha apachAram in this section.

Next we shall see bhAgavatha apachAram.

srIvachana bhUshaNa dhivya sAsthram 307

ivai onRukkonRu krUrangaLumAy upAya virOthigaLumAy, upEya virOthigaLumAy irukkum.

இவை ஒன்றுக்கொன்று க்ரூரங்களுமாய் உபாய விரோதிகளுமாய், உபேய விரோதிகளுமாய் இருக்கும்.

Simple translation: These (akruthya karaNam – indulging in what is rejected in sAsthram, bhagavath apachAram – committing offense against bhagavAn, bhAgavatha apachAram – committing offense against bhAgavathas, asahya apachAram – committing bhagavath/bhAgavatha apachAram without any specific reason) are more cruel than the preceeding ones (i.e., bhagavath apachAram is more cruel than akruthya karaNam, bhAgavatha apachAram is more cruel than bhagavath apachAram and asahya apachAram is more cruel than bhAgavatha apachAram) and are hurdles in our means and the attainment of the ultimate goal.

vIra sundhara brahma rAyan (a local king) who is a sishya of kUrathAzhwAn once developed enemity towards AzhwAn‘s son parAsara bhattar. He troubled bhattar to the extent that bhattar was so disturbed and left srIrangam and reached thirukkOshtiyUr. bhattar himself reveals this in his srIrangarAja sthOthram 5th slOkam as follows:

pUgI gaNta dhvayasa sarasa snigdha nIrOpagaNtAm

AvirmOdha sthimitha sagunAnUthitha brahmagOshAm

mArgE mArgE pathika nivahai: unjyamAna apavargAm

pasyEyam thAm punarapi purIm srImathIm rangadhAmna:

பூகீ கண்ட த்வயஸ ஸரஸ ஸ்நிக்த நீரோபகண்டாம்
ஆவிர்மோத ஸ்திமித ஸகுநாநூதித ப்ரஹ்மகோஷாம்
மார்கே மார்கே பதிக நிவஹை: உஞ்ச்யமான அபவர்காம்
பஸ்யேயம் தாம் புநரபி புரீம் ஸ்ரீமதீம் ரங்கதாம்ந:

Simple translation: When am I going to again see that srIrangam which is filled with divine wealth and beauty? The dhivyadhEsam is located close to water sources which have huge trees inside them and that are very pleasing to the mind. The birds are constantly making beautiful sounds which resemble the recitation of vEdham. The path to the dhivyadhEsam is filled with crowds of devotees who are looking out for salvation. thirukkOshtiyUr-bhattar-nanjiyar

bhattar in thirukkOshtiyUr with nanjIyar at the lotus feet of sowmya nArAyaNan emperumAn – his heart still in srIrangam though

Through this slOkam, bhattar reveals his divine suffering in separation from srIranganAthan and srIrangam. At that time, a srIvaishNava approaches bhattar, serves him and requests him to explain thiruviruththam once fully. bhattar turns to his sishya nanjIyar and tells him “jIya! In separation from srIraganAthan and srIrangam, I am unable to talk about anything. You explain the meanings of thiruviruththam to this srIvaishNava” and guides the srIvaishNava to the lotus feet of nanjIyar. As time goes by, vIra sundhara brahma rAyan who offended bhattar eventually dies. Some srIvaishNavas who were taking care of bhattar’s mother ANdAL and accepting her guidance, heard this news and started celebrating by throwing their upper cloth up in the air. Seeing this, ANdAL immediately entered her thirumALigai (residence), closed the doors and started crying out loud. The srIvaishNavas who are greatly celebrating turned to ANdAL and asked her “Are you not happy that bhattar‘s enemy is gone, bhattar will be back here and we will all have great sathsangam?”.

ANdAL responds “You dont know. vIra sundhara brahma rAyan is a direct sishya of AzhwAn. But he troubled bhattar so much and has committed the greatest of offenses. Not only that, he did not even go back to bhattar and begged for forgiveness saying ‘I have done this great mistake. Please forgive me’ and bowed at the lotus feet of bhattar. Now he has died too. As soon as he left his body, the servants of yama dharma rAjan have caught him. I am unable to bear that sight of him suffering at the hands of them. None of you can understand this feeling”. Thus, my AchAryan (mAmunigaL) says that the result of bhAgavatha apachAram is very cruel.

kadakkaththup piLLai who is a sishya of bhattar who lived in chOLa maNdalam (region) hears about sOmAsiyANdAn who was fully trained by udayavar. sOmAsiyANdAn was living in thirunArAyaNapuram and was training many in srIbhAshyam. piLLai goes to thirunArAyaNapuram and seeing him sOmAsiyANdAn becomes very pleased and offers him a place to stay in his own thirumALigai. piLLai then hears srIbhAshyam, bhagavath vishayam, etc for a whole year under the guidance of ANdAn. After the sARRumuRai (final session), piLLai starts his return journey. ANdAn accompanies piLLai to the border of thirunArAyaNapuram (Translator’s note: It is customary for srIvaishNavas to give a worthy farewell to visiting srIvaishNavas by accompanying them until they reach the end of the town or so – mainly a water source) and says “I am honoured that you stayed here for a whole year; I am feeling very sad about the separation now; Please bless me with a valuable instruction that I can take refuge on”. piLLai responds “sOmAsiyAndAn! You are very knowledgable and have great command over both srIbhAshyam and bhagavath vishayam. Yet, you tie a knot in your upper cloth to constantly remind you about avoid bhAgavatha apachAram”. This incident was revealed by my AchAryan (mAmunigaL). (Translator’s note: It is customary to tie a knot in the upper cloth – seeing which we will be reminded of something which we may forget).

prAthurbhAvaissuranarasamO dhEvadhEvasthadhIyA: jAthyA vruththair api cha guNatha: thAdhrusO nAthra garhA

kinthu srImadhbuvanabavana thrANathOnyEshu vidhyAvruththaprAyO bhavathi vidhavAkalpakalpa:prakarsha:

ப்ராதுர்பாவைஸ்ஸுரநரஸமோ தேவதேவஸ்ததீயா: ஜாத்யா வ்ருத்தைர் அபி ச குணத: தாத்ருஸோ நாத்ர கர்ஹா
கிந்து ஸ்ரீமத்புவநபவந த்ராணதோந்யேஷு வித்யாவ்ருத்தப்ராயோ பவதி விதவாகல்பகல்ப:ப்ரகர்ஷ:

Simple translation: The devotees of the Lord, who seem to resemble humans or devas due to their birth, clan, actions or qualities are indeed equal to the Lord Himself. They must not be abused. They carefully protect the divine lands and temples of the Lord. They are excellent in jnAnam and anuShTAnam. They shine brilliantly as ornaments of the learned.

archAvathArOpAdhAnam vaishNavOthpaththi chinthanam

mAthruyOni parIkshayAsthulyamAhUr manIshiNa:

அர்சாவதாரோபாதாநம் வைஷ்ணவோத்பத்தி சிந்தநம்
மாத்ருயோநி பரீக்ஷயாஸ்துல்யமாஹூர் மநீஷிந:

Simple translation: As identified by the learned men, qualifying the divine archA form of emperumAn based on the raw-material and qualifying a vaishNava based on his birth is considered as doubting the chastity of ones own mother.

archAyAmEva mAm pasyan madhbhakthEshu cha mAm dhruhan

vishadhagdhair agnidhagdhair AyudhairhanthimAmasau

அர்சாயாமேவ மாம் பச்யந் மத்பக்தேஷு ச மாம் த்ருஹந்
விஷதக்தைர் அக்நிதக்தைர் ஆயுதைர்ஹந்திமாமஸௌ

Simple translation: Those who recognize me in archAvathAra but not in my devotees, hurt me with the might of poison, fire and weapons.

yA prIthirmayi samvruththA madhbhakthEshu sadhAsthu thE

avamAnakriyA thEshAm samharathi akilam jagath

யா ப்ரீதிர்மயி ஸம்வ்ருத்தா மத்பக்தேஷு ஸதாஸ்து தே
அவமாநக்ரியா தேஷாம் ஸம்ஹரதி அகிலம் ஜகத்

Simple translation: My love for My devotees is ever increasing, so much so that it would go to the extent of destroying the whole world if they are disrespected.

madh bhaktham svapachamvApi nindhAm kurvanthi yE narA:

padhmakOti sathEnApi na kshamAmi kathAchana

மத் பக்தம் ஸ்வபசம்வாபி நிந்தாம் குர்வந்தி யே நரா:
பத்மகோடி சதேநாபி ந க்ஷமாமி கதாசந

Simple translation: Those men who censure my devotee, even a chaNdAla, are never forgiven by me even after the passage of several millions of years.

chandAlamapi madhbhaktham nAvamanyEtha budhdhimAn

avamAnAth padhathyEva rauravE narakE nara:

சண்டாலமபி மத்பக்தம் நாவமந்யேத புத்திமாந்
அவமாநாத் பதத்யேவ ரௌரவே நரகே நர:

Simple translation: An intelligent man shall not humiliate my devotee even if he is a chaNdAla, for he will certainly fall into the hell of raurava for humiliating my devotee.

asvamEdha sahasrANi vAjapEya sathAni cha

nishkruthir nAsthi nAsthyEva vaishNava dhvEshiNAm nruNAm

அச்வமேத ஸஹஸ்ராணி வாஜபேய சதாநி ச
நிஷ்க்ருதிர் நாஸ்தி நாஸ்த்யேவ வைஷ்ணவ த்வேஷிணாம் ந்ருணாம்

Simple translation: They, who have hatred towards vaishNavas, are certainly not redeemed even by a thousand asvamEdha yAgams or a hundred vAjapEya yAgams.

sUdhram vA bhagavath bhaktham nishAdham svapacham thathA

IshathE jAthi sAmAnyAn sa yAthi narakam dhruvam

சூத்ரம் வா பகவத் பக்தம் நிஷாதம் ஸ்வபசம் ததா
ஈஷதே ஜாதி ஸாமாந்யாந் ஸ யாதி நரகம் த்ருவம்

Simple translation: He, who sees the devotee of bhagavAn by the discrimination of birth such as shUdra, nishAdha or svapacha, attains the treacherous hell.

anAchArAn dhurAchArAn agyAthrUn hInajanmana:

madhbhakthAn srOthriyO nindhan sathyas chaNdAlathAm vrajEth

அநாசாராந் துராசாராந் அஜ்ஞாத்ரூந் ஹீநஜந்மந:
மத்பக்தாந் ச்ரோத்ரியோ நிந்தந் ஸத்யச் சண்டாலதாம் வ்ரஜேத்

Simple translation: The one who is well versed in vEdhams, who censures my devotees as being without discipline, righteousness or knowledge, verily attains the character of a chaNdAla.

apichEth sudhurAchArO bhajathE mAmananyabAk

sAdhurEva sa manthavya: samyakvyavasithO hi sa:

அபிசேத் ஸுதுராசாரோ பஜதே மாமநந்யபாக்
ஸாதுரேவ ஸ மந்தவ்ய: ஸம்யக்வ்யவஸிதோ ஹி ஸ:

Simple translation: Even if one commits the most improper deeds, if he is my devotee, he is to be considered saintly.

sarvaischa lakshaNair yukthO niyathascha svakarmasu

yasthu bhAgavathAn dhvEshti sudhUram prachyuthO hi sa:

ஸர்வைச்ச லக்ஷணைர் யுக்தோ நியதச்ச ஸ்வகர்மஸு
யஸ்து பாகவதாந் த்வேஷ்டி ஸுதூரம் ப்ரச்யுதோ ஹி ஸ:

Simple translation: He, who is possessed of all good qualities and is disciplined in all acts of righteousness, is still banished to the far lands if he is a hater of the devotees of bhagavAn.

thirumAlai 43

amaravOrangam ARum vEthamOr nAngumOthi

thamargaLil thalaivarAya sAthi aNthaNargaLElum

numargaLaip pazhipparAgil nodippathOraLavil

AngE avargaLthAm pulaiyar pOlum arangamAnagaruLAnE

அமரவோரங்கம் ஆறும் வேதமோர் நான்குமோதி
தமர்களில் தலைவராய சாதி அந்தணர்களேலும்
நுமர்களைப் பழிப்பராகில் நொடிப்பதோரளவில்
ஆங்கே அவர்கள்தாம் புலையர் போலும் அரங்கமாநகருளானே

Simple translation: Dear srIranganAtha! Even brAhmaNas who are leaders among vaishNavas and expert in 4 vEdhams and their 6 angams (supplements), when they offend your devotee, immediately, right there, they will become very lowly.

srIvachana bhUshaNam 192

Iswaran avathariththup paNNina Anaith thozhilgaLellAm bhAgavathapachAram poRAmai enRu jIyar aruLichcheyvar

ஈச்வரன் அவதரித்துப் பண்ணின ஆனைத் தொழில்களெல்லாம் பாகவதபசாரம் பொறாமை என்று ஜீயர் அருளிச்செய்வர்

Simple translation: nanjIyar highlights that bhagavAn appeared and performed so many difficult tasks because he was unable to bear bhAgavathas being offended.

srIvachana bhUshaNam 194 – 197

bhAgavatha apachAram thAn anEka vidham; athilEyonRu avargaL pakkal janma nirUpaNam. ithuthAn archchAvathAraththil upAdhAnasmruthiyilum kAttil krUram. aththai mAthru yOni parIkshaiyOdokkum enRu sAsthram sollum

பாகவத அபசாரம் தான் அநேக விதம்; அதிலேயொன்று அவர்கள் பக்கல் ஜந்ம நிரூபணம். இதுதான் அர்ச்சாவதாரத்தில் உபாதாநஸ்ம்ருதியிலும் காட்டில் க்ரூரம். அத்தை மாத்ரு யோநி பரீக்ஷையோடொக்கும் என்று ஸாஸ்த்ரம் சொல்லும்

Simple translation: bhAgavatha apachAram is of many types. Qualifying them by their birth is one of them. This is more cruel than qualifying the divine archA form of emperumAn based on the raw-material that is made of. According to sAsthram, qualifying the divine archA form of emperumAn is compared to doubting the chastity ones own mother.

srIvachana bhUshaNam 198

thrisanguvaippOlE karma chaNdAlanAy, mArvilitta yagyOpavItham thAnE vArAyvidum

த்ரிஸங்குவைப்போலே கர்ம சண்டாலனாய், மார்விலிட்ட யக்யோபவீதம் தானே வாராய்விடும்

Simple translation: For one who commits bhAgavatha apachAram, just like thrisangu who became karma chaNdAlan (a person becoming chaNdAla due to their action right in this birth), the yagyOpavItham itself will become the rope that tightens the neck and chokes him.

srIvachana bhUshaNam 199-200

jAthi chaNdAlanukkuk kAlAntharaththilE bhAgavathanAgaikku yOgyathai uNdu; athuvumillai ivanukku; ArUda pathithanAkaiyAlE.

ஜாதி சண்டாலனுக்குக் காலாந்தரத்திலே பாகவதனாகைக்கு யோக்யதை உண்டு; அதுவுமில்லை இவனுக்கு; ஆரூட பதிதனாகையாலே.

Simple translation: For a chaNdAla who is born in that birth, at some point, there is a possibility to become a bhAgavatha. But for karma chaNdAla, there is no such hope since he fell from a very high position.

Since AzhwArs who are the leaders of our society, glorify srIvaishNavas greatly, for a srIvaishNava, just considering another srIvaishNava equal to them itself is a bhAgavatha apachAram. Alwars-10

AzhwArs glorify srIvaishNavas in many ways:

thiruvudaimannar (திருவுடைமன்னர்) – persons (kings) with abundant kainkaryasrI

chezhumAmaNigaL (செழுமாமணிகள்) – beautiful and big pearls

nilaththEvar (நிலத்தேவர்) – Gods of this world

perumakkaL (பெருமக்கள்) – exhalted persons

theLLiyAr (தெள்ளியார்) – most intelligent

perunthavaththar (பெருந்தவத்தர்) – most austere

uruvudaiyAr (உருவுடையார்) – beautiful

iLaiyAr (இளையார்) – young (and beautiful)

vallAr (வல்லார்) – knowledgable

OththuvallAr (ஓத்துவல்லார்) – expert in vEdham

thakkAr (தக்கார்) – Most apt (to be glorified)

mikkAr (மிக்கார்) – better than us

vEdhavimalar (வேதவிமலர்) – pure vaidhihas

siRumAmanisar (சிறுமாமனிசர்) – small in form but great in qualities

empirAnthana chinnangaL (எம்பிரான்தன சின்னங்கள்) – representatives of my lord

More pramANams are shown that highlights the ill-effects of bhAgavatha apachAram.

thasya brahmavidhAgasa:

தஸ்ய ப்ரஹ்மவிதாகஸ:

Simple translation: glorifying the one who is situated in knowledge about brahmam (Meaning is not completely clear).

nAham visangE surarAjavajrAntha thryakshasUlAn na yamasya dhaNdAth

nAgnyarkkasOmAnilaviththahasthAth sangE brusam bhAgavathapachArAth

நாஹம் விசங்கே ஸுரராஜவஜ்ராந்த த்ர்யக்ஷஸூலான் ந யமஸ்ய தண்டாத்
நாக்ந்யர்க்கஸோமாநிலவித்தஹஸ்தாத் ஸங்கே ப்ருசம் பாகவதபசாராத்

Simple translation: I do not fear of the wrath of Indhra’s vajra or the servants of Yama or the fury of fire, moon, fire and other dhEvathas. But I greatly fear bhAgavatha apachAram.

brahmavidhOpamAnAth

ப்ரஹ்மவிதோபமாநாத்

Simple translation: Comparison of the one situated in knowledge about brahmam (Meaning is not completely clear).

Ayussriyam yasO dharmam lOkAnAsisha Eva cha

hanthi srEyAmsi sarvANi pumsO mahadhathikrama:

ஆயுச்ச்ரியம் யசோ தர்மம் லோகாநாசிஷ ஏவ ச
ஹந்தி ச்ரேயாம்ஸி ஸர்வாணி பும்ஸோ மஹததிக்ரம:

Simple translation: The longevity, wealth, merit, honour, property, goodness and everything favourable to him are destroyed of the man who commits the greatest transgression (of bhAgavatha apachAram).

nindhanthiyE bhagavathascharaNAravindha chinthAvadhUtha sakalAkilakalmashaukAn

thEshAm yasOdhanasukAyurapathyabandhumithrANi cha sthiratharANyapi yAnthi nAsam

நிந்தந்தியே பகவதச்சரணாரவிந்த சிந்தாவதூத ஸகலாகிலகல்மஷௌகாந்
தேஷாம் யசோதநஸுகாயுரபத்யபந்துமித்ராணி ச ஸ்திரதராண்யபி யாந்தி நாஸம்

Simple translation:The people, who condemn the devotees who always think of bhagavAn’s lotus feet as the repository of all blemishes, lose their fame, wealth, longevity, children, relatives, friends and possessions.

apyarchchayithvA gOvindham thadhIyAn nArchchaynthi yE

na thE vishNO: prasAdhasya bhAjanam dAmbikAjanA:

அப்யர்ச்சயித்வா கோவிந்தம் ததீயாந் நார்ச்சய்ந்தி யே
ந தே விஷ்ணோ: ப்ரஸாதஸ்ய பாஜநம் டாம்பிகாஜநா:

Simple translation: Those hypocrites shall not receive bhagavAn’s grace who worship Govinda but not his devotees.

srIvachana bhUshaNam 204

…izhavukku avargaL pakkal apachAramE pOrum

…இழவுக்கு அவர்கள் பக்கல் அபசாரமே போரும்

Just like, relationship with a pure bhAgavatha itself is sufficient (even without gyAnam-knowledge and anushtAnam-practice on our part) to attain the most blissful result, just committing apachAram towards such bhAgavathas itself is sufficient to give up the same even if we had full gyAnam and anushtAnam.

vaishNavAnAm parIvAdham yO mahAn sruNuthE nara:

sangupisthasya nArAchai: kuryAth karNasya pUraNam

வைஷ்ணவாநாம் பரீவாதம் யோ மஹாந் ஸ்ருணுதே நர:
ஸங்குபிஸ்தஸ்ய நாராசை: குர்யாத் கர்ணஸ்ய பூரணம்

Simple translation: He, who listens to the censure of vaishNavas, has his ears filled with spears and arrows.

srIvachana bhUshaNam 203

ivvidaththilE vainathEya vruththAnthaththaiyum, piLLaippiLLaiyAzhwAnukku AzhwAn paNiththa vArththaiyaiyum smarippathu

இவ்விடத்திலே வைநதேய வ்ருத்தாந்தத்தையும், பிள்ளைப்பிள்ளையாழ்வானுக்கு ஆழ்வான் பணித்த வார்த்தையையும் ஸ்மரிப்பது

garudAzhwAr’s wings catching fire after committing apachAram

Simple translation: To understand this (the cruelty of bhAgavathapachAram), meditate on the vainadhEya incident (where garudan just thinks why chANdili is living in a remote place instead of dhivyadhEsam and immediately his wings got burnt) and AzhwAn‘s instructions to piLLaippiLLai AzhwAn on giving up bhAgavatha apachAram.

Thus, the most cruel nature of AchArya apachAram and bhAgavatha apachAram is explained by vEdha sAsthram, purANam, etc., and the all-knowing AzhwArs who have understood the essence of those sAsthram and our AchAryas several times in the same way. Understanding that, an Asthika (one who is faithful to sAthram) who is focussed on being relieved from this samsAram should never indulge in any committing apachArams any where (not even in their dreams) towards bhAgavathas who are the most apt masters and the ones who can give full protection at all times for him. Our jIyar (mAmunigaL) often says, if one forgets these matters and commit even a small apachAram it is irrepairable just like, if the land splits it cannot be joined, if the sea enters land no one can stop that and if a mountain falls on the head we cannot bear it – bhAgavatha apachAram is such irresponsible deed which has no act of reversal for the offense. Thus, one should carefully deal with bhAgavathas who are as good as their own sadhAchAryan, without forgetting these principles, avoid any apachArams. Not only that, the attitude of such sathsishyas towards their AchAryan and those bhAgavathas are explained further.

Translator’s
note: Thus, we have seen the ill-effects of committing bhAgavatha apachAram. In the next section we will see what is to be done/pursued by a true sishya with respect to AchAryan and such great bhAgavathas.

Thanks to srI ranganAthan swamy for helping out in translating some of the samskritha pramANams.

To be continued…Full series can be viewed at: https://granthams.koyil.org/anthimopaya-nishtai-english/.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

archived in https://granthams.koyil.org, also visit https://acharyas.koyil.org.

anthimOpAya nishtai – 14 – bhAgavatha apachAram

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