Divine revelations of lOkAchArya – 15

• pAsuram 69 – Just like when something comes in contact with an object which has nice fragrance will also develop such fragrance, when some one comes in contact with srIvaishNavas who are sAthvik in nature, they will also develop such good qualities.

• pAsuram 70 – Just like when something comes in contact with an object which stinks will also develop a bad smell, when some one comes in contact with persons of undesirable qualities, they will also develop such undesirable qualities.

To fully enjoy the vision of srIman nArAyaNan seated in the blissful maNdapam (assembly) being served by nithyasUris is the goal to be achieved.

After understanding the true nature of jIvAthmA, he cannot do what is contrary to the true nature.


Translator’s note: svarUpam – true nature. Understanding the true nature of jIvAthmA means understanding him as athyantha parathanthran (totally dependent entity) of bhagavAn and also that the jIvAthmA is the in-dwelling soul that is different from body. svarUpa virOdhi means that which are contradictory to the nature of jIvAthmA and that which are hurdles in jIvAthmA realizing the true nature and practising the same. Here one needs to eliminate the following virOdhis:

• dhEhAthma abhimAnam – considering that the AthmA and the body are one and the same and leading a life that is focussed on the body. This needs to be elimiated – understading that the jIvAthmA is the soul that is eternal/permanent and the body is temporary, this can be overcome.

• anya sEshathvam – considering oneself as subervient to other dhEvathas – jIvAthmA is owned by bhagavAn only. He is thus not to have any servitude towards any other dhEvathas. By understanding the true nature of bhagavAn as the owner of all entities, this can be overcome.

• sva svAthanthriyam – considering jIvAthmA as svathanthran (independent). Even after giving up anya sEshathvam, one may still consider he is the master of himself. But understanding that bhagavAn is controller of everything, this can be overcome.

The above principles are explained in detail in https://granthams.koyil.org/kilaroli-ilamai/.


pEyAzhwAr highlights the importance for developing the taste for bhagavath vishayam and the result of the same in mUnRAm thiruvanthAdhi pAsuram 14.



mARpAl manam chuzhippa mangaiyar thOL kai vittu
nURpAl manam vaikka noyvidhAm 
nARpAla vEdhaththAn vEngadaththAn
viNNOr mudi thOyum pAdhaththAn pAdham paNindhu


மாற்பால் மனம் சுழிப்ப மங்கையர் தோள் கை விட்டு
நூற்பால் மனம் வைக்க நொய்விதாம்
நாற்பால வேதத்தான் வேங்கடத்தான்
விண்ணோர் முடி தோயும் பாதத்தான் பாதம் பணிந்து


thiruvEnkatamudaiyAn who is residing in thiruvEnkatam is the object of the four vEdhas and the one whose lotus feet are touched by the crowns in the heads of nithyasUris. When one surrenders to his lotus feet and focusses his mind on thiruvEnktamudaiyAn, that will lead to him giving up attachment to wordly pleasures (the embracing of women, etc) and facilitate engaging oneself in studying the scriptures easily.

It is sufficient to have a good AchAryan who constantly instructs to the sishyas that only srIman nArAyaNan is the total refuge and no one else qualifies to be approached.


Translator’s note: AchAryan is the one who studies sAsthram, follows it himself and guide others towards the same. A true AchAryan means he is a devoted servitor of vishNu and vaishNavas and is simply focussed on upliftment of jIvAthmAs to lead them to perform eternal kainkaryam to bhagavAn. If a person comes into contact with such AchAryan and receives the most valuable instruction that “srIman nArAyaNan is the master and refuge for everyone” and the person simply accepts that and follows the principles as taught by such AchArya, that itself will uplift that jIvAthmA. The principle of srIman nArAyaNan being both upAyam (means) and upEyam (goal) is precisely explained in dhvaya mahA manthram and that is why our pUrvAchAryas held this manthram with great esteem.

• sUthram 178 – “nama: kainkaryaththil kaLai aRukkiRathu” (நம: கைங்கர்யத்தில் களை அறுக்கிறது) – nama: removes the weeds (unwanted elements) in our kainkaryam. Here, mAmunigaL highlights that nama: is usually explained in removing ahankAram and mamakAram, in this context since kainkaryam to srIman nArAyaNan is explained in the second part of dhvaya mahA manthram, this “nama:” removes the aspects that are detrimental to such service.

• sUthram 179 – “kaLaiyAvathu – thanakkennap paNNumathu” (களையாவது – தனக்கென்னப் பண்ணுமது) – The weed/defect here is to perform kainkaryam for ones own satisfaction. Any kainkaryam is focussed on bringing happiness to bhagavAn. Even if there is a tinge of self-enjoyment that could lead to defects.

• sUthram 180 – “ithilE avidhyAdhigaLum kazhiyuNNum” (இதிலே அவித்யாதிகளும் கழியுண்ணும்) – Further, this nama: also removes avidhyA, karma, janma, etc – the vicious cycle of ignorance, actions with puNyam/pApam as result, birth, etc.

• sUthram 181 – “‘unakkE nAmAtcheyvOm’ ennumpadiyE AgavENum” (‘உனக்கே நாமாட்செய்வோம்’ என்னும்படியே ஆகவேணும்) – ANdAL also highlights the same principle in thiruppAvai 29th pAsuram by saying “We will serve your interests only”. kainkaryam should not be done to fulfill a) our desire and b) our desire and emperumAn’s desire. It should be done to fulfill emperumAn’s desire only.

• samsAram itself is considered as a disease. Four maladies are usually identified with samsAram – janma (birth), mruthyu (death), jarA (old-age), vyAdhi (disease). Birth is the root cause of the other maladies – so if we are able to stop our birth in this samsAram, that itself will relieve us.

• bull is considered to be the best example for ignorance. Since rudhran has the bull in his flag, he is considered as a thAmasa dhEvathai.

• brahmA is most knowledgable yet he does not understand bhagavAn fully – so he too cannot cure the disease of samsAram.

• All these dhEvathAs are considered as samsAra varththakar – the ones who increase our bondage in samsAram. To establish that fact, when krishNa went to kailAsam to pray to rudhran (as part of a boon which rudhran requested from emperumAn – that emperumAn asks for something from rudhran), he demonstrates that bhagavAn is the only one who can bestow mOksham by blessing gaNtA karNan (and his brother).

• bhagavAn is glorified as the medicine, the doctor and the enjoyable nectar by AzhwArs in other places – this quality of him being all at the same time cannot be seen in any other entity.

• Finally, it is identified that having a glorious life in his temple is the ultimate goal – as periyAzhwAr himself identifies in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 5.1.3 “un kOyilil vAzhum vaittaNavan ennum vanmai kaNdAyE” (உன் கோயிலில் வாழும் வைட்டணவன் என்னும் வன்மை கண்டாயே) – the ultimate goal is to be a vaishNava who lives in your temple fully serving you. vAzhchhi means upliftment – which is at the lotus feet of emperumAn only.

• adhamam – low – based on achith (matter) – material/worldly pleasures – these are temporary and insignificant

• madhyamam – middle – based on chith (self) – kaivalyam (enjoying oneself) – even though one is freed from samsAram in this state, this is permanent and blissful – yet in comparison to enjoying bhagavAn‘s divine and auspicious qualities, this is insignificant too.

• uththamam – top most – based on Ishwara (bhagavAn) – kainkaryam to bhagavAn is considered as the top most goal since bhagavAn is filled with auspicious qualities and any service to him out of loving affection is blissful and natural for the jIvAthmA.

Thus bhagavAn is considered as the top most enjoyable goal.


When a mumukshu (jIvAthmA who desires for mOksham) gives up his body in this samsAram, Athi vAhikas (dhEvathas who are controllers for various lOkas) lead the jIvAthmA upto virajA river which runs between samsAram and paramapadham through archirAdhi gathi (path). archirAdhi means “starting with archis” – this includes the lOkas of the controlling dhEvathas of archis, ahas, sukla paksha, uththarAyaNa, samvathsara, vAyu, sUrya, chandhra, vidhyuth, varuNa, indhra and brahma lOkams.The jIvAthmA travels through the many lOkams, crosses the mUla prakruthi (primordial matter) and finally lands at the banks of virajA river. After crossing the river, he gets a divine spiritual body and he reaches bhagavAn in paramapadham and engages in eternal service to him. It is explained that the journey through the archirAdhi gathi itself is most relishable as explained in chAndhOgya, vAjanEya and kaushIdhakI upanishadhs. This is also explained beautifully by nammAzhwAr in his “chUzh visumbaNimugil” (சூழ் விசும்பணிமுகில்) padhigam in thiruvAimozhi (10.9). piLLai lOkAchAryar has also written a beautiful rahasya grantham named “archirAdhi” which explains the journey of jIvAthmA from samsAram to paramapadham.


emperumAnAr beautifully narrates the brilliant and wonderful aspects of paramapadham in a detailed manner in srI vaikunta gadhyam. He explains that the environment in paramapadham is most serene and blissful and most condusive for the jIvAthmA to serve bhagavAn in the purest possible way since everything is spiritual there. piLLai lOkAchAryar also gives a very beautiful narration of paramapadham in his “archirAdhi”. 


From the above, we can understand that as kainkaryam to emperumAn is the top most goal to be achieved, paramapadham where we perform eternal kainkaryam and the path that takes us to paramapadham are also part of that achievable goal.

Explanation for the above picture:

• In the bottom section, 
  • first box shows the jIvAthmA coming into contact with an AchAryan and bhAgavathas
  • second box shows the jIvAthmA giving the body
  • from then on each box represents each lOkam/dhEvathA – archis, ahas, etc. jIvAthmA travels in praNava (OmkAra) ratham (chariot).
  • last box shows the mUla prakruthi (saptha AvaraNam)
• going up, next is the virajA river with swans – jIvAthmA takes a dip in that and then acquires a spiritual body
• After crossing the river – amAnavan touches the jIvAthmA and allows him inside paramapadham. 
• jIvAthmA is then welcomed by the nithyasUris and is decorated by apsaras (divine servitors of emperumAn assuming the form of beautiful ladies).
• Then after, the jIvAthmA travels up to the main entrance accompanied by nithya sUris who celebrate the arrival of jIvAthmA.
• Finally, he enters the main entrance and goes around the maNimAmaNdapam (where emperumAn is seated with dhivya mahishis) and enters the maNdapam and emperumAn accepts him. (not in this picture – but jIvAthmA climbing the AdhisEshan is seen in the paramapadhanAthan picture seen at the top – 142nd entry).