SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
ஸ்ரீ முமுக்ஷுப்படி மூலமும், மாமுனிகள் வ்யாக்யானமும்
sUthram – 21
Introduction: lOkAchArya proceeds to describe what it does to the prapannAs who are beyond the trifold upAyas in aphorism 21.
prapaththiyilE izhindhavargaLukku svarUpa gyAnaththaip piRappiththuk kAlakshEbaththukkum bOgaththukkum hEthuvAi irukkum.
ப்ரபத்தியிலே இழிந்தவர்களுக்கு ஸ்வரூப ஜ்ஞாநத்தைப் பிறப்பித்துக் காலக்ஷேபத்துக்கும் போகத்துக்கும் ஹேதுவாயிருக்கும்.
Simple meaning: For those who adopt prapatti (absolute surrender) this generates the knowledge about the AthmA (soul) (svarUpa gyAna, that is sEshathva) and becomes the reason for proper utilisation of time and attainment of enjoyment [for emperumAn].
vyAkyAnam: That is, unlike the earlier detailed measures which are difficult to practice and are also intrinsically anathema to the nature of soul, for those depending entirely on prapaththi, it is easy to adopt and also congruent to one’s intrinsic swarUpa that facilitates for its practitioners the knowledge of self, the lord, total dependence on him (pArathanthryam) and facilitates enjoying the meditation of the deep meanings of esoteric concepts thus spending time usefully. This manthra is a source for such bliss as thirumangai AzhwAr says in periya thirumozhi 6-10-6,
“enakku enRum thEnum pAlum amudhumAna thirumAl thirunAmam”
“எனக்கென்றுந் தேனும்பாலுமமுதுமாய திருமால் திருநாமம்”
(the divine name of thirumAl which is forever good to me like honey, milk, nectar). Just as these entities are sweet for those who consume them, the name is also in itself blissful and affords tremendous pleasure to the prapannAdhikAri.
sUthram – 22
Introduction: lOkAchArya then states the excellence of this manthra in imparting all the knowledge to be attained by an aspiring soul in aphorism 22
“maRRellAm pEsilum” engiRapadiyE aRiya vENdum arththamellAm idhukkuLLE uNdu.
“மற்றெல்லாம் பேசிலும்” என்கிறபடியே அறிய வேண்டும் அர்த்தமெல்லாம் இதுக்குள்ளே உண்டு.
Simple meaning: All the esoteric truths to be known by us, mentioned (by AzhwAr) in the pAsuram “maRRellAm pEsilum” are rooted in this.
vyAkyAnam: That is, thirumangai AzhvAr, while talking of the ashtAkshara maha manthram says in periya thirumozhi 8-10-3:
“nin thiru ettu ezhuththum kaRRu maRRellaam pEsilum”
“நின் திருவெட்டெழுத்துங் கற்று மற்றெல்லாம் பேசிலும்”
(Even while talking of other relevant things, learning the meaning of your ashtAkshara manthram)
…because this manthra contains all the special meanings and concepts which are to be known for the elevation of the soul.
sUthram – 23
Introduction: lOkAchArya asks, “which are the meanings and concepts to be known?” and answers in aphorism 23:
adhAvadhu anjarththam.
அதாவது – அஞ்சர்த்தம்.
Simple meaning: That is, artha panchakam(five essential meanings).
vyAkyAnam: The five meanings are: nature of soul (sva svarUpam), nature of ISvara (para svarUpam), nature of goal to be attained (purushArtha svarUpam), nature of means to attain the goal (upAya svarUpam), and nature of obstacles in such attainment (virOdhi svarUpam). This is stated as in hArItha smruthi 8-141:
prApyasya brahmanO rUpam prApthuScha prathyagAthmana:
prApthyupAyam palam prApthEs thathA prApthi virOdhi cha
vadhanthi sakalA vEdhA: sEthihAsa purANakA:
munayaScha mahAthmAnO vEdha vEdhArtha vEdhina:
प्राप्यस्य ब्रह्मणो रूपं प्राप्तुश्च प्रत्यगात्मन:
प्राप्तुपायं फलं प्राप्तेस्तथा प्राप्ति विरोधि च |
वदन्ति सकला वेदा: सेतिहासपुराणका:
मुनयश्च महात्मानो वेद वेदार्थ वेदिन: ||
ப்ராப்யஸ்ய ப்3ரஹ்மணோ ரூபம் ப்ராப்துஶ்ச ப்ரத்யகா3த்மந: |
ப்ராப்த்யுபாயம் பலம் ப்ராப்தேஸ் ததா2 ப்ராப்திவிரோதி4 ச ||
வத3ந்தி ஸகலா வேதா3ஸ் ஸேதிஹாஸபுராணகா: |
முநயஶ்ச மஹாத்மாநோ வேத3வேதா3ர்த்த2வேதிந: ||
All the vEdhams and SAsthram establish the contents of these five concepts viz artha panchakam in detail which are very briefly shown by this manthram and so these are reflected by this manthram also: praNavAm indicates the inner soul and its nature, nama: indicates virOdhi (obstacles) and upAya (means) and their nature, nArAyaNa indicates the nature of the lord(para svarUpa) and the fourth case (Aya) in it shows the goal (pala svarUpa).
sUthram – 24
Introduction: lOkAchArya proceeds further to explain the greatness of the meaning of this manthra in aphorism 24 starting with “pUrvAchAryargaL”.
pUrvAchAryargaL, idhil arththam aRivadhaRku munbu, thangkaLaip piRandhArgaLAga ninaiththirArgaL; idhil arththa gyAnam piRandha pinbu “piRandha pin maRandhilEn” engiRapadiyE iththai ozhiya vERonRAl kAlakshEpam paNNi aRiyArgaL.
பூர்வாசார்யர்கள், இதில் அர்த்தம் அறிவதற்கு முன்பு. தங்களைப் பிறந்தார்களாக நினைத்திரார்கள்; இதில் அர்த்தஜ்ஞானம் பிறந்த பின்பு, “பிறந்தபின் மறந்திலேன்” என்கிறபடியே இத்தையொழிய வேறொன்றால் காலக்ஷேபம் பண்ணியறியார்கள்.
Simple meaning: pUrvAchAryars never considered themselves as having been born before they realised the meaning of this; after they were enlightened in its meaning, they did not spend their time in anything other than meditating on it.
vyAkyAnam: That is, our pUrvAchAryars like nAthamuni, yAmunAchArya, yathirAja et al never considered that they were been born at all before knowing the meaning of this manthra; after they had enlightenment in its meaning as thirumazhisai AzhwAr says in his divya sUkthi thiruchchandhaviruththam 64, “piRantha pin maRandhilEn” (I did not forget it after this enlightenment was born), they did not forget it; besides this, they did not invest their time in any other text. As they were meditating on this even while being engaged in vEdhAs, SAsthrAs, and AzhwArs benign chantings it is not superfluous to say that they spent their entire life span only on its meditation.
sUthram – 25
Introduction: To the query – since the power of manthra itself is capable of achieving the desired goal, why did they get immersed in the object meant by (inner meaning) the manthra, viz. nArAyaNa? lOkAchArya explains the reason in the next aphorism 25.
vAchakaththiRkAttil vAchyaththilE UnRugaikkadi ISvaranE upAyOpEyam enRu ninaiththirukkai
வாசகத்திற்காட்டில் வாச்யத்திலே ஊன்றுகைக்கடி, ஈஶ்வரனே உபாயோபேயமென்று நினைத்திருக்கை.
Simple meaning: The reason for immersing in the object rather than the word for the object is: considering ISvara as both the means (upAyam) and end (upEyam).
vyAkyAnam: That is, though the power of the word itself is such that it can be the means, and also an aid to all other means to attain the goal, more than that, our AchAryas were immersed in the object of the word (the lord himself) because unlike those who use the word as a means or use it as an aid for other means to attain the goal (the lord), they were deeply committed to ISvara as both the means and goal.
So, from the third aphorism till now lOkAchArya has delineated wonderfully:
- the greatness of the manthra which can not be very casually uttered like mouthing any other word
- its uniqueness as it has been revealed by ISwara himself both as the teacher (AchArya) and disciple (Sishya)
- its unparalleled position compared to all other SAsthras and manthras
- its power to render the desired result even if/when uttered without the rigours of formalities
- its capacity to grant all the expectations of the devotees
- its felicity in being an aid for karma and other yogas
- excellence attained by its ability to convey the meaning of all the esoteric concepts to be learnt and
- the highly valued philosophical import of the thoughts it generates;
so that, everyone knows the greatness of this manthram.
adiyen sadagopa ramanuja dasan
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