SrIvachana bhUshaNam – sUthram 11

SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:

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avathArikai (Introduction)

piLLai lOkAchAryar is mercifully responding for the question of how she corrects both ISvara and chEthanas?

sUthram 11

iruvaraiyum thiruththuvadhu upadhESaththAlE.

Simple Explanation

She reforms both with her advice.

vyAkyAnam (Commentary)

iruvaraiyum …

Reforming ISvara is by advising him in the following manner:

  • If you count his mistakes and shut your door on him, is there any other refuge for him?
  • If you see the special relationship with the chEthana, as said in thiruppAvai 28 “uRavEl namakkingu ozhikka ozhiyAdhu” (This relationship cannot be destroyed), even if a pot filled with water is dropped and gets broken (which is done to sever relationship), the relationship cannot be severed. Should I tell you as to who strives hard to try and capture him?
  • If you do not protect this chEthana who has come to you seeking protection, will your quality of being sarvarakshaka (protector of all) not become false?
  • You are thinking in your divine heart “This chEthana has been engaged in violating the rules I have established and became target of my anger. If I forgive him instead of punishing him as per his sins, how will the SAsthram be honoured?” If you don’t protect him and punish him as per his sins, how will your qualities such as krupai (mercy) survive? Only if you protect him would such qualities remain in you. Don’t think in this manner. If you apply SAsthram for those who don’t surrender and krupai for those who surrender, both SAsthram and your krupai will remain in tact. Hence you protect him – says pirAtti in the form of advice.

This method of advice from pirAtti has been elaborated in his own parandhapadi and [periya] AchchAn piLLai’s parandha rahasyam.

parASara bhattar too mercifully explained briefly in SrIguNarathna kOSam 11 “pithEva thvath prEyAn janani paripUrNagasi janE hitha srOthO vruthyA bhavathi cha kadhAchith kalushadhI: | kimEthan nirdhOsha: ka iha jagathIthi thvam uchithairupAyair vismArya svajanayasi mAthA thadhasi na: ||” (Oh mother! Your dear husband is sometimes acting with anger, like a father who looks at the well-being of his child, towards the people who have fully committed sins. At that time, you convince him with apt means saying “Why are you angry? Who is without any faults in this world?” and make him forget the mistakes and bring the jIvAthmAs to be at par with nithyasUris who are his servitors. Hence, you remain our mother). When sarvESvaran becomes angry in his divine heart due to the mistakes of chEthana who is filled with mistakes – pirAtti asks “What is the reason for this anger?” When he says “It is due to the many mistakes which he has done”, she says “Is it meaningful to search for pebbles in food cooked with sand? In this world, everyone has some faults” and makes him forget the mistakes of the chEthana. As this principle is explained by bhattar here, he too explains briefly that she reforms ISvara through advice.

In her incarnation as sIthA too, pirAtti saw kAkAsura whose life was in danger and requested perumAL to protect him as said in pAdhma purANam “prANa samSayamApannam dhrushtvA sIthA tha vAyasam | thrAhi thrAhIthi bharthAram uvAcha dhayayA vibhum ||” (Then, sIthAp pirAtti, when kAkAsura reached the state of his existence in doubt, out of mercy, said towards her husband who is the lord “Protect him! Protect him!”) – that kAkAsura had committed the greatest offense which is beyond words; perumAL launched the brahmAsthram to sever his head; she advised perumAL to protect him to discredit the brahmAsthram.

Reforming chEthana is by advising him in the following manner: 

If you look at the volume of your sins, you have no place to remain steady. ISvara is nirankuSa svathanthra (uncontrollably independent) and hence will measure each one of your sins and punish you accordingly. If you want to escape this disaster, you have no other option than surrendering at his divine feet. Don’t think “Will bhagavAn accept me due to my sins? Will he not punish me?” He is well known in the world to be complete with the auspicious qualities to forgive all your sins and accept them as enjoyable offerings as you just turn your face towards him. Hence, if you would like to live happily, surrender unto him – says pirAtti giving the most noble advice.

Where did we see it?

On seeing rAvaNa who is a sinner who always traverses the wrong path, pirAtti said in SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 21.19 “mithramaupayikam karthum rAma: sthAnam parIpsathA, vadham cha anichchathA ghOram thvayA asau purusharshabha: ” (SrI rAma  who is the best among all purushas (souls) is the apt person to make friends for you, who would like to remain in this world and who would not like to die a horrible death) and SrI rAmAyaNam sundhara kANdam 21.20 “vidhithas sahi dharmagyaS SaraNAgatha vathsala: | thEna maithrI bhavathu thE yathijIvithum ichchasi ||” (SrI rAma is popularly known by everyone as virtuous and one who is affectionate towards the surrendered ones; if you would like to live, make friendship with him). She says:

  • It is apt to establish a favourable relationship with perumAL.
  • If you don’t do that, even for those who engage in evil acts, they need a place to remain, and since you need a place to remain, you have to hold on to him. There is no place which is not owned by him.
  • If you think “Instead of surrendering to the enemy to live a lowly life, I will choose death”, even then you have to surrender unto him to have a less torturous death.
  • Don’t think “If he sees my mistakes, will he accept me?” He does not have the fault of showing anger at you seeing your previous mistakes even after your turning your face towards him. He is purushOththama (best among purushas). He knows that SaraNAgathi (surrender) is the ultimate dharmam and is popularly known as one who does not see the faults of those who surrender unto him. If you decide to live, you should establish a relationship with him.

In this manner, pirAtti advised by causing fear in him. He did not become reformed, not due to any shortcoming in her advice but due to his abundant sins.

In this manner, as she reforms both (bhagavAn and chEthanas), for the word “SrI” which has its etymology “Sru – SravaNE” (to hear), among the two explanations “SruNOthi” (hears the complaints of chEthana) and “SrAvayathi” (makes others hear), here, the meaning of “SrAvayathi” is applied. Though “SrAvayathi” is explained in the context of ISvara only in pUrvAchArya granthams, since vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar explains this in context of chEthana also in thathva dhIpam as “athavA vimukAnAmapi bhagavadhASrayaNOpadhESa SrAvayithruthvamvidhithas sahi dharmagyaS SaraNAgatha vathsala: – thEna maithrI bhavathu thE yathijIvithum ichhasi’ ithi rAvaNam prathyupadhESAth” (Alternative explanation – she makes those who are turning their face away from bhagavAn to hear the instructions as seen in her instructions towards rAvaNa as per the SlOkam previously explained); it can be applied in the context of chEthana also.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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