SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
Subsequently, piLLai lOkAchAryar mercifully explains how the rishis who are superior by birth studied dharmam (religious principles) under a person who was inferior by birth.
sUthram 231
rishigaL dharmavyAdhan vAsalilE thuvaNdu dharma sandhEhangaLai Samippiththuk koNdArgaL.
Simple Explanation
Sages would wait at the gates of the residence of dharmavyAdhan (a butcher) to clarify their doubts in dharmam.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
rishigaL …
Sages are those who are learned in four vEdhams and are greater than all; such sages went to the entrance of dharmavyAdhan who is born in a family which is not qualified to learn vEdham, who has no loss of knowledge due to remembering the same from previous birth, who has deep understanding of dharmam due to serving his parents sincerely; seeing that he was serving his parents, they waited there for long and clarified their doubts in the knowledge which is to be acquired compulsorily.
[The incident is elaborately narrated by mAmunigaL here]
In mahAbhAratham, starting with “kaSchith dhvijAthi pravarO vEdhAdhyAyI thapOdhana: | thapasvI dharmaSeelaScha kauSikO nAma bhAratha || sAngOpanishadhAn vEdhAnadhIthE dhvijasaththama: | savrukshamUlE kasmimSchith vEdhAnuchArayan sthitha: || uparishtAScha vrukshasya valAkA sa vyaleeyatha | thayApurIsham uthsrushtam brAhmaNasya thathOrasi ||” – there was a brAhmaNa, named kauSika who was the best and was well learned in vEdham along with the auxiliary and sub-auxiliary portions of vEdham; he was sitting under a tree and was reciting vEdham. At that time, a crane which was present on the branches of the tree, made its dropping fall on him. As it fell on his chest, he became angry and stared at it with such anger that it led to the demise of the crane. Seeing that, with a heavy heart, he became very sad and repeatedly said “due to being forced by desire/hatred, I have done something which should not have been done”. He subsequently reached a near-by village for alms and first went to a house and called out saying “bhikshAmdhEhi” (Please give some alms). The lady of the household said “Please wait. I will come” and went to wash her hands etc to offer some alms. At that time, her husband arrived with great hunger and since she was a pathivrathA (one who is very chaste), she put aside the alms and went to serve her husband by offering water to her husband for washing his hands and feet, drinking and giving him a seat to sit etc. She forgot about the brAhmaNa for a while and finally realised her delay and came with alms for him in a frightened manner; he asked her angrily “why did you make me wait and did not come quickly?” She consoled him and prayed to him saying “Please bear with me; I consider my husband to be god; since he arrived very tired I served him”; the brAhmaNa asked in a pointed manner “Do you have to only serve your husband? You don’t have respect towards brAhmaNas”. She responded in elaborate manner saying “I will never insult brAhmaNas; I know the greatness of brAhmaNas very well”. She said “You should forgive my offence; since I consider ‘my husband is god’ I was immersed in serving my husband and got delayed; see for yourself the strength of serving my husband; I very well know about the crane which got burnt down by your anger”.
She then advised him elaborately starting with “krOdhaS SathruS SarIrasthO manushyANAm dhvijOththama | ya: krOdha mOhau thyajathi tham dhEvA brAhmaNam vidhu: ||” (for men, the enemy of lust and anger are within one’s body; one who gives up such lust and anger is said to be sura and brAhmaNa) – for brAhmaNas, lust, anger etc are not apt, and one should have truth, honesty etc. She further said as in “bhavAnapicha dharmagyas svAdhyAya nirathaS Suchi: | nathu thathvEna bhagavan dharmAn vEthsIthi mE mathi: || mAthA pithrubhyAm susrushus sathyavAdhI jithEndhriya: | mithilAyAm vasan vyAdhas sathE dharmAn pravakshyathi ||” – Oh venerable brAhmaNa! Though you may be aware of dharmam, reciting vEdham regularly and sincerely, pure, I think that you still don’t understand dharmam fully. You go to mithilA where a vyAdha (hunter/butcher) who serves his parents, is truthful and has full control over his senses. He will instruct you about dharmam. Let you acquire goodness. The greatly righteous vyAdhan will clarify all your doubts. Hearing this, the brAhmaNa became very pleased and greatly praised her and went to mithilA. As said in mahAbhAratham AraNya parvam “panchakAni pavithrANi SishtAchArEshu nithyadhA | Ethan mahAmAdhE vyAdha prabhravIhi thathAthatham ||” – he requested dharmavyAdhan saying “Among the practice of elders, what are the five important acts? Oh very wise person! Please tell me”. dharmavyAdhan explained as in “yagyO dhAnam thapO vEdhAs sathyancha dhvijasaththama| panchaithAni pavithrANi SishtAchArEshu nithyadhA ||” – sacrifice, charity, penance, vEdham (learning, recital and teaching) and truth will always exist. On hearing these instructions, the brAhmaNa raised more doubts he was having and dharmavyAdhan cleared all those doubts in the mode of giving instructions. All of these were explained by mArkaNdEya rishi to dharmaputhra – this is explained elaborately in AraNya parvam starting from two hundredth adhyAyam in thirteen chapters. Further, there are other places in scriptures, where many other personalities waited and clarified their doubts from dharmavyAdhan, is explained.
With this, it is shown that those who are superior by birth can wait at the gates of and learn the principles which are to be learnt, from those who are inferior by birth, provided such persons (who are inferior by birth) are superior by knowledge.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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