SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
piLLai lOkAchAryar mercifully explains the way these personalities who are shown as examples, performed kinchithkAram (small kainkaryams).
sUthram 287
madi thadavAdha sORum, suruL nARAdha pUvum, suNNAmbu padAdha sAndhumiRE ivargaL koduththadhu.
Simple Explanation
They gave food without return favour, fresh flower and pure sandalwood paste.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
madi thadavAdha …
madi thadavAdha sORuo
The food which will bring joy to the one who ate unlike the food offered by prayOjanAntharaparar (those who seek other benefits from bhagavAn) who will first lovingly offer food to someone and subsequently check his waist cloth to search the wallet and ask him for some money in return and thus cause grief in the mind of the one who ate. Such food was offered by SrIvidhura to krishNa, which is famously known to have purity and enjoyability as said in mahAbhAratham udhyOga parvam “bhuktha vathsu dhvijAgrEshu nishaNNa: paramAsanE | vidhurAnnAni bhubujE SuchIni guNavanthicha ||” (While he should have eaten at the home of best of brAhmaNas, being seated on the best seat, krishNa mercifully consumed the pure and enjoyable food in SrIvidhura’s home).
suruL nARAdha pU
The nature of flower is to have a burnt smell when coming in contact with fire; similarly, when expectation for return favour is not present, the flower will be fragrant with ananyaprayOjanathvam (no expectation for return favour); such flower was offered by SrI mAlAkArar with great love to krishNa to be praised by very wise persons as said in SrIvishNu purANam 5.19.21 “prasAdha paramau nAthau mama gEhamupAgathau | dhanyOham archchayishyAmi ithyAha mAlyOpajIvana: ||” (balarAma and krishNa who are naturally most compassionate have come to my home. Hence, the most humble me is going to worship him – says the one who makes a living by selling flowers).
suNNAmbu padAdha sAndhu
Even if the best sandalwood costing thousand gold coins was used to prepare the paste, if a small drop of lime water is mixed, it will lose its value; in this manner, the sandalwood paste without any expectation for return favour is the one which has no contact with expectation for return favour; such sandalwood paste was offered by the hunch-back lady on krishNa’s request as said in SrIvishNu purANam 5.20.3 “sugandham Ethath rAjArham ruchiram ruchirAnanE | AvayOr gAthra sadhruSam dhIyathAm anulEpanam ||” (Oh hunch-back lady with a beautiful face! This is mixed with fragrant materials; this is matching for kings; this is mixed with saffron buds; thus, you should give us the best sandalwood paste matching our form).
Thus, only when small kainkaryams are done without any expectation will the true nature of the person who does such kainkaryam shine.
Thus, in what was explained starting with vasthavyam up to karthavyam, the kainkaryam which is to be performed, was analysed and mercifully explained that such kainkaryam will lead to the shining of the true nature of the self.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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