SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
Now, to elaborate upon what was previously explained mercifully in sUthram 366 “bhagavath guNAnusandhAnam abhaya hEthu” (Thinking about bhagavAn’s qualities will lead to fearlessness), piLLai lOkAchAryar is mercifully explaining the sequence of efforts of ISvaran which were done for the liberation of the AthmA.
sUthram 381
thripAdh vibhUthiyilE paripUrNAnubhavam nadavA niRka, adhu uNdadhu urukkAttAdhE dhESAntharagathanAna puthran pakkalilE pithruhrudhayam kidakkumApOlE, samsArigaL pakkalilE thiruvuLLam kudi pOy ivargaLaip pirindhAl ARRamAttAdhE, ivargaLOdE kalandhu parimARugaikkuk karaNa kaLEbarangaLaik koduththu avaRRaik koNdu vyAparikkaikkIdAna Sakthi viSEshangaLaiyum koduththu, kaNkANa niRkil ANaiyittu vilakkuvargaLenRu kaNNukkuth thORRAdhapadi, uRangugiRa prajaiyaith thAy mudhugilE aNaiththuk koNdu kidakkumA pOlE, thAnaRindha sambandhamE hEthuvAga vida mAttAdhE, agavAyilE aNaiththuk koNdu, Atchiyil thodarchchi nanRu enRu vidAdhE saththaiyai nOkki udan kEdanAy, ivargaL asath karmangaLilE pravarthikkumbOdhu mItkamAttAdhE, anumathi dhAnaththaip paNNi udhAsInaraip pOlE irundhu mItkaikkidam pArththu, nanmaiyenRu pEridalAvadhoru thImaiyum kANAdhE neRRiyaik koththip pArththAl oru vazhiyAlum pasai kANAdhu ozhindhAl aprApyam enRu kaNNa nIrOdE mILuvadhu; thanakkERa idam peRRa aLavilE ennUraich chonnAy, en pEraich chonnAy, en adiyArai nOkkinAy, avargaL vidAyaith thIrthAy, avargaLukku odhunga nizhalaik koduththAy enRAp pOlE silavaRRai ERittu, madi mAngAyittu, pon vANiyan ponnai urai kallilE uraiththu mezhugAlE eduththuk kAl kazhanjenRu thirattumA pOlE, janma paramparaigaLdhORum “yAdhruchchigam prAsangikam Anushangikam” engiRa sukrutha viSEshangaLaik kaRpiththuk koNdu thAnE avaRRai onRu paththAkki nadaththik koNdu pOrum.
Simple Explanation
While emperumAn was having complete experience in thripAdh vibhUthi (paramapadham), that enjoyment did not show in his divine form; as a father’s heart will be with the son who has moved away to a different place, emperumAn’s heart went towards samsAris (people of material world), being unable to bear their separation;
- he granted them body and senses to interact with them
- he granted them special abilities to use the body and senses
- knowing that they will abandon him if he stood in front of them, he hid himself from their eyes, just as a mother embraces her sleeping child from behind, considering the relationship which is known only to him and embraced the AthmA from within
- considering that continuity is important even when one is not having ownership, he ensured their existence, suffering along with them
- when they engage in ignoble activities, being unable to rescue them, granting permission for those acts and remaining neutral, trying to redeem them
- while not observing anything appearing to be good, even if bad, when scratching the forehead to check for life/love, when such love was not found, returning with teary eyes
- when he gets an opportunity, he places some good qualities on the AthmA saying “You recited my name, you recited the name of my abode, you cared for my devotees, you quenched their thirst, you offered them shade to take rest etc”, doing similar to a person who places mangoes on the lap of a passer by and accusing him of stealing, emperumAn places such good acts on the AthmA
- just as a gold smith will rub the gold on a stone to check its purity, and gather the gold stuck to the stone using wax and collect a small quantity, emperumAn will create good deeds for the AthmA in his many sequence of births namely yAdhruchchikam (unexpected), prAsangikam (incidental), Anushankikam (coincidental), and will make them look ten folds.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
thripAdh vibhUthiyilE …
As it is said in purusha sUktham “thripAdhasyAmrutham dhivi” (Three among four parts are eternally present in paramapadham), nithya vibhUthi is said as thripAdh vibhUthi. The nature of three-parts-paramapadham is explained in several ways. How is that?
- As said in purusha sUktham “pAdhOsya viSvA bhUthAni thripAdhasyAmrutham dhivi” (For this brahmam with universal form, the sentient and insentient entities of samsAra make one part and three parts eternally remain in parampadham) – all the sentient and insentient entities of this world are a small portion, as said in one-fourth; his eternal wealth in the supreme sky will be three folds as said in thripAdh. Since [vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa] jIyar mercifully explains in dhIpa prakASam “indha vibhUthi dhvaya vishayamAna pAdha Sabdhamum thripAchchabdhamum alpathva mahathvangaLukku upalakshaNam iththanai ozhiya parichchEdha paramanRu, leelA vibhUthiyil aNdangaL thAnE asankyAthangaLAyiRE iruppadhu” (The word “pAdham” and “thripAdh” in context of these two worlds, are indicative of less and more only and not in count, since there are countless oval shaped universes in leelA vibhUthi itself), it is said that the nithya vibhUthi will be three times that of the effectual state of land mass in this leelA vibhUthi.
- Alternatively, as mercifully explained by Srutha prakASikA bhattar in Srutha prakASikai “dhivi ithi aprAkrutham sthAnam uchyathE; thripAdhathvancha aprAkruthair bhOgya bhOgOpakaraNa bhOgasthAna viSEshairvA bhUshaNAsthrathvAdhi rUpENa jagadhanthargatha vasthvabhimAnibhir nithyair bhagavadhanubhavamAthraparaiScha nithyasidhdhair mukthaiSchAthmbhirvA sambhavathi” – since nithya vibhUthi is with three divine aspects such as special enjoyable materials, special tools to enjoy and special places to enjoy, and as mentioned in asthra bhUshaNa adhyAyam (in SrIvishNu purANam), nithyasUris who are the controllers of entities inside the world in the form of weapons, ornaments etc, nithyasUris and mukthAthmAs who are fully focussed on enjoying bhagavAn, and in this manner since nithya vibhUthi has these three types of AthmAs, it is known as thripAdh. Thus in nithya vibhUthi which is most enjoyable being totally different from leelA vibhUthi.
paripUrNa anubhavam nadavA niRka
Since being united with nithyas and mukthas where each experience gives ultimate bliss through the form of svarUpa (true nature), rUpa (forms), guNa (qualities) and vibhUthis (wealth) are all simultaneously enjoyed as complete experience which is continuously happening.
adhu uNdadhu urukkAttAdhE
That is – not showing the freshness in his divine form, where his form changes every now and then.
dhESAntharagathanAna puthran pakkalilE pithruhrudhayam kidakkumApOlE, samsArigaL pakkalilE thiruvuLLam kudi pOy
That is – while a father has many sons, if one son goes to another town due to his karma, though the father may live along with the other sons, the father’s heart will be on the son who is away, thinking “while he is also born like these children to remain with me and enjoy, he has now lost that opportunity”; similarly, while enjoying along with nithyasUris and mukthAthmAs, his divine heart will stretch up to samsAris who are in a different abode, thinking “While they also have right in this enjoyment, these chEthanas have lost it!”.
ivargaLaip pirindhAl ARRa mAttAdhE
That is – during the time of deluge [while there is a valid relationship], as emperumAn remained in paramapadham separated from this samsAri chEthanas (bound souls) , just as a person who was separated from sons and grand sons will feel lonely, emperumAn too was unable to bear such loss as said in mahOpanishath “sa EkAkI na ramEtha” (that SrIman nArAyaNan being alone during deluge, did not rejoice). Though he had all chEthanas as his body and he remained their soul even during deluge, he did not consider that as union, he considers being their antharAthmA and them having body and senses and controlling their actions and inactions, as union and when they lack body and senses and remain like achith and his presence in paramapadham is felt by him as separation, piLLai lOkAchAryar is mercifully saying “ivargaLaip pirindhAl” (when separated from them).
ivargaLOdE kalandhu parimARugaikkuk karaNa kaLEbarangaLaik koduththu
That is – to interact with them being antharAthmA and in his vibhava avathArams (incarnation) and archAvathArams (deity forms), as said in SrIvishNu dharmam “vichithrA dhEhasampaththir ISvarAya nivEdhithum | pUrvamEva kruthA brahman hasthapAdhAdhisamyuthA ||” (Oh brAhmaNa! To offer oneself and other materials, AthmA previously got connected to the amazing body with hands and legs), being merciful, he gave the body and senses [to Athmas to enable them to] surrender unto his divine feet.
avaRRaik koNdu vyAparikkaikkIdAna Sakthi viSEshangaLaiyum koduththu
That is – granting special abilities such as chith Sakthi (ability to think), pravruththi Sakthi (ability to act) and nivruththi Sakthi (ability to refrain from action) to use the body and senses and know what is to be known, do what is to be done and avoid what is to be avoided.
kaNkANa niRkil ANaiyittu vilakkuvargaLenRu kaNNukkuth thORRAdhapadi
Passage from bhattar’s thirumanjana kattiyam “thvam mE aham mE kuthasthath thadhapikutha idham vEdha mUla pramANAm | EdhathachchAnAdhi sidhdhAdhanubhava vibhavaAth sOpi sAkrOSa Eva| kvAkrOSa: kasya gIthAdhishu mama vidhitha: kOthra sAkshI sudhIsyAth | hantha thvath pakshapAdhI sa ithi nrukalahE mruthya madhyasthavath thvam ||” ((bhagavAn says) Oh jIvAthmA! You are my servant. (AthmA says) I am my own and not yours. How can you say that? (bhagavAn says) This opinion of mine is believed through SAsthrams starting with vEdham. (AthmA says) My opinion is believed through practical experience since time immemorial. (bhagavAn says) That experience has been refused forever. (AthmA says) Who and how it was refused? (bhagavAn says) I have presented my objection in SrI gIthA etc in a very popular way. There are many wise men who have seen me presenting my objection and they are my witness. (AthmA says) This is surprising. Those wise men are partial towards you. While I am objecting to your claim, it seems that your highness are standing [with wet clothes] as if there is no end to this debate and as if you are vowing it)
That is – even after doing all of these, if he considers his relationship with the chEthanas as being their lord and stood in front of him to be seen by their eyes, if he said as in bhattar’s kattiyam “thvammE” (you are mine), they will not tolerate it and being independent, they will say “aham mE” (I am mine), they will say “You cannot stand in front of us ever” and will vow and get rid of him; thinking about that, he remained invisible for them as said in thaiththirIya upanishath “na chakshushA paSyathi kaSchanainam” (No one can see ISvara using their physical eyes) and in thiruvAimozhi 7.2.6 “katkilee” (one who cannot be seen by the mortal eyes).
uRangugiRa prajaiyaith thAy mudhugilE aNaiththuk koNdu kidakkumA pOlE, thAnaRindha sambandhamE hEthuvAga vida mAttAdhE, agavAyilE aNaiththuk koNdu
That is – just as a caring mother will embrace her child from behind while the child is sleeping without realising about self or mother, thinking only about her relationship with the child as the protector-protected, ISvaran being unable to abandon the AthmA due to the protector-protected relationship which is known to him, being the antharAthmA, will always be connected to the AthmA who is sleeping since time immemorial without knowing about the nature of self and bhagavAn, as said in bruhadhAraNyaka upanishath “Athmani thishtan” (bhagavAn is present inside AthmA).
Atchiyil thodarchchi nanRu enRu vidAdhE saththaiyai nOkki
That is – when a person steals another person’s belonging and rules over it, if the owner of the material keeps following up highlighting his ownership, it will lead to his victory, over time; similarly, as said in bhattar’s kattiyam “anubhava vibhavAth” (I am enjoying ownership), even during the ownership of chEthana, emperumAn, considering that continuity will add strength to his case if he keeps on holding on to the AthmA, being one-sided, being the antharAthmA, not abandoning the AthmAs ever being the sustainer, takes care of the sustenance of those AthmAs who are sustained.
udan kEdanAy
That is – in this manner to sustain them, emperumAn accompanies them in all states while entering heaven and hell, and supports them.
udan kEdan
Considering the AthmA’s suffering to be his own suffering.
ivargaL asath karmangaLilE pravarthikkumbOdhu mItkamAttAdhE, anumathi dhAnaththaip paNNi udhAsInaraip pOlE irundhu mItkaikkidam pArththu
That is – as in thathva sAram “AdhAvISvara dhaththayaiva purushas svAthanthrya SakthyA svayam | thaththath gyAnam chikIrhsaNa prayathnAni uthpAdhayan varthathE ||” (In the beginning, chEthana was given independence by ISvara; with such independence, he himself causes knowledge, desire and efforts and lives), these chEthanas who were given by ISvara, the independent ability in the form of being knowledgeable, are qualified to engage in actions which match one’s ruchi (taste); even when such chEthanas engage in sinful acts due to their past evil impressions, while emperumAn who is antharyAmi can rescue them, since such act will a) interrupt the role of SAsthram which is in the form of his commandments, b) lead to sarva mukthi prasangam (why is everyone not liberated?), instead of rescuing them, he will grant permission; while he is not indifferent, he remains indifferent thinking “how will they become good?” and will look out for some good qualities in them which can be highlighted as the reason to liberate them.
nanmaiyenRu pEridalAvadhoru thImaiyum kANAdhE
That is – while seeking such opportunity either through the limits of SAsthram or what is placed on the AthmA based on emperumAn’s knowledge, he waits for an opportunity to relieve them from sinful acts; while he does not find any goodness, he does not even see a bad act which can be named as a good act.
nanmaiyenRu pEridalAvadhoru thImai
[Bad acts which may unknowingly become good]
- While one engages in harming others – incidentally harming those who are enemies of bhagavAn or bhAgavathas
- being desirous of sensual pleasures, following a female servitor of bhagavAn and entering temples for her sake
- chasing a cow which ate from one’s crops and in process of trying to angrily beat it, circum-ambulating temple, chasing it
- reciting the divine names to insult others
neRRiyaik koththip pArththAl oru vazhiyAlum pasai kANAdhu ozhindhAl aprApyam enRu kaNNa nIrOdE mILuvadhu
That is – when a person was bitten by snake and was almost dead, to awaken him with the help of manthram etc, his forehead will be scratched to see if there is any blood flow; when such blood flow is not observed, the relatives will give up saying “we cannot bring him back to life”; similarly, after not finding any goodness and also any bad aspects which can be named as good in them and when no such wetness (attachment towards bhagavAn) is observed, emperumAn will return with teary eyes thinking “We cannot get this AthmA; we have lost it”.
Alternatively,
nanmaiyenRu pEridalAvadhoru thImai
As said in SrIvishNu dharmam “SyEnEnAbhicharan yajEtha” (One who needs to eliminate his enemy should perform SyEna yAgam), since SyEna yAgam causes faith in SAsthram and is ordained in SAsthram, it can be named as a good deed and because it is harmful for others, it can be named as bad deed; when no good deed is observed in a person, even such SyEna yAgam, being within the limits of SAsthram, can be considered as a good deed since it shows faith in a person towards SAsthram; when such a quality is not seen in the chEthanas.
In such case,
neRRiyaik koththip pArththAl oru vazhiyAlum pasai kANAdhu ozhindhAl aprApyam enRu kaNNa nIrOdE mILuvadhu
Since the chEthana does not have the qualification of having knowingly performed good deeds, emperumAn checks if the chEthana at least has any unknowingly performed good deeds, and when he does not find it, he returns with sorrow since there is no way he can accept the chEthana.
thanakkERa idam peRRa aLavilE
That is – instead of returning fully, with desire to uplift them, still he roams around seeking opportunity to accept them and when he gets such opportunity.
ennUraich chonnAy, en pEraich chonnAy, en adiyArai nOkkinAy, avargaL vidAyaith thIrthAy, avargaLukku odhunga nizhalaik koduththAy enRAp pOlE silavaRRai ERittu
That is,
- while the chEthana is reciting the names of many towns as in this town, that town etc, if he says any of the dhivyadhESams such as kOyil (SrIrangam), thirumalai etc, considering that itself as the reason, he will say “You recited my abode’s name”.
- while the chEthana recites a person’s name saying that name, this name etc, if he recites any of the divine names of emperumAn, considering that itself, saying “You recited my name”.
- just as a few bhAgavathas are travelling through a forest route, and just as some robbers plan to rob those bhAgavathas, at that time, a soldier, who was travelling there for his own purposes, appears there; the robbers leave the place fearing that soldie,r without robbing the bhAgavathas. Having that as the reason, emperumAn will say “You protected my devotees”.
- a farmer observed that his land was becoming very dry in summer, he decided to bring water from a well and made a small canal from the well to the land and poured water through the canal; at that time, some bhAgavathas who travelled in dry lands for a long distance were looking for some water source to sustain their lives, without his knowledge washed their divine feet and rested there; seeing this, emperumAn will say “You eliminated the fatigue of my devotees”.
- a person builds a veranda outside his home where he can sit and gamble and also sit there in a relaxed way when he needs some fresh air; some bhAgavathas who are travelling by his house, take shelter in that veranda due to rain and considering that as the reason, emperumAn will say “You gave shade to my devotees”.
In this manner, when the chEthana does not realise, emperumAn himself places some good deeds on him.
madi mAngAyittu
A person walks by a garden filled with mango trees, and is not bothered about the mangoes there; the guard goes and places some mangoes on that person and blames him to have stolen them. This is an example for emperumAn voluntarily placing good deeds on a person.
pon vANiyan ponnai urai kallilE uraiththu mezhugAlE eduththuk kAl kazhanjenRu thirattumA pOlE, janma paramparaigaLdhORum “yAdhruchchigam prAsangikam Anushangikam” engiRa sukrutha viSEshangaLaik kaRpiththuk koNdu thAnE avaRRai onRu paththAkki nadaththik koNdu pOrum
That is – a goldsmith who was given some gold by someone to test its quality, will rub it against the stone to test the quality of the gold, will eventually use wax to extract the small particles of gold on the stone, so that they are not wasted, and will subsequently gather small quantities of gold; similarly, not just one or two births, but throughout the series of births of AthmAs, emperumAn gathers good deeds in the following categories:
- yAdhruchchikam – You eliminated the fatigue of devotees, you gave shade to devotees.
- prAsangikam – You recited my abode’s name, you recited my name.
- Anushangikam – You protected my devotees
He applies these good deeds on his own to the chEthana and not based on the ordained rules of SAsthram or knowingly done by the chEthanas. Further, he increases those deeds multifold times and conducts the AthmA in this manner.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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