SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
When asked “Though one should not ignore the easily accessible AchAryan who is the reason for one’s protection and desire for bhagavAn’s parathvam etc which are difficult to attain, are they not desirable as the goal?” piLLai lOkAchAryar says that one should consider one’s AchAryan to be all of those.
sUthram 450
pAttuk kEtukum idamum, kUppIdu kEtkum idamum, kudhiththa idamum, vaLaiththa idamum, Uttumidamum ellAm vaguththa idamE enRu irukkak kadavan.
Simple Explanation
One should consider all of the places where (1) emperumAn listens to [sAma vEdham] songs, (2) he hears the complaints [of dhEvas], (3) he descends, (4) he surrounds and (5) he feeds, to be the place/entity [AchAryan] which is apt.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
pAttuk kEtkum idamum …
That is – one should consider his AchAryan who is the apt abode to be all of (1) paramapadham where nithyasUris and mukthAthmAs who are eternally enjoying emperumAn will sing sAma gAnams (songs from sAma vEdham) as outlet for their enjoyment as said in thaiththirIya upanishath “Ethath sAma gAyan nAsthE” (They remain singing the sAma vEdham) and he listens to that (2) vyUham (kshIrAbdhi) where he is mercifully resting to hear the sorrowful complaints of dhEvas such as brahmA et al being harmed by asuras and rAkshasas. (3) the abodes of his incarnations where he got up swiftly on hearing the cries of such dhEvas and descended as said in mAhAbhAratham AraNya parvam 86-24 “Esha nArAyaNa: SrImAn kshIrArNava nikEthana: |
nAga paryankam uthsrujya hyAgathO mathurAm purIm ||” (This very Sriman NArAyana who is reclining in the kshIrasAgara has left his bed of AdhiSEshan and come down to mathurApuri) as if he swiftly got up from his divine mattress on the ocean and jumped into this earth (4) the abodes of his archAvathAra (deity) forms which he has surrounded to stop others from moving even a step away from him, similar to how malaiyALa (Kerala) people would accomplish their tasks with great perseverance and (5) antharyAmi sthalams (abodes) where he is being present in the hrudhaya kamalam (lotus shaped heart) [of all beings] and showing his divine form to those who are dear to him and letting them enjoy it as said in “EshAm indhIvara SyAmO hrudhayE suprashtitha:” (On those in whose hearts bhagavAn, who has karuneydhal flower like dark complexion, is well present) and in thiruvAimozhi 8.8.1 “oN sangadhai vAL AzhiyAn oruvan adiyEn uLLAnE” (he is holding the bent SrI SArngam, attractive SrI pAnchajanyam, kaumOdhaki, nandhakam and the divine weapon, thiruvAzhi; such emperumAn with a distinguished form is radiantly residing in me, who is a servitor).
vaLaiththa idam can also be said as antharyAmi sthalam where he has concealed himself to be not known by others. Uttum idam can also be said as archAvathara sthalams where he is remaining to be seen by the eyes [of devotees] and letting them enjoy his beauty and qualities.
It is said in “yEnaiva guruNA yasya nyAsa vidhyA pradhIyathE | thasya vaikuNta dhukhdhAbhdhi dhvArakAs sarva Eva sa: ||” (For the disciple who gained the knowledge of SaraNAgathi from an AchAryan, that AchAryan himself is vaikuNtam, milk ocean, dhvArakA etc) and in gyAna sAram – 36 “villAr maNi kozhikkum vEngatap poR kunRu mudhal, sellAr pozhil sUzh thiruppadhigaL ellAm, maruLAm iruLOda maththagaththuth than thAL aruLAlE vaiththa avar” (for us, thiruvEngatam and all other divine places, are AchAryan who removed the ignorance in us, due to his kindness).
Alternatively, for “pAttuk kEtkumidam … “, it can be explained as continuation of previous sUthram that further to not desiring emperumAn’s parathvam etc as his protection, one should think that all of those to be AchAryan for oneself.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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