SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama: SrI vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
nAyanAr is mercifully explaining with example how for those who are engaged in this distinguished activity [kainkaryam], the common activities will naturally slip away.
chUrNikai 31
jAthyASrama dhIkshaigaLil bhEdhikkum dharmangaL pOlE aththANichchEvagaththil podhuvAnadhu nazhuvum.
Simple Explanation
Just as certain dharmas (duties) will differ based on jAthi, ASrama and dhIkshA, when engaged in confidential service, common duties will slip away.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
That is – since it is said in Apasthamba sUthram “svakarma brAhmaNasya adhyayanam, adhyApanam, yajanam, yAjanam, dhAnam, prathigrahaNam, dhAyAdhyam silOncha: anyaScha aparigruhItham EthAnyEva kshathriyasya adhyApana yAjana prathigrahaNAni parihAryANI: dhaNdayudhdhAdhikAram kshathriyavath vaiSyasya dhaNdayudhdha varjam krushi gOrakshaNa vANijyAdhikam grAhyam” (The duties of brAhmaNa are – adhyayanam (studying vEdham), adhyApanam (teaching vEdham), yajanam (performing yagya for self), yAjanam (performing yagya for others), dhAnam (giving charity), prathigrahaNam (accepting charity), accepting hereditary wealth, collecting paddy from fields, seeking left-over fruits and roots which are not collected by anyone; for kshathriyas, in the mentioned activities [of brAhmaNas], except for teaching vEdham, performing yagya for others and accepting charity, the other three activities of studying vEdham, performing yagya for self and giving charity are applicable; in addition they can punish others and engage in wars; except for punishing and fighting which are applicable for kshathriyas, for vaiSyas, the other three are applicable; in addition they have farming, cow protection and business as their exclusive duties), for brAhmaNas, adhyayanam, adhyApanam, yajanam, yAjanam, dhAnam and prathigrahaNam are mandatory duties; for kshathriyas and vaiSyas, adhayayanam, yajanam and dhAnam are mandatory duties and adhyApanam, yAjanam and prathigrahaNam are not to be done; instead, among them, for kshathriyas, punishing others and engaging in wars are exclusive duties, and for vaiSyas, farming, cow-protection and business are exclusive duties; for SUdhras, as said in Apasthamba sUthram “SuSrushA SUdhrasya itharEshAm varNAnAm” (for SUdhras, it is mandatory duty to help people of other varNas in their respective duties), the duty is to assist thraivarNikas (the people of the three varNas); in this manner according to what is mandatory duty for a person of one varNa is to be abandoned for a person of another varNa.
Begging for alms, samithAdhAnam etc which are pursuable in brahmachAri (celibate) state are to be abandoned in gruhastha (house-holder) state; in the gruhastha state, agnihOthram, athithi sathkAram (honouring guests) are pursuable; in the vanastha (forest-dweller) state, as said in manu smrithi “santhyajya grAmyam AhAram sarvanchaiva parichchadham” (abandoning the food habits and clothing habits of village [or city]), whatever was acceptable in previous ASramam such as cooked food, clothes etc of village, are to be abandoned and as said in manu smrithi “vasItha charma chIram vA …” (one should wear animal skin or tree bark as clothes), wearing clothes made of skin or tree-bark, having matted hair, growing beard, growing nails, consuming forest-based food etc are mandatory; in sanyAsa (renounced) ASramam, whatever is acceptable in previous ASramams such as agnihOthram, athithi sathkAram etc and matted hair etc, are to be abandoned and as said in manu smrithi “anagnir anikEthas syAth” (should not engage with fire and should not own a dwelling place), being free from contact with fire, not owning a dwelling place and not having any help, are to be practiced. Thus, dharmam differs in every ASramam.
In dhIkshA, for one who has vowed to perform jyOthishtOma etc, the nithya karmam (daily rituals) which are common for all four varNas and four ASramas, are not to be followed and only yagyas such as jyOthishtOma etc must be performed. Hence in dhIkshA too, dharmam differs.
Thus, the duties differ in varNas such as brAmhaNa etc , ASramas such as brahmacharya etc and in dhIkshA for jyOthishtOma etc. Similarly, for those who are engaged in kainkaryam which is said to be asAdhAraNa (distinguished) due to its being done for the asAdhAraNa vigraha (deity/archA form) of ISvara, and hence known as in thiruppallANdu 8 “aththANich chEvagam” (inseparable service), karmam which is sAdhAraNa (common) due to being done as worship for bhagavAn as the antharyAmi of dhEvathAs who are the bodies of bhagavAn, will naturally slip away similar to “uRanguvAn kaippaNdam” (an object in the hands of a person who is falling asleep – where he will unconsciously drop the object).
With this, it is explained that just as for those who are properly engaged in their varNa, ASrama etc, duties which are apt will be applicable and others will be abandoned, for those who are svarUpa yAthAthmya dharSi (those who have seen the intrinsic true nature of the self), except for karmam which is apt for them, others will naturally slip away.
While this is the case, why Sishtas (our AchAryas and elders) pursue karmam? It is due to the compassion of not wanting the people of the world [who are not as well fixed in kainkaryam] following their anushtAnam (conduct) and becoming destroyed due to that [as they are not well fixed in kainkaryam, they will end up abandoning karmam also which will lead to destruction]. They perform these karmam for the sake of others only as said in SrI bhagavath gIthA 3.23 “yadhi hyaham na varthEyam jAthu karmaNyathandhritha: | mama varthmAnuvarthanthE manushyA: pArtha sarvaSa: ||” (Oh arjuna! If I, sarvESvara, am not firmly engaged in the karma (actions pertaining to the family I am born in) and not ever engaged in them without laziness, common men will follow my ways in all manner) and SrI bhagavath gIthA 3.24 “uthsIdhEyur imE lokA na kuryAm karma chEdh aham |
sankarasya cha karthA syAm upahanyAm imA: prajA: ||” (If I did not perform the actions, the residents of this world (who follow my discipline) will be ruined; I would be the one who caused admixture (impurity in the families of dedicated followers); thus, I would be the cause for the downfall (in the future too) of these people).
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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