SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama: SrI vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
Previously, nAyanAr established equivalence for nammAzhwAr’s four prabandhams and four vEdhams; subsequently he says “unlike that, these are said to be equivalent to vEdha upabruhmaNams (explanatory texts for vEdham) too”.
chUrNikai 54
anRikkE svarUpaguNa vibUthi chEshtithangaLai viSathamAkkugiRa pAncharAthra purANa ithihAsangaL pOlE neela bhArUpOkthi theriyach chonna vEdha upabruhmaNam enbargaL.
Simple Explanation
Alternatively, just as SrI pAncharAthra Agama, ithihAsams and purANams elaborate the svarUpa (true nature), guNa (qualities), vibhUthi (wealth) and chEshtitham (activities) which are shown in vEdham, these prabandhams are also said to be vEdha upabruhmaNam which speaks about the dark, shining divine form of emperumAn.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
That is – instead of equating these four prabandhams with four vEdhams, they are equated with vEdha upabruhmaNams. How so?
vEdham reveals bhagavAn’s svarUpa, rUpa, guNa, vibhUthi, chEshtithams.
bhagavAn’s svarUpam is explained in vEdham in the following places:
- muNdaka upanishath “yaththa thathrEchyam agrAhyam agOthram avarNam achakshuSSrOthram thadhapANi pAdham nithyam vibhum sarvagatham susUkshmam thadhavyayam yath bhUthayOnim paripaSyanthi dhIrA:” (brahmam is beyond gyAnEndhriyams; cannot be known through organs like hand, leg etc; is devoid of gOthram; is devoid of varNa; does not have sense organs such as hand, leg etc; has pervaded everywhere; has entered inside and outside of every entity; very subtle; that which is described in this manner is indicated by the term “aksharam”; those who have knowledge about such brahmam and who see this aksharam as the cause for the creation)
- thaiththirIya upanishath “sathyam gyAnam anantham brahma” (brahmam is eternal, made of knowledge and unbounded)
- SvEthaSthvathara upanishath “nishkalam nishkriyam SAntham niravadhyam niranjanam nirguNam” (brahmam is indivisible, devoid of actions, devoid of hunger etc, never blamed, devoid of faults, devoid of bad qualities)
bhagavAn’s qualities are explained in vEdham in the following places:
- muNdaka upanishath “yas sarvagya: sarvavith” (One who is omniscient and knows everything in detail)
- SvEthASvathara upanishath “parAsya Sakthir vividhaiva SrUyathE SvAbhAvikI gyAna bala kriyAcha” (that supreme bhagavAn who has full ability and natural knowledge, strength etc)
- chAndhOgya upanishath “sathyakAma: sathyasankalpa:” (one who has ever fulfilled desires, one who has ever fulfilled vows)
As SrI pAncharAthram elaborates these in the following manner:
First, svarUpam is explained:
SruNu thathparamam sUkshmam sarvagyam sarvabruththathA
gyAnarUpam anAdhi antham avikAri nirAmayam
achakshuch chrOthram asparSam apANI charaNam dhruvam
nAmajAthi Adhirahitham avarNam aguNam thvapi
viSvaSravO viSvachakshu: viSvapANi padhamparam
asaktham acharam SAntham svayam jyOthiranUpamam
dhUrastham anthikacharam gyAna gamyam niranjanam
bhUtha bharthru samam jyOthi: jyOthishAm thamasa: param
aksharam sarva bhUthastham thadhvishNO: paramampadham
Hear the true nature of that parabrahmam from me; it is subtle, it is omniscient; it is supporting everything; it is made of knowledge; it is without beginning and end; it does not have any aspects; it has no sleep; it has no eyes and ears; it has no touch feeling; it has no hands and feet; it is eternal; it has no name, jAthi, varNam, three qualities; it has everything as its ear; it has everything as its eye; it has everything as hand and feet; it has no attachments; it has no movement; it is peaceful; present by itself; it is self-illuminous; matchless; it is far away; it is near by; it can be attained by knowledge; equanimous; it is light for all luminous objects; it is beyond the materialistic world; it is imperishable; it is omnipresent; this is the supreme true nature of vishNu.
As the Qualities are explained in ahirbudhnya samhithA as:
aprAkrutha guNa sparSAth nirguNam parigIyathE
SruNu nAradha shAdguNyam gathyamAnam mayAnaga
ajadam svAthma sambOdhi nithyam sarvAvagAhanam
gyAnam nAmaguNam prAhu: prathamam guNa chinthakA:
svarUpam brahmaNasthachcha guNaScha parigIyathE
jagath prakruthi bhAvOya: sA Sakthi: parikIrthithA
karthruthvam nAmayath thasya svAthanthryam paribrumhitham
aiSvaryam nAma thath prOktham guNa thathvArtha chinthakai:
SramahAnisthu yAthasya sathatham kurvathO jagath
balam nAma guNasthasya kathithO guNa chinthakai:
thasyOpAdhAna paravEpi vikAra viarahO hi ya:
vIryam nAma guNas sOyam achyuthathvAprAhvaya:
sahakAri anapEkshAyAthath thEjas samuthAhrutham
Oh nAradha who is devoid of faults! Since brahmam is devoid of qualities which are related to prakruthi (matter), it is said to be “nirguNam”. Hear the six qualities of brahmam as spoken by me;
- Those elders who meditate upon brahmam’s auspicious qualities, first speak about the quality known as gyAnam which makes brahmam self-illuminous and aware of everything which is shining; that gyAnam is said to be the svarUpam (true nature) and guNam (quality) for that brahmam.
- That which is the root cause of the world, is known as Sakthi.
- By those who meditate upon the true nature of the qualities, identify the quality of being independent and a doer, is said to be aiSvaryam.
- By those who meditate upon the quality of brahmam being free from any strain while creating the world, such quality is said to be balam.
- brahmam which is also known as achyutha remains the primary cause for the world, and yet remains unchanging. Such quality is known as vIryam.
- The quality of not seeking help for these activities, is said to be thEjas.
bhagavAn’s vibhUthi (wealth) which is highlighed in vEdham, is elaborated in purANams.
Explanation in vEdham :
- thaiththirIya upanishath “yathO vA imAni bhUthAni jAyanthE yEna jAthAni jIvanthi yath prayanthi abhiSamviSanthI” (From the one this universe is created, where that which are born are sustained, where everything submerges during deluge, that is to be known by you; that is brahmam).
- purusha sUktham “brAhmaNOsya mukham AsIth bAhU rAjanya krutha: UrUthadhasya yath vaiSya: padhbhyAm SUdhrO ajAyatha:” (From brahmam’s face, brAhmaNa was born; from the shoulders, kshathriya was born; from the thigh, vaiSya was born; SUdhra was born from brahmam’s feet)
- vEdham “antha: pravishta: SAsthA janAnAm” (One who enters every AthmA as antharyAmi and commands them)
- purusha sUktham “pAdhOsya viSvA bhUthAni” (All the entities make only one quarter of his wealth)
- “sahOvAcha mahImAna EvaishAm EthE thrayasthrimchadhEva dhEvA ithi kathamEthE thrayasthrimchayathithi ashtau vasava: EkAdhaSa rudhra: dhvAdhaSAdhithyA: tha Ekathrimchath indhraSchaiva prajApathiScha thrayasthrimchath” (yAgyavalkya replied “For these thirty three dhEvathAs, the previously explained three thousand three hundred and six dhEvathAs will be subservient; thirty three dhEvathAs are eight vasus, eleven rudhras, twelve Adhithyas, indhra and brahmA)
- bruhadhAraNyaka upanishath “pauthimAshyO gOpavanAn gOpavAna: kauSikAn kauSika: kauNdinyAth kauNdinya: SANdilyAth SANdilya: kauSikAScha gauthamAScha gauthama: AgnivaichyAth Agnivaichya: SANdilyAth” (pauthimAshya acquired knowledge from gOpavana; gOpavana acquired knowledge from kauSika; kauSika acquired knowledge from kauNdinya; kauNdinya acquired knowledge from SANdilya; SANdilya acquired knowledge from both kauSika and gauthama; gauthama acquired knowledge from Agnivaichya; Agnivaichya acquired knowledge from SANdilya)
By these, the wealth of brahmam such as the creation of the world etc, varNas such as brAhmaNa etc, different types of dhEvathAs, the ancestry of the sages, are explained in vEdham.
As the purANams which elaborate in detail, the vibhUthi of such emperumAn as said in amarakOSam “sargaScha prathisargaScha vamSO manvatharANi cha vamsAnucharithanchaiva purANam pancha lakshaNam” (Creation, annihilation, dynasties, manvantharams (the life span of a manu), incidents that follow the different dynasties), by explaining creation etc, dynasties, manvantharams and incidents that follow the different dynasties.
As bhagavAn’s chEshtithams (leelA) which are highlighed in vEdham, are elaborated in purANams.
Just as the pastimes of bhagavAn’s incarnations which are highlighted in thaiththirIya upanishath “udhruthAsi varAhENa” (Oh bhUmidhEvi! You were lifted up by the efforts of varAha bhagavAn), vishNu sUktham “idham vishNur vichakramE thrEdhA nidhadhE padham” (bhagavAn measured this world, by placing his steps in three ways), rAmAvathAram and krishNAvathAram are explained in detail in SrI rAmAyaNam “rAmAyaNam” (rAma’s history) and mahAbhAratham “nArAyaNa kathAm” (The story of nArAyaNa). The stories of other incarnations of bhagavAn are also inter-mingled and highlighted in SrI rAmAyaNam “atha vishNur mahAthEjA adhithyAm samajAyatha vAmanam rUpamAsthAya vairOchanim upAgamath thrIn kramAnatha bhikshithvA prathigruhya cha mAdhava: AgramyalOkAn lOkAthmA sarvalOka hithEratha: mahEndhrAya puna: prAdhAth niyamya balimOjasA” (Subsequently the greatly capable vishNu incarnated from the womb of adhithi. He assumed the form of vAmana and went to virOchan’s son bali. bhagavAn who is the life of the whole world and who is attached to the well-being of everyone, subsequently, begged for three steps of land, without pride and brought the worlds under his control, subdued bali with his dominating force and gave the kingdom to indhra).
As bhagavAn’s dhaSAvathAra pastimes are elaborated in ithihAsams as in mOksha dharmam of mahAbhAratham, in SrIjanma rahasyam, it is said “nAradhEnaiva mukthasthu prathyuvAcha janArdhana: … pUrvam mathsyO bhavishyAmi sthApayishyAmi mEdhinIm, vEdhAmSchaiva udhdharishyAmi majjamAthAn mahArNavE, dhvithIyam kUrma rUpENa hEmakUta samaprabham, mandharam dhArayishyAmi amruthArthE dhvijOththama …” (Having heard from nAradha in this manner, bhagavAn started speaking thus – Oh nAradha who is best among the brAhmaNas! First I am going to be a fish; I will stabilise the earth and bring out the vEdhams which are submerged in the huge ocean; then, I am going to be a tortoise and hold the mandhara mountain which is as shining as the hEmakUta mountain; this is the second incarnation).
Similarly, bhagavAn’s vigraham (divine forms) which is explained in vEdham as in nArAyaNa sUktham “neelathOyatha madhyasthA vidhyullEkEva bhAsvarA” (Having the radiance of a lightning streak in the middle of a dark cloud) and muNdaka upanishath 2.2.7 “manOmaya: prANa SarIrO bhArUpa:” (One who is known by pure mind, one who has prANa as his body and who has shining divine form), is elaborated in detail in the beginning, middle and end of these four prabandhams, these are said to be vEdha upabruhmaNam as said in thiruvAimozhi 6.9.11 “theriyach chenna” (Mercifully spoken in detail).
This explanation of bhagavAn’s divine forms can be seen in his prabandhams, from the beginning till the end, as follows:
- in thiruviruththam 2 “muzhunIr mugilvaNNan” (krishNa who is having the complexion of a cloud replete with water) and in thiruviruththam 94 “maippadi mEni” (divine form which is dark in complexion like black pigment)
- in thiruvAsiriyam 1 “pachchai mEni” (greenish divine form) and in thiruvAsiriyam 5 “thAmaraik kAdu” (forest filled with lotus flowers)
- in periya thiruvandhAdhi 1 “naRpUvaip pUvInRa” (in the superior flower kAyAmbU (a type of flower which has indigo like colour)) and in periya thiruvandhAdhi 86 “kAr kalandha mEniyAn” (ne who has the divine form congruent with cloud)
- In thiruvAimozhi 1.1.1 “thuyaraRu sudarodi” (the radiant divine feet which eliminate sufferings) and in thiruvAimozhi 10.10.6 “punakkAyA niRaththa” (having complexion of kAyAmbU in its own habitat)
Though “theriyach chonna” is from thiruvAimozhi, being upa bruhmaNam is applicable for his other prabandhams as well. Just as vEdhathvam (being vEdham) was applicable to all of his prabandhams, the same logic is to be applied here. Though the principles of bhagavAn’s svarUpam, guNam, vibhUthi etc are explained in SrI pAncharAthra, ithihAsams, purANams and this prabandham (thiruvAimozhi), since each has specific inclination, it is fair to say that svarUpam and guNam are elaborated in SrI pAncharAthram, creation etc are elaborated in purANams, avathArams are elaborated in ithihAsams and divine forms are elaborated in nammAzhwAr’s prabandhams.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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