SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama: SrI vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
nAyanAr further mercifully explains the great difference between AzhwAr and sages based on their understanding the goal, means etc.
chUrNikai 62
pala sAdhana dhEvathAntharangaLil ivargaL ninaivu pEchchilE thOnRum
Simple Explanation
In the goal, means and matters of other dhEvathAs, their thought will be understood by their speech.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
That is – the sages say that attaining bhagavAn is the goal, karma yOgam, gyAna yOgam etc are the means, ISvara who is the antharyAmi of dhEvathAs such as indhra et al is the target as said in SrIvishNu purANam 6.5.59 and 6.5.60 “nirasthAthiSaya AhlAdha sukha bhAvaika lakshaNA | bhEshajam bhagavath prApthirEkAthAnthyanthikI mathA || thasmAth thath prApthayE yathna: karthavya: paNdithainarai: | thath prApthi hEthur gyAnancha karma chOktham mahAmunE ||” (The benefit of attaining bhagavAn who is having joy which is in the form of unmatching bliss, who lacks sorrow and from whom there is no return, will be the remedy for the sorrow in samsAram; hence the learned pundits will try to attain emperumAn; oh sage maithrEya! gyAna yOga and karma yOga are said to be means to attain him).
AzhwAr mercifully explained that,
- kainkaryam is purushArtham (goal) as said in thiruvAimozhi 2.9.4 “thanakkEyAga enaik koLLum IdhE” (The only result I desire from krishNa is his mercifully saying “always exclusively serve me”) and thiruvAimozhi 3.3.1 “vazhuvilA adimai seyya vENdunAm” (We should perform all types of services without leaving anything)
- prapaththi is sAdhanam (means) to attain that as said in thiruvAimozhi 5.10.11 “nAgaNai misai nampirAn charaNE saraN” (only the divine feet of our lord who is resting on thiruvananthAzhwAn are our upAyam) and thiruvAimozhi 6.10.10 “adik kIzh amarndhu pugundhEnE” (I have surrendered unto your divine feet and have become seated beneath them)
- other dhEvathAs are not to be worshipped as said in thiruvAimozhi 4.6.10 “maRRoru dheyvam thozhAL” (will not worship other dhEvathas)
Thus, in the goal, means and other dhEvathAs, their thoughts and his thoughts are revealed through their speech.
In thirumanthram which is the essence of all of vEdham,
- since it is said that for the AthmA who is exclusively identified by SEshathvam (servitude) by the first padham (praNavam, first word), the apt goal is kainkaryam only, which is explained in the chathurthi (fourth case [Aya]) in the third padham (nArAyaNAya, third word)
- since for the totally exclusive pArathanthryam (total dependence) towards bhagavAn) which is explained in the second padham (nama:, second word), other than having bhagavAn only as the means, activities to protect oneself does not match
- since for bhagavath ananyArhathvam (totally existing for bhagavAn) which is revealed in the middle letter of praNavam (ukAram), even the smell of engaging with other dhEvathAs cannot be tolerated
Attaining bhagavAn is the goal, having acts which involve self-efforts such as karma yOga etc as the means , having dhEvathAs who are with ahankAram as bhagavAn’s forms being acceptable , are to be fully given up by those who have seen the svarUpa yAthAthmya (intrinsic true nature). Thus, since the thoughts of the sages in goal, means and dhEvathAntharams are totally different from AzhwAr’s thoughts, even in this manner, AzhwAr is much greater than sages.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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