AchArya hrudhayam – 84

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avathArikai (Introduction)

nAyanAr answers the question “Why did AzhwAr who took birth to help others, instead of taking birth in the first 3 varNas (brAhmaNa, kshathriya, vaiSya), lower himself in to the fourth varNa?” saying “That is also for the protection of others”.

chUrNikai 84

vamSa bhUmigaLai udhdharikkak kIzhk kulam pukka varAha gOpAlaraip pOlE ivarum nimagnarai uyarththath thAzha izhindhAr.

Simple Explanation

Just as varAha bhagavAn and krishNa took up inferior births to uplift the earth and a clan respectively, AzhwAr too lowered himself to uplift those who are immersed [in samsAram].

vyAkyAnam (Commentary)

That is – as said in SrIvishNu purANam 5.21.12 “yayAthi SApAthvamSOyam rAjyAnarhOhi sAmpradham” (This clan is not having the qualification to rule the kingdom due to yayAthi’s SApam (curse)), the yadhu vamSam became inferior to not have the qualification to rule the kingdom, due to yayAthi’s curse [yayAthi wanted to exchange the youthfulness from his son yadhu, and yadhu refused to accept that; because of that, yayAthi cursed his son that his descendants will not have the right to rule the kingdom]. krishNa entered the cowherd clan and became a cowherd to uplift the yadhu clan as said in SrIvishNu purANam 5.20.49 “ayam sa: gadhyathE prAgyai: purANArthaviSAradhai: | gOpAlO yAdham vamSam magnamabyudhdharishyathi ||” (By those wise persons who know the meanings of purANams, it is said that this krishNa is going to bring up the yadhu vamSam which has fallen down) and in thiruvAimozhi 6.4.5 “angOr Aykkulam pukkadhum” (Went and entered into the cowherd clan).

To uplift bhUmi [dhEvi] who became shaken and drowned in praLayam (deluge) by the strength of hiraNyAkshan, as said in thaiththirIya upanishath “udhruthAhi varAhENa” (Oh bhUmi! You were lifted up by the great effort of bhagavAn who incarnated as varAha) and SrI varAha purANam “namas thasmai varAhAya leelayOdhdharathE mahIm” (Salutations to varAha bhagavAn who lifted up bhUmi as a sport), varAha bhagavAn who went deep down into pAthALa as said in thiruvAimozhi 2.8.7 “kEzhalAyk kIzh pukku” (As a wild boar, he entered the lowest region).

Similar to these two personalities, to uplift those who have pride about their clan and are drowned in samsAra, and to make them have the greatness as said in thiruppallANdu 11 “abhimAna thungan” (being great due to considering himself as “I am a servant of emperumAn”), AzhwAr lowered himself and took up the birth in fourth varNa to indicate that the [first three] varNas which could lead to ahankAra (pride) will lead to disaster.

With this, it is said that – to have those who are drowned in samsAram due to the pride of being born in [so called] higher varNas, realise that it is inferior and be relieved of that pride, and reach the shore, AzhwAr accepted the inferior birth [according to their thought] and abandoned the varNas which they considered to be superior.

Thus, starting with sUthram 75 “vIttinba” up to here, to eliminate the doubts of the less intelligent people, the following aspects were explained

• the sin acquired in analysing the birth of AzhwAr
• AzhwAr’s birth’s greatness in comparison to the same of vyAsa et al
• that his incarnation is for the benefit of others and
• the reason for his accepting lowly birth in spite of being a great person.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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