SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama: SrI vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
Further, in this chUrNai/sUthram, to explain the greatness of AzhwAr, by generally highlighting the greatness of bhAgavathas through many examples, nAyanAr says “for only those who understand these concepts, the superior or inferior nature of birth will be known”.
chUrNikai 85
mlEchchanum bhakthan AnAl chathurvEdhigaL anuvarththikka aRivu koduththuk kuladhaivaththOdu okkap pUjai koNdu pAvana thIrtha prasAdhanAm engiRa thirumugap padiyum, viSvAmithra vishNuchiththa thulasIbhruthyarOdE uLkalandhu thozhukulam Anavan nilaiyAr pAdalAlE brAhmaNa vELvikkkuRai mudiththamaiyum, kIzh magan thalaimaganukku samasakAvAy thambikku mun piRandhu vElum villum koNdu pin piRandhAraich chOdhiththuth thamaiyanukku iLaiyOn sadhbhAvam sollumbadi EkakulamAnamaiyum, thUdhu mozhindhu nadandhu vandhavargaLudaiya samyak saguNa sahabhOjanamum, oru piRaviyilE iru piRaviyAnAr iruvarkku dharmasUnu swAmigaL agrapUjai koduththamaiyum, aivaril nAlvaril mUvaril muRpattavargaL sandhEhiyAmal sahajarOdE purOdASamAgach cheydha puthra kruthyamum, pushpa thyAga bhOga maNdapangaLil paNip pUvum Alavattamum vINaiyum kaiyumAna andharangarai mudimannavanum vaidhigOththamarum mahAmuniyum anuvarthiththa kramamum, yAga anuyAga uththara vIdhigaLil kAya anna sthala Sudhdhi paNNina vrudhdhAchAramum aRivArkkiRE janma uthkarsha apakarshangaL therivadhu.
Simple Explanation
Only those who know the deep principles in the following incidents, will know about superior and inferior nature of birth:
- bhagavAn’s divine order which says “even when a mlEchcha (person who is outside four varNas) becomes a [pure] devotee, those who know four vEdhams, should serve him, share knowledge and worship him at par with their family deity, and his remnant water and food are to be consumed with great reverence”.
- nampAduvAn who became part of the worshippable clan of viSvAmithra, periyAzhwAr and thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr [all three of them sang suprabhAtham], and completed the shortcoming of the yAga of the brAhmaNa [who was a brahma rAkshasa]
- Lowly guhap perumAL became an equal friend of SrI rAma, the lord, being accepted as his immediate brother [even before his other brothers], held spear and bow, checked lakshmaNa who was born after SrI rAma, and informed the greatness of younger brother lakshmaNa to the elder brother bharathAzhwAn. Thus, he came to be counted in the same clan as SrI rAma.
- SrI rAma who sent a messenger having good food from Sabari, krishNa who went as a messenger having food from vidhura’s palace and SrI rAma who had food with hanuman.
- For krishNa and thirumazhisai AzhwAr, who had two births in one birth, the first honours given by dharmaputhra and perumbuliyUr adigaL.
- One among each of the groups of five, four and three personalities [yudhishtra, SrI rAma, periya nambi], performed final rites for different personalities [vidhura, jatAyu, mARanEri nambi respectively].
- The way emperor thoNdaimAn, bhagavath rAmAnuja and lOkasAranga muni served kuRumbaRuththa nambi who had clay flowers, thirukkachchi nambi who had fan and thiruppANAzhwAr who had veeNA, respectively.
- The act of purifying one’s body, food and the place in thiruvArAdhanam, thadhIyArAdhanam and gruha pravESam in uththara street.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
mlEchchanum bhakthan AnAl – As said in SrI pAncharAthram “madhbhaktha jana vAthsalyam, pUjAyAncha anumOdhanam, svayamapyarchanam chaiva madharthE dambavarjanam, math kathA SravaNE bhakthi: svaranEthrAngavikriyA, mamAnusmaraNam nithyam yachcha mAm nOpajIvathi, bhakthir ashtavidhA hyEshA yasmin mlEchchEpi varthathE” (Explained here), even if one is born in mlEchcha clan, if one has this bhakthi with eight limbs,
- motherly forbearance towards my devotees,
- be joyful on seeing my worship by others,
- worshipping me,
- being free from showing off in my matters,
- having devotion to hear about me and
- as an outcome of such bhakthi, having changes in the body as trembling voice, eyes which are filled with tears, and bodily changes such as goosebumps etc,
- always meditating upon me
- not using me to get other things
chathurvEdhigaL anuvarthikka aRivu koduththu – As said in SrI pAncharAthram “sa viprEndhrO muni: SrImAn sa yathis sa cha paNditha: | thasmai dhEyam thathO grAhyam” (One who has such eight-folded bhakthi is best among brAhmaNas, is sage, has wealth, is scholar, he can be given knowledge and knowledge can be received from him) and in thirumAlai 42 “pazhudhilA ozhugal ARRup palasadhuppEdhimArgaL izhi kulaththavargaLElum emmadiyArgaLAgil thozhuminIr kodumin koLmin” (Even if those brAhmaNas have pure lineage and have learnt four vEdhams, with respect to my devotees who are from lowly clans, they should worship such devotees, offer knowledge to them and accept knowledge from them), being superiror to all, and remaining the target of those who are belonging to the superior varNa and are chathurvEdhis (learnt four vEdham), to have their defects arising out of the pride in being born in superior varNa removed and to purify their true nature. If they have desire to acquire knowledge, they can be given knowledge. [Note: While exchange of knowledge is prescribed, violating varNa dharma and marrying between varNas is not allowed].
kuladhaivaththOdu okkap pUjai koNdu – As said in SrI pAncharAthram “sa cha pUjyO yadhAhyAham” (Such devotee should be worshipped like I am worshipped) and in thirumAlai 42 “enRu ninnOdum okka vazhipada aruLinAy pOl” (did you not mercifully order us to worship them in the same way as you are worshipped?), having them as the kula dheyvam (family deity) just as sarvESvaran has said in SrI vaikuNta gadhyam chUrNikai 3 “mama kula dhanam, mama kula dhaivaytham” (he is the protector for my family, he is the prime worshipable deity for my family), praying to them as said in periya thirumozhi 2.6.4 “avar engaL kula dheyvamE” (they are the lords for our clan).
pAvana thIrtha prasAdhanAm engiRa thirumugap padiyum – As said in vihakOSam (a sacred text) “thathpAdhAmbvathulam thIrtham thadhuchchishtam su pAvanam” (whichever water comes into contact with his feet, becomes incomparable thIrtham (sacred water); the food that remains after he has eaten, is sanctified), since it is said that the water which washed his feet is incomparable and his food remnants are most purifying, even those who are intoxicated by drinking the alcohol of ahankAram (pride), will become purified by consuming such water. Based on this divine statement of bhagavAn and the confirmation of the same by thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr in his thirumAlai pAsuram 41.
viSvAmithra vishNuchiththa thulaseebhruthyarOdE uLkalandhu thozhukulam Anavan – Since nampAduvAn (one who was from the pANar community, which was considered as an outcast. back then) went towards the end of the night and woke up [malai] nambi in thirukkuRungudi, he acquired the same gOthram (lineage) [i.e., counted among those who wake up bhagavAn by singing suprabAtham] of the likes of viSvAmithra who sang in SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 23.2 “kausalyA suprajA rAma pUrvA sandhyA pravarthathE | uththishta naraSArdhUlA karthavyam dhaivmAhnikam ||” (Oh SrIrAma who is the best son of kausalyA! Oh best among men! Sun is about to rise; wake up; you have to perform the divine rituals now), periyAzhwAr who sang in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 2.2.1 “aravaNaiyAy! AyarERE! ammam uNNath thuyil ezhAyE” (Oh one who is reclining on serpent mattress! Oh leader of cow-herds! You should wake up to eat) and thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr who said as in thirumAlai 45 “thuLavath thoNdAya thol seerth thoNdaradippodi” (thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr who is engaged in thuLasi service and who is fully engaged in bhAgavatha SEshathvam (being servitor to SrIvaishNavas))., who sang in thiruppaLLiyezhuchchi 1 “arangaththammA paLLi ezhundhu aruLAyE” (Oh lord/master who is lying down in SrIrangam! Kindly wake up); with the knowledge on being a servitor towards bhagavAn, he became engaged in kainkaryam without any expectation and thus counted as an insider in the group of devotees of those who are devoted to SrIman nArAyaNa who carries sudharSana chakra on his right hand as said in thiruvAimozhi 3.7.9 “valam thAngu sakkaraththaNNal maNivaNNaRkALenRu uL kalandhAr“; he further became part of the worshippable clan as said in thiruvAimozhi 3.7.8 “em thozhum kulam” and was praised by those who are very knowledgeable. He was such a great bhAgavatha who was having humility based on his [inferior] birth.
nilaiyAr pAdalAlE brAhmaNa vELvikkkuRai mudiththamaiyum – While the brAhmaNa named sOma SarmA, who was born in charaka clan, did not perform the yagya which he started, in the proper manner and died before he completed it, he was born as a brahma rakshas and was roaming around; he surrendered to nampAduvAn saying to him as in kaiSika mAhAthmyam “thvamvai gItha prabhAvEna nisthArayithumarhasi | Evam ukthvAtha chaNdALam rAkshasaSSaraNam gatha: ||” (With the greatness of your song, you can free me from the curse – saying this, the rAkshasa surrendered unto nampAduvAn, who was born in chaNdALa clan), requesting him to relieve him of the curse; by the kaiSikap paN (kaiSika tune) which is said as “nilaiyAr pAdal” (eternally present song) which was sung in the end at nambi sannidhi as said in kaiSika mAhAthmyam “yanmayA paSchimam gItham svaram kaiSikam uththamam | palE na thasya bhadhram thE mOkshayishyahi kilbishAth ||” (By the result of the great tune kaiSikam, in which, the song was sung by me in the end, let this sin be eliminated; let there be auspiciousness for you), nampAduvAn relieved the demoniac nature of the brahma rakshas which was acquired by the shortcomings in the yagya, as said in kaiSika mAhAthmyam “Evam thathra varam gruhya rAkshasO brahmasamgyitha: | yagyaSApAth vinirmuktha: sOma SarmA mahAyaSa: ||” (The brahma rakshas, acquiring the boon in this manner, got relieved from the curse of great sOma SarmA’s yagya); thus nampAduvAn completed the shortcoming of that brAhmaNa’s yagya.
kIzh magan thalaimaganukku samasakAvAy – Being born in nishAdha [hunters’] clan, SrI guhap perumAL who is said to be lowly in birth, activities and knowledge as said in periya thirumozhi 5.8.1 “Ezhai Edhalan kIzhmagan” (Igorant, killer, having lowly birth) became an equal friend as said in periya thirumozhi 5.8.1 “ugandhu thOzhan nI” (Joyfully said “You are my friend”) to SrI rAma who is superior in all these aspects due to being the lord of ayOdhyA and further being the same as the lord of paramapadham.
thambikku mun piRandhu – Since it is said in periya thirumozhi 5.8.1 “umbi embi” (My younger brother is your younger brother), SrI guhap perumAL became elder brother to SrI rAma’s younger brother, lakshmaNa.
vElum villum koNdu pin piRandhAraich chOdhiththu – On that day when SrI guhap perumAL was accepted by perumAL [SrI rama], as perumAL was mercifully reclining, iLaiya perumAL (lakshmaNa) was protecting perumAL without sleeping, with the bow and arrow in his hand, due to the care he had towards perumAL which arose out of thinking about perumAL’s beauty. SrI guhap perumAL doubted such iLaiya perumAL and was watchfully following him, with weapon in hand as said in periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 3.10.4 “kUr aNindha vEl valavan” (One who has the sharp spear) and SrI rAmAyaNam 87.23 “thathasthvahanchOththama bANa chApa dhruth | sthithObhavam thathra sayathra lakshmaNa: ||” (Subsequently, I stood along with lakshmaNa who was having tall bow and arrow) and checking his thoughts.
thamaiyanukku iLaiyOn sadhbhAvam sollumbadi EkakulamAnamaiyum – As said in SrI rAmAyaNam ayOdhyA kANdam 86.1 “AchachakshEtha sadhbhAvam lakshmaNasya mahAthmana: | bharathAyApramEya guhEna gahanagOchara: ||” (SrI guhap perumAL who was a forest dweller, explained the goodness of iLaiya perumAL to the inconceivable [beyond one’s intelligence] SrI bharatthAzhwAn), SrI guhap perumAL explained to the elder brother SrI bharathAzhwAn who was suffering due to separation from perumAL and was going towards thiruchchithrakUtam, the greatness of the younger brother, iLaiya perumAL who is having love and total dependence towards perumAL as his identity and his true nature associated with his existence, as said in SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 18.27 “bAlyAth prabruthi susnigdha:” (lakshmaNa was devoted to SrI rAma from childhood) and SrI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam 15.7 “paravAnasmi” (I exist for you). In this manner, SrI guhap perumAL became one within the ikshvAku clan.
thUdhu mozhindhu nadandhu vandhavargaLudaiya samyak saguNa sahabhOjanamum – chakravarathi thirumagan (son of emperor dhaSaratha) who sent the message through hanuman to sIthAp pirAtti as said in periya thirumozhi 2.2.3 “munnOr thUdhu vAnaraththin vAyil mozhindhu” (In SrI rAmAvathAram, chakravarthi thirumagan informed matchless words to be conveyed through hanuman’s mouth and sent him there), consumed samyak bhOjanam (proper food) from the hands of SrI Sabari as said in SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 1.57 “SabaryA pUjithassamyak rAmO dhaSarathAthmaja:” (SrI rAma, the son of dhaSaratha, was well honoured by Sabari).
As said in periya thirumozhi 6.2.9 “kudai mannar idai nadandha thUdhA” (Oh messenger who walked between the kings!), krishNa who went as a messenger for pANdavas, skipped the abodes of bhIshma, dhrONa et al, consumed saguNa bhOjanam (quality food) with joy at SrI vidhura’s palace, on seeing the purity and enjoyability, as said in mahAbhAratham udhyOga parvam “vidhurAnnAni bubujE SuchIni guNavanthi cha” (He consumed vidhura’s food which was pure and enjoyable).
perumAL, being pleased with hanuman who is said in periya thirumozhi 10.2.6 “thUdhu vandha kurangu” (hanuman, who came as messenger) and who said as in SrI rAmAyaNam bAla kANdam 1.78 “dhrushtA sIthA” (sIthA was seen), considered in his divine heart as in pAdhmOththara purANam .”upakArAya sugrIvO rAjya kAnkshI vibhIshaNa: | nishkAraNAya hanumAn thaththulyam sahabhOjanam ||” (sugrIva performed kainkaryam for SrI rAma’s favours to him; vibhIshaNan desired for the kingdom; but hanuman served SrI rAma without any expctation; hence it is apt for perumAL to consume food with him) and consumed saha bhOjanam (eating food together from the same plate) as said in periya thirumozhi 5.8.2 “kOdhil vAymaiyinAyodum udanE uNban nAn” (I will eat along with you who have blemishless, honest speech).
oru piRaviyilE iru piRaviyAnAr iruvarkku dharmasUnu swAmigaL agrapUjai koduththamaiyum – dharmaputhra in his yagya, gave first honours to krishNa, who0 was born in yadhu clan but since he grew up in the cowherd clan as a cowherd boy, he had two births in a single birth. thirumazhisaip pirAn who was born as rishiputhra (son of bhArgava rishi) went to another clan and grew up as one amongst them, was given first honours by perumbuliyUr adigaL in his yagya.
aivaril nAlvaril mUvaril muRpattavargaL sandhEhiyAmal sahajarOdE purOdASamAgach cheydha puthra kruthyamum – the eldest of five pANdavas, dharma puthra, performed final rites for SrI vidhura which are usually done by the son, without doubting, on seeing SrI vidhura’s great knowledge and the words of the aSarIrI (the voice from the sky).
The eldest of dhaSaratha’s sons, perumAL, as said in SrI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam 68.27 “saumithrE hara kAshtAni nirmathishyAmi pAvakam | grudhra rAjam dhidhakshAmi math kruthE nidhanam gatham ||” (Oh lakshmaNa! Bring firewood and I will light fire and burn the pyre for the king of birds, who lost his life for my sake), while iLaiya perumAL, was standing right next to him, instead of letting iLaiya perumAL do it, he himself performed the final rites for jatAyu mahArAjar, which are usually done by the son, as said in SrI rAmAyaNam AraNya kANdam 68.31 “Evam ukthvA chithAm dhIpthAm ArOpya pathagESvaram | dhadhAha rAmO dharmAthmA sva bandhum iva dhu:khitha: ||” (Speaking in this manner, the most righteous SrI rAma, placed jatAyu, the king of birds on the pyre and incinerated him with sorrow as he would do for his relatives).
periya nambi, who is the foremost among the three nambis viz periya nambi, thirukkOshtiyUr nambi and periya thirumalai nambi, who were all classmates who studied under ALavandhAr and were his disciples, and were famous by being the AchAryas for udaiyavar (bhagavath rAmAnuja), performed the final rites for mARanEri nambi, which are usually done by the son, as requested by mARanEri nambi saying “purOdAsaththai nAykku idadhE koLLum” (Don’t throw the havis (offering which is placed in yagya) to dogs, implying, his body should not be given to his bodily relatives, after his ascending to paramapadham), thinking his body to be havis in the pyre.
pushpa thyAga bhOga maNdapangaLil paNip pUvum Alavattamum vINaiyum kaiyumAna antharangarai mudimannavanum vaidhikOththamarum mahAmuniyum anuvarthiththa kramamum – as said in thiruvAimozhi 3.3.2 “sindhu pU magizhum thiruvEngadam” (thiruvEngadam where spreading flowers that blossom), in thirumalA which is known as pushpa maNdapam, kuRumbaruththa nambi who is a close confidante of thiruvEngadamudaiyAn and who served as per the divine heart of thiruvEngadamudaiyAn (SrInivAsa bhagavAn), with clay flowers in his hands; he was served by thondaimAn chakravarthi who was a crowned emperor as said in periya thirumozhi 5.8.9 “thuLangu nIL mudi arasar tham kurisil thoNdai mannavan” (thoNdaimAn chakravarthi who is having a shining crown and is king of kings).
As said in “vEgavathyuththarE thIrE puNyakOtyAm harissvayam | varadhassarva bhUthAnAm adhyApi paridhruchyathE ||” (On the northern banks of vEgavathi river, varadha who is a form of vishNu is present under the puNyakOti vimAnam to give boons to everyone), in perumAL kOyil (kAnchIpuram) which is known as thyAga maNdapam, thirukkachchi nambi who was a close confidante of perumAL and who served hand-held fan to perumAL, was served by udaiyavar who is vaidhikOththama (best among vaidhikas).
As said in perumAL thirumozhi 1.1 “theNNIrp ponni thiraikkaiyAl adi varudap paLLi koLLum” (periya perumAL’s divine feet are gently massaged by the river kAviri, with her waves which are like her hands), in kOyil (SrIrangam) which is known as bhOga maNdapam, thiruppANAzhwAr who was a close confidante of periya perumAL and who served with his vINA, was served by lOka sAranga mAhAmunigaL.
yAga anuyAga uththara vIdhigaLil kAya anna sthala Sudhdhi paNNina vrudhdhAchAramum – as said in “yaja dhEva pUjAyAm” (yaja means worshipping bhagavAn), in thiruvArAdhanam which is indicated with the word yAgam, udaiyavar purified his divine body, by touching piLLai uRangA villi dhAsar.
Since thadhIyArAdhana (honouring guests with prasAdham) is done after the completion of such thiruvArAdhana which is known as yAga, it is indicated by the word “anuyAgam”. In such acceptance of prasAdham, nampiLLai purified the food by making piLLai ERu thiruvudaiyAr dhAsar touch the prasAdham with his hands.
naduvil thiruvIdhip piLLai bhattar, while shifting to a new house in uththara vIdhi (in SrIrangam), purified the place by having piLLai vAnamAmalai dhAsar walk around the place.
Note: These incidents/narrations show the greatnesss of bhAgavathas irrespective of the varNa they are born in.
aRivArkkiRE janma uthkarsha apakarshangaL therivadhu – Only for those who truly understand all of these incidents/narrations, the superiority and inferiority of birth will be known as in “such birth is superior, such birth is inferior”.
With this, with the words and conduct of ISvara who is the pramEya (goal) and bhAgavathas who are the prAmAthAs (preceptors), nAyanAr has explained to make even those with dull minds clearly understand about the following aspects:
- If those who are inferior by birth etc, are devotees of bhagavAn, those who are superior by birth etc, should serve them
- They can give knowledge
- They are as worshippable as bhagavAn himself
- They can purify others with their food and water remnants
- They can uplift even those belonging to superior varNa but are drowned in sins, by their relationship
- The ways in which bhagavAn’s devotees would show love and serve
- Their touch itself is most purifying
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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