Divine revelations of lOkAchArya – 8

Please view the previous article at https://granthams.koyil.org/2013/08/divine-revelations-of-lokacharya-7/

71. bhakthimAnudaiya bhakthi vaidhamAy varumathu. prapannanudaiya bhakthi ruchi kAryamAyirukkum. bhakthiparanukku sAdhanamAyirukkum. ivanukku dhEhayAthrA sEshamAyirukkum.


பக்திமானுடைய பக்தி வைதமாய் வருமது. ப்ரபந்நனுடைய பக்தி ருசி கார்யமாயிருக்கும். பக்திபரனுக்கு ஸாதநமாயிருக்கும். இவனுக்கு தேஹயாத்ரா சேஷமாயிருக்கும்.

bhakthan’s bhakthi is as per the rules stipulated for bhakthi yOgam in sAsthram. For a prapannan, bhakthi happens out of taste in bhagavath vishayam. For a bhakthan, bhakthi is the process through which he attains the result (bhagavAn). For a prapannan, bhakthi is used in spending his time according to his svarUpam.


Translator’s note: piLLai lOkAchAryar explains these principles nicely in mumukshuppadi. In sUthram 271, he explains that – for a prapannan bhakthi will assume the role of developing taste/attachment for bhagavath vishayam. mAmunigaL explains in the vyAkyAnam that just like when there is hunger a person can eat nicely, when there is bhakthi a prapannan can engage in kaikaryam nicely.




72. bhakthimAnukku palaththil sradhdhai illAthapOthu thaviralAyirukkum. prapannanukku svarUpa-prayukthamAy varumathAgaiyAlE orukAlum thavirAthAyirukkum.


பக்திமானுக்கு பலத்தில் ச்ரத்தை இல்லாதபோது தவிரலாயிருக்கும். ப்ரபந்நனுக்கு ஸ்வரூப-ப்ரயுக்தமாய் வருமதாகையாலே ஒருகாலும் தவிராதாயிருக்கும்.

For a bhakthan, when he loses interest in the goal, he will falter in his bhakthi. Because prapathi is natural for prapannan per his svarUpam, once done (accepting that bhagavAn is the upAyam), his faith will never falter thereafter.


Translator’s note: In bhakthi yOgam, one must constantly think about bhagavAn. If a bhakthan loses focus even for a moment on bhagavAn, his bhakthi will be interrupted. But prapathi is sidhOpAyam (meaning accepting bhagavAn as the upAyam and bhagavAn is fully capable on his own to protect the prapannas). This accepting of bhagavAn as upAyam fully fits with the true identity of jIvAthmA who is always dependent on bhagavAn.




73. avan guNa nibhandhanamanRu; avanOttai sambhandham saththAprayukthamengai.


அவன் குண நிபந்தநமன்று; அவனோட்டை ஸம்பந்தம் ஸத்தாப்ரயுக்தமென்கை.

jIvAthmA‘s relationship with bhagavAn is not based on his auspicious qualities. It is a natural relationship based on the true identity of jIvAthmA who is always dependent on bhagavAn.


Translator’s note: nammAzhwAr identifies this in thiruvAimozhi 5.3.5 “kadiyan kodiyan … Agilum kodiya en nenjam avan enRE kidakkum” (கடியன் கொடியன் … ஆகிலும் கொடிய என் நெஞ்சம் அவன் என்றே கிடக்கும்) – He is very hard-hearted, cruel, etc., yet my heart always thinks about him. nampiLLai, in eedu highlights the conversation between anasUyA and sIthA pirAtti. When anasUyA says “for a woman, her husband is the god”. sIthA pirAtti replies “Yes. Every one is thinking that I am attached to perumAL (srI rAma) due to his auspicious qualities. But even if he gives up his auspicious qualities and become ugly looking, I will not give up his attachment towards him. But I can never prove my state of mind, since srI rAma will never give up his auspicious qualities”. piLLai lOkAchAryar also highlights the same principle in srIvachana bhUshaNam 111th sUthram – “guNa krutha dhAsyaththilum kAttil svarUpa prayukthamAna dhAsyamiRE pradhAnam” (குண க்ருத தாஸ்யத்திலும் காட்டில் ஸ்வரூப ப்ரயுக்தமான தாஸ்யமிறே ப்ரதாநம்) – Our servitorship towards bhagavAn based on our svarUpam is better than servitorship based on his auspicious qualities. Because if it is based on auspicious qualities, when we are unable to observe his qualities, we will give up our servitorship which is a great loss for us. But if it is based on our svarUpam which is us being his dependents (which never changes), then we will never give up our servitorship towards him.




74. bhagavathvishayaththilOradivara ninRavargaL slAkanIyar.


பகவத்விஷயத்திலோரடிவர நின்றவர்கள் ச்லாகநீயர்.


Anyone who takes a small step towards bhagavAn is to be glorified.


Translator’s note: In this samsAram, where there is so much opportunity for engaging in worldly pleasures, if one takes a little step towards bhagavAn, that itself is to be appreciated. And by constant encouragement by srIvaishNavas, such persons will make progress and eventually understand their true nature.




75. aththalaiyAlE varumathozhiyath thAnthAmonRai AsaippadugaikUdap pazhi.


அத்தலையாலே வருமதொழியத் தாந்தாமொன்றை ஆசைப்படுகைகூடப் பழி.

Everything should happen based on bhagavAn‘s desire. Desiring something for ourselves is in itself a defect.

Translator’s note: bhagavAn is the master and jIvAthmAs are the servants. Master should desire and bless the servant with what is best for the servant. Being dependents, jIvAthmAs having independent desires is in itself defect and could lead to svarUpa nAsam (losing ones own identity of being a dependent entity).




76. udaiyavanE nam kAryaththukkuk kadavan.


உடையவனே நம் கார்யத்துக்குக் கடவன்.

bhagavAn is the owner (svAmi) and jIvAthmAs are the owned (svam).  It is the responsibility of bhagavAn to take care of the needs of the jIvAthmAs.


Translator’s note: The soul guides the body in its actions. bhagavAn is the in-dwelling soul of the jIvAthmAs and jIvAthmAs are his sarIram (body). So, it is the responsibility of bhagavAn to take care of jIvAthmA. piLLai lOkAchAryar explains this principle in mumukshuppadi 258th sUthram while explaining charama slOkam. In charama slOkam, krishNa says to arjuna “mOkshayishyAmi” (மோக்ஷயிஷ்யாமி) – I will protect you. piLLai lOkAchAryar highlights in his sUthram “ini unkaiyilum unnaikkAttith thArEn, en udambil azhukkai nAnE pOkkik koLLEnO?” (இனி உன்கையிலும் உன்னைக்காட்டித் தாரேன், என் உடம்பில் அழுக்கை நானே போக்கிக் கொள்ளேனோ?) – I will not let you take care of yourself, Will I not clean the dirt on my body myself?”. Here mAmunigaL‘s commentary is classic. Let us see the gist of it. krishNa says “Thus far, you have been thinking yourself as independent. But now you have surrendered unto me after understanding yourself as a totally dependent entity just as the body is totally dependent on the soul”. He says this to indicate that the effort to remove the ignorance in arjuna is bhagavAn’s responsibility and the result of arjuna being purified is for his benefit.




77. vasthuvukku guNaththAlEyiRE uthkarsham. antha guNAdhikyamengEyuNdu, angEyiREyERRam.


வஸ்துவுக்கு குணத்தாலேயிறே உத்கர்ஷம். அந்த குணாதிக்யமெங்கேயுண்டு, அங்கேயிறேயேற்றம்.

Glories of an object is due to the presence of auspicious qualities. Wherever there is abundance of auspicious qualities, there is excellence.


Transalator’s note: bhagavAn has two important identities. He is the abode of all auspicious qualities and  he is opposite to all bad qualities. It is due to the presence of such auspicious qualities, he is greatly glorified by everyone.




78. sEshabhUthan svarUpam peRRadimai seigai sEshikku pERiRE.


சேஷபூதன் ஸ்வரூபம் பெற்றடிமை செய்கை சேஷிக்கு பேறிறே.


As said in “meyyAm uyir nilai” (மெய்யாம் உயிர் நிலை) (thiruvAimozhi thaniyan) – if the jIvAthmA understands his true nature that he is fully dependent on emperumAn and serve him to truly satisfy emperumAn, that will bring utmost happiness to emperumAn.


Translator’s note: It is said that “chEthana lAbham Iswaranukku” (சேதந லாபம் ஈச்வரனுக்கு) – when a jIvAthmA becomes fully situated in bhagavath nishtai, bhagavAn benefits out of it. It is to bring jIvAthmAs to mOkham, bhagavAn constantly engages in srushti, his own avathArams, having AzhwArs and AchAryas teach this divine subject matter, etc. He is the master so when one of his subjects becomes purified, it is for the benefit of him only.

79. svanikarsham sollugai gyAnakAyam. IsvarOham enRirukkai agyAna kAryam.


ஸ்வநிகர்ஷம் சொல்லுகை ஜ்ஞாநகார்யம். ஈச்வரோஹம் என்றிருக்கை அஜ்ஞான கார்யம்.


As amudhanAr said in rAmAnusa nURRanthAdhi pAsuram 48 “nigarinRi ninRa en nIchathai” (நிகரின்றி நின்ற என் நீசதை – I am uncomparably lowly), identifying our own defects is the result of true self realisation. Saying “nAn Isvaran” (நான் ஈச்வரன்) is the outcome of ignorance and pride.

 
80. thIrththangaLilE varththikkiRa saththvangaLukku pApam pOgiRathillaiyiRE, gyAnamillAmaiyAlE.


தீர்த்தங்களிலே வர்த்திக்கிற ஸத்த்வங்களுக்கு பாபம் போகிறதில்லையிறே, ஜ்ஞாநமில்லாமையாலே.

There are many creatures that live in holy rivers such as gangA, etc. Because they dont have true knowledge about the self, their sins are not purified. Only true knowledge will purify our sins. Thus, just bathing in holy rivers without the true knowledge does not purify any one of their sins.


Translator’s note: For example, when one bathes in gangA, one should have the understanding that this river originated from the holy water that washed the lotus feet of srIman nArAyaNan who is the protector of the entire world. If such understanding is not there, and if some one simply thinks that this is a holy river, then there is no real benefit.

Full series can be viewed at: https://granthams.koyil.org/divine-revelations-of-lokacharya-english/.