Thirumaalai(37)

Sri Parthasarathi thunai,

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

 

“ Mattrondrum vEinda Maname Madhilarangar

  Kattrinum meitha kazhalinai keezh- uttra

  Thirumaalai paadum seer Thondaradipodi Emperumaanai

  Eppozhudum peesu”

 

“ Srimat Krishna samahvaya Namo yaamuna soonave

  yetkadAkshai kalakshyAnAm sulabha: Sridara: sadaa”

 

Pranams,

 
Paasuram-21
 

“panivinAl manamathondri pavalavAi aranganArkku

  thunivinAl vAzhamAtta thollainenjE! Nee sollAi

 aniyinAr semponnAya aruvarianaya kOil

 maniyinAr kidandha vAttrai manaththinAl ninaikkalAmE?”

 

panivinAl manamathondri pavalavAi aranganArkku:  We all prostrate when
we see bhagavan in the temple or in front of elders.  Some of us know
the importance of prostrating but many may prostrate just for the sake
of doing it or because it is customary to do the same.  But alwar in
this paasuram says it is atmost important to know the importance of doing
so and do it whole heartedly.  When we fall into perumal’s or acharyas
feet we should have the panivu.  We should leave all the ahankAram and
mamkAram and whole heartedly surrender under their feet.  We
Srivaishnavas prostrate with saying “adiyen Ramanuja Dasan/dasyai” to bring that
panivu to our minds.  Prahladan says vandanam to be one of the nava
vidha bhakthi.  We may wonder what is so difficult in vandanam.  He
included this because there are many who even feel shy to fall under the feet
of bhagavan. Only bhakthas do it whole heartedly.  Emperuman and
piratti feel very happy when we fall even once in their feet.  Sri
Chakravarthi thirumagan was waiting to save ravana if he fell under his feet
once.  Even mAlyavAn and others advised rAvana to do so.  But rAvana was so
hard minded that he said “Binna math chetamapi na namEyam tu
kasyachith”(Even if you spilit me into two I will not fall in any ones feet). 
There are some rAvanas even now.  So we think vandanam is easy but not
for all.  Some may prostrate just mechanically but not with the devotion
in mind.  Again it has no use.  That is why alwar says, with the
surrendering attitude in mind, concentrate on him and then fall in his feet. 
After this one question may arise.  Can I fall into anyone’s feet. 
Alwar clarifies this doubt.  Never.  We srivaishnavas are destined to fall
only into the feet of the bhagavan, pavalavAi aranganAr.   Prostrate to
the bhagavan, geethacharyan who said “mam Ekam sharanam vraja”. 
Thirumazhisai alwar gives a new name to Srivaishnavas “marandhum puram thozhA
mAndar” we Srivaishnavas should never fall in the feet of anya devatas
even by mistake.

Srivaishnavas are always different.  When other people do their
kalashepam(kAla-time; shepam-spend) by sleeping and eating Srivaishnava
kalashepam is always listening to bhagavat gunam, talking about the same and
doing kainkaryam in his feet.  Rishis refute other kalashepams saying,
“kalashepO na karthavyam”.  Even if we prostrate once our mother and
father(lOka pita and mAtha, Sri ranganatha and ranganAyaki) feel bad that
we are taking so much strains when they are waiting to help us just by
their nirheduka krupai.  But it is our duty and our pleasure to fall in
their feet and wait for them to lift us up.  Akroorar rolled over full
of brindavanam due to his deep bhakthi towards krishna 

  thunivinAl vAzhamAtta thollainenjE! Nee sollAi:  Just by having the
support of a lowkika person, who has limited capabilities, people feel
free that they will be saved.  But just imagine what the lOka pitha who
is capable of doing anything and everything will do for us if we hold
his hands.  Even if a son illtreats his father and runs at the back of
others still the father thinks it to be his duty to protect the son and
reserves his love for his son.  But if the son considers his father has
his sole refuge then the duty and love of the father is double folded. 
Similarly even if we donot go to bhagavan he still does things for our
benefit but if we also understand that we are incapable and he is our
sole refuge then imagine the amount of happiness he will be put into. 
When Drowpathi called  govinda, bhagavan was in dwarakai still he helped
her out and from that time worked for the pandavas in all aspects.  Can
we really explain his karunyam by words?  NO not at all possible.  So
there is no use being strong just because we have wealth, and we have
people around.  But surely a srivaishnava need not worry or fear about
anything since he has bhagavan to come running to his call.  Like
bhagavan came running to the call of gajendrazhvan. 

aniyinAr semponnAya aruvarianaya kOil:  Like a jewel which is made of
glittering gold the thiruvarangam periya koil glitters.  Even from a
long distance we are able to see the glow of the svarna vimAnam of periya
kOil.  Our elders say that even the gopuram darisanam gives us all good
effects.  That is why in those days the temple gopurams were
constructed in such a way that it could be seen from miles away.   

maniyinAr kidandha vAttrai manaththinAl ninaikkalAmE?:  Emperuman is
considered as maniyinar because he possesses the kaustubha mani.  But Sri
PVP has a different approach. He says, “oru neela rathnaththai”.  We
earlier saw that the ranga vimAnam was like a gold ornament.  In that
golden chain, emperuman glitters like a beautiful necklace with a blue
stone studded in the middle.  So emperuman himself is a mani and hence
called maniyan.  When we see something beautiful it stays in our minds
forever and we want to possess it.  Then how is that we can stay without
constantly thinking of the bhagavan who lies on the bed of Adhisesha
like a blue studded stone in the middle of the ranga vimAnam until we
possess him.  When we love a person very much we are ready to do any sort
of work for their sake, so when we start loving emperuman whole
heartedly we will be ready to do kainkaryam to him in all forms like lakshmana
who said “aham sarvam karishyAmi jagradhaha svapadhaschathe” and
nammazhvar who prayed to thiruvenkatamudayan to bless him with his kainkaryam
always “ozhivil kAlamellAm vudanAi manni vazhuvilA adimai seiyya vEndum
nAm”.  So let us all meditate on the divine beauty of the emperuman
which cannot be equated and long for him to bestow his divine kainkaryam
on us and sing his praise “manivanna nin sEvadi sevvi thirukkappu”. 

AzhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigaLE saraNam

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai

Sumithra Varadarajan