Thirumaalai(38)

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-22
 

“pesittrE pEsalalAl perumai ondru vunaralAgAdhu

  AsattrAr tangatkallAl ariyalAvAnumallan

  MAsatttrAr manaththulAnai vanaginAm errupadhallAl

  pEsathAn Avadhundo? PEdhai nenjE! Nee sollAi”

 

pesittrE pEsalalAl perumai ondru vunaralAgAdhu:  The kalyana gunas and
magimai of bhagavan are beyond our understanding capacity and they
cannot be explained by words.  This is known to alwar since even the Vedas
refrain from telling the bhagavat gunam in depth and even the lord Sri
parthasarathi in his bhagavat gita says, he himself cannot tell all his
vibhoothis.  Then what is alwar trying to do now?  The rishis talked
about the bhagavan and said  we are unable to finish, so the alwars
followed them and said the same and after them the acharyas followed and
repeated the same.  Till today our scholars and acharyas repeatedly talk
the same thing time and again.  The cycle thus continues everyone
repeats what their elders have said because all of them belong to the same
school of thought.  Nammazhvar says, “ponnappan, maniappan, muththappan,
than-oppu-ella-appan”.  Nammazhvar first tried to praise the bhagavan
with various nAmAs but then he finally concludes saying that there is
nothing in this world which can match  bhagavan, since he is beyond any
examples.  The alwars repeat whatever the Vedas say.  All the twelve
alwars talk  in the same way because they have been bestowed with the same
knowledge by the bhagavan.  Even though each one can have different
anubhavams still due to bhagavat krupai they have been bestowed with
“mayar varu madhi nalam”(bhakthi and jnana without doubt) and hence they are
Akakandargal(they donot talk what comes to their mind but talk with
sastras as pramAnams).  There may be number of flowers in a garden, each
one having different size, color and smell still the bees extract the
same type of honey from all the flowers.  Similarly there may be number
of sastras like Satvika, rajasa and tAmasa sastras but jnani’s take only
the essence, the sAram and leave the rest as asAram.  “Alotya sarva
sastrAni vicharyacha punah punaha; edamEkam sunishbannam deyo nArAyana
sadhA”.  If we learn on ourself then there is chances of misinterpretation
and misunderstanding but when it is taught by a common teacher then
there is no room for differences and misinterpretations.  Since emperuman
was the common guru for all the alwars and the acharyas they all talk
the same thing without any differences.  That is, “pesittrE pEsalalAl”. 
Ok, we now accept that all the alwars and acharyas talk the same thing. 
What is their final conclusion?  The conclusion is “perumai ondru
vunaralAgAdhu”, the brahma tattvam is beyond our seeing or understanding
capacity.  Only anubhavam is possible, understanding is impossible.  This
is what all of them say in union. 

AsattrAr tangatkallAl ariyalAvAnumallan:  In our sampradayam, a person
is supposed to be learned only when he realizes that he cannot
understand brahma tattvam.  But even this knowledge arises only to those who
get themselves involved in bhagavat guna and kainkarya anubhavams.  For
others the bhagavan is not understandable.  Understanding is the
knowledge that brahman cannot be understood. 

MAsatttrAr manaththulAnai vanaginAm errupadhallAl:  Emperuman stays in
pure minds.  He enjoys his stay in the minds of innocent bhakthas.  We
all have great impurity in our minds so the best way for us is to
remain under the feet of that bhagavan, who alone has the power to purify
our sins and make us clean souls.  Leave everything to him and prostrate
before him with vishvAsam. 

pEsathAn Avadhundo? PEdhai nenjE! Nee sollAi:  Other than falling under
his divine feet, what are we going to achieve by just discussing a
matter beyond our knowledge? enquires alwar to his own innocent mind. 

AzhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigaLE saraNam

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai

Sumithra Varadarajan