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•••# r=e• ^6si-                                    35

Oh, Master, the ignorantlook upon sensual pleasures as sustaining. Some would say that water is life- sustaining rather than sensory perception. Instead of being preoccupied with either, if only men would crave for even a little bit of your experience, that would indeed redound to their well-being under all conditions.

This pasuram contains some essential truths worth pondering. Azhwar dissociates himself from the common worldly perception of sensual enjoyment as life-sustaining. Even those who are capable of a sense of detachment from such sensory preoccupation, do not, however, seem to be free from other mundane concerns of existence, valid as they may seem, prima facie. This is echoed in the Vedic statement, ' eiBf$ nVtoJ no: '. Azhwar dissociates himself from both world

views. To him, the Lord’s thought is the real sustaining force in life; to paraphrase Swami Nammazhwar, '- n  ñ  Chug                                          JJ

 

'. Has not Sri Krishna underscored how difficult it is for the rank and file of humanity, engaged as they are, in either maximising their material existential aspects, or in the day-to-day hard realities of eking out a bare sustenance, by his epigramatic pronouncement, ' eunenr genes nuJeix6l nu      in surer ', ( Gita 7.19 ). ' He who looks upon Vasudeva as life-giving and sustaining, is the rare- to - find Maha'thma'.

 

There is no intrinsic merit ofjoy or life-sustaining quality in sensual pursuit. “ gC m gfim Seri q        .’. in                       mCg' I gC ea

 

pr A@fl;ii enrm;iiz›ntn II” The same subject matter may at first be a source of pleasure, but later could cause pain. The same thing may first be a source of displeaure, and at some point later, be gratifying. Therefore, in nature there is nothing inherently painful or pleasurable. So say the Sha'stra's.' W;iiiopsñ   mmm eoJeuñ ñ Q ', (Brih. Upanishad 6.5.6.). By divine design, everything seems desirable immensely. In essence, its nature is transient, and unstable. The real reason for the delusion of a being in this is his predisposition stemming from the impressions of his past karma'. So Sri Bhutat Azhwar underlines the wisdom of devoting even a tiny fraction of one's inexaustible capacity for desire in thoughts about the Lord. ' ion Ci/J(lqeflCaianprñ aft Ciu•sji aipunuflJ I cum         err  g : nor Co gñ(ygmnJ in     yñu II   ( elf. . q.

1.20.19. ). ' In the same measure of the ignorant for sensual pleasures, my heart should be filled with desire for thoughts about You, Oh Lord. '. Thus prays Prahlada’ to Sriman Nara'yana'. Azhwar says that even if we cannot all be like Prahlada', a little effort and interest in that direction would be richly rewarding in assuring us of the bliss of the Lord's experience.Hasn't ie Lord Himself assured this as Sri Rama, in His declaration, '&  sup                                             JS C ñ   g, ( . ay 18-3 ). ' I will not give up any one even if he approaches me in the ostensible guise of a friend.' That is the true measure of the Lord 's 'nirhetuka krupa' 'for all his creation.

 

The vainglory of the gross worldly beings, tends to push them deeper into the morass of worldliness. They that are deluded wallow in ignorance. Oh, my heart, rest meditating on the wondrous Lord Who took this earth from Mahabali unobtrusively, swallowed it for safe-keeping at the time of dissolution, and brought it forth again at ie dawn of creation

 

Azhwar exhorts his heart to leave others who are after gross worldly pleasures to their fate, and instead engage in joyful contemplation of the Lord’s wondrous 'lila'vibhuti'. The vainglorious worldly beings are destined, in the perception of the Azhwar, to sink deeper into degrading depths of desolation deluded by their own sense of self- importance on the lines of Sri Krishna's characterization of their psyche. +fisuCynsgI0ñtiiggjtb Cal  e6l;iiCgrs                                                                      nJearJ  I

J1LI!IS  J 6li!IJb           C&II SJJK2!I SVQ 6fU  Jtfoll tDILI!I II

(Gita 16-14-15). I am the monarch of all I see. I am the enjoyer, achiever, strong, prosperous, wealthy, descended from a patrician background. Who is equal to me ?' This conceited sense of self- importance is self-destructive, and is what makes one caught up in the vicious cycle of ' samsara". They who pursue other gods are ignorant and continue in their ignorance. Instead ofjoining their ranks, Sri Bhutat Azhwar entreats his heart, and through that, addresses a larger message to us all, to join ie      exalted group of people who s>k the substance of ' bhagavadvishayam ', and meditate on the supreme Lord. '                      &  As&(y oxen (y cgi israeli '. Thpse exalted souls are ' CuynnrN CuCyngjñ 6lu/CmaJ '. (  Slu-

Hion@ 7.4.4.), as Sri Thirumangai Azhwar, deferentially

designates them.

 

Oh Lord, Who gave to the world the wise Brahma from the big, cool lotus sprung from your gracious navel. Our many recurring livesare all futile, if we fail to praise,andour heads do not bow in homage to your sacred Feet.

 

g  ninsuJJ ina@ NCnr - From the cool lotus flower.

“, thus describe the Vedas, the origin of Bnfuna

 

Azhwar implicitly stresses that it is the Creator of Brahma, that is worthy of surrendering to. “ finn                    gi;exi             ñ eel feud ... seen o  Cm “, ( Svetas. Upanishad 6-18).

Since the purpose of life is to find its niche at the sacred Feet of Sriman Narayana, when our life is not geared in that direction, our repeated births are useless, observes the Azhwar. Does n't the good Lord give us these repeated lives in the fond hope that we will at some point make an effort to seek His grace?

 

Instead of gloatingover material possessions as ours, understand what is our true wealth with a mind that is forever focused on Madavan as everything to us and recite His name as the gospel of the Vedas, appropriatefor the tongue to recite.

Sri Bhutat Azhwar underlines in this pasuram what is ephemeral and as such is to be spurned and discarded, and what is of lasting value and as such is to be cultivated in life.

 

- Material riches are not something to be courted and looked upon as our security. As many wise men have not been tired of stressing again and again, what did we bring with us when we came into this world, to take with us when we depart from here. Yet, during the fleeting hyphenated period that separates these two points, that constitutes our life span in this world of karma, we get so illogically and inextricably attached to material possessions and gloat over them as mine, mine' guarding over it like a jealous genii. Swami Nammazhwar rightly calls it a raging fire. ' B+reriSiereir{|)j flnrJJDg(giJg Six @ 6lastieuin H ñp . ' ( J(ysunei- taxi 4- 9-4 ). Azhwar advises us to get over this delusion and points out to us what constitutes our only true and eternal security and protection. That is Ma'dhavan, the Lord Who is always in the company of divine Mother, Sri. Reciting His many names, like ' Madhava', Sridhara' ' is the only scripture fit for recitation.

@@g1c% Ruxjga?pp@ dl@g&4w w@ga% Qu$

Vâ@â @D^@*** **B^^**  - 9éAA**

aeñ&Qy% g%ggt¥e oxue0yañ oxgo%#u$

The worship of the Supreme Being in the form of recitation of ms names is the quintessence of the scriptures. If you knowthe Vedas, you will understand this truth. To those who are bereft of this Yedic knowledge, Let me tell you, the substance of the Vedas is reciting Madhavan's names. It will suffice to understand this.

The essence of the Vedas is the recognition that Sriman Narayana is the 'antarya'mi' of all gods like Brahma, Rudhra, Indra etc. and indeed of the whole universe.  ' Cen n            qneaif          mneuJ                   o rJ ge6l  A : I f;neuK ax@ J yg gnp mñmu . II '. ' There is no doubt that whatever Vedic utterances are recited by the brahmins, are tantamount to singing the praise of Sri Hari 's names.' It is to drive home this truth that Brahmins start and end their Vedic recitation with the invocation "   : Jñ “. As Sri Krishna has

 

declared in the Gita, ( 15-15 ) “ Ceue gfio noJn›euq Caen

 

 

By means of all the Vedas, I alone am to be known. “ Azhwar exhorts all those who lack such Vedic knowledge, to lead themselves in the light of the words ofthe knowledgeable ones and realise that recitation of His names is the quintessence of the Vedas.

 

In another interpretation rendered by Sri Appillai, the underlying meaning of the phrase, ' J;yi                                    Q ' in the previous pasuram, refers to the method of ' sa'dhana' bhakthi' described in the Vedanta' encapsulated by the ' Thirumantra' ' and the ' prapathi ma'rga' encapsulated by the ' Dvaya' mantra" meant for those not capable of the 'sa'dhana' marga". Sri Pillar Lokachariar in his ' Sri Vachana Bhushanam', has also echoed this interpretation, about the bhakthiyoga embodied by ' Ashtakshara japa' as the ultimate essence of Vedanta sa'ra. (                             6knr(ynf (p            Q &u). The phrase ' tntrymN CJ            Swirl         Cy  QJJN  n{yñ          ', has been interpreted to mean the ’prapatti marga' embodied by the 'Dvaya mantra'. '.Sutra's 41-50 of the same work may be referred to in this context. ’ lm' — 'su @d  ', ' iurgsu&        — ' a›nâdgapñi mJiso ir    ' has been taken to refer to ' Sriman Narayana ' at the beginning of the 'Dvaya mantra' '.

 

 

Before phlegmatic and other fluids begin torack and waste away the body, think of the Feet of the Lord adorned by Sri on His chest. Sensual pleasures which delude even cultured minds conversant with the greatness of His Feet, are without any substance whatever.

 

 

 

your nii   in      Cgi” -- I ( Jgiaxisviso) ' When the throat is choked by phlegm, gas, and bile, and life itself is ebbing away how would we remember you ? ' asks Sri Kulasekhara Penimal.

 

 

Cgi '. ' It is through Sraddha’ - Mahalakshmi — that Deva Narayana attains His Supreme status.' ' eiqeunt men eueonnJJeélei

 

 

10-6-9 ).

 

Quxjgmr aojgeso ys&Iwe ex»xyj a\gmx ego{g¿g oe?g                                 a{gmx?a oxoag0wx§& &@g ose?la¥¥acvw                    uxg?o

@og?a@ ag@?e @&.                           41

 

Paradise cannot be reached by worldly riches. It is the compassionate Lord's grace that can make it happen. Oh my heart, do not forget to meditate on the sacred Feet of the blue- complexioned Lord Who has given Himself to the realisedsouls.

 

                           - Azhwar states the well-known, but seldom realised truth, that all our wealth cannot help us in any way beyond the portals of this world and life. In the previous pasuram the Azhwar declared ' Conn gnei &ei& their ', that is sensual desire, or ' ka'ma" is without any substance. In this pasuram, Azhwar observes that even the ' purushartham ' of 'artha", viz., material wealth does not fare much better in that reset.

 

— Though in general parlance, this term might be taken to mean heaven, Azhwar obviously does not mean this, but the bliss

 

of Sri Vaikunta in the august company of nithya suris. What will render this within our reach? Azhwar replies, 'Engg

‹9i&kg;'. It is the Lord's grace, that will bless us with the fruit of our dharma’. Azhwar's concluding advice to us is, '

 

6i M ' - ' an i g; tu - realised souls who yearn only for the bliss of proximity to the sacred Feet of the Lord, like Sri Suka', Va'madeva, Ma'rkandeya', etc.