Embar's Ten Words to Bhattar

Bhattar asked his acharya Embar once "What are the characteristics of a Srivaishnava?"

In reply, Embar gave ten characteristics which are asserted in all Vedas.

The history of these ten words is: Lord Sriman Narayana is the ocean. Nammazhvar is the dark cloud that extracts the divine nectar which is His mercy, from this ocean. It then pours this on the mountain which is Nathamunigal. This rain then runs down the rivers on the mountain which are the pUrvAchAryas. It then gathers in the lake which is Ramanuja. From this lake it comes out through the outlets which are our acharyas and pours into the fields which is this samsara. This is the essence of a shloka by Embar.

These ten words state that if a chetana looks to Him alone then he can be free from worries ("eththinAl idarkkadal kidakkiRAy" - Thirucchandha Viruttham 115) and that at the end of this life he will attain the Lord's divine feet.

The sishya should be most grateful to the acharya who gives him these divine words. He should then think about them till they become entrenched in his mind. If he misses even one amongst the ten, he would consider that his conformity to all of them is gone. Those who are steady in these will reach His abode.

1. A prapanna looks only for the Lord's grace.

   a. "kANa vArAyenRu kaNNum vAyum thuvarnthadiyEn" - Thiruvaymozhi 8-5-2
   b. "kangulum pagalum kaN thuyilaRiyAL" - Thiruvaymozhi 7-2-1
   c. "pakkam nOkki ninRalanthEn pAviyEn kAnkinRilEn" - Thiruvaymozhi 4-7-10
   d. "prapannash sAtakO yadvat"

2. Getting even that grace only by His wish.

   a. "unnAlallAl yAvarAlum onRum kuRai vENdEn" - Thiruvaymozhi 5-8-3
   b. "unakkup paNi seydhirukkum thavamudaiyEn" - Periyazhvar Thirumozhi 5-3-3
   c. "yAnE nee ennudaimaiyum neeyE" - Thiruvaymozhi 2-9-9
   d. "enathAruyir avan kaiyadhE" - Thiruvaymozhi 9-5-3 e. "iniyun thiruvaruLAlanRik kApparidhAl" - Thiruviruththam 62
   f. "sEmam senkOnaruLE" - Thiruviruththam 27
   g. "seyththalai ezhunAtrup pOl avan seyvana seydhu koLLa" - Periyazhvar Thirumozhi 3-7-9

3. Those who seek this goal will not worship any other dEvata.

   a. "maRandhum puRam thozhA mAndhar" - Nanmugan Thiruvandhadhi 68
   b. "thAzhcchi matrengum thavirndhu ninthALiNaikkIzh vAzhcchi" - Thiruvaymozhi 3-2-4
   c. "koorArAzhi veNsangEndhik kodiyEn pAl vArAy" - Thiruvaymozhi 6-9-1
   d. "kaNdArigazhvanavE kAdhalan thAn seythidinum koNdAnaiyallAl aRiyAk kulamagaL pOl" - Perumal Thirumozhi 5-2

   A virtuous wife is one who, even if her husband does not live with her, will not look at another man.

4. Giving up association with those who worship other dEvatas, even if it requires great effort.

   a. "eNNAdhE iruppArai iRaippozhudhum eNNOm" - Periya Thirumozhi 2-6-1
   b. "eNNAdha mAnidaththai eNNAdha pOthellAm iniyavARE" - Periya Thirumozhi 11-6-7
   c. "sadaith dhEvar tham thuvakkaip pArAthozhivathE"
   d. "paranthAmaththaip patruvadhE"
   e. "prAkrutAnnam tyajEt"
   f. "tasya prakruti lakshaNam"
   g. "dvishadannama na bhOktavyam dvishantam naiva bhOjayEt | pANdavAn dvishasE rAjan! mama prANA hi pANdavA: ||" - Mahabharatam Uttara Kandam 91-27

   Such association is like mixing lime with sandal.
   The example for this disassociation is: while water is not directly affected by fire, it can get heated by the same fire when it is placed in a vessel.

5. Living in divyadeshams.

   a. "nallArgaL vAzhum naLirarangam" - Nacchiyar Thirumozhi 11-5
   b. "atrapatrar sutrivAzhum andhaneer arangam" - Thirucchandha Viruththam 52
   c. "vEngadaththai pathiyAga vAzhveergAL" - Nacchiyar Thirumozhi 8-9
   d. "emperumAn ponmalaimEl EdhEnumAvEnE" - Perumal Thirumozhi 4-10

   Pillai Thirunaraiyur Araiyar asked Bhattar "Please give me a word in which I can take refuge". Bhattar replied "If one were to go often to divyadeshams, even if only with a false desire, it would still gain that person liberation at the time of his death".

6. Having only the desire for gaining the liberation through His grace (and not having to do anything for it).

   a. "therudiyAgil nenjE vaNangu thiNNamaRi" - Thiruvaymozhi 2-7-10
   b. "sakrudeva prapannAya" - Ramayanam Yuddha Kandam 18-33
   c. "sakrut krutOnjali:" - Stotra Ratnam 28

7. Giving up improper conduct.

   Sins against the Lord, against His devotees and against both without reason are done for the purpose of material gains and other desires. These should be given up even if it requires the greatest of efforts.

8. Melting one's heart with the verses of Azhvars.

   a. "miNdar pAyndhuNNum sOtrai vilakki nAykkidumin neerE" - Thirumaalai 14
   b. "bUmi bArangaLuNNum sOtrinai vAngip pullaiththiNiminE" - Periyazhvar Thirumozhi 4-4-5
   c. "eNNakkaNda viralgaLAl iRaippozhudhum eNNagilAdhu pOy uNNakkaNda tham ooththai vAykkuk kavaLamundhukinRArkaL" - Periyazhvar Thirumozhi 4-4-3
   d. "uNNA nAL pasiyAvathonRillai OvAdhE namOnAraNAvenRu eNNA nALum irukkesuc sAmavEdha nAN malarkoNduna pAdham naNNA nAL avai thaththuRumAgil anRenakkavai pattini nAL" - Periyazhvar Thirumozhi 5-1-6
   e. "thariththirunthEnAgavE thArAkaNappOr viriththuraiththa vennAgaththunnaith theriththezhudhi vAsiththum kEttum vaNangi vazhipattum pUsiththum pOkkinEn pOdhu" - Nanmugan Thiruvandhadhi 63
   f. "nagaramaruL purindhu nAnmugaRkup pU mEl pagara maRai payantha paNban peyarinaiyE punthiyAR sinthiyAthOthi uruveNNum anthiyAlAm payanangen" - Mudhal Thiruvandhadhi 33

9. Being with those whose hearts are melting with the verses of Azhvars.

   a. "vAzhAtpattu ninreeruLLeerEl" - ThiruppallaNdu 3
   b. "thOndeer elleerum vAreer" - Thiruvaymozhi 5-2-2
   c. "ellArum pOndhArO" - Thiruppavai 15
   d. "aNiyarangan mutraththadiyArgaL thangaL inbamigu perunkuzhuvu kaNdu" - Perumal Thirumozhi 1-10
   e. "avan adiyAr nanimAk kalavi inbamE nALum vAykka" - Thiruvaymozhi 8-10-7
   f. "avanadiyAr" - Thiruvaymozhi 8-10-3
   g. "thiruvudai mannar" - Thiruvaymozhi 4-4-8
   h. "vERAga EththiyiruppArai vellumE matravaraic sAththiyiruppAr thavam" - Nanmugan Thiruvandhadhi 18
   i. "adiyArgal kuzhAngaLai udan kooduvadhu enRukolO" - Thiruvaymozhi 2-3-10
   j. "andhamil pErinbaththu adiyarOdu irundhamai" - Thiruvaymozhi 10-9-11
   k. "pErALan pErOdhum periyOrai orukAlum pirigilEnE" - Periya Thirumozhi 7-4-4

10. Forgetting what has been done thus far for the acharya, and crying for the service that has been missed.