By Sri T.A. Varadhan

Yadruchchikappadi

lOkAchAryAya guravE krshNa pAdasya sUnavE |
samsArA bhOgi sandaShta jIva jIvatavE nama: ||

Thirumanthra prakaraNam:

For the person desiring liberation from the cycle of birth, whom the spontaneous, voluntary, unexpected grace of the Lord has blessed with a favourable mind towards Him, and has made the person surrender at the feet of a true AchArya, it is necessary to constantly reflect upon the three sacred verses. Of those three verses, the Thirumantram, which is occupied with the exact determination of the natures of the soul and the Lord, and hence is fit to be reflected upon first, illustrates the natures of the soul and the Lord, and the ultimate goal that conforms to the natures of the soul and the Lord.

The charama sloka ordains the adoption of the ultimate means that conforms to the nature of the ultimate goal.

The dwayam illustrates the acceptance and adoption of the ordained means, and the qualities (or properties) of the ultimate goal.

The Thirumantram consists of eight syllables and three words. Of these, the first word, which is the pranavam (Aum), has three letters. The first letter, "a" (akAram) denotes the servitude to the Lord who always protects and saves all the souls in all places, at all times, and in all states. The second letter "u" (ukAram), which has the purpose of restricting to a certain instance to the exclusion of others, denotes that the servitude is NOT to any other being, other than the Lord. The third letter, "ma" (makAram), which is the twenty-fifth letter in the Samskrit alphabet, and denotes knowledge, denotes that the recipient of the quality of not having servitude to anyone else other than the Lord (as explained by the ukAram above) is the soul, which is separate, different and distinct from the body.

The second word of the Thirumantram – nama:, has two letters – "na", and "ma". The letter "na" denotes not. The letter "ma" denotes "for myself". Both the letters together denote the meaning "not for myself" – i.e. the meaning I do not belong to myself.

The third word "nArAyaNaaya" denotes the necessary prayer of wanting to perform eternal services to the master of everything, Lord Sriman nArAyaNa. The word nArAyaNa means the refuge for all nAras. The word nAra denotes the collection of all imperishable entities. They (the imperishable things) are basically everything in the Universe except for the Lord Himself. ayana denotes that the Lord is the refuge of all the imperishable entities. The word nArAyaNa also denotes the One who dwells in all these imperishable entitities! The two meanings above illustrates two qualities of the Lord – superiority (mEnmai), and the quality of mixing with everything (neermai). The fourth case ending in the word (Aya, in nArAyaNAya), denotes the prayer of requesting the Lord to take all types of service in all places, at all times and in all states.

Thus, the Thirumantram denotes the prayer (or desire) – "I, who belongs to the Saviour of everything (Lord Sriman nArAyaNa), and do NOT belong to any other entity, and do not belong to myself, desire the state of performing eternal service exclusively to the master of everything Lord Sriman nArAyaNa".