based on the vyakhyanam of Sri Periyavaccan Pillai
by Sri M.N. Ramanuja

na tE rUpam na chAkArO nAyudhAni nachAspadam
tathApi puruShAkArO bhaktAnAm tvam prakAshasE

Meaning:
rUpam-- (Your) divine spiritual l characteristics
tE-- for You
na-- not meant (implying that though basically independent it becomes dependent to Your refugees)
AkAra: cha -- Your divine and auspicious personality
tE na -- not for You
AyudhAni -- divine arsenals
tE na-- not for Your purpose
Aspadam cha-- Your divine abode Vaikuntham and other paraphernalia
tE na-- are not intended for You. (implying that all these are intended for Your subservients).
bhaktAnAm tvam -- You are the property of devotees
tathApi-- even though having all Your svarUpa rUpa guNa and vibhUti (characteristics, personality, quality and extensive wealth) at the behest of Your refugees
puruShAkAra: -- You shine brightly with the virtue of absolute greatness as described in the PuruShasUkta.

Introduction:
(na tE rUpam etc.) This slokam expresses that You make Yourself and Your possessions very favourable to those who will cross the samsAra by resorting only to You as the means as cited in " tvAmeva sharaNam prApya nistaranti ". The refugees write off (assign) themselves and their belongings to God by virtue of their spiritual characteristics (svarUpa). He, on the other hand, extends and lays out Himself and His belongings for them by virtue of His affection and good-nature etc (vAtsalya soushiilya etc). Therefore, this slokam is concerned with His vAtsalya, soushiilya etc. Besides, this indicates His favourability as a refuge. Because , vAtsalya, soushiilya (affection and good-naturedness) etc are also characteristics of a good refuge as much as svAmitva and soulabhya (masterhood and easy accessibility) etc as cited in "Ekastvamasi" earlier.

VyAkhyAnam:
(na tE rUpam) "rUpam" indicates divine spiritual characteristics, because "AkAra" has been used next to indicate the divine personality. In what sense does this slokam deny the possession of svarUpa etc to God? Since svarUpa etc are denied for Him after using the word 'tE', what in fact is denied is the use of these for His personal advantage or benefit or purpose. Only the selfish end is denied here. Reading as "tE rUpam na tE" makes it clearer. Even Your divine spiritual characteristic is not for You. If at all, it serves for the protection of the refugees and is favourable to them, the svarUpam which is independent becomes dependent to them and abides by their wishes. Compare "mayi bhrutyE sthitE dEvAn AjnApayata kim nrupai:" and "kimkarau samupasthitau". One who was the controller of everyone and every thing became the son of a nameless samsAri. This verily is the transfer of purpose of the svarUpam in favour of the refugees (Ashrita). This word "svarUpam" is also representative of His jnAna, shakti etc. For, refer to the slokams of Kurattalwan:-

* parijana paribarhA bhUShaNAnyAyudhAni ;
pravara guNagaNAshcha jnAnashaktyAdayastE;
paramapadam athAnDAnyAtmadEhastathAtmA;
varada sakalam Etat samshritArtham chakartha.*

Oh Varada, Your nityasUri attendants (ViShvaksEnar, AdishESha etc), paraphernalia (chhatram chAmaram etc), ornaments and weapons, great set of qualities, jnAna, shakti etc, paramapadam (vaikunTham), the universal galaxies, Your body and Your soul, all these in entirity You gave away for the benefit of refugees (AshritAs). As cited in "yassarvajnas sarvavit" He who is omniscient, became "avijnAtA" for the sake of His refugees; and again after swearing not to lift any weapon, He forswore and lifting a weapon became asatyasankalpa (one of untrue oath).

*ananyAdhInatvam tava kila jagur vaidika gira: ;
parAdhInam tvAm tu pranataparatantram manumahE;
upAlambhO ayam bhO: shrayati sArvajnyamapi tE ;
yatO dOSham bhaktEShviha varada naivAkalayasi ..*

In these words, Kurattalwan too stated the subordinateness of the Lord to the refugees and His utter ignorance of their offences and defects.

Even His divine personality is having a form favourable to the protection of the refugees. In Paramapadam, His personality is enjoyable for the nityasUris. When He comes to the vyUham, His form is enjoyable to the inhabitants of svEtadvIpa. His form is accessible for surrendering by the BrahmA and others. When He descends to the Earth, He makes His divine personality which is intangible to the senses, tangible to the senses for the sake of defence and deliverance of soft-hearted people, and by His grace lets a chosen few enjoy His visible form. This word "AkAra" extends even to the divine ornaments that adorn it. Kurattalwan verily said "bhUShaNAni AyudhAni". As said in "vastrANyAbharaNAni cha , tam vinA kaikayIputram bharatam dharma chAriNam" the clothes and ornaments are intended for the refugees.

"AyudhAni" -- the weapons in His arsenal, appear like 'weapons' for decimating the enemies to the enemies of the refugees, but shine like ornaments for those refugee devotees who are rid of sins and enjoy seeing God's form. Refer to the pAsurams "eppOdum kaikazhalA nEmiyAn nammEl vinai kadivAn" and "kUrArAzhi veNshangEndi kodiyEn pAl vArAy" and "shangennum chakkaramennum tuzhAyennum" which reflect the same purport. It is also implied to extend upto the attendants and the paraphernalia. 'parijana' or attendants, as in "yatra pUrvE sAdhyAs santi dEvA:" "adiyArgaL kuzhAngaLai kUduvadenru kolO? ", are the aspired destination for the refugees. Even though the "parichchadas" (paraphernalia) also are one among the nityasuris, they are in the form suitable to be employed by the other nityasuris in the service of the Lord (like chhatram chAmaram etc).

(na chAspadam) paramapadam , vyUham vibhavam and other bhOgasthAnams are not only places of enjoyment for the Lord Himself but also established and intended for the enjoyment of the respective refugees in the different places by displaying Himself in the respective places for the benefit of the respective inhabitants.

"tathApi puruShAkAra:" In spite of all these condescensions, You are always integrated with Your property of puruShatva. As described in PuruSha sUktam in "puruSha EvEdagm sarvam" and "sahasrashIrShA puruSha:", one who is always above all, (bhaktAnAm tvam ) shines by being subordinate to the devotees to prove that He is "subservient to the refugees". The fact that the devotees have offered themselves totally to You, is by virtue of appropriateness for their svarUpam. But Your placing Yourself at their disposal is by virtue of the desire of the Ashritas. This idea was explained by Kurattalwan in "samshritArtham chakartha" quoted earlier.

"prakAshasE" -shine forth -; if a doubt arises about the inappropriateness of this paradoxical subservience of the independent Lord, the Itihasa and PurANas say that He shines forth by being subservient to the devotees in slokams like " yadvinA bharatam tvAm cha shatrughnam chApi mAnada; bhavEnmama sukham kinchit bhasmasAtkurutAm shikhI" -- whatever happiness comes without and in the absence of bharata, you and shatrughna, let fire consume that happiness into ashes. "nisruShTAtmA suhritsu cha " etc . His glory is being easily accessible to the devotees and behaving subservient to them.

If the first shlokam is the summary, then this shlokam is the meaning of "hrishIkEsha". He pulls back the devotees from inappropriate 'vishayAntaras' and makes Himself their object of attraction. Training them from aprApta vishayas and diverting them towards right goal is verily the work of the master.