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

kAryANAm kAraNam pUrvam vachasAm vAchyamuttamam
yOgAnAm paramAm siddhim paramam tE padam vidu:

Meaning:
kAryaNAm -- for all the things that are the effects
pUrvam kAraNam-- as the original cause
vachasAm-- for all the spoken words
uttamam vAchyam-- as the ultimate target or the best implication
yOgAnAm-- for all the yOgas
paramAm siddhim-- as the supreme goal
tE-- Your
paramam padam-- divine feet
vidu:-- (the elders) understood

Introduction:
(kAryANAm kAraNam etc) Having recalled the jnAna and shakti mentioned in the previous shlokam, this shlokam says that I should be admitted into paramapadam which is created by His shakti and which is favourable for enjoyment of God, . Sri Bhattar used to interpret that He is a fit refuge who can bestow the land that is accessible to the muktas or the liberated. The other scholars used to opine that this shlokam says that one should attain the divine feet of God.

VyAkhAnam:
(kAryANAm kAraNam purvam) This excludes the mutual cause and effect relationships. As in "pradhAna pumsOrajayO: kAraNam kAryabhUtayO:" even the prakriti and puruSha, in relation to the God, become His effects only. As in "yata: prasUtA jagata: prasUtI toyEna jIvAn visasarja bhUmyAm", the secondary causes prakriti and puruSha in turn caused 'mahat' 'ahankAra' etc. From them followed the 'anDams' or the galaxies. From the brahmA who resides in that 'anDam' as the cause, came the four types of creatures like devas etc, and their enjoyables, enjoying implements and the enjoying places (bhogya bhogopakaraNa bhogasthAna). Thus, for all the multitude of secondary and tertiary causes, the sarveshvara stands as the primary cause.

(kAryANAm kAraNam) when this is interpreted to mean a special place (paramapadam) instead of feet, then just as prakriti is an eternal qualification for the God, and therefore it was named as the cause of the universe, so also, paramapadam being His eternal qualification, and existing earlier, can be indicated as the primary cause. This states the eternality of the paramapadam. This is seen from quotations like "tadakSharE paramE vyOman" and "kalangAp peru naharam".

(vachasAm vAchyam uttamam) For all the words that are laukikam (worldly) and vaidikam (religious and ritualistic) the prime indication is the God. Consider quotations like "anEna jIvEnAtmanA anupravishya nAmarUpE vyAkaravANi", "tatsrushTvA tadEvAnuprAvishat", "satyanchAnritancha satyamabhavat" for supporting this. The brahmasUtram "charAchara vyapAshrayastu syAttadvyapadEshO bhAkta: tadbhAva bhAvitvAt" also says that God alone is the primary indication of all words. Therefore, among the created things, including the various worshippable gods, including the worshipper human beings and including all the fauna and flora (tiryak sthAvara) which are the worshipping implements, the God resides as the in-dwelling divine soul.

When (vachasAm vAchyamuttamam) is taken to point to a place, then it indicates the greatness and primordealness of the paramapadam as seen in "paramE vyOman" and "tani yulaku".

(yogAnam paramAm siddhim) Yogas like jnAnayoga bhaktiyoga etc are also employed as means for liberation. It is distinct from the "liberation from samsara" which is bestowed by the grace of the Lord Himself as seen in "tvAmEva sharaNam prApya nistaranti manIShiNa:". This points to the divine feet which are unlimitedly enjoyable. Besides, the place is also unlimitedly enjoyable as in "nalam antamilladOr nAdu".

(tE paramam padam) The feet and/or the abode of incomparable enjoyability (niratishaya bhogyam) of that Lord who is the cause of all, who is indicated by all words, and who is attainable by all the means is meant by the word "paramam padam".

(vidu:) people who excelled in knowledge, have understood so. Those who have understood that there exists a land which is eternal, superior to prakriti, and is excessively enjoyable, and that in that land, as in "shriyA sArdham jagatpati: ...AstE", He resides with an excellent, magnificent, special form, are really knowers of everything that is to be known, and have verily grasped, as a fruit on hand, the summary purport of all vedantas. Seeing the smallness of an aspirant and His own autocracy (svAtantryam), He bestows without being asked for, the specialities of this world in order to allow him to go there (paramapadam) after knowing his intentions. As an example, if one has a lemon in his hand and another extols the virtues of that lemon, then the first one, if he were liberal, would give away that lemon to the other, knowing his intentions.

If the frst slokam is the summary, then this slokam is the description of the word "mahApuruSha".