based on the vyakhyanam of Sri Periyavaccan Pillai
by Smt Sumithra Varadarajan

"Bhakthiyinudaya dushkaraiyopAadi prapatti nishtA hetuvAna vishvaasamum Silarukku kittukai aridhAgaiyAle" says Sri PVP in his avadhArikai. We all know that in Kali we people are not capable of doing Karma, Jnana, Bhakthi yogAs to attain the divine feet of the Emperuman. But here Sri Pillai puts forward the fact that the Maha vishvAsam which is essential for prappati (ripened form of bhakthi) is difficult for a few to obtain. At the present juncture the word few must be however changed to many since many lack confidence in the supreme and hence prappati and bhakthi are not done by many. So the Vishnu dharmam and following its footsteps Thirumaalai detail about the easiest way to attain bhagavan, nAma Sankeertanam. All types of yOgas are explained by paramatma in his Bhagavat geetha. But there is no use learning Vedanta alone when nothing is put into practice. We find many vEdantins who talk a lot in public but do not possess that vairakhyam, they preach and hence he will not be a Jyana Yogi though he knows a lot about Jyana Yoga. Anybody can say, body is different from atma and that atma cannot be affected due to fire rain etc. but can they really bring it to practice is what is essential and only when they have it in anushtanam (practice) what ever they preach will be accepted by others.

While talking about this we remember two persons who really practiced what they preached. Once when Vivekananda was delivering a lecture in Chicago about body and soul, one person wanted to test how much of his preaching did he really put into practice. So the next day, when Sri Vivekananda was delivering his lecture, the man shot at the stage. But Vivekandanda kept on lecturing unaffected by the sound of the shot. Then the person apologized and accepted that vivekananda actually practiced what he preached. Is it possible for us? I know many of us will say a big no. In our Acharya paramparai, all of us know of thirumalai anantAzhvan one of Sri Ramanuja's dear shishyas. Once a snake bit him and his shisyas were frightened and wanted to take him to a doctor immediately but Sri ananthAzhvan replied that his body itself was like a snake with poison spread throughout and now another snake has bitten it. We will see which snake is more powerful. If the snake which bit was more powerful then I will continue my kainkaryam to paramapadanAthan in Srivaikundam and if the snake(body) which got bitten is more powerful then my kainkaryam to Lord Venkateshwara will continue. Such was the vairAkhyam of our Acharyas. Such vairAkhyams is not at all possible to common man. So Jnana yoga is impossible for us.

For Karma yoga we need Acharam and again we do not possess that too. So nothing can be made Ishwararpanam(for the sake of god) and we are all selfish so again karma yoga is also difficult. Ok if all these are not possible then emperuman gives us a simpler way. He says do bhakthi or Prappati in my feet as he says "Mam Ikam Sharanam Vraja"(charama slokam). But again for this mahA vishvAsam is absolutely necessary. We should believe that we are incapable and emperuman is alone capable of anything and everything. That again is not easy since we never believe anyone and leaving our ego and falling under some ones feet is highly impossible for we jeevatmas. Prahladan had that mahA vishvAsam even when he was put in fire, when he was pushed down a mountain. But we samsaris loose confidence even if we face a small problem. We start saying things like why does this happen to me inspite of my prayers to the bhagavan? If bhagavan was really there then will this happen to me? and so on. Emperuman says "Ananyat chintayantOmam………..Yogakshemam Vahanmyaham" do we really follow him but instead we expect him alone to take care of our affairs and make our life very smooth.

During Sri Ramanuja's time one Srivaishnava was shouting in front of the thirumadapalli(temple kitchen) of Srirangam temple. Acharya enquired what his problem was. He said that he was a kainkaryaparan(person who does kainkaryam to bhagavan) in the temple. Till today he got prasAdam from the temple and was feeding his family. Now that his family has increased in size the prasAdam was not enough and so he was demanding for more prasAdam. Sri Ramanuja asked him if he believed in namperumal. The srivaishnava replied that he believed Acharyan more. Then Aacharya said, then go and stay in your place and you will get your prasAdam. After this incident Acharya went to have darshan of emperuman and completely forgot about the incident. After some days he met the srivaishnava in the banks of kAveri in front of a small hut. Now Acharya asked him how was his living going on for which the srivaishnava replied that by the grace of the Acharyan and emperuman he was fine with the prasAdam being delivered to him by the person, who was appointed by the Acharya everyday. Ethirajar was totally surprised to hear this as he hasn't appointed anyone. After enquiring he realized that the person who was doing this job was none other than Periya perumal himself. He has come to keep up the words of his Bhakthan(Ramanujar) who told the srivaishanava that he will get his prasAdam if he stays in his own place. This is how emperuman also keeps up his words "Yogakshemam vahanmyaham". But again here the srivaishavan had the mahA vishvAsam that the Acharya's word will never go wrong. That is why emperuman came to give fruit to his mahA vishvAsam. In our sampradayam we regard Acharya vishvAsam more essential than the bhagavat vishvAsam.

So by the above it is proved even bhakthi or prappati which is considered easier to the other yOgas is difficult for us in the present situation. So Thondaradipodi Alwar in this prabhandam highlights the importance of nAma Sankeetanam which can be done by one and all. Since this needs no Acharam, anushtanam or anyother qualification. This can be done by any person of any caste and creed and any gender. This can be done at any time. As Thirumangai alwar in Periya thirumozhi says "Tunjum pOdhu azhaimin tuyarvaril ninaimin tuyarileer sollilum nandram"(1-1-10). He says chant the nArAyana nAmam even when you are sleepy and think of it when you are in some danger and say it even when you are happy and do not have any miseries. So there is no restrictions for Thirunaama Keertanam. Moreover even if we say the Bhagavan nAmA to tease someone or without knowing its importance it still gives you the palan. Like a medicine which gives cure to a disease for those who know its effect well and those who do not know it equally, similarly bhagavan nAmA also gives palan equally to all. "Sanketyam Paarihasyam va stoham helanamevavA" says Srimad Bhaagavatam. Some people tease a bhagavatan by saying see there govinda! govinda! is going or if something is lost then they say govindA govinda. According to bhaagavatam even to those people the Govinda nAma gives palan. Emperuman tries to add good points to the jeevatmAs so that he can help them in someway. So even if we do it without knowing we ultimately attain the palan. That is why our Acharyas recommend saying bhagavan nAma loudly so that it will be heard by others and they will also get benefitted.

"EvvAzhvAr eppadipatta thirunAmaththile ezhindavar AgayAle aththirunAma vaibhavaththai pEsugirAr epprabhandhaththile" says PVP in his avadArikai. Since Sri Thondaradipodi Alwar was immersed in the bhagavan nAmam, he talks about the same in his prabhandam also. We will conclude the introduction in the next posting and proceed to the excellent meanings of the paasurams.