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by Sri Vanamamalai Padmanabhan

The twenty ninth pAsuram of thiruppavai precisely spells out the attitude during desired end result. The end result is kainkaryam to emperumAn. What is the attitude during kainkaryam to emperumAn?

The attitude should be only happiness but nothing else. Whose happiness? Our happiness. When does the happiness occur? When empeurmAn becomes happy on the kainkaryam the happiness occurs. This happiness is stressed here.

Any happiness for the soul during the kainkaryam is mentioned here as other desires. Removal of this desire is sought. The happiness SHOULD NOT come up from our kainkaryam but from empeurmAn's happiness from our kainkaryam. This is what is mentioned as "vugappE upEyam". EmperumAn's happiness is our aim. We should not have our own happiness but aim atempeumAn's happiness.

Since, the soul is knowledged and also capable of enjoying happiness, the knowledge may result in enjoyment while doing service to the Lord. This is called shEshatvam. However, being capable of used by the Lord leading to His happiness is called bhOgthrithvam.

This is detailed in AchArya hridhayam sUthram-21 "sEshathva bOghthrithvangaL pOl anREa, pArathantharya bOgyadhaigaL".

A. sEshathvam & bOghthruthvam: The soul has two fundamental characteristics. a. sEshathvam - subservient to the Lord. and b. Being possessed with knowledge (gnAthruthvam). This knowledge results in i. independence( swAthanthriyam) ii. To do acts on its own (karthrithvam) and iii. Enjoy and experience (bhOghthrithvam).

Here the realisation by the soul, that the soul is sub-servient to the Lord is termed as 'sEshathvam'.

B. pArathanthriyam: As seen above the soul is subservient but by its innate nature is also independent and also possessed with the quality of enjoying and experiencing. These are the minus points in the soul being just sub-servient. This is because, while the soul is serving the Lord, it may start enjoying or experiencing the happiness and the independence may lead to start doing service on its own or for its sake. Since, though the independence of the soul is bestowed by the Lord, the soul after having detached the independence, is at its best while doing service to the Lord.

Accordingly, to do acts as desired by the Lord for the enjoyment of the Lord is the ultimate purpose of the service (kainkaryam) to the Lord by the soul. This is termed as being suitable for the service of the Lord for the sake/enjoyment of the Lord. This is termed as 'pArathanthriyam'. Instead of being independent,the soul is like insentient objects while serving the Lord which is 'bhOgyadhai'.

Thus the idea here is to highlight that 'pArathanthriyam' is superior to 'sEshathvam' and 'bhOghyadhai' is suprerior to 'bhoghthruthvam'. This is what is clearly mentioned by the term "maRRAi nam kAmangaL mARRu" in thiruppavai 29.

Azhvar Emperumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam

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