- SlOkam 85:
- SlOkam 86:
- SlOkam 87:
simhAdrinAtha! tava vAngmanasAtivrttam
rUpam tu atIndriyam udAha rahasyavANI |
evam ca na tvam iha cet samavAtarishya:
tvat jn~Ana bhakti vidhaya: adya mudhA abhavishyan ||
In this Slokam, KUresar points out that the SAstrams dealing with karmajn~Ana-bhakti yogams would have been rendered ineffective if EmperumAn had not taken the avatArams in this world. This a majestic and insightful observation on avatArams and their relations.
Meaning:
Oh Lord of TirumAlirumcOlai (simhAdrinAtha)! Upanishads (rahasyavANI) have loudly declared (udAha) that Your aprAkrta tirumEni is beyond description and thought and can not be seen by the physical eyes (tava rUpam vAng-manasa ativrttam, atIndriyam). Even with that truism, if You had not appeared on this earth through Your avatArams (evam ca iha adya tvam na samavAtarishya cet), the SAstrAs based on the celebration of Your tirumEni dealing with Karma, jn~Ana and bhakti yogams would have become useless (nirvaishayam-s).
Comments:
avatArams are of four kinds:
- The sAkshAt avatArams like Matsya and KUrma mUrtis
- activities completed by amSa avatArams like ParaSurAma and Veda VyAsa
- Avesa avatArams, where some are empowered through the Sakti of BhagavAn to complete some of His niyamanams (eg.), Puranjayan.
- arcAvatArams in the form of stone (SilA), wood (kAshThA), Panca loka (five metals alloy), citrapaTa, SudA-rekhA-yantra (geometric pattern of mantram), prthvI, jala, vAyu.
The SubhASrayatvam is limited to Matsya-KUrma-nrsimha-rAma-KrshNatrivikrama avatArams. amsa-AveSa avatArams do not have SubhASrayatvam for ArAdhanam. They can not be meditated upon. Without SubhASrayam, divya MangaLa vigraham and Suddha satva maya presence in them, dhyAnam about Him or the Yogam to know Him (jn~Ana yogam), yaj~nam as a subdivision of Karma yogam (devArcana-tapas-tIrtha-dAna-yajn~adis) are not permitted. In that case all these Bhagavat SAstrams would have been rendered ineffective (avishayam and avirasam as Swamy Desikan will point out later). Swamy ParASara BhaTTar followed His father and emphasized this important doctrine in his SrI RangarAjastavam (2.49) and SrI guNaratnakoSam (Slokam 48).
ye bhaktA bhavat eka bhogamanasa: ananyAtma sanjIvanA:
tat samsleshaNa tat virodhi nidhanAdyartham vanAdrISvara:! |
madhye aNDAm yat avAtara: suranarAdyAkAra divyAkrti:
tenaiva tridaSai: narai: ca sukaram svaprArthita prAthanam ||
Vedam reveals the truth about EmperumAn’s avatArams: “ajAyamAno bahudhA vijAyate, sa u SreyAn bhavati jAyamAna:”. He is not born like us due to the influence of accumulated karmAs. He could have accomplished sishTa paripAlanam and dushTa nigraham as well as dharma samrakshNam through His sankalpa balam alone without taking avatArams and coming down to earth and mingling with us. He considers however that the mukhya prayojanam of the avatArams is to come down in person to protect His bhaktAs like Gajendran, PrahlAdan and others. dharma sthApanam becomes Anushankikam (the fruits/ after effects of the sishTa paripAlanam and dushTa nigraham). In all these avatArams, He does not diminish His Sreyas (Vaibhavam as Parama Purushan). He also descends down to mingle with His dear devotees (NammAzhwAr’s) mind and soul (tirumAlirumcOlai vancakkaLvan mAyakkaviyAi vantu en tan nencum uyirum uL kalantu ninRAr).
Meaning:
Oh VanAdriISvara! You incarnate in this earth for mingling and uniting with those, who believe that the only upAyam for their redemption is the Lord and they live only to experience Him (ananyAtma sanjIvanA: bhavat eka bhoga manasa:). You incarnate amidst the devAs and humans with Your aprAkrta tirumEni to protect Your bhaktAs, destroy their enemies and preserve Your dharmams. Your avatArams make it easy for the devAs and humans to seek the boons that they desire.
SrIman mahAvanagiriSa vidhISayo: te
madhye tu vishNu: iti ya: prathamAvatAra: |
tena eva cet tava mahimni janA: kilAndhA:
tvat matsyabhAvam avagamya katham bhaveyu: ||
In this Slokam, KUresar comments on bhagavat dveshis, who play down the vaibhavam of the avatArams of the Lord and pities them.
Meaning:
Oh MahAvana girISa! The Most Auspicious Lord of TirumAlirumcOlai (SrIman)! You appeared in the middle of trimUrtis as VishNu, as the first avatAram. Your Paratvam was established through this first avatAram alone. Those ignorant ones, who play down these avatArams are blind ones, even if they are blessed with eyes. They assume that MatsyAvatAram is nothing but another fish. What a pity!
Comments:
The Lord incarnated in the middle between BrahmA and Sivan (vidhi ISayo: madhye tu vishNu iti te prathamAvatAra:). By that alone Your Paratvam (Supremacy among the other two was established (tena eva tva mahimni sthApitam). Those ignorant ones (sightless ones even though they have been blessed with eyes) sees Your MatsyAvatAram as about one more fish in the ocean.
Source:
Oppiliappan KOil Sri Varadachari SaThakOpan Swami
