5/1/2015 was the day of Pasuram-21 beginning “ Eetra kalangal “ and Ubha Ve Adoor Asuri Madhavachariar swami began the upanyasam by saying that this pasuram talks about the qualifications one needs to take prappathi. The realization that we have no qualifications is the only requirement for saranagathi. “I am not able to do karma yogam, gnana yogam or bhakthi yogam. “ Aakinchinyam (knowing our incapacity) and Ananyagathithvam (no other solace) is the requirement .Akinchinyam is an angam of saranagathi and is the state of helplessness at our inability to do anything. Even after saranagathi aakinchinyam should be present. Swami Desikan in “Nyasa dasakam” underlines the Do’s and Don’t’s to be observed. Aanukulyasaya sankalpam –we will obey your commands to the best of our ability. Prathikulyasya varjanam-we will not do what you dislike. Nitya karmas (sandhya vandanam) and naimitthika karmas will be done for Bhaghavath Preethi and will be done with satvika thyagham. This is the gist of this pasuram.
Thereafter swami took pasuram-17,”Ambarame Thaneere” for analysis. After taking permission of the doorkeepers in the previous pasuram all the gopis enter the palace and wake up Nanda, Yasodha, Krishna and Balarama. Nandagopa used to give clothes ,food and water in charity. Doing annadanam, vastradanam and thaneerdanam gives Perumal darshanam .Thadeearadhanam(feeding srivaishnavas) is considered the greatest danam. Quenching a thirsty person’s thirst by providing water is a holy act. Among vrathams dwadashi vratham is great(paranai done during dwadashi period is considered a vratham),among mantras Gayatri is great and there is no god greater that one’s mother. After Nanda ,Yashoda is woken up. She is famous (yash-fame) as she is Krishna’s mother and is like a lamp for the ayarkulam (the family of cowherds), On seeing Krishna lying down they remember His Trivikramavathara when He measured the three worlds. Ambaram means sky and Krishna pierced a hole in the sky while measuring it. By this act He showed that He was Swami of the gods. Next they wake up Balarama who pulled Hasthinapuram with a plough. He has balam(strength) and His feet are called golden because after He entered Devaki’s womb Krishnavatharam happened. Ambaram is another name for Krishna. In Srimadh Ramayana Vishvamitra asks Dasaratha to send Rama with him to fight the rakshasas who disrupted yaagams and poojas. Dasaratha is shaken at the thought of sending his son a prince who was yet to celebrate his 16th birthday. Vishvamitra tells Dasaratha that the child he is protective about is sakshath Parabrahmam. By this logic Dasaratha is the son of Rama and Nandagopa is Krishna’s son.
The waking up of Nandagopa is waking up of acharyan. Mantra upadesham should be taken from acharyan. We should have1) acharya bhakthi (Nandagopan) ,2) Mantra bhakthi( Yashodha) ,3) Mantra devatha bhakthi(Krishna/Narayana) and Bhaaghavatha bhakthi( Balarama) .Manthra japam should be done after thaniyans are chanted.
Swami Desikan’s interpretation is thus ( Ambarame – Andal being a woman says Am in place of pranavam and addresses Parabrahmam Narayanan) Thaneere shows Thyaga buddhi that is the practice of doing satwika thyagam. There should be Karthruthva thyagam (I did not say or do.) mamatha thyagam (-Karma is not mine): phala thyagam(prayojanam is His). Shrothrendriyas (Our ear ) are meant for listening to His pastimes.Bhaghavan gets preethi (happiness) on hearing His name ,His kshetram . Just remembering Srirangam will lead to moksham. Thyagam can be Tamasic, Rajasic or Satwik. If thyagam is done because of moham or agnanam (ignorance) it is termed tamasic. Not doing karma because it is difficult for the person it is called rajasic. Satvika Thyagam is to do karma and offer the phalam ( outcome)to Perumal. Nithyakarmas should be done till the shariram falls but should be done as Krishnarpanam (an offering to Krishna .)
Swami then took up the fourth pasuram of Tirunedunthandakam .Mantra upadesham is not done in public. It is done by acharyan to shisya. It is rahasyam. Perumal is spoken about in Sanskrit and in Tamil Vedams. Sanskrit and Tamil enjoy equal status and are complementary to each other. “Anthanan “ refers to both Perumal and to Brahmanas who are cool by temperament . Brahmanas have karuna (compassion) and their wealth is Vedams. They love to pursue “Vedadhyayanam”(study Vedams). When a Kshatriya is inspired he conquers territories, When a Vaishya is enthused he tries to create more wealth. Brahmavicharam is done in” The Upanishads”. The Upanishads are the udders of the cow of Vedams. There are two divisions in The Vedas-Karma kandam and Brahma kandam. Perumal exists as Mantram and protects the one who does mantra japam( silent repeating of mantrams for a prescribed number of times). He is sarvagunaparipoornan( epitome of all superior qualities),He is The Lord of all aishwaryams( wealth). He is Aksharan(each syllable of The Vedas represent Him)He is the moon and the moonlight: the sun and the sunlight. He resides in everyone. He is karuna varunalayam(reservoir of all kalyanagunams) .He is Amrith(deathless) and The swami of all chetanas and achetanas. He is Ashtakasharam and its practice is ujeevanam(purposeful) Time is best spent by doing Ashtakshara japam, learning its purport, instigating others to follow the path followed by seeking acharyan and getting initiated. Life thus spent is fruitful on earth and ensures eternal kainkaryam (service) at SriVaikuntam after death.
Writeup & Video : Vyjayanthi & Sundararajan
