27 December 2021, Plava varusha, Margazhi -12, Monday ;
SLOKA-24: SAASTHRIYA NIYAMANADHIKARAM: THE 17TH CHAPTER OF SRTS. PRAPANNAN NOT TRANSGRESSING THE LORD’S SAASTHRAS
MEANING: We the PrapannAs follow unswervingly the directions of the SaasthrAs and perform Bhagavath Kaimkaryam to attain the status equivalent to the Nithyasooris. In this dark night of SamsAram, where our ajn~Anam grows rapidly, we have no agents to banish that darkness except the cool light of the Vedams. BhagavAn uses the PramANams of Vedams to develop His Saasthrams to define the auspicious and the inauspicious. We follow therefore those Saasthrams to become like the famed nithyasooris. The key passage of this Paasuram is: “Nilam aLanthAn ithu nanRu,ithu theeyathu yenRu nadatthiya nAnn maRayAl anbhudai vAnOr nilayil ninRanam” (The Lord who measured the Universe during His ThrivikramAvathAram showed us the right and wrong way through His SaasthrAs rooted in the VedAs. We followed them faithfully and have been blessed to reach the status of Nithyasooris in performing our kaimkaryams).
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: The upadEsams of BhAshyakArar will help us understand and follow the ways prescribed by the SaasthrAs. Saasthram is the hand lamp in this samsAric world filled with the darkness of ajn~Anam. The Prapannan following the way prescribed by the Lord’s SaasthrAs should be vigilant about three beliefs:
(1) SrI VaishNavAs are anukoolars (Friends)
(2) Bhagavath virOdhis are prathikoolars (Foes)
(3) SamsAris who are indifferent to the Lord are in-between. When a Prapannan meets SrI VishNavAs, he should be delighted as when he experiences bhOgya vasthus. When he comes across Bhagavath virOdhis, he should have fear and disgust as when he meets a snake and the visha janthus. When an indifferent samsAri comes his way, the Prapannan should treat them like worthless objects like (e.g.) a blade of grass or a broken tile. These are the ways shown by the SaasthrAs.
There are two kinds of Kaimkaryams classified by the SaasthrAs: (1) Aj~nA Kaimkaryam like ThrikAla SandhyAvandhanam and other nithya karmAs. If one does not perform them, we incur the wrath of the Lord (2) anuj~nA kaimkaryams like pushpa kaimkaryam to the Lord. If one does not perform them, there are no sins accumulated. If one performs them, one can get their fruits. Improper performance of even anuj~nA kaimkaryam can result in pApams.
Courtesy: Oppiliappan koil Sri. V. Sadagopachariar
