7/27/2019 Vedamum pasuramum

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Alwars of vaishnava sampradayam have praised lord Vishnu in their poems in caste tamil. In fact therenderings in the pasurams are said to be the essence of Vedas. While Vedas are meant for eruditescholars knowing Sanskrit, pasurams are meant for layman who knows tamil. Vedic philosophy isrendered in chaste tamil in pasuram. To quote the following in praise of tamil pasurams, as under:

We the human beings are caught up in the cycle of births and deaths. Salvation is the release fromthis cycle and attainment of moksham. For this, one must understand the Artha Panchakam, whichcomprises five doctrines the nature of jeevAtmA, the nature of ParamAtmA, the means to reachHim, the obstacles that arise in attaining our goal and finally the nature of moksham. These fivedoctrines are woven splendidly by AndAl in Her ThiruppAvai.

We have seen so far that the very nature of the jeevAtmA is to perform kainkaryam to SrimannArAyanan and to His enjoyment. Only in Vaikunta, a jeevAtmA can obtain this kainkaryam and actaccording to its nature without any interruption. Thus the foremost question would now be How do

we attain mOksham and perform kainkaryam without any interruption?. In todays posting we willfind the answer to this burning question which is based on SwAmi Desikans Rahasya Traya sAram.

We get an indication of the means to reach Him when we read the stories of Gajendra, Vibishana andDraupadi. The famous Krishna Charama Sloka of Bhagavad Gita emphatically declares Hisdetermination for delivering us once we surrender to Him at His lotus feet as per His command. Hepromises that He will rid us from all pApa (which incidentally includes punyA as well sarvapApebhyO) and enable us to reach mOkshA (mOkshayishyAmi). He gives reassurance (mA suchah)to all who surrender to Him. The sloka itself is not a secret; however its esoteric meaning is a secret.Hence it has to be learnt under a proper achAryA.

Lord KrishnAalso says mAm ekam. He declares that He is the means (upAya) and is also the objectof attainment. Sriman nArAyanA who is the only means, is pleased when a jeevAtmA performsSaranAgati (prapatti which is the easiest way ) and grants mOksham.NammAzwAr in ThiruvAimozhi (5-7,8,9 and 10) affirms what sAstrAs talk about the means formOksham. In 5-7-3, he fervently asserts that he does not need any technique or any person exceptSriman NarAyanA Himself to reach Him.

And again in 5-7-7 he proclaims that Sriman NarAyana Himself enslaved him through His benigngrace and requests Him to grant His feet and cut the cycle of birth and death.

Thus the reason for ones moksham is the siddha upAyam Sriman nArAyanA. SwAmi DesikA very

beautifully conveys this as. (There is noother refuge for a prpannA other than the mercy of Sriman nArAyanA.

We have already seen in the earlier posts how a person desiring mOksham can perform SaranAgathi(prapatti) and how this prapatti is done with the five accessories (ThiruppAvai Vedamanaithukkum vithu 4) Everyone is eligible to perform prapatti regardless of caste, creed and sex.The only qualifications are a feeling of destituteness lack of mental and physical strength to adoptany other means and seeking Him and only Him as the sole refuge.