MoondrAm thiruvandhAdhi- avatharikai-4

Sri Parthasarathi thunai
Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha
Srimad Vara Vara MunayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha 

Lakshanas (Characteristics) of Parabhakthi, ParajnAna and Paramabhakthi

ThirukkOvaloor Ayan

First Lakshana:

Parabhakthi – the aspiration to see the form, attributes etc of the supreme lord;

ParajnAnam – Seeing the above;

Paramabhakthi – the aspiration to enhance and sustain the divine anubhavams (experiences);

Second Lakshana:

Parabhakthi- experiencing happiness while in union with the lord and sorrow while in separation;

ParajnAnam- feeling of being in union always like in paramapadam (“andhamil pErinbhaththu adiyarOdu erundhamai- thiruvaimozhi 10-9-11)

Paramabhakthi – In the absence of such anubhavam struggling like a fish out of water unable to sustain;

On looking closely the above two lakshana’s seem to be similar.  For those who practice the ways of reaching the lord (sadhanas) as prescribed in the sastras the above stages can be attained only during mukthi (ultimate bliss)but in the case of azhvar’s who were blessed with the divine grace of the supreme lord (mayarvara madhi nalam) they reached the stages of parabhakthi, parajnAna and paramabhakthi while in this world.  On the same lines, our revered acharyas also pray to the lord to bless them with “parabhakthi, parajnAna and parabhakthi” naturally by his divine grace (sharanagathi gadyam)

The same is declared as Jnanam, dharshanam and prApthi by the sastras.  “jnAthum drashtum cha tatvEna pravEstum cha” (geetha 11-54) declares geethacharyan.  “sanjyAyathE sandrushyathE vApyadhigamyathE” (Vis.pu.6-5-57) says Sri Parasara bhagavan.

Why did the three azhvars start their 3 divine works with “vaiyam thagali” “anbE thagali” and “thirukkandEn”?

As per the words of amudhanAr “varuththum puravirul mARRa”-era.nU.8,  to establish that this world belongs to one and the only paramapurushan sriman Narayanan and not to the illusionary ownership of the other devathas,  Poigaiyazhvar removed the darkness of ignorance by lighting the lamp comprising of earth as the basal lamp, ocean as the ghee and sun as the flame.

“anbE thagali”: “eraivanai kAnum  edhayaththirulkeda”-er.nU.9 [Darkness inside the heart that prevents us from seeing the supreme lord]

BhoodhathAzhvar removed all the confusions and misconceptions inside our heart by lighting a lamp of love, involvement and knowledge to make the athma to glitter inside (athma is svayam prakasakam, that which can be seen with its own light.)

Thereby due to the removal of the outer and inner darknesses by the above two azhvArs, peyazhvar visualized the lord and sang “ThirukkandEn”

“manniya pErirul mAndapin kOvalul mAmalarAL

  tannOdu mAyanai kaNdamai kAttum tamizh talaivan” – er. nU.10

[After the well settled darkness was removed, tamizh talaivan (peyAzhvar) showed Sriman Narayana (person with astonishing activities (mAyan) along with one who is on top of a lotus flower (sri)) in thirukOvaloor as envisaged by him]

Azhvar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam
Jeeyar thiruvadigalE sharNam