SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
ஸ்ரீ முமுக்ஷுப்படி மூலமும், மாமுனிகள் வ்யாக்யானமும் …..
sUthram – 1
முமுக்ஷுவுக்கு அறிய வேண்டும் ரஹஸ்யம் மூன்று.
mumukshuvukku aRiya vENdum rahasyam mUnRu.
Simple meaning: All mumukshus (those who want moksha) should know 3 secrets.
vyAkyAnam:
mumukshu is one who is desirous of attaining liberation. “muchl mOkshaNE” is the root for the samskritham word. That would refer to an individual soul who has the desire for relief from this worldly life, samsAram. Though a person interested in self realisation is also desirous of liberation, he is not referred to here, as he has no interest in knowing the three esoteric secrets. So, lOkAchAryar refers here to the person who has desire in relief from this cycle of life through love for nArAyaNan. For such a person it is mandated that he knows the three secrets because he has to know
- The true nature (of himself – AthmA svarUpam),
- The means (for mOksha) and
- The end goal (purushArtham – mOksha).
These three secrets, esoteric manthras, explain these concepts as they are, and so they are a must.
“sva gyAnam prApaka gyAnam prApya gyAnam mumukshubhi: |
gyAnathrayam upAdhEyam Ethadh anyath na kinchana ||” says SAsthram (one who desires liberation should have knowledge about AthmA, knowledge about the means (to achieve liberation) and knowledge about the end result. Only knowledge about these three entities is fit to be accepted). Therefore, lOkAchAryar considers them as rahasya thrayam, esoteric concepts (manthram). It becomes clear as we proceed further that he considers thirumanthram, dhvayam and charama SlOkam as the three confidential concepts. He calls them rahasya, confidential concepts as they delineate the entire gamut of vEdhAntha sAra and so exclusively confidential to be known by deserving persons, as desired knowledge. So, by this sentence he defined the person fit for the knowledge and the desired knowledge to be acquired by him.
sUthram – 2
Introduction: Now, of the three confidential esoteric secrets, which is the first? In order to enlighten this aspect he says, “thirumanthram is the first confidentiality among them”.
adhil prathama rahasyam thirumanthram.
அதில் ப்ரதம ரஹஸ்யம் திருமந்த்ரம்.
Simple meaning: The first amongst them is thirumanthram (ashtAksharam).
vyAkyAnam:
Of the three esoteric secrets, the first and foremost to be known is the thirumanthram as it generates the discretionary knowledge to know what is to be given up and what is to be attained by this aspiring individual. It is only for him who realises the vitality of exclusive servitude to the lord (ananyArha SEshathvam), exclusive surrender to him (ananya SaraNathvam), and exclusive enjoyability (ananya bhOgyathvam) to him, that the yearning for the means (upAya) and goal (upEya), which are explained by the other two confidential manthrams, is generated. Thus, there is no shortcoming in saying that thirumanthram which explains the real nature of the soul is the primary confidential secret to be known. Also, just as the remaining part of thirumanthram is the explanation for praNavam, dhvayam is the explanation for the remaining part of thirumanthram and charama SlOkam is the explanation for dhvayam. This way also, thirumanthram gains its primacy. It is for these reasons that he has described it as the foremost secret, prathama rahasyam. “manthAram thrAyathE ithi manthra:” so goes the saying which would mean that by the power of the Sabdha (sound) and artha (enlightenment of the meaning) , it protects the person who practices it. It protects those who perform rituals by the power of sound and those who surrender unto him as sole means and goal (upAya, upEya) by the power of meaning.
As SrI parAsara bhattar says
dhEhAsakthAthma budhdhir yadhi bhavathi padham sAdhu vidhyAth thruthIyam
svAthanthryAndhO yadhi syAth prathamam ithara SEshathvadhIschEdh dhvithIyam
AthmathrANa unmukhaSchchen nama ithi cha padham bhAndhavAbhAsa lOla:
Sabdham nArAyaNAkhyam vishaya chapala dhISchEth chathurthIm prapanna
देहासक्तात्मबुद्धिर्यदि भवति पदं साधु विध्यात् तृतीयम्
स्वातन्त्र्यान्धो यदि स्यात् प्रथमं इतरशेषत्वधीश्चेद् द्वितीयम् |
आत्मत्राणोन्मुखश्चेन्नम इति च पदं बान्धवाभासलोल:
शब्दं नारायणाख्यं विषयचपलधीश्चेत् चतुर्थीम् प्रपन्न ||
தே3ஹாஸக்தாத்ம புத்3தி4ர் யதி3 ப4வதிபத3ம் ஸாது4 வித்4யாத் த்ருதீயம் ஸ்வாதந்த்ர்யாந்தோ4 யதி3 ஸ்யாத் ப்ரத2மம் இதரசேஷத்வதீ4ச்சேத்3 த்3விதீயம் I
ஆத்மத்ராண உந்முக2ஶ்சேந்நம இதி ச பத3ம் பா3ந்த4வாபா4ஸலோல: ஶப்த3ம் நாராயணாக்2யம் விஷய சபலதீ4ஶ்சேத் சதுர்த்தீ2ம் ப்ரபந்ந II
The manthram looks after the ponderer by ridding him of the delusion of body as soul, vainly remaining independent of emperumAn, dependence on beings other than him, trying to save oneself by self attempts, contacts with vagrant persons, and desire in sensory objects.
sUthram – 3
Introduction: Now in aphorism 3, lOkachAryar, with a view to describing in detail the greatness of this manthram (thirumanthram), first explains its uniqueness by detailing how to chant it.
திருமந்த்ரத்தினுடைய சீர்மைக்குப் போரும்படி ப்ரேமத்தோடே பேணி அநுஸந்திக்கவேணும்.
thirumanthraththinudaiya SIrmaikkup pOrumpadi prEmaththOdE pENi anusandhikka vENum.
Simple meaning: thirumanthram has be to recited with great respect and love that it deserves.
vyAkyAanam: The unique greatness of thirumanthram is that it is the gist of all vEdhams as said in vruddhahArIthasmruthi 6-48 “ruchO yajUmshi sAmAni thathaiva AtharvaNAnicha sarvam ashtAksharAnthastham”, explains all the esoteric concepts as said in periya thirumozhi 8-10-3 “maRRellAm pEsilum“; and among the manthrams it is supreme, among the most secret concepts it is the utmost secret, among the sacred manthrams it is the most sacred as said by nAradhIya kalpam ashtAkshara brahmavidhyai 1-11:
manthrANAm paramO manthrO guhyAnAm guhyam uththamam
pavithram cha pavithrANAm mUla manthras sanAthana:
मन्त्राणां परमो मन्त्रो गुह्यानां गुह्यमुत्तमम् |
पवित्रं च पवित्राणां मूलमन्त्र: सनातन: ||
மந்த்ராணாம் பரமோ மந்த்ரோகு3ஹ்யாநாம் கு3ஹ்யமுத்தமம்
பவித்ரம் ச பவித்ராணம் மூலமந்த்ரஸ்ஸநாதந:
Due to such emphasis on this manthram, it deserves to be chanted with great love, diligence. Instead of caviling, one should be blissful and devout, chanting it away from the earshot of non believers as stated by ”manthram yathnEna gOpayEth”. Since it is indicated to be chanted in this manner, it appears that we cannot chant it in any other manner.
adiyen sadagopa ramanuja dasan
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