Artha Panchakam

Swami Deshikan is considered to be an incarnation of the divine bell of Sri Venkateshwara Swami of Tirumalai. Swami Deshikan was born here in Tooppul to Sri Anantha Suri and Devī Totaramba. By birth, Swami Deshikan was named Veṅkaṭanātha. When Swami Deshikan was just five years of age, he was taken by his maternal uncle, Kidambi Appular, to attend a discourse by Nadadhoor Ammal, a revered Sri Vaishṇava Scholar at the time.

As soon as Nadadhoor Ammal saw Veṅkaṭanātha, he saw a divine radiance in the child and stopped the lecture that he was delivering to hug the child affectionately. After this, when Nadadhoor Ammal said that he had forgotten where he had finished his discourse, Veṅkaṭanātha reminded him as to where he had stopped his lecture. This act astonished the crowd as they had never seen a five-year-old boy comprehend the deep intricacies of philosophical knowledge that was being discussed.

It was then that Nadadhoor Ammal predicted and blessed Veṅkaṭanātha that he, in the future, would become the torch-bearer to spread Sri Vaishṇavism everywhere.

At each place, he composed many different works in languages such as Tamil, Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Manipravala (a mixture of Sanskrit and Tamil) that revealed his ingenuity creativity, logic, linguistic expertise, devotional fervor, and erudite scholarship.

Some of his greatest works include:

1) Hayagrīva Stotram

2) Sudarshana Ashtakam

3) Pādukā Sahasram

4) Abhītistavam

5) Achyuta Shatakam

6) Dayā Shatakam

7) Haṃsa Sandesham

8) Sri Stuti

9) Yādavābhyudayam

10) Kamasikashatakam

The Artha Panchakam, composed by Swami Deshikan, is a set of 11 Pāsurams dedicated to Sri Varadaraja Perumāl of Kanchipuram. The 11 Pāsurams are assigned to two of each of the five doctrines or truths of the Artha Panchakam.

The five doctrines discussed are as follows:

The Svarūpam of Parabrahman.

The Svarūpam of the jeevaathma.

The obstacles that prevent us from reaching Paramapadam

The means to moksham: Bhakti and Prapatti

The supreme goal of Bhagavat Anubhavam

Now, we will examine each of the 11 Pāsurams and understand their meaning.

Amalan aviyAtha-sudar aLavillaa-AarAmudham

amala uru guNangaL aNi aayudhangal adiyavarkaL

amala azhiyAtha nahar azhinthu yezhum kaavudan yellAm

Kamalayudan arasALum Karigiri mERk-KaavalanaE … 1

Meaning:

Svarūpam of Parabramham

This samsaaram is a karma bhumi. The Lord plays a sport of distributing karma-phalam to the aathma as per what it had accumulated through the course of its janmam. There are no limits to the Lord's auspicious gunas. He has "Svarūpa-Niroopaka Viseshanam and Niroopita-Svarūpa Viseshanam" among his gunas. Viseshanam is a distinctive characteristic that sets Him apart from others.

The Svarūpa Niroopaka Guṇas are five in number:

Satyatvam: He is invariant at all times.

Jnatatvam: His knowledge is eternal.

Anantatvam: He is present everywhere at all times.

Anandatvam: His presence brings out eternal bliss.

Amalatvam: He is the only one who is blemishless.

uLLa poruL anaitthukkum uruva nilai karumangaL

teLLisaivin vasamAkkit-thihazhnthu uyirAi uRaihinRAn

naLL iruL theertthu adiyavarkku nalam kodukkum ThiruvudanE

VaLLal AruLALar yenum VaaraNa veRppu IRayavanE … 2

Meaning:

Everything in creation is under the control of the Lord's Saṅkalpam.

Attigiri Nathan and Perundevi Tāyār pervade in all objects of creation and control them by their will. The Lord will sever all the bonds of samsaram for those who perform sharanagati and will grant them moksham.

BhUtha vudal pulankaL manam pul aavi punthi yenum

yAthum alanAi ilahi yaann yenum inn nuNN aRivAi

chEthananAi adimaiyumAmm yuirkellAm tiNNuyirAi

theethal inRi thihazhum Seer Athtigiri Thirumaal … 3

Meaning:

Svarūpam of jeevaathma.

The Pancha-bhutas, the senses, the mind, prana, and jnana constitute the body. This is distinctly different from the jeevaathma. The jeevaathma is of a diminutive size, and it differs from one body to another. The only aspect that is common to all jeevaathmas is the property of being a servant to the Lord.

taan adaittha guNam karuvi tamm girisai vazhi ozhukki

oon yedutthu uNDu umizhnthu uzhalum yuirkku yellAm uyirAhi

kaan nadatthi Kamalayudan kaNDuhanthu viLayAdym

tEn yeduttha solaihaL soozh Thiru AtthiyUrAnE … 4

Meaning:

The Lord witnesses how the jeevaathma enjoys the karma-phalam that was provided.

As seen in the first Pāsuram, the Lord distributes the karma-phalam to every jeevaathma. As the jeevaathma begins to experience the karma-phalam, it begins to detest it, and desires start to occupy the body. Due to this desire, the jeevaathma is sent continuously back into the ocean, known as samsara, to fulfill its desires. Perarulalan, along with Perundevi Tāyār, enters the jeevaathmas and bears witness to how the jeevaathma enjoys its karma-phalam.

uyyum uRavu isayAthE otthavarkkE adimayumAi

poy uruvai tamakku yERRip-pulan koNDa payanE koNDu

iyuRavum aar iruLum al-vazhiyum adainthavarkkE

meyyaruL seythidum ThirumAl vEzha malai MEyavanE … 5

Meaning:

The Moksha Virodhi

The jeevaathma does not remember its inherent, inescapable links to the Lord and unfortunately, gets associated with another bonded jeevaathma. The jeevaathma starts to engage itself in trivial pleasures because it cannot recall the difference between itself and the body in which it is temporarily stationed. Such a jeevaathma fails to find the right Āchārya and is therefore full of arrogance and ignorance. The jeevaathma feels agony and engages itself in inauspicious activities.

The Lord feels pity for such jeevaathmas and opens up a path to find the right Āchārya and re-engage in bhakti so that it may qualify for sharanagati and prapatti, thus allowing the Lord to liberate it from its cycle of birth and death.

vidhai muLayin nyAyatthAl adi illA vinai adaivE

sathai udala nAlvahaikkum saraNamaLIppAn yenat-thihazndhu

padhavi aRiyAthu pazham pAzhil uzhalhinRArkku

sithaivu ill aruL tarum Thiru AtthinaharAnE … 6

Meaning:

The bondages of Samsaaram and Karma

The Lord protects and blesses all jeevaathmas, showing them ways of redemption, leading them to moksham and freedom from being reborn as either Deva, Manushya, Thiyak, and Sthavara. He showers his grace eternally, leading it to moksham. vidhai muLayin nyAyam refers to an age-old debate/question. What came first, the seed or the plant? This is hard to tell.

Similarly, our Āchāryas raised the question of what came first, the body or the karma-phalam? The answer that was decided was that both karma and the body are intertwined, as whatever karma the previous vessel of the aathma performed, so that it would reap the karma-phalam leading into the next vessel. Thus, both karma and body are timeless and ancient. This was the conclusion that our Āchāryas arrived at.

yama niyama aasanangaL iyal aavi pulanadakkam

tamathu aRiyum dhAraNaikaL tArai aRA ninaivu ozhukkam

samam udaya samAdhi nalam sAthippArkku ilakku aahum

amarar thozhum Atthigiri ambhyutthAL AaramudhE … 7

Meaning:

Bhakti and Prapatti Upayam

The Lord severs all the bonds of Samsaram for those who practice bhakti-yogam in its totality along with its eight angams. The eight angams of bhakti-yogam are mentioned as follows:

(1) Yamam ( ahimsa, Sathyam, non-stealing, control of Kaamam et al.)

(2) Niyamam ( Parisuddhi, Satisfaction with what one has, the performance of

vratham/tapas, efforts at Vedantha Paricchayam, Saathvika Thyagam )

(3) Aasanam ( Yogic postures like Padhmasanam)

(4) Pranayamam ( Control of Breath)

(5) PrathyAhAram ( Control of senses & Turning them away

from the worldly sukhams and temptations)

(6) Dharanai( Imprint of Bhagavān's Tirumeni in one's mind)

(7) Dhyanam ( uninterrupted meditation of the Lord)

(8) Samadhi ( reaching a state of anubhavam through dhyAnam,

wherein the performer feels that he is seeing the Lord directly).

One can attain moksham by opting for either bhakti-yoga or by performing sharanagati at the feet of an Āchārya.

puhal ulahil illAthu ponnaruL kaNDu uRRavaRkkum

ahalahilA anbarkkum anRE TannaruL kodutthup-

pahalathanAl pazham kangul vidivikkum PankayatthAL

ahalahilEn yenRu uRayum Atthigiri aruL muhilE … 8

Meaning:

Elaboration on Prapatti

Attigiri Nathan is compared to a dark cloud in the rainy season, full of water, ready to shower at any time. Similarly, the Lord is a cloud of daya and karunai. Those who perform prapatti to the Lord shall forever feel the grace of the Lord showering over them. Before performing prapatti at the feet of the Lord, it is necessary first to seek permission at the feet of Mahālakshmī to help us successfully perform prapatti at the Lord's feet.

iru vilangu vidutthu iruntha siRai vidutthOr naadiyinAl

karu nilankaL kadakkum vazhi kAvalarAl kadatthuvitthup-

perunilam kaNDu uyir uNarnthu piriyAmal aruL seyyum

uru nalam koNDu uRum ThiruvOdu uyar AtthigiriyAnE … 9

Meaning:

Elaboration on Moksha Svarūpam

Mahālakshmī has roopam and kalyana gunams. These allow Her to stay eternally with the Lord. When one performs sharanagathi to the Lord, the jeevaathma becomes capable of entering Sri Vaikuṇṭham and forgetting the burdens of the Achiraadi Margam. Paapam and Punyam bind to the jeevaathma before performing sharanagathi. Once Sharanagathi is completed, neither paapam nor punyam can link with the aathma, as the Lord offers a permanent place by His holy feet for all eternity.

Tamm ThirumAthudanE thAmm tani arasAy uRaihinRa

antham ilA pEr inbatthil adiyavarOdu yemai sErtthu

munthi izhanthana yellAm muhizhhikka tanthu aatkoLLum

antham ilA aruLAzhi Atthigirit-ThirumAlE … 10

Meaning:

Gaining of Sarva Kainkaryam during Moksham

The Lord and Mahālakshmī eternally rule over Sri Vaikuṇṭham. When the Lord grants moksham to any jeevaathma, He turns the jeevaathma into a mukthaathma, giving them a place alongside the Nitya-Sooris and other fellow mukthaathmas, allowing the mukthaathma to perform kainkaryam to the Lord eternally.

Ayan paNiyum Atthigiri AruLALar adiyiNai mEl

nayankaL seRi Kacchi nagar nAnnmaRayOr nallaruLAl

payankaL ivai anaitthum yenap-paNDuraitthAr padi uraittha

viyan kalaikaL yeerainthum vEdhiyarkku iniyanavE …11

Meaning:

Phala Stuti

This prabhandham was created in tune with the upadesams of Poorva Āchāryas and has been realized with the anugraham of Parama Bhagavathas, who have the good fortune of enjoying the dhivya soundharyam and Kalyana gunams of Lord Varadarajan, who presides over Atthigiri. Only Mahans with the familiarity of the meanings of Vedams can relate to them and enjoy the sweetness of the implications of these Paasurams.