Archiradhi of Pillai Lokacharya English Translation by Ms M. S. Ramesh

Chapter 3

The divine couch viz. Adisesha looks snow white. The author says that the body of Adisesha is silver white as of thousands of Moon have been melted while creating Adisesha. He radiates a cool calm air. He is full of Kalyana gunas. He is prepared to do all types of kainkarya i.e. service to God and this sets an example to all kanikarya parars. He is known as Anantha, Sesha, as also Tiruvananthalwan. He has numerous heads only so that he could enjoy Bhagavan to a great extent. He is soft and provides a sented bed to Bhagavan.

The divine couch looks like a silver hill. The precious stones on the hoods ratiate a glow which is equal to the glow of thousand Suns. In that background is seen Goddess Mahalakshmi. Her beautiful scented hair puts to shame even the scent itself. Her eyes are so beautiful that the eyes of Pundarikaksha i.e. Perumal even, occupies only a secondary place. She radiates the beauty of balyam and yowanam. She is so tender and sensitive that if one would have to utter a word, the sound would affect the color of Her body. Such is Her sowkumaryam! She offeres her boyam without any reservation to Perumal so  much so Her bogadasai is said to make the viswaroopa of Perumal look insignificant by comparison. She allots works to various kainkaryadaras. She is the etternal support to all the atmas. She is equal only to God in Her actions and seelaroopa gunas. Seela guna refers sowseelyam i.e. the great quality of being easily approachable and move freely with all levels of people. Roopa guna refers to beauty. Gunas refer to all other qualities. This vision of beauty is seen seated on the right hand side of Perumal.

On the. left hand side are seated Bhoodevi and Neeladevi Bhoodevi has even greater patience and tolerance than Sridevi. She is beautiful beyond description. The three thayars look like three streaks of lightning stalks for the fully blossomed lotus flower viz. Perumal. He looks like a dark rain bearing cloud on the top of the silver hill. His dark hue, virtually overshadows the white silver hill i.e. adisesha.

His Thiru abishekam i.e.  Thirumudi (hair) presents a crown like appearance. It is as if the Thirumukha mandalam i.e.  the forehead has extended its shining brightness upwards and thus establishing beyond doubt that this Perumal is the Master of the ubhaya vibhooti i.e.  leela vibhooti as well as nithya vibhooti (Paramapada Pradanam).  The beauty of the hair, rising up like a crown, the author says, stymies the beauty of all the other beautiful things in the world: The eyes and the minds of those who look at His curly hair themselves become dizzy. When the gentle breeze Wafts, the forelock tantalisingly covers and partly reveals the Thiru narnam (caste mark on the forehead of Perumal).  The author describes this further by saying that the forehead of Perumal is like ashtami chandra i.e. eight day moon. The wafting lock of hair on the forehead is like a arnrutha Dhara i.e. a streak of arnrutha (honey). His hair smells of tulasi - basel leaves. The hair on His head looks as if it is a bunch of "karuvaere" (This karuvaere is a scented root). The author compares the crown like positioning of the hair to the bunch of scented kuru roots!

Passing on to the description of the forehead, the author says, that all those who look at the forehead are consumed by an eternal desire to continue to be looking at that forehead and nothing else! They get lost in admiring that beauty.

He then describes the beauty of the eye brows. He compares it to the sarngam bow held by Perumal. This bow like eye brow is said to be keeping under control the two eyes which look like two lotus flowers.  The two eye balls look like two beetles. In brief, the author says while the eye is the lotus, eye ball is the beetle and the eye brow is bow shaped and keeps under control the eyes! the eyes shower an affectionate kindness i.e., vatsalya on the devotees.  Those who look at the eyes are devoured by the desire to be continuously looking at it. To see those eyes even once creates an unquenchable thirst to be eternally looking at them. Not to see them causes unbearable pangs of separation! those are the eyes which are all the time looking at Mahulakshmi. It controls the Aishwarya of the ubhaya vibhootis. The vedas say that He is "pathin visvaya". But when one sees Him, one does not have to read the vedas, to realise that He is the Lokanatha and Jagatrakshaka. A mere look at the Perumal confirms beyond doubt that He is the master of the entire world i.e. sootradhari. It becomes evident that the Aravindhalochana (lotus eyed) is Sarveswara (Supreme). Those whose mind has enjoyed the beauty of His eyes will not ever like to look at any other beautiful object. The beautiful eyes act as a compelling magnet and makes the devotees stay near him for ever.  Its compelling beauty effortlessly commands all the worlds (Tripath vibhootis). It radiates a calmness. It is dark like the beautiful eyes of Azhagiya Manavalan of Srirangam. To quote Thiruppan Alvar, the eyes are

kariyavaakip putai paranNthu miLirnNthu cevvari yOti nNiiNdavap
periya vaaya kaNkaLennaip pEthamai ceythanavE

The Perumal has a fine chisseled nose.  One wonders whether it i s a tender a karpaga tendril or is it freshly emerged tender leaf of a karpaka creeper? it has a delicate beauty and is pointed and long.. The divine cheeks (divya kannagal) are tender and look like a bunch of tender karpaga leaves (thalir koththu).

While each part of the face is captivatingly beautiful, the serene beautific smile playing on His lips (Manda smitham) enslaves us. It is like a freshly blossomed scented flower (Nava kusumam) queening it in the midst of a bunch of tender leaves. The smile (manda hasam) makes the face shine and glow as if the full moon has lent all its effulgent brightness td the face. In brief, the enigmatic smile enhances the beauty of the face of the Lord (an enigma shrouded in mystery).

The coral like red mouth makes it difficult for us to concentrate on His honey- sweet words (kalva vanchaga varthai i.e., sweet words like what Lord Krishna spoke to Gopikas and made them follow Him like lambs). But the great Lord with the honey- sweet words uttered by His lips is able to way lay our wandering thoughts even as a ship is way laid in the midst of an ocean, He turns our thoughts towards Him and grants us Supreme Bliss. In brief, the author says that the Divine lips is the home for the beautiful "kalva mozhi" i.e., sweet enchanting words which captivate our mind and make us His humble subjects.

The makara kundala i.e., ear drops which adorns His ears is studded with precious stones.  When He moves His head, they create a gentle musical sound. What is more the bright shining glow of the precious stones in the kundala get deflected by the frontiers of the ashta disas (eight directions) and rebounds on the face of Perumal and enhances His Tejas. It is as if the makara kundalas are dancing with joy at the sight of the lavanya sundaram (Supreme delicate beauty) of the divine face. The face (mukham) of Perumal radiates Tejas (bright effulgence), Saithyam (cool), Mardavarn (softness), sowrabhyam (delicate fragrance). It has all the great qualities (sakala kalaigal). It confers happiness on all; It is so beautiful as to surpass even the ravishing beauty of the blemishless chandramandala and that of a freshly blossomed lotus flower. It makes the devotees who are near Him become uncontrollably mad with a craving to attain Him (pichhu uttri). It is the abode of Maya and makes the devotee forget everything else and think of only one wish viz., to attain His lotus feet and become one with Him.

His neck is like a beautiful conch (shanku). The jewels worn on their hands by the Nachiars (goddesses) have left a delicate imprint on His neck. Besides the sevi poo and karna bhooshanam (i.e. the ornaments worn by Nachiyars on the top part of the ear and ear lobes) and gentle blowing of their hair on His neck add to His beauty (i.e this is a description of the Perumal's beauty enhanced by the embrace of Thayar - Bhoga kala description).

The strong, majestic shoulders look like Maragatha (emerald) hills. The four shoulders look like karpaga vrikshas (trees) whose flowers are the astras (pancha ayudhams) which God holds in His hands. While we live in this samsara we are beset with innumereable fears. God ensures that we are rid of these fears by holding us within the ambit of those protective arms. The shoulders are like the boundary lines which delienate the safely zone which is the haven of security for His sincere devotees.

His chest is the anthapuram i.e. cosy inner palace for Mahalakshmi. Though She is residing there for ever (nitya anubhavarn) yet She is so fond of Her place there that She says that not even for a moment will She ever be away from Her chosen seat of residence (agala killane iraiyam enru alarmel mangai urai marba). Goddess Mahalakshmi's feet are adorned with sembpanchu kolambu (red flower juice). It is'said that those red coloured feet have left some of the colour on Perumal's chest. The kurnkum powder worn on the chest by Bhoomi Piratti also has left its mark on God's chest. The Vyjayanthi mala worn by Perumal with its bright golden shine looks like a Hiranya prakaram (golden fortress) for Mahalakshmi who is seated on the chest of Perumal. The various garlands of precious stones, pearls, Sree koustubhamala etc., and add lusture and beauty to the chest. The white sacred thread (yagnopaveetham) worn by the Perumal looks like a streak of lightning especially in the background of His dark-hued body. The colour combination of the white yagnopaveetham with the dark-hued body gives a para bhaga rasavakarn i.e., the beauty created by sharp stark contrast as dark hue of God becomes more clear with the admixture of the silver white thread.  What is more the author says that the yagnopaveetham looks like a dam bunding the flood of His beauty.

The nithyas and mukthars are all lost in contemplation of this divine ethereal beauty of His udhara bandham (waist band).  His nabhi looks like a whirl pool centre in the over flowing ocean of His beauty (soundaiya sagara) so much so the eyes and minds of the devotees get caught in that whirlpool. The nabhi is also like a bud which alternatively opens up and closes thinking the sankhu (conch) is chandra (moon) i.e. heralding night and the azhi (disk) is Soorya i.e.  (Sun) heralding day. The slim waist is also compared to the middle part of udukkai drum (a small drum which is held in the middle of the hand and twirled to make jingling noise when the beads tied on a string alternately hit the two sides viz. base of the drum. This is an instrument that is usually used in temple of goddess). The waist where the cloth is tied has the glow and beauty of the orange evening sky when the sun is about to set (sandhya raga ham). That glow gives an illusion as if the waist is a freshly blossomed flower. The orange coloured vastra mixed with the dark beauty of the Perumal again presents the beauty of colour admixture (parabagha rasa).

Perumal's thighs have the majestic beauty of the trunk of a plantain tree. The anklets at the end of the long legs with their gentle protusion present a picture comparable to a lotus stalk having ups and downs with the small thorns in the lotus stalk.

The soles of the feet have'criss cross lines which resemble the shankhu, chakra, ankusam, dhwaja (flag), lotus, vajra ayudham etc. The divine lotus feet are so gentle and soft (mridu) that even the Nachiyars (goddesses) hesitate to touch it lest they should hurt Him.  Those divine feet are the repositories of boundless joy to the devotees. It is the sure sole succour for them to ward off the ills of samsara. The feet-have an effulgent beauty as they provide solace and pleasure to the devotees and act as a proven sheet-anchor while being tossed about in this samsara.

The toes in the feet also have their own beauty. They are compared vdth the shining white beauty of tne string of foamy waves in an ocean (lavanya sagara alaigal).

The nails (divya nagangal) on the toes present a picture as if many moons have arisen on the sky.

Having thus described each part of His beautiful form, the author then describes the beauty of the entire figure as follows:-

1. His dazzling beauty feels like liquefied diamond;
2. His beauty was so ravishing that it made the men like the alwars take the garb of women so as to express their love and longings in the nayika (heroine) fashion.
3. His beauty makes people forget about kith and kin and despise their very existence in this world and seek unashamed oneness with Devadhi devan. The devotees are consumed so much by that beauty so that the moment they see Him they say "Oh don't desert us. Otherwise we will cry hoarse and shout to the wide world that you let us down (madal oorudal) (Tamil).
4. The thirst to feast ones eyes on His beauty is unquenchable.
5. The moment the eyes light on His form, one is taken in by the dark hued beauty and His cool contorting presence and the devotee is left wondering how he ever existed without feasting His eyes on Him.
6. His bewitching beauty captivates even the minds and the hearts of Nithyasuris and Parama samyapannas who are enjoying His company all the time.
7. He is the Supreme Protector of the entire universe.
8. He is the repository of all knowledge.
9. He is the essence of the Upanishads.
10. He is like gold kept in an emerald container.
11. He has a golden effulgence.
12. One get lost in the divya ahharanas that adorn Him even as the beauty of those abharanas serve as the back drop for His Tirumeni azhagu i.e. the supreme beauty of His body.
13. Because of the divine eternal glance of Peria Piratti i.e. Mahalakshmi His beauty enhances manifold.
14. He is so gentle and sensitive that even the constant glance of Nithyasooris is hard on Him (sowkumaryam).
15. The numerous jewels that adorn Him act as the encompassing walls to contain the flood of the beauty.
16. The enchanting beauty of His blue-hued body with golden effulgence makes one wonder whether a mountain of gold has been melted and mixed with the blue waters of the ocean.
17. Such a vision of indescribable beauty is a source of immeasurable eternal joy and provides all encompassing confort.  His divya kataksha i.e.  "His divya kataksha i.e.  divine glance is so powerful that within half a second it makes even Nithyasooris and muktatmas become like putty in His hands. His Kataksha varsham i.e. bliss of His" divine glance fills the minds of Nithyasooris and muktatmas with joy and happiness. He controls the nilya and Leela vibhootis seated on His throne. The seven worlds, all the devas, bow down before this Perumal viz. Vaikunthanatha.

Chapter 4

On reaching that place and having seen Vaikunthanatha seated on the simhasana this atma bows down before Penimal and says "Samastha Parivaraya Srimathae Narayanaya Namaha" i.e. hamaskara to Sriman Narayana and Garuda, Visvaksena and others staying with Narayana".  Then with boundless affection, like a calf which is happy at the reunion with the cow, though it be after a short seperation, this atma is profoundly unbearably happy on seeing God. He places his feet on the steps of the simhasana and climbs on to it. Perumal is also equally happy on seeing this atma. The reunion gives mutual happiness like the happiness that is experienced by the sea on sighting the Moon. Similarly Paramatma sees this atma which had been away a long time from Him while living in the world and to make up for all the time lost and troubles undergone by the atma while residing in the world, He seats the atma on His lap even as Rama had welcomed Bharatha by seating him on His lap when Bharatha came to Chitrakoota. Even as Rama embraced Bharatha and Krishna embraced Akrura, Paramatma embraces this atma, holds him close with love and ask him "Who are you?"

The conversation between God and atma is on the following lines:
 
 

God:	Who are you?
Atma:	I was a prince.
God:	What did you do all these days?
Atma:	I was lost in enjoying the worldly pleasures.
God:	What is it that you gained by such activities?
Atma:	I earned my way to hell.
God:	What have you done now?
Atma:	I have come seeking you.
God:	Why did you come? What was the reason?
Atma:	Oh Lord You are punya i.e. truth. So I sought you. (Punya refers to a person who takes one to heaven i.e. Pu mamsam Nayathiithi Punyaha).
God:	What did you do when you were in Bhooloka? What are its results?
Atma:	I must have done some punya to be blessed as to reach You Now that I have reached you, all my sins will get wiped out.

Bhagavan then consoles this atma and says you have suffered a lot in Bhooloka. What a pity that you wasted your time on earth. Instead of spending your time trying to earn a name and fame which would have earned you a place in Paramapada, you suffered going through a cycle of births and deaths. Instead of enjoying the pleasure and endless happiness in Paramapada, you lost yourself in enjoying the passing sensual pleasures in the world.  But then you realised your mistake and yearned to attain Me. The moment that realisation and thought of the ephemeral nature of pleasures of worldly life dawned on you, I decided to help you. I wish I had rushed to your rescue sooner. I could then have lessened your sufferings. I am glad that at long last you, who were struggling in the flood waters of sorrow and were anxiously looking out for a ship to rescue you, got on to the bund and have reached me. Now all your troubles are over. Stay here, and enjoy the company of the good souls. I feel the purpose of my shrushti has been fulfilled only today. What appeared to be lost has been rescued. By your arrival here it is as if Paramapada has got a leader. You have added lustre to this group (goshti) of Nityasooris. You are a nayaka ratnam for them. Thus Vaikunthanatha welcomed with open arms and generous praise this prodigal son. This welcome, the author says, was of the same order as the welcome extended by Maya koothan .Perumal to Nammalwar and by Rama to Vibhishna when the latter sought saranam. Vaikunthanatha then allowed the kind glance of His lotus like eyes to rest on this atma and gave him supreme bliss. Pundareekashan's glance also ensured that the mind of that atma does not waver any more. Perumal then handed over this atma to Mahalakshmi. She bestowed on that atma all the aiswaryas of ubhaya vibhooti and felt as happy as Devaki felt on seeing Krishna after He killed Kamsa. Having been blessed by Perumal and Goddess, the atma got down from His lap, stood before Perumal and was lost in admiring the beauty of Perumal, His thirumukham (face) His divine mouth, His beautiful hair etc. Having admired the beaufy from the front the atma moved to the side and enjoyed the beauty from the side. He then went behind Perumal and admired the beauty from rear also i.e. in tamil (pin azhagu). Then felt that the frontal beauty was more enchanting and came back to stand in front of Vaikunthanatha and drink that elixir from the bottomless chalice of divine vision. He then lifted his hands above his head, folded them in veneration to God and went on cricumbviating God all the time singing His praise.

Sri Vaikunthanatha saw this sight.  He had a beautific smile playing on His lips (mandhasmitham). With His sweet voice He asked the atma to come near Him. He showed His divine feet (Thiruvadi) indicating its unfailing support and asked him to spend his time doing kainkaryas along with the other Nithyasooris. The atma thus attained his objective. He sang the praise of God (mangalasasanam) and submerged himself in the eternal amiith, true arnrith, sole arnrith viz. divine presence.

That is the story of the journey of the atma to Paramapada as described by Pillai Lokacharyar in Archiradhi gathi.
 

Sri Pillai Lokacharyar thiruvadigalE Saranam.