based on the vyakhyanam of Sri Periyavaccan Pillai
by Sri M.N. Ramanuja

vijnAnam yadidam prAptam yadidam sthAnam Arjitam
janmAntarE(a)pi mE dEva! mA bhUt tasya parikShaya:

Meaning:
dEva-- My lord!
mE-- for me
yat idam vijnAnam-- whatever knowledge (that You alone are the means and the goal)
prAptam-- has been obtained
yat idam sthAnam-- whatever status ( regarding practical adherance to that knowledge)
Arjitam-- has been earned by me
tasya-- for them
parikShaya-- loss or reduction
janmAntarE api-- even in any other birth
mA bhUt-- let not happen

Introduction:
(vijnAnam etc) God says " Granted that We alone are the means and the goal, and the sukritam or the good deed that is the basis for getting them (prapya prapakangal), We being the means, what should We do next?". The man says,"Well, if the knowledge that is obtained and the firm adherance to that knowledge, remain with me without depreciation, then I do neither aspire even to go to that paramapadam described in *yOgAnAm paramAm siddhim paramam tE padam vidu:* nor do I pray for retirement from this dreadful samsAra. That wish alone is adequate for all times.

VyakhyAnam:
(vijnAnam) Distinguished knowledge. The knowledge that is born regarding the greatest goal and greatest means. After all, among the goals, there is nothing superior to attaining the god. Similarly, among all the means, there is nothing that is superior to that ready means or the siddhopAyam.

(yadidam jnAnam) This knowledge that is authenticated by the scriptures and dwelling in the lotus of the heart. It is reputed in the Vedantas that the goal and the means are both the Lord alone. In *Anandamaya:* *rasO vai sa:* *sarvagandhas sarvarasa:* He is reputed as the Goal. Starting with *yO brahmANam vidadhAti pUrvam* and till *mumukShurvai sharaNam aham prapadyE* and *tasmAnnyAsamEShAm tapasAmatiriktam Ahu:* and *EShahyEvAnanda yAti* He is reputed as the means.

(prAptam) Including even the class of people aspiring for benefits other than God (prayOjanAntaraparar) and the class of people who are adherants of other means (sAdhanAntaraniShThar), jnAna was provided by You for all types of candidates.

(yadidam sthAnamArjitam) position means the status which means the practical adherance to that jnAna. yadidam indicates that it is famous in a different place and it is resident in the heart. It is said **vyavasAyAt rutE brahman nAsAdayati tatparam** (Bharatam shAnti parvam). Even AzhvAr said *nAgaNai mishai nambirAn sharaNE sharaN namakkenru* .

(Arjitam) The word prAptam is used with jnAnam since it is obtained by the grace of God. But the word Arjitam goes with sthAnam or adhyavasAyam or adherance here because adherance is something that can be obtained as a puruShArtha by candidates who have special eligibility and that too by soliciting the Lord. That is why adhyavasAyam has been said to have been Arjitam or earned by one's effort.

(janmAntarE(a)pi) Even if this birth (life) comes to an end, the knowledge and adherance should not get lost. If one asks "we are not aware of anybody that would have this aspiration as puruShArtha. is'nt it?". Well, then (mE) for me it is definitely a puruShArtha. Afterall, what a puruSha aspires for is verily defined as puruShArtha. Then God says "In spite of solicitors being there for this puruShArtha, it is not some thing We would like to give as one". Well, (dEva) You must not treat me as other samsAris, rollicking in this world. Afterall, they are subjects for Your enjoyment of divine sport (lila rasam).

(tasya) its. Since jnAna and adhyavasAyam are unanimous, singular "tasya" is used to denote both.

(parikShayO mA bhUt) The depreciation for jnAnam is forgetting. The depreciation for adhyavasAyam is loss. This means that one requests that there should be no forgetting and loss for jnAna and faith. Notwithstanding, praying in the earlier shlokam to take one to paramapadam, and soliciting to relieve one of the connection with this dreadful samsAra, how could one be satisfied with just jnAna and adhyavasAyam explained above? Well that is because this jnAna and adhyavasAyam or adherance per se are so sweet and thrill us. Afterall, it was simply the gratitude to (Namm)AzhvAr for his gracious help, that made Madhurakavi say "tEvu maRRaRiyEn". In comparison with samsAris, the jnAna and adhyavasAyam per se are verily like the destination of the liberated souls. This concept was verily the inspiration for AzhvAr to write "mElAl pirappinmai peRRu adikkILk kuRREvalanRu maRappinmai yAn vEnDum mADu" in periya tiruvandAdi-58. If the first shlokam is the gist then this stands to remind one of the word "namastE".