Thiruvaimozhi and Dvaya Mantra

||Om Namo Narayanaya|| 

= * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * =
Sriman  Narayana  charaNau  SaraNam  prapadyE
SrimatE Narayanaya nama:

 = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * =
Is the Mantra.
As there are two sentences it's called Dvayam.

Meaning: 

Sriman     -  In whose chest Goddess Lakshmi (Divine Mother) lives

nArAyAnA -  Supreme Lord (He is beyond adjectives, but for our mental picture we can say, the one who is full of light, who bestows bliss , eternally pure and the one who is accessible to us)

charaNau  -  both the Lord's feet (which are like Lotus flowers)

Saranam   -  Surrender and take shelter in Him (in a delightful way)

prapadyE  -  Intense faith (that surrendering oneself to Sriman Narayana is the path to reach Him) (அவனாலேயே  அவனை  அடைதல்)

Srimate       -  The one who has Goddess Lakshmi (Divine Mother) with him
Narayanaya  -  who is the Supreme Lord
Nama:         -  I humbly bow down to him with complete reverence

Alwars have given far greater meanings to this mantra and the benefits are too many.

But, foremost, this mantra helps to do saranaagathi in Lakshmi Narayana. Surrender to Lord (Saranaagathi) is the central theme of the Divya prabhandams. Alwars have again and again emphasized that it is the easy path to the Lord than the other means like Karma yoga and Gnana yoga. In consideration of its deep meaning (and no restrictions), this mantra is considered unique and is termed "Mantra ratna" - jewel amongst mantras. Anyone , anywhere can recite it. 

Dvayam and Thiruvaimozhi

Saara Sangraham forms the eighth of Pillai Lokacharya’s eighteen secret doctrines. In this work, he demonstrates that the whole of Thiruvaimozhi embodies the inner meanings of the dvaya mantra. 

• The first centum (first hundred) brings out the Divine Mother’s permanent togetherness with the Lord, i.e. the Lord’s Sriyapathithvam. This is represented by the term ‘srImAn’ in the dvaya mantra;
• The second centum brings out the auspicious qualities of the Supreme Lord by virtue of His togetherness with the Divine Mother. This, referred to as Narayanathvam, is brought out by the term ‘nArAyaNa’ in the dvaya mantra;
• The third centum refers to the Lord’s divine feet as the means to salvation. This attribute, referred to as charaNAvindayugaLam, is brought out corresponding to the term ‘charanau’ in the dvaya mantra;
• The fourth centum, corresponding to the term ‘saranam’ in the dvaya mantra, refers to His feet being our sole refuge and the one that protects us from hindrances to salvation;
• The fifth centum, corresponding to the term ‘prapadye’ in the dvaya mantra, refers to the unswerving conviction (mahAvishvAsam) one should develop in the abovementioned means to attain Him as failproof;
• The sixth centum, corresponding to the term ‘srImathE’ in the dvaya mantra, represents His permanent togetherness with the Divine Mother (nithya sambandham);
• The seventh centum, corresponding to the term ‘nArAyanAya’ in the dvaya mantra, represents His unlimited sweetness, unto Whom we deliver service (kainkaryam);

Now, Pillai Lokacharya separates the term nArAyanAya into two further units as ‘nArAyaNa’ and ‘Aya’ and demonstrates them as being enshrined in the eighth and the ninth centums of the Thiruvaimozhi.

• The eighth centum, as represented by ‘nArAyaNa’ in the dvaya mantra, brings out the Lord’s Sovereign Supremacy (sarva swAmithvam);
• The ninth centum, as represented by ‘Aya’ refers to the service (kainkaryam) performed unto the Supreme Lord;
• The tenth centum, corresponding to the term ‘nama:’ signifies the obstacles that have to be removed to perform this divine service (kainkaryam) unto the Lord eternally.