Vaatsalyam

[Guest guest]

In this continuing series of twelve posts, twelve of the

many guNaas that are innate to Brahman is discussed

with illustrations from aazhvaar paasurams. These

twelve guNaas demonstrate God's eternal love for us

jeevaathmaas. They are sowseelyam, vaathsalyam,

mardhavam, aarjavam, sowhaartham, saamyam,

kaaruNyam, maadhuryam, gaambeeryam, owdhaaryam,

chaathuryam, and sthairyam. The subject of this post is

vaathsalyam.

 

Vaathsalyam: The love that is blind to our sins and

imperfections, much like mother's love

that is blind to the flaws of her baby.

(kaakkaikku than kuncu pon kuncu.)

 

When vibeeshaNan came to sri raamaa, starting with

sugreevan many argued against granting refuge to him.

They elaborated vibeeshaNan's many defects. But our

Lord was blind to all of them. Earlier, He was blind to

even kaakaasuran's sins and granted him refuge. It is

this vaatsalyam that Seethai had in mind when she

advised raavaNan to give up his folly and take refuge at

the Lords lotus feet.

 

Thirumangai aazhvaar describes this vaatsalyam in the

first thiru mozhi of the periya thiru mozhi. In the first 8

paasurams he details all his faults and sins and in the

ninth he declares that in spite of all these sins, our Lord

will grant whatever we wish. With "peRRa thaayinum

aayina seyyum," aazhvaar asserts that our Lord's

vaatsalyam is even greater than that of one's own mother.

>From this first thiru mozhi, only the 8th and 9th

paasurams are given here.

 

\bt

kaRRilEn kalaigaL aimbulan karudhum

karutthuLE thirutthinEn manatthai,

peRRilEn adhanaal pEdhaiyEn nanmai

perun^ilatth aaruyirk ellaam,

seRRamE vENdith thiritharuvEn thavirndhEn

selgadhik kuyyumaa ReNNi,

nRRuNaiyaagap paRRinEn adiyEn

naaraayaNaa vennum naamam. 1.1.8

\et

 

"I have let my mind firmly into sensual pleasures of the

five indhriyams. With ire in my mind I have been

callous towards all the beautiful fellow creatures of this

great world. But now, full of desire for deliverance into

the other world, I have abandoned my old ways and

seized upon the ashtaaksharam (Om namO

naaraayaaNaaya) as the means of liberation."

 

\bt

kulamtharum selvam thandhidu madiyaar

padu thuyaraayina vellam,

nilandharancheyyum neeLvisumbaruLum

aruLoduperu nilamaLikkum,

valandharum maRRunthanNdhidum peRRa

thaayinu maayinaseyyum,

nalandharunchollai naan kaNdukoNdEn

naaraayaNaa vennum naamam. 1.1.9

\et

 

"Our Lord NaraayaaNaa will grant us whatever we wish,

even more than one's own mother; these are high status,

wealth, freedom from sorrow, eternal moksham (neeL

visumbu), this earth if you so wish, the strength to rule

over the earth, etc., etc."

 

Our Lord's vaatsalyam is manifest in His benevolence in

spite of all our faults.

 

 

..... to be continued

 

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This and other posts to follow in this subject are based

on the aruL mozhigaL of the 45th azhagiya singar of sri

aHObila madam, sri vaN satakOpa sri naaraayaNa

yatheendhra mahaa dEsikan, published in sri nrusimhap

priyaa starting with bava varusham, chitthirai maasam,

(April 1994), and commentaries of aazhvaar

prabhandams published by The Visishtadvaita Pracharini

Sabha, 27, Venkatesa Agraharam, Mylapore, Madras,

600 004.