gaambeeryam

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9/12 gaambeeryam

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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,

maardhavam, aarjavam, sowhaartham, saamyam,

kaaruNyam, maadhuryam, gaambeeryam, owdhaaryam,

chaathuryam, and sthairyam. The subject of this post is

gaambeeryam. Several interpretations are given for

gaambeeryam. I feel they fall into two groups as given

below.

 

gaambeeryam: Asymmetry between what devotees

offer to the Lord, and what the Lord

gives in return to them; nonchalantly

overlooking our failings

 

Even in material terms, what we offer pales in

comparison to what our Lord grants us in return. The

well known story of kusElar illustrates this.

thirumangaiaazhvaar expresses the same sentiment in

this paasuram. (This was presented once before in

vaatsalyam.)

 

\bt

kulamtharum selvam thandhidu madiyaar

padu thuyaraayina vellam,

nilandharancheyyum neeLvisumbaruLum

aruLoduperu nilamaLikkum,

valandharum maRRunthanNdhidum peRRa

thaayinu maayinaseyyum,

nalandharunchollai naan kaNdukoNdEn

naaraayaNaa vennum naamam.

 

-- periya thirumozhi 1.1.9

\et

 

In return for chanting "Om namO naaraayaNaaya" we

get in return every material thing we may desire, and on

top of it all, we get mOksham (neeL visumbu) as well.

 

The second part of gaambeeryam has to do with the Lord

not minding our faults without so much as a hint that the

all knowing Lord knows of our transgressions.

thirumangai aazhvaar lists all his perceived sins in the

first thirumozhi of the first patthu of his periya

thirumozhi. I give below the eighth one.

 

kaRRilEn kalaigaL aimbulan karudhum

karutthuLE thirutthinEn manatthai,

peRRilEn adhanaal pEdhaiyEn nanmai

perun^ilatthaaruyirkellaam,

seRRamEvENditthiridharuvEn thavirndhEn

selgadhikkuyyumaaReNNi,

nRRuNaiyaagappaRRinEn adiyEn

naaraayaNaavennumn^aamam.

 

-- periya thiru mozhi 1.1.8

 

The aazhvaar feels his faults are many. He lists them as,

lack of learning (kaRRilEn kalaigaL), inability to control

the mind from going behind the five senses (aim pulan

karudhum karutthuLE thirutthinEn manatthai), causing

pain and suffering to all kinds of beings of this world

(peru nilatthu aaruyikkellaam seRRamE vENdi

thiritharuvEn). But, aazhvaar is confident that Lord

naaraayaNaa will overlook all these faults and provide

him with precious mOksham (selgathi). So he chants

"Om, namO, naaraayaNaaya."

 

 

 

.... 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.