Say no to equality!

[Guest guest]

I don't wish to belabor the point, but I am unable to resist

enlisting Azhvaar paasurams to bolster my view that

equality is not a goal for Sri Vaishnavaas. As a matter of

fact, if one is to take Azhvaar's words seriously, it could

even be considered blasphemous to seek equality with

other devotees. Many Azhvaars have repeatedly

expressed their keen desire to be in servitude of other

devotees, even to the extent of choosing it over the

servitude of our Lord Sriman Narayana.

 

Here, I would like to share a story I heard sometime back.

I am able to recall only the essentials and not some of the

names. A renowned scholar (RS) asked Sri Ramanuja for

Thiruvaaymozhi lessons. But Sri Ramanuja directed him

to someone else. RS was hesitant for a scholar like him

couldn't prostrate to anyone else but only to Sri

Ramanuja. Sri Ramanuja understood RS's predicament

and wanted to gently teach him a lesson. So, Sri

Ramanuja promised that the teacher will come to RS's

house, prostrate to him, sit at his feet, and then proceed

with the lessons. RS happily agreed. This went on for

several weeks. Inevitably, the lessons reached the

"payilum sudaroLi" section of Thiruvaaymozhi where

Nammaazhvaar celebrates devotion and servitude to all

the devotees of our Lord Sriman Narayana. RS was

struck by the verses and realized the bhaagavatha

apachaaram he had accumulated over the weeks of these

lessons. He immediately switched places with the teacher

and prostrated many times. Then, he ran to Sri

Ramanuja's presence, held his feet tightly, and wept

uncontrollably. Sri Ramanuja lifted him up and asked

him, "the lessons have reached payilum sudaroLi, is it?"

 

In this spirit, let us say "no" to equality with other

devotees of our Lord Sriman Narayana.

 

Now, here are just a few quotes from some aazhvaars:

(Please pardon my characteristically poor translations.)

 

periyaazhvaar:

gOvindhan_than_adiyaar ..... iNaiyadi_en_thalaimElanavE

(Let the feet of Govindan's adiyaar rest on my head)

 

ThiruppaaN aazhvaar:

adiyaarkku ennai aatpaduththa vimalan

(It is my Lord's grace that enables me to serve of His

devotees)

 

thoNdaradippodi aazhvaar:

aLiyanen RaruLi un adiyaark-

aatpaduth thaay! paLLi ezhun^tharu LaayE!

(Please awaken from your sleep and make me a servant of

your devotees)

 

Kulasekaraazhvaar:

thoNdar sEvadi Eththi vaazhththum en nencamE!

(My heart praises and worships the splendid feet of thoNdars)

 

Nammaazhvaar:

adiyaartham adiyaar adiyaar adiyaareNG kOkkaL,

avarkkE kudigaLaaych chellum nalla kOtpaatE.

(It is a great practice to subject oneself to the rule of the

servant of servant of ..... servant of our Lord.)

 

thiruvarangaththu amudhanaar:

un thoNdargatkE anpuRRirukkum padi ennai yaakki

angu aatpaduththE!

(Oh! Raamanuja, please induce in my heart love for your

devotees and make me their servant.)

 

 

-- Parthasarati Dileepan

[Guest guest]

Parthasarati Dileepan (MFPD) wrote:

 

* I don't wish to belabor the point, but I am unable to resist

* enlisting Azhvaar paasurams to bolster my view that

* equality is not a goal for Sri Vaishnavaas.

 

I think we are completely missing the point here. You

are correct to say that 'equality' is not a goal for Sri

Vaishnavas. In fact, the goal of every religion is

individual salvation. There is no comparison whatsoever

between the various devotees. Add to this the fact that

the aazhvaarkaL were also extremely modest and had

conquered their egos. So naturally you will find the

quotes like the one you show, all over the prabandham.

 

The anonymous author of the invocation to paripaadal

says:

 

............... yaam ivaN mozhibavai

melliya enaa_a veRaa_adhu alli am

thiru maRu maarba! nee aruLal vENdum!

 

Such is the modesty of the greatest vaishnavas. Who

could be a better devotee of the Lord than the

aazhvaarkaL themselves? So, all they try to teach us

here is humility.

 

There can be no real 'equality' - spiritually or

socially. What is needed is a mutual respect - that

every human being, and animal and plants are but an

aspect of Him.

 

Thus, I should realise that having been born a male in a

Brahmana family does not make me anything special. This

is what is taught by the aazhvaarkaL.

 

--badri

 

-----------------

S.Badrinarayanan

Graduate Student

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Cornell University

-----------------

[Guest guest]

On Jan 22, 9:53am, Parthasarati Dileepan wrote:

> Say no to equality!

>

> I don't wish to belabor the point, but I am unable to resist

> enlisting Azhvaar paasurams to bolster my view that

> equality is not a goal for Sri Vaishnavaas.

 

At the same time, *inequality* in the political sense

should also not be preached by Sri Vaishnavas, as it

so often is. There should not be an imposition of

hierarchy from above, it seems to me.

 

However, I do not think it wrong for Sri Vaishnavism

to promote the viewpoint that all are equal, from the

viewpoint of human rights. There is strong precedent

for this from within the tradition itself.

 

Mani