"Do we need to ask/beg Him"

[Guest guest]

srimathE sri lakshmi-nrsumha parabrahmaNe namaha

sri vedanta desika guravE namaha

 

Dear bhagavatOttamas,

Over the weekend (ours here in the Islamic world ends when yours in the

Christian world begins!) I took the opportunity to share some of the fine

thoughts expressed here in tbe group on this subject with a very dear and

elderly "friend" of mine back in India with whom I had a telecon. I have

great respect for his "anushtAnam" and his quiet sort of wisdom in these

matters although like most of us he too lives and struggles with great

dignity in an ordinary and "loukika" mode of existence.

 

His reaction to my synopsistic account of of our recent discussions was

characteristically categorical.With your permission I would like to share

with you his wonderful response in emphatic Tamil which has its own "rasa" :

 

"sAstria-mAna vivAdamO, tArkika samvAdamO, adhil dOsham onrum illai;

yEcharikkai, vAdam pUrna bhagavath-chinthanaiyUdan-irukkavEndUm !!

AnnAl, intha vishayatthil yEn ivvalavu samshayam tAngaL-eLOrkkUm ? nam

pUrvAchAryargaLum kooda Urakka "kEtArgaLE" ! AzwArgal kadhari azhudhArgalE

pAsurathil!! avargaL "ketkavillai" enrAl, ippOzhudu intha pracchannaikkE

ingu iddam UndO ? sadhAranamUdaiyavarpOl namakku, vetkkathai-vittu,

dinnamthOrum avanai urakka mOkshatthaiyE kEtka yEn indha sankOcham ??"

 

I translate the above in English for those of you who are not Tamil-speaking :

 

"there is nothing wrong in debating about this issue as long as it is firmly

based on true regard for the Lord. But I am intrigued why people should have

any doubts in this matter. After all our "achAryAs" too openly "asked"! and

the Azhwars sought the Lord's grace by weeping and anguishing loudly in

their "pAsurams" !! if they hadn't all been so vocal or effusive in their

beseeching would this matter be an issue of debate now amongst you gentlemen

? why should we ordinary mortals be inhibited in openly and daily

requisitioning HIM, through our words, deed and thoughts, for "mOkshA" ??!"

 

I then asked this revered "friend" of mine if he had any basis("pramANam")

for his views.

 

He replied instantaneously,"O! irukkinradhE! innUm patthU nALiLlE dhanUr

mAsam ! tirUppAvai anUbhavikka nEram vandhuvittadu ! nAcchiyAr namakku vazhi

sOllina azhugu pArthAle pOrrUm intha vishayathil : "vAyAl pAdi, mannathinAl

sindikka"! mUdalil "vAyAl pAddavEndUm", pinnAlEthAnE "mannathinnAl" sinthika

vendiya kadamai namakku !! pUrinthuthA, sudarshan ?!!".

 

Meaning : "Of course! my friend! In about 10 days time it will be time for

Dhanur-month. It will be time to sing the Tiruppavai of Sri.Andal. She

herself points out the answer to this problem you pose to me. I hope you

understand, Sudarshan?!".

 

He made a reflexive and, in my opinion, inspired allusion to the Tiruppavai

of Sri.Andal where in one of the stanzas she says,"vAyAl pAdi, manatthinAl

sindikka". Here the wonderful phrase can be interpreted as :"first utter the

words to the Lord, then contemplate their import!!". In Tamil this seems to

suggest that we should first "ask" Him then "think about" everything else!!

 

To us humans who always tend to "talk in haste and repent at leisure"

Sri.Andal's advice is indeed eminently suitable !! The only difference is

that if we heed her words and proceed to "ask in haste" there is no doubt we

shall "rejoice later" !

 

This seemed to me, dear bhAgavatOttamas, a fantastic, brilliant and simply

out-of-the-world answer to the question of our subject matter and I hastened

this morning to share it with you all !!

 

(Tamil-speaking members must further note that my beloved "friend" said

"nAcchiyAr namakku vazhi sOllina azhugu" when he could have otherwise

said,"kAttina azhagu"--- this further proves the point that the act of

"uttering" or "asking" is of utmost importance !!)

 

There is no doubt in my mind, my dear friends, that we have to "ask, ask,

ask and ask again" the Lord for whatever it is we desire !!

 

srimathE srivan satagopa sri narayana yathindra mahadesikAya namaha

 

sudarshan

 

 

 

 

 

srimathE lakshmi-nrsumha parabrahmaNE namaha

sri vedanta desika guravE namaha