virakti/paramapada-sOpAnam

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srimathE lakshmi-nrsumha parabrahmaNe namaha

sri vedanta desika guravE namaha

 

Dear 'bhAgavatOttamA-s',

 

When one completes the difficult journey up the first two "steps" of Swami

Desikan's 'sOpAnam' viz. 'vivEkam' and 'nirvEdam', it is said that

automatically one climbs onto (as if on an escalator !) the stairway's next

step called 'virakthi'.

 

While 'nirvedam' is described as 'revulsion' directed against the self,

'virakthi' is said to be 'revulsion' directed towards earthly materiality.

 

In this phase, a Vaishnava develops intense distaste for all worldly

encumbrances and allurements. Even if all the riches of the world are his

for the 'asking' or 'taking', the aspirant despises and shuns them.

 

Swami Desikan himself, as we all know from his famous 'vairAgya-panchakam',

was the greatest example of this 'virakthi'.

 

He rejected VidyAranya's invitation to serve as the poet-laureate of the

Vijaynagar Empire -- a plum-post or sinecure which would have secured for

Swami Desikan a comfortable livelihood for the rest of his career and

post-retirement benefits too ! If Swami Desikan had indeed accepted that

fantastic 'job-change' or 'career-break', it is doubtful if he would be

remembered by posterity with as much marvel as he is today, isn't it ?

 

"Mukkur-Swamy II" used to recount a humorous incident to illustrate this

'virakthi'. This incident, he reported, was narrated to him by that 'mahAn',

the 44th Jeeyar, Srimad Azhagiyasingar, in great style. It is a very

mischievous anecdote but it effectively drives home the point of 'virakthi'

as described in the 'PPS'.

 

In his 'pUrvAshramam' our Swami Rajagopalan,(the Azhagiyasingar of

pre-'sanyasa' period), it seems was for sometime a resident of Mannargudi.

As a resident there, he used to frequent the Rajagopalaswamy

'sannidhi'(shrine) there.

 

It was 'gokulashtami' there one day when Swami was returning from his visit

to the temple. Just as he was about to step out of the temple, Swami was

accosted by an aged friend of his. This friend was known to Swami who

personally had a lot of regard for him.

 

This friend who had his 'mEl-vastram'(upper-cloth) tied into a bundle

suddenly untied it on seeing our Swami.

 

"Hello, Rajagopala," the elderly friend said, untying his little

bundle,"Hello, Rajagopala, how are you ? Did you have a good 'darshan' of

the Lord ?".

 

"Yes, sir, and what about you? Did 'jayanthi' celebrations go off well in

your house ?", enquired our Swami.

 

"Oh, yes, very well,indeed, Rajagopal, and here, I have some 'jayanthi'

prasAdams (sweets) from home for you ! Please accept these."

 

So saying the old friend offered our Swami some 'jayanthi' sweets and

delicacies like 'mysore-pAk' etc. Our Swami accepted them all with touching

kindness.

 

Next the old friend offered our Swami that very special savoury called in

Tamil, "cheedai" -- this is a famous delicacy without which no

"krishna-jayanthi" is consummated in our homes. It is made of "gram-paste",

rolled into small balls the size of playing-marbles and deep-fried in oil to

a magnificent golden hue. After it is well-done, "cheedai" serves as

everyone's favourite light-snack because, being petite and ball-like in

appearance, they look so cute and lovable; and also because they are good

and hard to bite into. Believe me, dear friends, one gets a strange,

pleasurable experience when one lobs a "cheedai"-ball into one's mouth and

proceeds to sink teeth into it with gusto, producing through one's gnashing

jaws peculiar grating sounds ("kaRRu-muRRu", in Tamil !) which itself is a

sort of music to the ears !!

 

All in all, eating "cheedai"-balls is a special gourmet experience which

only "cheedai"-eaters can truly appreciate !!

 

Anyway, to return to our tale of the 44th Azhagiyasingar, this old friend of

his in the Mannargudi temple, seems to have offered our Swami a lot of

'cheedai' and asked him to enjoy it.

 

Our Swami began munching and enjoyed it.

 

In a moment seeing his old friend not partaking of his own delight, our

Swami offered some 'cheedai' back again to the elder, saying, "Sir, why

don't you enjoy some "cheedai" yourself alongwith me ?"

 

To which the old friend remonstrated, "No, no, Rajagopala, don't force me.

You know I am indeed extremely fond of 'cheedai'; I used to love them. But

these days I shun them."

 

"And pray tell me why, Sir ?", said our Swami the Azhagiyasingar of

'pUrvAshramam'.

 

"Well, you could say, Rajagopala, I am practising a kind of "virakthi" or

'vairAgyam, replied the old friend.

 

"Oh, I see, and what is the cause for such severe 'virakthi', Sir," queried

our Swami politely.

 

The old friend replied, "Rajagopla, you know, I would really love to munch

"cheedai" to my hearts content but, as you can see, I have lost every single

one of my molar-teeth !! I am unable therefore to enjoy this delicacy on

'krishna-jayanthi' days !!"

 

Swami, our beloved 44th Azhagiyasingar, it seems, that day learnt a very

important lesson on true "virakthi" !!

 

And that same lesson, dear 'bhAgavatOttamA-s', learnt by the great

44th-Jeeyar, Sri.Mukkur-Swami-II related to me in the following way:

 

"When we practice 'virakthi' as Swami Desikan describes it in the

'paramapada-sOpAnam', and deny ourselves indulgence in or enjoyment of a

thing ('vastu') of the world, we should ask ourselves first whether we truly

self-abnegate because (A) we want to shun the 'vastu' out of genuine

revulsion for it, or (B) whether because we do not have the means or

capacity to indulge in its pleasurable enjoyment (a sort of "sour grapes" !!).

 

"If we practice 'virakthi' in the former way (A),we can be said to be

following Swami Desikan's personal example in the 'vairAgya-panchakam'; if

we practice 'virakthi' in the latter way (B), then, we can be said to be

following the example of the 44th-Azhagiyasingar's old friend of Mannnargudi

-- who had renounced 'cheedai' only because, in his advanced years, he had

lost the "dental instruments" ("danthOpAya-s" !!?) to enjoy it !!"

 

"If you follow Swami Desikan's brand of 'virakthi' you will immediately

proceed to the next higher step on the 'paramapada-sOpAnam'; if you follow

the 'virakthi' of the old gentleman of Mannargudi, it will mean that you

have not even crossed the first "pariankai" (step) of "vivEkam"

(discrimination)!!"

 

Dear 'bhAgavatOttamA-s', for our present purposes, we will leave aside the

harsh lessons of the 44th-Azhagiyasingar and Mukkur Swami II. (We have no

choice!)

 

We shall now venture to presume, instead, that we have embraced Swami

Desikan's brand of "virakthi" and, therefore, proceed to see how it leads us

onto the next higher step -- the fourth step called "bheethi".

 

Next posting, tomorrow.

 

srimathE srivan satagopa sri narayana yathindra mahadesikaya namaha

 

sudarshan.