vibeeshana-sharanagathi

[Guest guest]

Dear "bhAgavatOttamA-s,

 

On this thread of discussions in the past week a member recently wrote:

 

"....It is not necessary that pirAtti should do

purushakAram in the direct sense.

 

"considering the one to one

presence of pirAtti at the place of saraNAgati, eventhough She was

not present in person, She is always present in the ThirumArbu of

PerumAL, be it RAman or VAmanan. So when VibhIshaNA did his

saraNAgati, pirAtti was still doing purushakAram from within the

heart of Rama....."

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This strikes me as the correct position to take any which way you analyse

the dramatic situation in the Ramayana.

 

Please permit me to supplement the learned member's statement with a few

observations of my own.

 

(1) There is a big difference betwen being strictly doctrinal and being

narrowly doctrinaire about "purushAkAra".

 

(2) Yes, "purushAkAra", the agency of divine intercession, is an essential

condition of liberation for a "baddha-jIva". "Essential" must not be taken

to mean "corporeal". The divine mediatrix, "pirAtti", was not present at

the time when "gajendra" was granted emancipation. To the best of my

knowledge, nothing specifically has been said too about "thAyyAr's"

presence at the scene of "ajAmilan's" or "kshatra-bandhu's" liberation

either. And yet all three "jIvAtmA's" did perform "saranAgathi" in more

ways than one and, in fact, each in a very special and unique sort of way

to earn "mOksha",

isn't it?

 

(3) One can possess full "appreciation" of the truth of "prapatti" all

one's life at an intellectual plane and yet fail to actually "live" it. The

great

"AchArya's" say that nothing but the Grace of the Divine Mother -- the

mediatrix, the

all-compassionate interceder on behalf of the earth-bound soul -- nothing

but the "katAksham" of "pirAtti" enables the progress of "prapatti" and its

consummation in "mOkshAnandam". Swami Desikan composed 59 magnificent

verses in the "saranagati-deepikA" in which the various philosophical

building-blocks of "saranagati-tattvam" have been sweetly and succintly

essayed. The mind of

the "prapannan", his anxieties, his aspirations, his agony and his ecstasy

are all movingly portrayed. The various "angA-s" of "prapatti" too are

described in

majestic poetry by the "kavi-simham". But at the fag end of the poem, in

what I personally hold to be the climactic Verse #57, it is not the glories

of "prapatti" or its "angA-s" or its "tattv-ic" eminence that the "AchArya"

sings aloud! Instead it is the "grace of the Mother of the Universe" that

is beseeched !

 

"tatvA-va-bOdha-shamitha-pratikUla-vrittim

kainkarya-labdha-karaNa-traya-sAma-rass-yam I

krutvA tvadanya-vimukham krupaya svayam mAm

sfAtim dhr-shO-ho prati-laBhasva jagaj-jananyA-ha II

 

("Through a lifetime that shall be mine

Of devotion and service to none and nothing but Thee, My Lord

Grant me the hallowed sense of Thy Presence, Thy Truth

In thought, word and deed of mine!

Thereafter, I beseech Thee, grant me nothing more than this:

The Mother of mine,

The Mother of all the worlds

Shalt deign turn and set eyes on me!")

 

(My translation above is of the principal idea of the verse and not its

exact words).

 

We see in the above verse the "AchAryAn" subtly driving home the point

that "tattva-bOdha" (ie. knowledge of truth or lofty doctrine) or

"shamitha-pratikUla-vrittim" (ie. worldly renunciation) or

"kainkarya-labdha" (ie. avowed leigehood to divinity) or

"karaNa-traya-sAma-rass-yam" (the state of being where the senses are

totally absorbed in the divine immanence of this world) ---- all these by

themselves are essential but not sufficient conditions that enable the

beatific

consummation of "prapatti". The real culmination of "saranagathi" is

realised ("prati-laBhasva") only when there is "jagaj-jananyA-ha

dhr-shO-ho..." ---

when "peria-pirAtti" deigns to cast her merciful eyes on us i.e.

"purushAkAra".

 

Now, the expression "sfAtim dhr-shO-ho prati-laBhasva jagajjanyA-ha" is

what I say is a magnificent "stroke of poetic shorthand" for it

incorporates

within a handful of syllables the whole grand concept of "purushAkAra" or

divine intercession.

 

The poet here uses the phrase "sfAtim dhr-shO-ho" i.e. the "eyes that bloom

with Grace as flowers do cast fragrance". We should not let the real import

of this metaphoric masterpiece of "kavi-simham" be lost on us. Swami

Desikan, the "leonine-poet", does not employ empty "pada-s" bereft of

purpose or discernment. Let's therefore look at it closely.

 

We cherish flowers as much, if not more, for their fragrance as for their

beauty, don't we ? A flower with beauty but no fragrance whatsoever we

generally consider as an incomplete and slightly inferior piece of nature's

art. "Gulmohar" or the "flame of the forest" against the backdrop of an

azure sky on a bright, clear morning in spring, if you have noticed, is

simply breathtaking to look at. But the flower has no great fragrance. You

thus merely admire its beauty for a while from a distance and then walk

away. The jasmine or "malli" is the most ordinary ("plain Jane") looking of

flowers. It is small and very inconsequential looking. But its fragrance

makes your mind go tipsy with typically Wordsworthian sentiment, so much so

that long after the sight of beautiful "gulmohars" have faded from the

visual frames of your "inward eye" the smell of "jasmines" still continues

to linger in your heart, filling it with some strange and private "bliss

of solitude".

 

The rose, on the other hand, is the Queen amongst flowers, for she

possesses in full and splendid measure both Beauty and Fragrance. She is

truly Nature's pride and crowning glory! There is not only ravishing Beauty

in her presence.... she leaves behind her haunting Fragrance too when she

is absent.... either way she reigns supreme... she rules our hearts ...

absolutely!!

 

"sfAtim dhr-shO-ho prati-laBhasva jagajjanyA-ha" in the Verse above thus

conveys to us the meaning that "pirAtti" casting her merciful glance is

like the flower that "reigns supreme" no less through the "Beauty of Her

Presence" as through the "Fragrance of Her Absence".

 

"purushAkara" --- or the divine agency of compassionate intercession --- is

thus, in the doctrine of "prapatti", invoked both in the corporeal

"presence" as well as in the "fragrant" absence of "pirAtti".

 

In the most famous and oft-quoted Verse #14 of Swami Desikan's "sri-stuti"

the same metaphor (if you take the trouble of looking the "stOtra" up in

your anthology) is most tellingly employed :

 

"Artha-trANa-vrati-bhira-mrtAsAra-neelaAmbuvAhai-hi

ambhojAnA-mushasi mishatA-mantarangai-rapAngai-hi I

yasyAm yasyAm dishi viharatE dEvi dhristis-dvadi-yA

tasyAm tasyAm aham ahamikAm tanvatE sampadOghA-ha II

 

(A weak translation : "Everywhere Thy glances fall, dearest Mother of mine

--- glances that remind me of a thousand flowers blooming in the morning

hour --- everywhere do Grace and Goodness each scramble to be the first to

sprout!")

 

Now to return to the Ramayana and our interesting discussion on

Vibeeshana's "saranAgathi".

 

His "saranAgathi" was certainly aided by the "purushAkAra" provided by

"sitA-pirAtti", the "jagaj-jananyA-devi". She remained imprisoned in Lanka

and while in the state of confinement Her "sfAtim dhr-shO-ho" certainly

fell on all Lanka, including Vibeeshana,the good one who had performed

already the "five "angA-s" of "prapatti", especially the firm "resolve" of

"anukulasya-sankalpam" to seek refuge in the Lord. And thus, "yasyAm

yasyAm" in Lanka she cast her eyes ("dEvi dhristis-dvadi-yA"), "tasyAm

tasyAm" she truly performed her role of "purushAkAra" !!

 

"pirAtti's" invisible "fragrance" thus obtained for Vibeeshana the "sampad"

of "saranagati", "Lord Rama", which ordinarily, or rather doctrinally

perhaps, her physical "presence" might have otherwise vouchsafed.

 

(4) There is another way of looking at this situation.

 

Another member in the course of discussions mentioned SitA's "Abharanam"

--- jewellery --- being the real cause of "purushAkAra" for Sugriva who

handed them over to Lord Rama.

 

You can extend this logic to Vibeeshana too by a little stretch of

imagination in the "loukika" mode.

 

"purushAkAra" is, as we said, essentially an agency of intercession. It is

performed by 'pirAtti". Now in modern legal practice it sometimes becomes

necessary for an agent to appoint a "sub-agent" to perform some of his

duties. Under the terms of such appointment all the duties that the

sub-agent performs are deemed to have been performed by the agent and shall

be legally binding on the latter.

 

In the Ramayana, in the Sundara kandam, Sita makes the

"choodamani-prasadam" to Anjaneya. She gives him her crest-jewel to take

back with him to Rama as a sort of voucher evidencing his visit to Lanka

and his interview with her in Asokavanam.

 

In the way the story is narrated Anjaneya returns to Kishkinda and hands

over Sita's "chooda-mani" to Lord Rama. THe Prince of Ayodhya is overjoyed.

 

I would tend to believe that Lord Rama was overjoyed for more than one

reason.

 

THe joy of knowing that Sita was alive and eagerly awaiting to be rescued

from Lanka must surely have been cause for his great joy.

 

But the greater joy that the Lord must have surely experienced was in

secretly discovering that the "choodamani" represented the instrument of

proxy through which Sita had silently and most effectively delegated her

power of performing "purushAkAra" for Vibeeshana through Anjaneya (the

sub-agent, in this case!).

 

Anjaneya's role as a sub-agent of "purushAkAra" is again amply demonstrated

at the time when the rest of Sugriva's advisors recommend to Rama that

Vibeeshana's plea for refuge be flatly rejected, Anjaneya alone, knowing

fully well Rama's own mind on the matter, strikes a dissenting note and

advocates accepting Vibeeshana's entry into their ranks, much to the

approbation of the Lord of Ayodhya.

 

Lord Rama must have been overjoyed to receive the "choodamani" for one

other reason.

 

With the receipt of the instrument of "purushAkAra" through Anjaneya, Lord

Rama knew that the principal purpose of his "avatAra" on earth was nearing

completion.

 

Let me explain.

 

Contrary to popular belief, the climactic moment of the Ramayana is really

not the slaying of Ravana. The great moment is really granting of refuge to

Vibeeshana who was the last one, amongst a stream of others before him in

preceding "kAnda-s", to perform "saranagathi" one after another in the

grand story of the Ramayana known to be a towering "itihAsic" encyclopaedia

of "saranagati-sAstra" !

 

In the "gita" the Lord says : "paritrAnaya sAdhunAm, vinAshAyA-cha

dushkrutAm ....."

 

"I descend to earth in "avatAra" periodically to provide refuge and succour

to the good; incidentally I also destroy evil .....".

 

The inclusion of the term "cha" between "vinAshAyA" and "dushkrutAm"

clearly indicates to us, according to the "AchAryA-s", that the principal

purpose of the Lord's "avatAra" is not destruction of evil. The principal

purpose is the deliverance of the good unto Himself.

 

Thus in the Ramayana too, as far as Lord Raghava-simha was concerned, the

destruction of Ravana was just an incidental chore to be accomplished

alongwith the far more important task of granting deliverance to the

beloved Vibeeshana who performed "saranagati" to him in the closing moments

of the penultimate "kanda" of the epic.

 

On receiving Sita's "choodamani" Rama was heartened to note that the last

possible obstacle to accepting Vibeeshana's "saranagati" had been removed.

The crest-jewel indeed represented the "purushAkAra" of "pirAtti" without

which Vibeeshana's saranagathi would have been defective!

 

Thus, we see how the divine mother's "purushAkara" not only enabled

Vibeeshana's "saranAgathi"; it also enabled the fulfilment of the Lord's

"avatArA" ..... ""paritrAnaya sAdhunAm, vinAshAyA-cha dushkrutAm ....."!!!

 

 

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I would like to close this post of mine with a prayer to Perundevi-thAyAr

of Kanchi:

 

"kalyAnAnAm avikala-nidhihi kApi kArunya seemA

nityAmOda nigama vachasAm mouli mandAra mAlA !

sampad divyA madhu-vija-yinaha sanni dhattAm sadA may

saishA devi sakala bhuvana prArtanA kAmadhEnu-hu !!

 

(Verse 24 of Swami Desikan's "sri-stuti")

 

 

adiyEn,

sudarshan