RE- A SMALL CLRIFICATION

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Sheshadri Ranganathan

 

On your questions of souls getting liberated, I have a small anecdote from

the life of Sri Thyagaraja the saint musician who lived two centuries ago

and had given us a wealth of songs on raama bhakthi.

 

Once Sri thyagaraja visited the house of Kovoor sundara mudaliar in

ThiruvoRRiyoor (now on the outskirts of Chennai). After staying and singing

five songs on thirupurasundari the presiding amman in the thyagarajaswami

temple in thiruvoRRiyoor, he returned to his native place viz. thiruvaiyaaru

[the songs are sundari nee divya roopamu in raaga kalyani, dharini in raaga

saveri etc].

 

While coming back, it so happened, he had to cross a forest area in the

night. Some thieves tried to attack the swamy travelling in a palanquin

through the forest. So Swamy gave a call to Raama by way of a song

"munthvenuga" in raaga darbar to escort him to safety during the travel.

Raama and his anuja lakshmana appeared on the scene with kothandam and

escorted swami to safety.

 

But raama also gave darshan to the theives who tried to attack the swami and

they had the bhagyam of seeing rama and lakshmana. Where as swamy learnt he

was saved by his ishtadevatha next morning but could not have the darsanam

of raama. After much sweating and hard raama naama japam only, could he have

the darsanam of raama later.

 

Whereas the thieves who had the intention of attacking the baktha without

knowing that he is a bhaktha, had the bhagyam of raama darsanam. The story

goes on to say that they later became the sishyaas of the saint.

 

So it NOTHING but SHEER GRACE of the lord, that he grants all to one bhaktha

for a small attempt. But for the other bhaktha, he gives a lot of tests and

then only grants the darsanam liberation etc.

 

What we can do is TO ATTEMPT with all sincerity, a way to receive his GRACE,

that is thru prapatti, which is the way shown to us by our aacharyas.

 

Daasan Vasudevan M.G.