Bhagavat Kataksham

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika

Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

Bhagavat KatAksham

 

There are looks that heal, looks

that wither and looks that even kill. There are looks

of anger, of compassion, of love and of laughter.

Lovers often long for a look of endearment from their

beloved. Such a look or the absence of it can make or

mar the day of an ardent suitor.

It is said that Sri DhanurdAsa, before he became a

devoted disciple of Sri Ramanuja, was extremely

enamoured of a loving look from his paramour

PonnAcchi. It was only after Sri Ramanjua introduced

him to the incomparable delights of a glance from Sri

Ranganatha’s bewitching eyes that he realised that the

Lord’s look is more captivating than any other.

 

Emperuman’s look or His “KatAksham” destroys all

evil and bestows all that is auspicious: this is

brought out by the Tiruppavai lines “angaN irandum

kondu engaL mEl nOkkudiyEl engaL mEl sApam izhindElOr

empAvAi”.

 

It is significant that Sri Andal likens the Lord’s

eyes to the Sun and the Moon (“tingaLum Adityanum

ezhundAr pOl”).

It is a fact of nature that the Sun and the Moon are

never seen together in the skies, as they reign over

the day and night respectively. However, in the case

of the Lord, it appears as though they are present

simultaneously, as one eye, resembling the Sun, shines

out brightly to destroy all sin in the minds of the

devotees, while the other eye, cool and pleasing as

the moon, brings them ever-lasting happiness and

restfulness.

When Sri Andal compares the Lord’s look to the

glittering Sun, She obviously has in mind the Purusha

Sukta vAkya “ChakshO: SuryO ajayata” ascribing the

Sun’s origins to the Lord’s eyes.

The Lord’s look not only destroys evil, but also

instils in the devotee all the auspicious attributes

essential in an aspirant to Liberation. Once

Emperuman’s kataksham falls on a bhakta even at birth,

it turns him into a SAtvika, a repository of all that

is good and an antithesis to all that is not.

Sri Mahabharata (ShAnti Parva) bears testimony to

this;

 

“JayamAnam hi purusham yam pasyet MadhusUdhana:

SAtvika: sa tu vigyEya: sa vai MokshArttha chintaka:”

 

On the other hand, if one comes under the sway and

look of other dEvatAs at birth, he becomes susceptible

to RAjasic or Tamasic influences.

“PasyatEnam jAyamAnam brahma

rudro atava puna:

RajasA tamasA chAsya mAnasam samabhiplutam”-

 

Sri Tondaradippodi Azhwar cries out for a look of

vAtsalyam from Aranganagarappan-

 

“Mazhaikku andru varai mun Endum maindanE madhura ArE

uzhaikkandrE pOla nOkkam udayavar valayuL pattu

uzhaikkindrErkku ennai nOkkadu ozhivadE

unnai andrO azhaikkindrEn Adimoorti

ArangamAnagaruLAnE”

 

Says Azhwar- “Sri Ranganatha! You know full well that

I have fallen a slave to ephemeral pleasures and am

ensnared by females with mercenary intent. Even so, is

it fair for You to deny me a look of compassion from

Your lotus eyes? All the world knows that for

protecting cows, calves and cowherds, You undertook

the arduous task of holding up with Your little finger

the mighty Govardhana Giri for seven days, amidst

raging storm and pelting rain. My requirement is

nowhere as demanding or troublesome- I just want a

glance from your eyes. Even if your look were to be

one of contempt for my present travails, I wouldn’t

mind, as long as You do look at me! You know too that

like GajEndra of yore, I have no one else to turn to

for succour. So I beseech You- do look at me!”

 

Even a fleeting glance from the Lord’s bewitching

lotus eyes can enslave one for life. The scholarly

Rishis of the SvEtadveepa are no more proof to His

irresistible charm than the unlettered Gopis of

NandagOkulam, and gladly concede defeat:

“JitamtE PundareekAksha!”

(“Oh Lord of the lotus eyes! Despite ourselves, we

have been won over by You!”).

Sri Nammazhwar echoes this in Tiruvaimozhi-“ThOtrOm

mada nenjam Emperuman NAraNarku”.

 

“Tvat eekshaNa sudha sindhu veechi vikshEpa seekarai:

KaruNya mAruta Aneetai: seetalai: abhishincha mAm”

Prays Sri Tirukkacchi Nambi, beseeching Sri Varadaraja

to drench him (Nambi) with the nectarine waves of His

looks, made cooler by the winds of compassion blowing

constantly in His presence.

 

Sri Ramanuja, prompted by boundless devotion brimming

over, and unable to bear the Lord’s separation,

wonders in the Sri Vaikunta Gadyam- “When will I reach

Sri Vaikuntam and be the object of the Lord’s look of

love and compassion!”

“KadA mAm BhagavAn svakeeyayA atiseetalaya drisA mAm

avalOkya ….”.

 

We have seen so far the high pedestal on which those

who are the object of the Lord’s glances are placed.

At the other end of the spectrum are those who are not

so fortunate. Sri Valmiki says that such people, whom

Sri Rama did not make the subject of His sacred look,

and those who were not fortunate enough to have a

glance at the Prince of Ayodhya, were universally

detested, and were unable to live with themselves:

“Yascha Ramam na pasyEt tu yancha RamO na pasyati

nindita: sa vasEt lOke svAtmapi Enam vigarhatE”.

However high a person’s social status, and however

blessed he is otherwise, if Sri Rama does not see him

at least once in his life, his entire sojourn on this

earth would be a waste, and he need not have been born

at all. Similar is the fate of a person who is not

blessed enough to see Sri DAsarati’s divya mangala

vigraha at least once.

 

If the Lord’s looks are so uplifting, what about those

of His Consort?

But for Sri Mahalakshmi’s looks of compassion, the

Universe would never have been created and countless

jeevAtmAs would have lost the opportunity for

liberation, says Sri Alavandar-

“eeshat tvat karuNA nireekshaNa sudha sandhukshaNat

rakshyatE, nashtam prAk tat alAbhata:tribhuvanam

sampratyanantOdayam”

Swami Desikan voices the same feelings in a different

fashion. After pralayam or the cosmic wind -down,

Jeevatmas, in their sublime state, are inextricably

mixed up with inanimate souls. Sri Daya Devi, casting

a glance of compassion at these inert souls, is filled

with sorrow at their plight, and initiates the process

of Creation, so that the unfortunate souls, shackled

by karma, could take birth and attempt redemption.

Here is the beautiful sloka from Sri Daya Satakam-

“achit avisishtAn pralayE jantoon avalOkya jAta

nirvEda

karaNa kaLEbara yOgam vitarasi VrishasailanAtha

KaruNE tvam”.

 

Sri KoorattAzhwan shares a secret with us in his

SriStavam-All of us are under the impression that

Emperuman is an independent agent and performs His

jobs of Creation, Protection and Destruction of His

own volition. Not so, says Sri Azhwan. It is from

Piratti’s dictates, conveyed through Her captivating

glances out of the corner of Her eyes, that the Lord

takes the cue for going about His onerous tasks.

Whichever way Piratti turns, and whichever place Her

beatific glances fall on, riches of all kinds compete

with one another to fill that place. Says Swami

Desikan in Sristuti-

“yasyAm yasyAm disi viharatE Devi ! drishti: tvadeeyA:

tasyAm tasyAm aham ahamikAm tanvatE sampadOghA:”

 

However, there are looks from another source, which

are more purifying and uplifting than Bhagavat

KatAksham and LakshmI KatAksham. “Could such a thing

be possible?” adiyen hears you wonder. Yes it is, and

it is none other than Acharya KatAksham or BhAgavata

katAksham. The moment the Acharya’s benign glances,

full of love and compassion, fall upon a person, the

recipient’s whole life changes for the better. Acharya

bhakti leads to devotion to the Lord, and in stages,

culminates in liberation through an appropriate upAya,

as shown by the Acharya.

As adiyen can feel the bhAgavatAs’ looks of

exasperation at the length of this piece boring

through me, adiyen shall conclude here with apologies.

 

SrimateSri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka

SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya

Nama:

 

Dasan,sadagopan.

 

 

 

 

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