Abhaya Mudra

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

 

 

The Abhaya Mudra

 

 

 

Rabbit flesh is reported to be extremely delicious, while that of a crow

is much less tasty. With a rabbit near at hand and about to be caught, would

anyone forsake that and go after a crow flying off in the distance? First of

all, catching the crow is doubtful, while the rabbit is almost in the net. And

even if the crow were to be caught, it is hardly delicacy enough to hanker

after, vis-à-vis the delicious rabbit.

 

To allay suspicions, adiyen has not become a connoisseur of meat items, but is

only quoting Sri Tirumangai Mannan. Comparing the distant, unseen and

inaccessible Sri Vaikuntam to crow's flesh, Sri Kalian points out how much

easier and delectable it is to have one's fill of the Lord in His arcchA form,

as He manifests Himself in various temples in this world. "ErAr muyal vittu

kAkkai pin pOvadE" remarks Azhwar, making fun of people who ignore the treat

they have on hand in the form of the arcchA mUrthy and crave for experiencing

the Lord of Paramapatham, who is but a distant dream.

 

 

 

Representing His most accessible form, the arcchA mUrthy is capable of being

venerated, loved, enjoyed to one's heart's content and even being remonstrated

with. There have been instances where the Lord has broken the arcchA samAdhi and

spoken to various Acharyas and BhAgavatAs.

 

 

 

Though each and every one of Emperuman's avayavAs is an untiring treat for all

our senses, His hands, and more particularly the palms, are of special interest

to us, because of the divine attitudes and assurances they symbolise.

 

 

 

Without going into Agamic technicalities, let us discover the various postures

the Lord adopts for His palms, and what they mean to us.

 

 

 

First and foremost of these is the abhaya mudrA, or the palm kept in an upward

posture at the end of a horizontally extended arm. Though not an apt comparison,

in this posture the Lord looks like a traffic policeman signalling oncoming

vehicles to stop.

 

What does the abhaya mudra signify? The very position of the vertical palm

exudes assurance to the devotee that he need not fear for anything. "I am here

to take care of you-don't you worry!" the Lord seems to say. Being both

"Bhayakrit" and "BhayanAsana:", the Lord appears to hold out His hand for

destroying all fear, be it from whatever source. The upright posture of the

palm, with the Lord's fingers pointing skywards, also appears to be an assurance

of a place for the devotee in the heavens, if only he would do as he is told. In

this posture, all the rekhAs in the Lord's palm are clearly visible to us, and

it is as if He is showing off to us the matchless beauty of His palms, much as a

child with henna-reddened ("maruthANi") hands.

 

 

 

Emperuman also appears to tell us to stop-stop doing acts which are contrary to

one's dharma.

 

 

 

According to Swami Desikan, the abhaya mudrA also tells the prapanna that once

he has surrendered himself to the Lord, he need do nothing else for his

liberation.

 

 

 

"PrAya: prapadanE pumsAm pouna:punyam nivArayan

 

Hasta: Sri Ranga Bhartu: avyAt abhaya mudrita:"

 

 

 

Prapatti, as we are aware, is a one-time affair, with the prapanna surrendering

himself, heart and soul, to the Lord, with the unshakeable faith in the Lord's

capability and willingness to protect us, with a firm resolve to espouse

righteous conduct and eschew all that is contrary, and with a realization of

one's own helplessness in saving oneself.

 

This act is to be performed only once (sakrit kartavyam), for its power is such

as to bestow moksha (even instantly if the devotee so desires) whenever the

devotee wishes.

 

 

 

It is said that the Brahmastra, which is the final word in the matter of

weapons, binds the target inescapably. However, if one were to lack faith in its

efficacy and use another astra as a complement or supplement, the BrahmAstra

instantly ceases to act.

 

Similarly, Sharanagati brooks no repetition, for, to perform it more than once

would be indicative of lack of faith in the Lord's assurance of protection.

 

To Swami Desikan, it appears as though the upheld abhaya hasta of Lord

Ranganatha tells the devotee that he need not repeat prapatti, and once is

enough. This idea so appeals to Tooppul Pillai that he repeats it in Adaikkala

Patthu-

 

"umadu adigaL adaigindrEn endru oru kAl uraitthavarai

 

amayum ini enbavar pOl "anjal" ena karam vaitthu".

 

 

 

The Lord's abhaya hasta is but a physical expression of His assurance in

Ramavatara to grant asylum to and relieve the fear of all (irrespective of

caste, creed or colour) those who surrender themselves once to Him. Here is the

beautiful Rama charama sloka-

 

"Sakrit Eva prapannAya tavAsmi iti cha yAchatE

 

abhayam sarva bhootEbhyO dadami Etat vratam mama"

 

The Lord's posture with the upraised palm appears as though He is swearing on

oath His intention of offering asylum to all sharanAgatAs.

 

 

 

Swami Desikan movingly describes the abhaya hasta of Adiavarkku Meyyan in Sri

Devanayaka Panchasat-

 

 

 

"akshObhaNeeya karuNAmbudhi vidrumAbham

 

Bhakta anuranjanam amartyapatE tvadeeyam

 

Nitya aparAdha chakitE hridayE madIyE

 

Datta abhayam spurati dakshiNa pANi padmam"

 

 

 

The right palm of Lord Devanatha is so reddish as to resemble a coral. This is

no ordinary coral, but one born out of the unfathomable ocean of His mercy. This

glowing coral exudes the Light of Reassurance and destroys the mortal fear in

the hearts of even habitual offenders like us, says Swami Desikan.

 

 

 

While one of the Lord's palms is raised in the abhaya mudra, the other is

usually held open, with the fingers pointing downwards. This is the "Varada

mudra" or a posture of munificence. The Lord awaits just a word from us and is

prepared to give us everything, be it riches, scholarship, good familial ties or

even Liberation. He is prepared to give us all that He has, says Swami Desikan-

 

"tamadu anaitthum avar tamakku vazhangium tAm miga viLangum amaivudaya aruLALar"

says he in Adaikkalapatthu.

 

 

 

When somebody gives away a portion of his riches, he is poorer to that extent.

This is not so with the Lord, whose fame and aishvarya only increase, the more

He gives. His natural munificence is enhanced by the presence on His chest of

Piratti, the personification of "udAratvam".

 

Piratti's nature is such that even after showering the devotee with all types

of riches, material and spiritual, She feels she has done precious little for

the bhakta and is ashamed at Her own inadequacy, says Sri Parasara Bhattar in

Sri Gunaratna Kosam

 

("ishwaryam akshara gatim paramam padam vA......

 

tvam lajjasE amba kOyam udAra bhAva:!").

 

 

 

The Varada mudra signifies generosity of such high order that Emperuman is

prepared to grant eternal bliss and to take us to SriVaikuntam itself, in return

for a token gesture like Sharanagati, much like the King being pleased with the

offering of a lime fruit.

 

Further, the Lord's fingers seem to point downwards to His lotus feet,

indicating that therein lies the key to salvation, and exhorting all to adopt

the strategy that Sri Nammazhwar did, when he said "un adikkeezh amarndu

pugundEnE". In several temples like the Oppiliappan Sannidhi, we can see this

made explicit by adorning the Lord's down- stretched palm with the words "MAm

Ekam sharaNam vraja" (Surrender unto Me alone).

 

 

 

Another of the postures, which the Lord sports, especially at Tirumala, is the

"Kati Hasta", or the palm turned inwards and placed on the hip. Srinivasa's left

palm is held in this position. This is said to signify that for His devotees,

the SamsAra sAgaram, or the ocean of worldly woes, is only knee-deep.

 

This sea of samsara is said to be immeasurably deep-"bhava jaladhim agAdham"

says Sri KulasekharAzhwar in Sri Mukunda Mala. It is so deep and wide that

crossing over to the shore is said to be impossible-"dustaram nistarEyam". But

not so for devotees of the Lord, for He drains up the waters of Karma to make

the ocean only waist-deep, so that the devotee can cross over from bondage to

salvation, on foot. Those who are sceptical about this ought to remember that

He was capable of bridging the ocean to enable the Vanara sainya to cross over

to Lanka.

 

 

 

Another favourite posture of the Lord's is that in which He has his fingers

slightly bent inwards, in a beckoning gesture. This is known as the "AhvAna

mudra" or the inviting gesture. The Lord is so enamoured of His devotees that He

beckons even idle passers-by to come in, pay obeisance and to avail themselves

of His boundless munificence.

 

 

 

The beauty of Emperuman's hasta or palm is beyond measure. The connoisseur of

arcchA, once he sets his eyes on the divine palm, would lose himself in its

magnificence and find it difficult to prise his eyes away from the hasta, much

in the fashion of KambanAttAzhwAn, who found it impossible to take his eyes off

Sri Rama's broad shoulders ("TOL kaNdAr tOLE kaNdAr"). This is perhaps what made

Swami Desikan express disinterest even in the coveted life at Sri Vaikuntam,

when he could have his fill of ThEpperumAl's arcchA anubhavam-

 

"Satyam shape VaraNa saila nAtha!

 

Vaikunta vAsEpi na mE abhilAsha:".

 

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dasan, sadagopan.