The Lord’s Transgressions of “Dharma”

[Guest guest]

The Lord’s Transgressions of “Dharma”

 

Reading through C.Rajaji’s Ramayana, Adiyen happened

to think of the Vali Vadham episode and wish to share

some of my ramblings on this topic with this august

forum of venerable Sri Vaishnavites.

 

There are numerous occasions wherein the Lord has,

uninhibitedly and brazenly flouted “dharma” to uphold

the interests of His Devotees. Straightaway, Adiyen

can think of three instances (doubtless, there are

many more):

 

1. Depriving the Asuras of Amrutam, to confine it to

the Devas, even though the Asuras had participated

equally in the churning of the ocean and hence had an

equal right to the spoils.

2. Killing Vaali, while remaining hidden, and that too

when He had no personal score to settle with Vaali.

3. Protecting Saatyaki from certain death, by getting

Arjuna to sever the hand of Bhurisravas in the

Kurukshetra war, though Arjuna was in no way involved

in the Saatyaki-Bhurisravas duel.

 

(I am not sure why the other such episodes are

discussed as much as Vaali Vadham)

 

Aren’t these open and flagrant violations of so-called

Dharma ? No – because from the Lord’s perspective, the

first and foremost Dharma is the protection of His

Devotees. Everything else (i.e conventional

considerations of Dharma) are set aside when a

Devotee’s well-being is at stake, just as the police

are armed with special powers in the event of an

Emergency. Thiruvalluvar says in the Thirukkural –

“Udukkai izhanthavan kai pola Angae iDukkaN

kaLaivadhAm natpu”. Just as a man’s hand instinctively

clutches at his waist cloth when he senses that it is

slipping, a man’s true friend rushes to his succour at

the time of peril. If even a human friend can do this,

what to speak of the Lord, when His devotee is in

peril ? This is illustrated by EmperumAn’s speed in

rushing to Gajendra’s aid – a speed so tremendous that

it had the Lord waiting for Sri Sudarsana to catch

up.( “Senru, ninru, Azhi thottaanai” – Thirumangai

Azhwar describing the Lord of Triplicane)

 

Now, what is “Dharma” and what is “Adharma” ? As is

repeatedly pointed out in the Mahabharatha, the way of

Dharma is extremely intricate and even great men are

often perplexed at what is right and what is not. This

is why the Lord says “Sarva DharmAn Parithyajtha; mAm

ekam saranam vraja”. For, what really is Dharma is not

what we think it to be, it is what the Lord thinks it

to be. (“AchAra prabhavo dharma, dharmasya

prabhurachyutah” – says the phala sruthi of the Vishnu

Sahasranama)

 

 

 

 

 

Hence the Lord simplifies our task by saying, “You do

not worry about Dharma (with your infinitesimal

intellect !) .You just surrender unto me”. The same

sentiment is echoed in a line in the Bible – “He

leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His

Names’ sake”.( If I remember right, it is the

twenty-third psalm)

 

Let’s consider another thing. We commit innumerable

sins and acquire an enormous heritage of Dush-Karma.

But still, we pray to the Lord, and He cheerfully

reduces our gravest and most heinous sins (“sediyaaya

val vinaigaL”) to ashes.(poya pizhaiyum puku tharuvAn

ninranavum theeyinil thoosaakum). Thus He allows us to

get away without paying fully for our misdeeds.

Strictly speaking, is this also not a transgression of

the laws of karma and dharma ? And if the Lord were to

strictly apply the yardstick of dharma while judging

us, what would be our plight ? Such trivial

considerations of karma and dharma are cast aside

when the Lord’s Grace attends on us, isn’t it ?

 

Doubtless, everything of the above must be something

that readers have known/realized already, but still

the Lord’s Daya cannot be over emphasized. I am

surprised at my own temerity in placing these thoughts

in this elite forum. I regret any errors in the form

or substance of this message.

 

Adiyen

Sriman Venkatesan

(Sriman is my first name – not a title I am applying

to myself !)

 

 

 

 

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