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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

Company of devotees beneficial

 

CHENNAI, DEC. 30. The scriptures are not easy to comprehend for

the layman and hence a wide-ranging texts based on them have been

written by the mystics and the preceptors of the different

philosophical traditions over the centuries to cater to the

different levels of spiritual aspirants. As it may not be humanly

possible to master all these texts it is enough if one peruses

that which is within one's grasp and progress spiritually instead

of frittering away the precious time one has at one's disposal to

fathom all the texts.

 

The succinct message all these texts convey is that the goal of

human birth is liberation from worldly bondage and that refuge in

God is the way to deliverance. The hymn Tiruppavai composed by

Andal, one of the Azhwars of the Srivaishnava tradition, is one

of the texts considered important for spiritual evolution. This

hymn has the ring of conviction of one who speaks from

experience. She says with certainty that the Supreme Being who

incarnated as Krishna is the one in whom we must take refuge.

 

In his discourse, Sri V.Ananthapadmanabhachariar said that the

Tiruppavai highlighted the importance of cultivating the company

of fellow devotees (Satsangh). This concept is the key to

understanding the esoteric import of this hymn which describes a

certain rite observed by the maidens in this month.

 

In one of the verses Andal draws attention to the incident of the

fall of the gate-keepers of the Vaikunta, Jaya and Vijaya, from

their eternal service to the Lord. Once when they prevented the

sages Sanaka and others from entering the abode, the sages cursed

them and gave them the choice of being born in the world a

hundred times as His devotees or three births with demonaic

disposition when they would meet their ends at His hands. As they

repented their actions immediately and did not want to be

separated from the Lord they preferred to be born as demons.

 

First they took birth as Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu and the

Lord manifested as Varaha and Narasimha and released them. In

their second birth they were born as Ravana and Kumbhakarna

during the advent of the Lord as Rama and in their last birth

they were born as Sisupala and Dantavakra when He incarnated as

Krishna. Andal mentions this Puranic episode by drawing attention

to how Ravana met his end because he dared to separate the Divine

Mother (Sita) from the Lord (Rama).

 

The commentary on this hymn draws attention to the Lord's

compassion towards erring humanity by noting that Rama gave

refuge to the brother (Vibhishana) of Ravana who had committed

such a sacrilege.

 

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