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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

Miscellaneous

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Religion

 

 

Lord's grace ensures mental peace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHENNAI, FEB 7. Which will fetch real happiness - possession of material

benefactions or rendering service to God? If this question is posed before men,

almost everyone will opt for the enjoyment of pleasures but saints and Divine

personalities will seek only the grace of God that will ensure mental peace. An

aversion to increase one's requirements and thereby cultivating detachment will

take one nearer God.

 

The performance of rituals may be found difficult by all sections but to utter

God's names, especially ``Rama Nama'', needs no rigid practice. This step of

holding on to the feet of the Lord was adopted even just two centuries ago by a

saint who lived amidst us, who was ever meditating on Rama's qualities by

extolling them through songs, rendering which, one will be transported to the

Divine Kingdom. Engaged in adoring Rama, he rejected precious gifts sent by a

ruler inviting him to sing his compositions in his palace stating that he would

prefer to be ever in the presence of Rama. That was Saint Thyagaraja, who, born

in Tamil Nadu, composed enormous number of songs in Telugu, narrating the tale

of Ramayana, eulogising the auspicious qualities of God, particularly His

readiness to give asylum to anyone who approaches Him. Thyagaraja mixed his

songs with doses of philosophic statements and honest rules in a digestible

form. His vision of the Ramayana is now being presented by!

all as they are couched in extremely simple language. One song in the

``Pancharatna kritis'' is indeed a condensation of the epic.

 

Several are the incidents in Saint Thyagaraja's life which virtually made him

feel the presence of God. When he visited Thirumalai, the curtain before the

Lord had been drawn. In his stirring appeal, through a composition, he sought

God's grace to remove the veil that prevented him from enjoying His form, when

the screen got removed. On another occasion, thieves attempted to rob his

valuables when Rama and His brother drove them away. The core of the saint's

musical refrains is that this body with all the sense organs, has been provided

by Rama to make men take steps to reach Him instead of getting immersed in

vanishing pleasures, explained Sri Velukkudi Krishnan, in a discourse, referring

to the elaboration of the Ramayana, through songs, echoing the sentiments of

Valmiki, Azhwars, Kamban and others as to how the name of Rama will bring mental

solace to all.

 

 

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