Of Shades and Shadows

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SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

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yes">                     Of 

Shades and Shadows

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456.0pt">        What does a pedestrian long for,

having travelled far on a hot summer day, with the Sun blazing overhead and the

earth radiating heat underfoot, lips parched with an unquenchable thirst and

with his irritated red eyes automatically closing due to the unbearable heat?

What he would crave for is a spot of shade provided by a hospitable tree or the

shadow cast by a sky-scraper, in whose protective penumbra he can seek refuge

for a time, before moving on. Though we might not realise the utility of such

shades and shadows in normal times, once the day’s heat strikes us in all its

virulence, we immediately run in search of the nearest source of

shade,  prompting the Tamizh saying, “nizhalin

arumai veyyilil teriyum”. Such comforting shades and long shadows are also to

be found at several places in the Scripture, a few of which are highlighted

here.

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What is the principal characteristic of a

shadow? Its unique feature is that it is inseparable from its parent, the

person who casts the shadow. It always accompanies the person to whom it

belongs.  It does whatever its owner

does, running when the latter runs, standing while the latter stands and so on.

In short, its every action or inaction is solely fashioned on that of its

possessor. With these traits, the shadow too forms the subject of one of the

numerous similes for which the Adi kavi Valmiki is renowned. 

Describing the relationship existing between

the Prince of Ayodhya and the Princess of Mithila, Sri Valmiki says that Sita

was akin to a shadow to Sri Rama—

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">“PativratA

mahAbhAgA cchAyA iva anugatA sadA”

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">When giving his

beloved Sita away in marriage to Chakravartthi Tirumagan, Sri Janaka Maharaja

proudly proclaims the exalted merits that embellish the perfect physical beauty

of his divine daughter. Holding Her out to be the epitome of all womanly virtue

(“nArINAm uttamA vadhoo:”), the proud father expands on this by calling Her a

“Pativrata”, one who regards Her husband as verily the Lord and devotes Her

life to the fulfilment of every wish of His, minor and major. The place of such

a Pativrata is always by Her husband’s side, be it in pleasure or pain, in the

blissful confines of the regal palace or the stark and inhospitable environs of

the  terrifying jungle. She never leaves

Her husband voluntarily and adheres to Him as if She were verily His shadow,

inseparably attached to Him in thought, word and deed.  This is what Sri Janaka hints, when he

promises Sri Rama that His new bride would indeed follow Him like a

shadow—“CchAyA iva anugatA”. We have heard that everything connected with

Emperuman is distinguished and divine—we learn from Sri Valmiki’s words that

even the Lord’s shadow is incomparably unique and illustrious.

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">Another shadow the

great Epic casts is in Sundara Kandam, during the memorable flight of Siria

Tiruvadi across the ocean separating BhAratavarsha from Lanka. Propelled by the

thought of  the Prince of Ayodhya grieving

for His beloved Sita, Hanuman flits through the skies above the ocean at

terrific speed. One of the inhabitants of the ocean, a Rakshasi by name

SimhikA, hungry for long, sights the strong and fleshy figure of Anjaneya and

congratulates herself on having found a satisfying prey. She never has any

doubt about her ability to lay her hands on the vAnara, because she has the

exceptional power of  capturing people

by just grasping at their shadows, giving her the dreaded appellation, “CchAyA

grAhi”. She rises up suddenly from the depths of the ocean, assumes a monstrous

form and grabs Hanuman’s fleeting shadow.

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feels the consequence immediately, as if someone had suddenly immobilised him.

Gone are his speed and expedition and Tiruvadi drops down like a stone, all the

wind taken out of his sails. Sighting the monstrous form running  at

him with its cavernous mouth open to grab

and gobble him up, Sri Hanuman immediately recollects Sugriva’s warning about

the  dangerous creature. Just ahead of

entering the terrifying jaws of the Rakshasi, Hanuman contracts his giant form

into that of a dimunitive dwarf, enters her yawning mouth, goes straight to her

heart, tears it apart with his razor-sharp nails, breaks the chest open and

emerges from her body, totally unscathed and without even a scratch. All the

celestials who are witness to this great display of valour, shower their

appreciation on Sri Anjaneya. If only Simhika had known in advance about the

destructive capabilities of the shadow she had grabbed, she would have probably

left it well alone! This goes to show how dangerous even shadows could be.

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">Talking of

shadow-grabbers, it is interesting to note that Sri Tirumangai Mannan had four

principal sishyAs, one of whom was known as “CchAyai pidippAn” (or “nizhalil

odunguvAn” according to some accounts), who actively aided him in relieving

filthy-rich travellers of their ill-gotten wealth, to be used for the noble

purpose of bhAgavata tadIyArAdhanam.

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">Having seen some

dangerous shadows, let us turn to comforting shades. There is a huge Peepal

tree, extremely extensive, spreading its branches far and wide. This is a

special tree which can accommodate any number of people under it. Its branches

are so closely knit as to prevent sunlight and heat from filtering down. For

those suffering from the unbearable heat and the blinding brilliance of

Samsara, this hospitable tree provides cool and comforting shade and succour,

enabling the worn and weary traveller to rest and re-energise himself. And

those who have the good fortune to seek shelter under this tree never have the

need to venture again into the enervating heat of the mundane morass. The

beauty of this exceptional tree is that it never grows old, nor do its branches

ever break and fall, nor even are its leaves shed in autumn. This is a hoary

old tree, whose origins no one knows: nor is it subject to the worldly

phenomena of decay and death.

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456.0pt"> For those who have still not divined the

identity of this glorious botanical specimen, this is none other than the Lord,

who provides refuge and relief to countless souls suffering from the three

types of heat ( Tapatrayam--AdhyAtmikam, Adibhoutikam and 

Adidaivikam) generated by Samsara. While the

shade provided by ordinary trees can at best be temporary, this divine tree, the

“VAsudEva Taru”, affords a lasting and permanent shadow, from the comforts of

which we never need to stir out again into the terrible heat and dust of

Samsara. Such  is the glorious shadow

cast by this magnificent tree, adulated by the Scripture as “VAsudEva

TaruccchAyA”.  For those who may object

to the depiction of the Lord as a tree, however exalted, Swami Desikan’s

description of Sri Ranganatha as a fragrant sandalwood tree (“Sri Rangaraja

Harichandanam”) and the Lord’s own declaration that He is the venerated Peepal

tree among the species (“Ashvattha: sarva vrikshANAm”), should provide an

answer.

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">Just as Sita

Piratti adhered to Chakkravartthi Tirumagan like a shadow, there are some

things which stick to us inseparably. These are with us not only till “death do

us part”, but even beyond death. The association between these sticky things

and ourselves extends forever : even if we cast off one body and take on

another, we would not be able to sever ourselves from these adherents, which

are the prime reason for our getting enmeshed in the morass of Samsara. This

unique shadow which never forsakes us is nothing but our accumulated baggage of

good and bad, collectively known as Karma. This KArmic Shadow, like the ogress

SimhikA, pulls us down constantly and immobilises us completely, preventing us

from adopting an effective strategy for emancipation. The only way we can

escape this debilitating shadow of Karma is to expose ourselves to the midday

Sun of Sharanagati, in whose presence all shadows, however persistent, vanish

without a trace.

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">It is not only we

poor mortals who seek the shade of a tree, for relief from heat of various

types. If it is any consolation to us, even the Lord prefers the comforting

shade of the PArijAta tree. As one who likes His creature comforts, whatever be

His camp office, He comfortably ensconces Himself on a magnificent throne made

of beaten gold. And even under the tree, He remains inseparable from His

Consorts, Si RugmiNI and Sri SatyabhAmA, forever the “MAlOla”. This rare snapshot

of the Lord, apparently on an outdoor picnic 

along with His family, all decked-up in His finery and sporting four

arms (instead of the two to which He is entitled to in His form as the human

Sri Krishna), is presented by Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram, towards the fag

end of the prelude thereto-

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">“CchAyAyAm

PArijAtasya hEma simhAsanOpari

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456.0pt"> Aseenam ambuda syAmam AyatAksham alankritam

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456.0pt"> ChandrAnanam chaturbAhum SrivatsAnkita

vakshasam

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456.0pt"> RugmiNI SatyabhAmAbhyAm sahitam Sri Krishnam

AshrayE”

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">Another worthy who

favours the shade of the ParijAta tree is our Siriya Tiruvadi—

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moola vAsinam bhavayAmi PavamAna nandanam”

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">Would you be

surprised to hear that more than the shade provided by the VAsudEva taru, there

is another source of shade and comfort which affords the Prapanna better relief

from Samsara and its travails? There is indeed one such, by seeking refuge in

which we can be rid of our shackles and lead the rest of our existence in

boundless bliss. Swami Desikan points out in Sri EtirAja Saptati as to how Sri

Ramajuja is verily a tall and broad tree, affording refuge and relief to the

weary travellers on the endless path of Samsara—

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parivritti shrAnta vishrAnti shakhI”

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">Similarly, for

those uninitiated seekers who travel on the Vedic highways, searching in vain

for the abode of the Parabrahmam, wearied beyond measure by their fruitless

quest, Sri Ramanuja stands as a huge monolithic tree, providing not only the

shade of relief from misleading schools of thought, but also delectable fruits

representing knowledge of the Paramapurusha, says Swami Desikan—

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cchAyA shAkhI nirAsa mahAnidhi”.

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Such is the glory of Sri Ramanuja’s disciple

Sri EmbAr, that he is adulated as verily the shade provided by the holy feet of

his master—“Ramanuja pada cchAyA” and as the final resting place “vishrama

stthalI” for all those in search of liberation. Sri Govinda, as he was known as

in his poorvAshramam, adhered so closely to the Bhashyakara’s tenet and

teachings, that he was called the veritable footprint of his master.

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">A visitor to the

present day Tiruvallikkeni would find it to be a concrete jungle, affording

little shade or shadow. All trees have been felled and every inch of available

lung-space exploited by avaricious builders hastening to turn it into a

matchbox dwelling. However, time was when the divyadesam was a verdant copse,

wooded with tall trees so closely grown as not to allow even the rays of the

Sun to pass through, providing a cool and inviting shade to all those coming to

have their fill of Emperuman’s magnificence. This luxurious shade can be

inferred from Sri Tirumangai Mannan’s lines,

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kuLir pozhiloodu kuyilodu mayilgaL nindru Ala

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456.0pt"> iraviyin kadirgaL nuzhaidal seidu ariyA

TiruvallikkENi kaNdEne”

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">It is not only the

Lord who likes the lure of tree shade. Even crabs relish it, it would appear

from Sri Kalian’s depiction of TiruvAli. The Azhwar says that Punnai trees in

this divyadesam spread their cool and comforting shade over beautiful ponds

filled with lotus blooms. Finding the soft petals of these flowers to be ideal

beds, and with the canopy of shade provided by the aforesaid trees, male crabs

recline in comfort in these flowers—

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punnai nAzhal neezhal tandAmarai malarin misai-mali

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alavan kaN padukkum aNi Ali ammAnE!”.

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">With his penchant

for portraying scenic locales, Sri Kalian speaks of shadows again, in the

“nandA viLakkE” pathigam. The divine bard waxes eloquent when he witnesses the

rare concert of  birds and bees in the

groves surrounding TirunAngUr. Enthused by the cool shade and balmy breeze, one

class of bees hums the DEvagAndhAri rAga, while another choir of the same

species provides harmonious vocal support, all underneath the closely-grown

ParijAta trees, which provide an uninterrupted and all-encompassing shade,

shutting out the midday Sun—

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">“etthisayum

gandhAram am tEn isai pAda mAde kaLivaNdu mizhattra nizhal tudaindu

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maNa malgu NangUr MaNimAda kOil vaNangu en mananE!”

yes">   

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">The more we peruse

our SampradAyic lore, the more does the entire Scripture appear to be one long,

shady grove, affording us a relaxing and rejuvenating shade in which we may

seek refuge, forgetting all our mundane travails. Any painter worth his name

would tell us that it is shades and shadows which provide much-needed life and

realism to a painting. From all the aforesaid, it would appear that the same is

true of life too.

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops:.5in 456.0pt">Srimate Sri

LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra

Mahadesikaya nama:

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