Love for the calf

[Guest guest]

Sri M.G Vasudevan and Sri Padmanabhan have written wonderfully about

the emperuman's love for the calf.

 

Emperuman's deep love for the cow and calf is greatly shown in his

love for the "govinda" nAmam. Sri Ramapiran had to sacrifice his

pattabhishekam and go to forest but he was not worried about the

same. He did not get angry. But when Indra showered heavy rain and

wanted to destroy the whole gokulam Sri krishna was put to immense

anger and hence he took the govardhana giri in his hands to save all

the gokula vasees (mainly the cows and calf which were very dear to

him). Sri Ramapiran returned back to ayodhya and underwent the

pattabhishekam to ayodhya samrAjyam but still he was not happy. Very

shortly he had to get separated from his dear wife seetha once again

hearing the words of one of his citizens. But in case of krishna,

Indra came and did "govinda pattabhishekam" which made not only

krishna but the whole gokula vasees happy. None of the gokula vasees

saw krishna as a special person/god even after seeing him do such

a miracle. Some of the elderly women in gokulam, even prayed for the

welfare of krishna. They did the rites of "drushti kazhithal" to

kutti kannan so that no evil eyes fell on him. Krishna was so

attached to the govinda nama. Usually it is kid's play to irritate

the other kid with a name which the other kid dislikes. Similarly in

gokulam the gopis irritated krishna by calling him "narayana".

According to the gopikas this name "narayana" which is considered so

near and dear by the vaidhikas was only a very small name (siru pEr).

Andal in her divine thiruppavai apologizes to have called krishna

with this name.

 

(Remember Narayana nama alone is the sole proof for the parathvam of emperuman.)

 

In the 28th paasuram, "karavaigal pin sendru...." andal says, "sirupEr azhaththanavum seeriarulAdhE"

 

Here the arayirapadi vyakhyanam to this goes as follows:

 

"(sirupEr) govinda pattabhishEkam pannina pinbhu mudhal thirunAmam sollugai kuttramirE"

 

Here sirupEr refers to nArayana nAmam. Though Indra understood that

krishna was none other than the ubhaya vibhoothi nAthan still he

honoured him with the name "govinda:" (the one who is the leader of

the cowherd). So this thirunamam is considered as par with the

nArAyana nAmam. In gokulam, govinda nama has more prominance since

the gokula vasees were attracted to that nama only.

 

"SahasrAsharangal and dvadhasAsharangal thodakkamAna perumpErgalellAm

avan pEr ettezhuththum kandavArE sirugittru; adhudhAn

moodrezhuththudaiya pErai kandavArE sirugittru;"

 

All other thirunamams become lowly names when compared to narayana

nAmam but even this narayana nAmam was considered less popular

compared to the three lettered govinda nAmam. According to the

vyakhyanam those who say the ashtAkshara nAma are considered to be

confused and hence the gopikas who are clear in mind consider the

nArayana nama to be sirupEr. nArayana nAma is to be kept as a secret

and to be told in the ears by the acharyan and hence it was used while

krishna was a small kid in the cradle ("mannu nAranan nambi

pirandhamai", "narayananE azhEl thAlElO"). But since now he is big

kannan that namam cannot be used.

 

Erayirapadi reads, "narayananenkai kuttramO? ennil; neermai

sambhAdhikka pOndhavidaththil mEnmai sollugai kuttramandrO?"

 

While emperuman took avathara as krishna to show explicitly his

sowlabhyam to one and all is it not wrong to point out to his

parathvam?

 

Realising her mistake andal apologizes and says "seeriarulAdhE" Oh!

lord please don't get angry instead forgive our mistake. On seeing

krishna's vishvaroopa arjuna apologised for all the mistakes he did

considering krishna to be his friend. "sowlabhyaththil parimAriya

thappugalai parathvam kandavArE porai kondAn avan" but here andal

does the reverse, "sowlabhyaththai kandu parathva bhuddikku kshamai

kollugirArgal evargal"

 

Even today as we enter the foot steps of thirumalai we hear the

govinda nAma everywhere. But where is the link for govinda nama to

thiruvenkatamudaiyan (learned bhagavatas can through light on this).

Adiyen will present one interesting fact. What is the guna showed by

thiruvenkatamudaiyan?

"mannOr vinnOr vaippil, pOginra Ezhulagukkum vuyir pAsam vaiththa

nigaril vAtsalyam mujjvalam" (Acharya Hrudhayam)

 

What is the definition to the "vAtsalya" guna?

 

"attra muraikkil adaindhavarpAl ambuyaikOn kuttramunardhu egazhum

kolgaiyanO? ettrai than kandrinudambin vazhuvandrO kAdhalippadhu

andradhanai yeendrugandha Aa." (jnana sAram -24)

 

Does the sripathi: Sriman narayana hate the jeeva who surrenders to

him seeing all the mistakes he has committed? Doesn't the cow, which

is considered as a clean animal get rid of all the dirt on its newly

born calf's body with love?

 

So probably thiruvenkatamudaiyan learnt this guna of vatsalyam only

from the cow and calf and hence the nama govinda is chanted by

bhakthas to keep reminding him of this great kalyana guna.

 

Alwar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam

 

Adiyen ramanuja dAseeSumithra Varadarajan

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Read with great enjoyment the article by Sumithra Varadarajan.

Eventhough Govinda has been translated as the protector of cow, I

have heard that the Govinda nAmA has a special meaning too viz. One

who protects the IndriyAs ('go')from swaying towards 'vishya sukham'.

It is also interesting that Adi Sankara (whom I consider as a great

Vaishnava teacher and whose teachings in this regard are not properly

followed by His present-day followers) also chose the Govinda nAmam to

exhort the humanity to resort to parama-purushan Sriyaphpati as the

only goal of life.

 

Thanks.

 

Vijayaraghavan

Buffalo, NY

-

sumithra varadarajan

vanamamalai ; ramanuja

Cc: oppiliappan

Wednesday, November 26, 2003 8:16 AM

Love for the calf

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[Guest guest]

Srimathi Sumithra Varadarajan is providing a much needed series of

excellent postings on the greatness of Thirunazhisai

AzhwAr's Dhivya Prabhandham of Naanmukha ThiruvanthAdhi.

She is basing them on the commentaries of PoorvAchAryAs. Thirunazhisai

AzhwAr was engaged in study of Para Mathams for many years and

concluded finally that SrIman NaarAyaNan is the Only PramAthmA and

surrendered at His Thiruvadi for Moksham and instructed us on the

surest way to gain Moksham is to practise the UpAyam of SaraNAgathy

at SrIman NaarAyaNan's

sacred feet .

Adhi Sankara's VishNu Bhakthi is undisputed .

Yes, He is the founder of Adhviatha VedAntham .

Our PoorvAchAryAs have refuted it and the arguments

and counterarguments go on even now as recorded in the current series

of postings on Paramatha Bhangam .

By copy of this note , I request SrImathi Sumitra Varadarajan to

respond to you by private mail . V.Sadagopan Adiyean,

I have a small doubt in your reply to srimathi sumitra's mail . You

have told that  u regard adi sankara as one of the great vishnava

teachers no doubt swami adi sankara has contributed to bhakthi

movement of the middle ages the has written vakyanams to

sahasranamam and many vishanavite scriptures . But adi sankara was

the founder of the adhvaitham which deals about the path to reach god

in different way from vishitadvaitham which we follow .

I would like to know the reason behind your postings .Sorry for  any

of my mistakes in that as iam learner in this area

Thanks

BAlaji S

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[Guest guest]

Dear Shri Balaji:

 

In answer to your question:

 

By Vaishnava I meant (one who believes in Lord Hari's SarvottamA). For eg.:

A follower of Madhvacharya is also a Vaishnava. We do not agree with

their philosophical systems (Advaita or Dvaita). Adi Sankara propagated

Vishnu Bhakti in all his writings and one cannot miss seeing his ardent

devotion to Lord Vishnu. In that context he is a great Vaishnava teacher

 

 

 

S. Vijayaraghavan

Buffalo/NY

 

 

 

 

 

>"s balaji" <sbalaji

>Oppiliappan

>Oppiliappan

>CC: Sumivaradan Re: Love for the calf

>Mon, 01 Dec 2003 03:12:28 -0500

>

 

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Mon, 01 Dec 2003 03:12:28 -0500

Re: Love for the calf

Dear SrI Balaji:

Srimathi Sumithra Varadarajan is providing a much needed series of

excellent postings on the greatness of Thirunazhisai

AzhwAr's Dhivya Prabhandham of Naanmukha ThiruvanthAdhi.

She is basing them on the commentaries of PoorvAchAryAs. Thirunazhisai

AzhwAr was engaged in study of Para Mathams for many years and

concluded finally that SrIman NaarAyaNan is the Only PramAthmA and

surrendered at His Thiruvadi for Moksham and instructed us on the

surest way to gain Moksham is to practise the UpAyam of SaraNAgathy

at SrIman NaarAyaNan's

sacred feet .

Adhi Sankara's VishNu Bhakthi is undisputed .

Yes, He is the founder of Adhviatha VedAntham .

Our PoorvAchAryAs have refuted it and the arguments

and counterarguments go on even now as recorded in the current series

of postings on Paramatha Bhangam .

By copy of this note , I request SrImathi Sumitra Varadarajan to

respond to you by private mail . V.Sadagopan Adiyean,

I have a small doubt in your reply to srimathi sumitra's mail . You

have told that  u regard adi sankara as one of the great vishnava

teachers no doubt swami adi sankara has contributed to bhakthi

movement of the middle ages the has written vakyanams to

sahasranamam and many vishanavite scriptures . But adi sankara was

the founder of the adhvaitham which deals about the path to reach god

in different way from vishitadvaitham which we follow .

I would like to know the reason behind your postings .Sorry for  any

of my mistakes in that as iam learner in this area

Thanks

BAlaji S

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Oppiliappan