A Day in the Life of our Acharyas - 41

[Guest guest]

Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

 

One time Bhattar was giving a discourse during which he

mentioned that Lord Sriman Narayana does suffer in the

matters of his devotees.

 

After the discourse was over, two scholars who were in

the audience were walking in the streets of Srirangam

talking about the upanyasam.

 

They were saying "Bhattar said today in his upanyasam

that the Lord has suffering. Yet the Upanishads say

that He is 'Anandamaya:' - that is, He knows nothing

but joy. Bhattar is a great scholar and no doubt has

full knowledge of all sastras. So, why would he say

that? Is what he said correct?".

 

One of Bhattar's disciples known as Panditha who had

been listening to Bhattar's upanyasams for many years

overheard this conversation. He was greatly saddened

by it and went and told Bhattar about it.

 

Bhattar asked him "O Panditha! You have listened to

me for many years. Why do you come and tell me this?

Could you not have clarified their doubts there

itself?"

 

Panditha replied "O Bhattar! I could have explained

to them what you said based on your discourses.

However, they were scholars and would not be

satisfied by explanations alone. They would expect

proof. As I could not remember any pramANas, I did

not say anything".

 

Bhattar then told him "When Dasaratha decided to

crown Sri Rama as the king of Ayodhya, he first

asked his courtiers about it. They unanimously said

that they wanted to see it done right away. So much

so, they asked Dasaratha to run away and get the

coronation done immediately.

 

Dasaratha told them that he was happy to see their

interest in Sri Rama's coronation, but why did they

ask him to run away. Was not his rule governed by

dharma, did he not treat his subjects well?

 

The courtiers replied that while Dasaratha had ruled

properly, they were pushed to say what they had by

Sri Rama's divine and auspcious qualities.

 

Dasaratha then asked them what noble qualities they

had seen in Sri Rama. They went on to describe Sri

Rama's many wonderful qualities at the end of which

they mentioned one thing - if any subject of Ayodhya

were to suffer for any reason, then Sri Rama would

suffer even greater than that person."

 

Bhattar then asked "O Panditha! Why did you not ask

the two scholars whether Sri Rama's suffering was an

auspicious quality or if it was a lowly quality?"

 

Bhattar then said "If they want proof from the

sastras and not just the itihasas, do not the

Vedantas say that He is alone and that He is not

happy ('na rameti'). How can He, who is surrounded

by shrI, bhU and nILa devIs, by nityasUris and by

muktAtmas, be alone. And how is He unhappy.

 

We find in this world that if we get attached to

someone through marriage or other reasons, then we

suffer for them when they are hurting. If this is

the case for a relationship that came in the middle,

how could He, who is related to all the jIvas since

time immemorial and who is the father of all these

souls, not be worried when they are suffering in

this world? He feels lonely because not all of His

children are with Him in His abode and enjoying

Him and He is unhappy for them."

 

Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam

 

A Day in the Life of Our Acharyas:

http://www.acharya.org/articles/aditlooa/index.html