The Celebrated Chauffeur

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Sadagopan swamy,

 

No words to really appreciate the excellent articles you shower on

poor souls like adiyen. But a special thanks for this special

article. The utmost sowlabhyam of parthasarathi emperuman lies in

the fact that he still stands with the same thirukolam ,face full of

wounds, Will any of us show our wounds to others? Today even for a

small injury in the face there are many cosmetic surgeries to cover

the mark but our dear sArathi didnt want that. Three attempts were

made but emperuman emerged with the same thirumugam. Probably he

thought that atleast while the jeevatmas see him with the wounds he

bore for the sake of his bhaktha everyone will realise his sowlabhyam

and fall to his feet. But what a sorrow? Even then majority of the

people come to his sannadhi only to ask for boons. There is no one

to care for the wounds on his face. How selfish we all are? But

still he doesnt get angry with us but grants everything we wish for

with great pleasure. What to say about his krupai? Even after doing

so much service to the pandavas for the simple sake of fulfulling

drowpathi's oath, while returning back to paramapadam krishna says

that he is not satisfied and that he was unable to give anything in

return for the great help drowpathi did. What did drowpathi do? "Oh!

she called "gOvinda!" while she was in danger and I couldnt run for

her call. Only the govinda nama blessed her with number of sarees."

worries krishna. There are absolutely no words to talk about the

divine grace of this kind hearted god. The utsavar pArthasarathi

regularly visits all of us during his thiruveedi vulAs and attracts

us with his charm and invites us to his temple where the moolavar

venkatakrishnan blows the sangam, calls all of us near and shows his

feet to us. What else can we do other than falling into his feet and

saying "tallaiallAl kaimArilEnE" for all his grace?

 

This article came to adiyen as an additional treat after listening

to the excellent upanyasam by Sri Elayavalli bhoovarAgAchariyar swamy

in thiruvallikEni on the 10 paasurams of thirumangai mannan about this

great divya desam last week. Swamy not only immersed himself into the

gunAnubhavam of Sri Parthasarathi emperuman but also made the whole

crowd of devotees loose their self.

 

At this happy occasion let me inform you all that our dear

parthasarathi emperuman in thiruvallikeni is going to go into

bAlAlayam on 4th of this month. The homam for the bAlAlayam has

started today (2-2-2004) in a grand manner. The thiruppani is

supposed to get over at the earliest due to the divine grace of

pArthasArathi.

 

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan

-

sadagopaniyengar

; tiruvenkatam ; Oppiliappan

Tuesday, January 27, 2004 8:43 PM

The Celebrated Chauffeur

Srimate SirivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

The Celebrated Chauffeur

Many of us have cars, especially those living

abroad, for whom the four-wheeler is not a luxury, but a dire

necessity. And some of the car-owners have chauffeurs, to whom they

entrust the safety of not only their vehicles, but also of themselves

and their precious families. It is the considered opinion of some

car-owners that it is as providential to land a good driver, as it is

to wed a good woman. Not only marriages, but also the owner-chauffeur

relationship too would appear to be made in heaven, for, as many

would attest, drivers are a lackadaisical lot. They have a penchant

for reporting sick or just not turning up, especially when you

require them the most. They have a short memory for favours received

and the niggling notion that they are grossly underpaid, however

handsome be their wages. MahAkavi BhArati refers perhaps to drivers,

when he says in “KaNnan en SEvakan”—

 

“Kooli miga kEpAr, koduttadellAm tAm marappAr

Velai miga irundAl veettilE tangiduvAr

PAattiyAr setthu vitta pannirandAm nAL enbAr

PAnayilE tEL irundu pallAl kadittadu enbAr”

 

And woe betide the master who dares to discuss family matters while

travelling in the car with his wife or others—in no time they would

be dutifully communicated to jealous and gossip-mongering neighbours.

 

This piece is not a diatribe against the worthy profession of

drivers—the object is entirely different, viz., to extol the praises

of a member of the same profession, who, despite His exalted stature,

comported Himself so excellently as an obliging chauffeur to a

demanding master, that the whole world sings His praises till date.

 

There might be any number of instances of the Lord’s extreme

accessibility (Soulabhyam) and His readiness to mingle as one with

lowly mortals (Souseelyam)—but there is no other single act of His

which demonstrates the aforesaid traits explicitly, than His role as

a charioteer to Arjuna. When DuryOdana and Arjuna both seek the

support of Sri Krishna in their battle royal, the former is content

with material assistance in the form of the vast YAdava force, all of

them fierce warriors of exceptional calibre. Arjuna, on the other

hand, asks Krishna for the rather strange favour of having Him

(Krishna) as a simple charioteer, one who would wield no weapons, but

would merely pilot the chariot wherever required at His master’s

command. One knows not what made the PANdava ask this of Sri Krishna,

but the former, in hindsight, appears to have displayed admirable

perspicacity in doing so.

 

Thus begins a relationship, which would last the duration of the

battle between the PANdavAs and the KouravAs at KurukshEtra. From day

one of the battle, Lord Krishna transformed Himself from the

omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent ParamAtmA, into a humble

charioteer implicitly obeying the dictates of his royal master. Gone

were the Divine Discus and the Cosmic Conch from His handsome hands,

to be replaced by the reins of the horses and a stick with which to

goad them on. Gone were the urbane appearance and debonair demeanour,

with attire and ornaments better than the best royalty could afford,

to be replaced by the humble clothes of a driver, His face and torso

coated with the grime and dust of the battlefield, His benign

countenance (normally resembling a blooming lotus) covered with

pockmarks from arrows which were aimed at the master, but which the

chauffeur thought fit to intercept bodily, saving the master from

certain death on many occasions. The normally broad, beautiful and

lotus-like eyes were now red-lined and half-closed with fatigue and

battle-wearines. The curly, jet-black hair, the envy of even women,

was not coated with dust and grime. While the overhead canopy

provided shade and comfort to the master Arjuna, the SArathy had no

such advantage, with His already dark visage made the more so due to

constant exposure to the blazing Sun. His entire body was covered by

a fine film of sweat, as He manoeuvred the horses and the chariot in

appropriate directions, weaving between the vehicles of opponents

with expertise and expedition, confounding enemy warriors with the

speed and dexterity of movement.

 

Sri Ramanuja is so enchanted with this endearing portrayal by the Lord

that he devotes quite a few majestic phrases to its depiction—

 

“GnAna shakti bala ishvarya veerya shakti tEjasAm nidhim, sva sankalpa

krita jagat udaya vibhava laya leelam, HrishIkEsam, parAvara nikhila

jana antara bAhya karaNAnAm sarva prakAra niyamanE avastthitham”

 

Marvels Sri Bhashyakara—“It is this exalted Parabrahmam, the

repository of innumerable auspicious attributes, having for its sport

the creation, sustenance and destruction of this entire universe of

sentient beings and non-sentient objects, the Supreme Controller of

all the faculties (external and internal) of all beings in this vast

world—it is this ParamAtma who stood as a humble charioteer, in front

of Arjuna’s chariot.” Adducing reasons for this apparently impossible

role-change, Sri Ramanuja says, “Asrita vAtsalya vivasa tayA”,

chronicling the glory of the Lord who permits Himself to be ordered

about like the lowliest of underlings, all due to His overwhelming

love and affection for His devotees. Unable to shake off his

wonderment, Sri Ramanuja exclaims, “Ratham stthApaya iti achOdayat”

(Arjuna ordered the chariot to be parked between the two armies ready

for battle), moved beyond measure by the ParamAtmA, the Supreme Lord

of all Universes, being ordered about by a mere mortal and, on top of

it, carrying out the orders meekly. Supplements Swami Desikan, “Sarva

prashAsitA niyOjya: abhavat iti Ashcharyam iti bhAva:”

 

When ordered by Arjuna to place the chariot amidst the two armies, the

Lord obeys instantly and with alacrity, with all the world watching

His menial demeanour, says Sri Ramanuja, still unable to shake off

his wonderment at the Almighty’s greatness in putting Himself at the

beck and call of a human master—“Sa cha tEna chOdita: tat kshaNAt Eva

BhIshma DrONAdInAm sarvEshAmEva mahIkshitAm pasyatAm yathA chOditam

akarOt”.

 

Sri Tirumangai Mannan too is extremely moved by the SArathI’s role

assumed by the Lord—“Indiran siruvan tEr mun nindrAnai TiruvallikkENi

kaNdEnE”. Indra, the chief of all celestials, is himself a non-entity

vis-à-vis the ParamAtmA: his son Arjuna, being a mortal, is more so.

Despite all this, the Lord consented to be SArathy of this PANdava

prince, who did not have a bit of land to call his own, solely out of

love and affection. And while Arjuna was ensconced comfortably on the

chariot’s cushioned seat, with a canopy to protect him from rain and

shine, the Lord stood on the ground (“tEr mun nindrAnai”), the

personification of servility and submissiveness, holding the horses’

reins and the goad (“KOl kaiyil koNdu PArtthan tan tEr mun

nindrAnai”) in His beautiful hand.

Sri Kalian’s emotion is all the more understandable, when we consider

that the Azhwar enshrined the Lord in a glorious chariot, made up of

the glorious verses of Tiruvezhukoottrirukkai.

 

Arjuna might have been attired in princely robes and presented a

picture of virility and might, but the real adornment to the chariot

was the Lord, who, despite His humble habit and meek demeanour, shone

like a thousand Suns despite the coating of grime and grist of the

battlefield, says Swami Desikan, in VairAgya Panchakam—“Dhananjaya

syandana bhooshaNam dhanam”. And because of its Distinguished Driver,

the Chariot itself acquired glory, which is evident from the

descriptions of Sri Kalian (“PArtthan selva tEr Eru SArathiyAi”) and

of Sri Ramanuja (“Mahati syandanE”).

 

We know only too well that the Lord adapts Himself admirably to the

role He chooses from time to time. He delivers a stellar performance,

whether as a Magnificent Monarch, an angry young Rishi bent upon

annihilating the ruling classes, a diminutive bachelor come to beg

for an insignificant three feet of land from an Emperor or a

ferocious Man-Lion materialising out of a palace pillar to put paid

to one of the vilest of asurAs. He puts His life and soul into the

performance, so to say, to emerge as a player worthy of a million

Oscars.

 

In His role as a chauffeur too, the Lord excels, as is His wont. We

are struck with wonder as to how Emperuman is able to play

diametrically opposite roles, as the Prince of Ayodhya, used only to

riding in chariots driven by the best of charioteers, to that of a

lowly chauffeur, piloting the carriage to the directions of a

perishable human master. Listen to Sumantra, the exalted minister of

Dasaratha and a charioteer par excellence, praying to Sri Rama to

ascend the chariot for a quick drive to wherever He might wish—

“Ratham ArOha bhadram tE Rajaputra! MahAyasha:

Kshipram prApayishyAmi yatra mAm Rama! vakshyasi”

We are told too that Sri Rama’s chariot was magnificent, glittering

with a golden body studded with precious stones, verily like the

Sun—“tam ratham Soorya sankAsam”

“athO jvalana sankAsam chAmIkara vibhooshitam

tam Aruruhatu: toorNam bhrAtarou RAma LakshmaNou”.

 

It is not only the Lord who is accustomed only to riding in a chariot,

when but His constant Consort too is accustomed to ride with splendour

in a glorious chariot (“ashva poorvAm, Ratha madhyAm”—Sri Suktam),

which appears irreconcilable with the Lord’s occupation during the

Kurukshetra war. Despite all these, if Emperuman could turn in a

commendable performance as a charioteer to Arjuna, executed with

admirable aplomb and effortless ease, it is no mean tribute to His

histrionic talents.

 

When He takes up something, the Lord does it perfectly. As a

charioteer, He tended to the horses with the high degree of love,

affection and commitment, which prompted them to turn out their best

on the battlefield. He never ate before ensuring that the animals had

their belly-full and ensured that they were always well-fed and cared

for, with their strong, white bodies gleaming in the Sun, their heads

held high with the pride of performance. At the end of each day of

battle, the Lord washed down the horses, cleansing them of the dust

and grime of the day and applied soothing salve to their wounds,

before having a wash Himself.

 

Once, in the midst of raging war, sensing the horses slowing down due

to dehydration, the Lord even arranged for an impromptu spring on the

battlefield, from which the horses drank their fill and were fit and

rearing to go once more. This is not mere canard, but well-chronicled

history, to which the following pasuram of Sri PeriyAzhwar bears

testimony—

 

“Mannar maruga maitthunanmArkku oru tErin mEl

mun angu nindru mOzhai ezhuvittavan”

 

 

Swami Desikan’s Acharya, Sri KidAmbi AppuLLAr, sees Arjuna’s chariot

and the Lord’s own position therein, as representative of Emperuman’s

role as the Universal Saviour. The picture of Sri Krishna seated ahead

of Arjuna at the front of the chariot, protecting Arjuna from all

possible dangers, is reminiscent of the “akAra” (the letter “a”) in

the PraNava mantra depicting the Lord’s role as the Saviour, and

ArjunA’s own position at the rear of the chariot, of the last letter,

the “makAra” (the letter “im” in the Pranava) representing the

JeevAtma—

 

“abhirakshitum agrata: stitham tvAm PraNavE PArttha rathE cha bhAvayanta:”

 

When we stand before Sri Parthasarathy Swami at TiruvallikkEni and

throw our thoughts back to that battlefield of Kurukshetra, we find

our eyes brimming with tears at the sight of the Lord, whose handsome

visage sports innumerable pock-marks, bearing testimony to His

boundless love for his bhaktAs and His readiness to do anything, but

anything, to please His devotee. The word “infra dig” appears not to

figure in His lexicon, as far as doing the bidding of His bhaktAs is

concerned. If we perform Prapatti and entrust to Him the job of

piloting the vehicle of our lives, He would surely guide us

unerringly to the Promised Land, steering us with care amidst the

minefield of SamsAra. All that we have to do is to hand over the

reins of our lives to Him and relax, with absolutely no care in the

world, saying with Swami Desikan—“nirbharO nirbhayOsmi”.

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri

Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, sadagopanTo visit your group on the web, go

to:Oppiliappan/ To from

this group, send an email to:Oppiliappan

 

[Guest guest]

Srimate SirivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

The Celebrated Chauffeur

Many of us have cars, especially those living

abroad, for whom the four-wheeler is not a luxury, but a dire

necessity. And some of the car-owners have chauffeurs, to whom they

entrust the safety of not only their vehicles, but also of themselves

and their precious families. It is the considered opinion of some

car-owners that it is as providential to land a good driver, as it is

to wed a good woman. Not only marriages, but also the owner-chauffeur

relationship too would appear to be made in heaven, for, as many

would attest, drivers are a lackadaisical lot. They have a penchant

for reporting sick or just not turning up, especially when you

require them the most. They have a short memory for favours received

and the niggling notion that they are grossly underpaid, however

handsome be their wages. MahAkavi BhArati refers perhaps to drivers,

when he says in “KaNnan en SEvakan”—

 

“Kooli miga kEpAr, koduttadellAm tAm marappAr

Velai miga irundAl veettilE tangiduvAr

PAattiyAr setthu vitta pannirandAm nAL enbAr

PAnayilE tEL irundu pallAl kadittadu enbAr”

 

And woe betide the master who dares to discuss family matters while

travelling in the car with his wife or others—in no time they

would be dutifully communicated to jealous and gossip-mongering

neighbours.

 

This piece is not a diatribe against the worthy profession of

drivers—the object is entirely different, viz., to extol the

praises of a member of the same profession, who, despite His exalted

stature, comported Himself so excellently as an obliging chauffeur to

a demanding master, that the whole world sings His praises till date.

 

There might be any number of instances of the Lord’s extreme

accessibility (Soulabhyam) and His readiness to mingle as one with

lowly mortals (Souseelyam)—but there is no other single act of

His which demonstrates the aforesaid traits explicitly, than His role

as a charioteer to Arjuna. When DuryOdana and Arjuna both seek the

support of Sri Krishna in their battle royal, the former is content

with material assistance in the form of the vast YAdava force, all of

them fierce warriors of exceptional calibre. Arjuna, on the other

hand, asks Krishna for the rather strange favour of having Him

(Krishna) as a simple charioteer, one who would wield no weapons, but

would merely pilot the chariot wherever required at His master’s

command. One knows not what made the PANdava ask this of Sri Krishna,

but the former, in hindsight, appears to have displayed admirable

perspicacity in doing so.

 

Thus begins a relationship, which would last the duration of the

battle between the PANdavAs and the KouravAs at KurukshEtra. From day

one of the battle, Lord Krishna transformed Himself from the

omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent ParamAtmA, into a humble

charioteer implicitly obeying the dictates of his royal master. Gone

were the Divine Discus and the Cosmic Conch from His handsome hands,

to be replaced by the reins of the horses and a stick with which to

goad them on. Gone were the urbane appearance and debonair demeanour,

with attire and ornaments better than the best royalty could afford,

to be replaced by the humble clothes of a driver, His face and torso

coated with the grime and dust of the battlefield, His benign

countenance (normally resembling a blooming lotus) covered with

pockmarks from arrows which were aimed at the master, but which the

chauffeur thought fit to intercept bodily, saving the master from

certain death on many occasions. The normally broad, beautiful and

lotus-like eyes were now red-lined and half-closed with fatigue and

battle-wearines. The curly, jet-black hair, the envy of even women,

was not coated with dust and grime. While the overhead canopy

provided shade and comfort to the master Arjuna, the SArathy had no

such advantage, with His already dark visage made the more so due to

constant exposure to the blazing Sun. His entire body was covered by

a fine film of sweat, as He manoeuvred the horses and the chariot in

appropriate directions, weaving between the vehicles of opponents

with expertise and expedition, confounding enemy warriors with the

speed and dexterity of movement.

 

Sri Ramanuja is so enchanted with this endearing portrayal by the Lord

that he devotes quite a few majestic phrases to its depiction—

 

“GnAna shakti bala ishvarya veerya shakti tEjasAm nidhim, sva

sankalpa krita jagat udaya vibhava laya leelam, HrishIkEsam, parAvara

nikhila jana antara bAhya karaNAnAm sarva prakAra niyamanE

avastthitham”

 

Marvels Sri Bhashyakara—“It is this exalted Parabrahmam,

the repository of innumerable auspicious attributes, having for its

sport the creation, sustenance and destruction of this entire

universe of sentient beings and non-sentient objects, the Supreme

Controller of all the faculties (external and internal) of all beings

in this vast world—it is this ParamAtma who stood as a humble

charioteer, in front of Arjuna’s chariot.” Adducing

reasons for this apparently impossible role-change, Sri Ramanuja

says, “Asrita vAtsalya vivasa tayA”, chronicling the

glory of the Lord who permits Himself to be ordered about like the

lowliest of underlings, all due to His overwhelming love and

affection for His devotees. Unable to shake off his wonderment, Sri

Ramanuja exclaims, “Ratham stthApaya iti achOdayat”

(Arjuna ordered the chariot to be parked between the two armies ready

for battle), moved beyond measure by the ParamAtmA, the Supreme Lord

of all Universes, being ordered about by a mere mortal and, on top of

it, carrying out the orders meekly. Supplements Swami Desikan,

“Sarva prashAsitA niyOjya: abhavat iti Ashcharyam iti

bhAva:”

 

When ordered by Arjuna to place the chariot amidst the two armies, the

Lord obeys instantly and with alacrity, with all the world watching

His menial demeanour, says Sri Ramanuja, still unable to shake off

his wonderment at the Almighty’s greatness in putting Himself

at the beck and call of a human master—“Sa cha tEna

chOdita: tat kshaNAt Eva BhIshma DrONAdInAm sarvEshAmEva mahIkshitAm

pasyatAm yathA chOditam akarOt”.

 

Sri Tirumangai Mannan too is extremely moved by the SArathI’s

role assumed by the Lord—“Indiran siruvan tEr mun

nindrAnai TiruvallikkENi kaNdEnE”. Indra, the chief of all

celestials, is himself a non-entity vis-à-vis the ParamAtmA: his son

Arjuna, being a mortal, is more so. Despite all this, the Lord

consented to be SArathy of this PANdava prince, who did not have a

bit of land to call his own, solely out of love and affection. And

while Arjuna was ensconced comfortably on the chariot’s

cushioned seat, with a canopy to protect him from rain and shine, the

Lord stood on the ground (“tEr mun nindrAnai”), the

personification of servility and submissiveness, holding the

horses’ reins and the goad (“KOl kaiyil koNdu PArtthan

tan tEr mun nindrAnai”) in His beautiful hand.

Sri Kalian’s emotion is all the more understandable, when we

consider that the Azhwar enshrined the Lord in a glorious chariot,

made up of the glorious verses of Tiruvezhukoottrirukkai.

 

Arjuna might have been attired in princely robes and presented a

picture of virility and might, but the real adornment to the chariot

was the Lord, who, despite His humble habit and meek demeanour, shone

like a thousand Suns despite the coating of grime and grist of the

battlefield, says Swami Desikan, in VairAgya

Panchakam—“Dhananjaya syandana bhooshaNam dhanam”.

And because of its Distinguished Driver, the Chariot itself acquired

glory, which is evident from the descriptions of Sri Kalian

(“PArtthan selva tEr Eru SArathiyAi”) and of Sri Ramanuja

(“Mahati syandanE”).

 

We know only too well that the Lord adapts Himself admirably to the

role He chooses from time to time. He delivers a stellar performance,

whether as a Magnificent Monarch, an angry young Rishi bent upon

annihilating the ruling classes, a diminutive bachelor come to beg

for an insignificant three feet of land from an Emperor or a

ferocious Man-Lion materialising out of a palace pillar to put paid

to one of the vilest of asurAs. He puts His life and soul into the

performance, so to say, to emerge as a player worthy of a million

Oscars.

 

In His role as a chauffeur too, the Lord excels, as is His wont. We

are struck with wonder as to how Emperuman is able to play

diametrically opposite roles, as the Prince of Ayodhya, used only to

riding in chariots driven by the best of charioteers, to that of a

lowly chauffeur, piloting the carriage to the directions of a

perishable human master. Listen to Sumantra, the exalted minister of

Dasaratha and a charioteer par excellence, praying to Sri Rama to

ascend the chariot for a quick drive to wherever He might wish—

“Ratham ArOha bhadram tE Rajaputra! MahAyasha:

Kshipram prApayishyAmi yatra mAm Rama! vakshyasi”

We are told too that Sri Rama’s chariot was magnificent,

glittering with a golden body studded with precious stones, verily

like the Sun—“tam ratham Soorya sankAsam”

“athO jvalana sankAsam chAmIkara vibhooshitam

tam Aruruhatu: toorNam bhrAtarou RAma LakshmaNou”.

 

It is not only the Lord who is accustomed only to riding in a chariot,

when but His constant Consort too is accustomed to ride with splendour

in a glorious chariot (“ashva poorvAm, Ratha

madhyAm”—Sri Suktam), which appears irreconcilable with

the Lord’s occupation during the Kurukshetra war. Despite all

these, if Emperuman could turn in a commendable performance as a

charioteer to Arjuna, executed with admirable aplomb and effortless

ease, it is no mean tribute to His histrionic talents.

 

When He takes up something, the Lord does it perfectly. As a

charioteer, He tended to the horses with the high degree of love,

affection and commitment, which prompted them to turn out their best

on the battlefield. He never ate before ensuring that the animals had

their belly-full and ensured that they were always well-fed and cared

for, with their strong, white bodies gleaming in the Sun, their heads

held high with the pride of performance. At the end of each day of

battle, the Lord washed down the horses, cleansing them of the dust

and grime of the day and applied soothing salve to their wounds,

before having a wash Himself.

 

Once, in the midst of raging war, sensing the horses slowing down due

to dehydration, the Lord even arranged for an impromptu spring on the

battlefield, from which the horses drank their fill and were fit and

rearing to go once more. This is not mere canard, but well-chronicled

history, to which the following pasuram of Sri PeriyAzhwar bears

testimony—

 

“Mannar maruga maitthunanmArkku oru tErin mEl

mun angu nindru mOzhai ezhuvittavan”

 

 

Swami Desikan’s Acharya, Sri KidAmbi AppuLLAr, sees

Arjuna’s chariot and the Lord’s own position therein, as

representative of Emperuman’s role as the Universal Saviour.

The picture of Sri Krishna seated ahead of Arjuna at the front of the

chariot, protecting Arjuna from all possible dangers, is reminiscent

of the “akAra” (the letter “a”) in the

PraNava mantra depicting the Lord’s role as the Saviour, and

ArjunA’s own position at the rear of the chariot, of the last

letter, the “makAra” (the letter “im” in the

Pranava) representing the JeevAtma—

 

“abhirakshitum agrata: stitham tvAm PraNavE PArttha rathE cha bhAvayanta:”

 

When we stand before Sri Parthasarathy Swami at TiruvallikkEni and

throw our thoughts back to that battlefield of Kurukshetra, we find

our eyes brimming with tears at the sight of the Lord, whose handsome

visage sports innumerable pock-marks, bearing testimony to His

boundless love for his bhaktAs and His readiness to do anything, but

anything, to please His devotee. The word “infra dig”

appears not to figure in His lexicon, as far as doing the bidding of

His bhaktAs is concerned. If we perform Prapatti and entrust to Him

the job of piloting the vehicle of our lives, He would surely guide

us unerringly to the Promised Land, steering us with care amidst the

minefield of SamsAra. All that we have to do is to hand over the

reins of our lives to Him and relax, with absolutely no care in the

world, saying with Swami Desikan—“nirbharO

nirbhayOsmi”.

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri

Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, sadagopan

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri sadagopan Iyengar,

Thanx for highlighting the commending/commanding role of the Chauffeur

..The ONly difference is this chauffeur grants us welfare and wealth

but does not take it from us. I am able to recall immediately the

following pAsuram and the corresponding Edu vyAkyAnam

"kollA mAk kOl kolai seidhy bhAradhap pOr" thiru voi mozhi 3-2-3;

sri bhEsmAchAryar counselled dhuryOdhanan to get promise from Lord

krishNA that Lord krishNA will not take up any weapons for which the

Lord consented. However, with just the horse whip, The Lord Almighty

finished off one and all.

The Edu vyAkyAnam==" kolaikku parigaram inRikkEa, gudhiraiyai

nadathugira kOlaik koNdu mudithu pogattAn".

 

Such is the immense power of the armless-chauffeur.

is it not?

And this is aptly taken up as the very meaning of the term"mAm"in

charama-slOkam - by swAmi piLLai lOkAchAryAr in charama-slOka

prakaraNam in mumUkshuppadi 218

"kaiyum, vuzhavu kOlum, piditha siruvAi kaLiRum, sEana

thULisaridhamAna thiruk kuzhalum, thEArukku kEzhEa nARRina

thiruvadigaLumAi niRkiRa sArathya vEshathai---'mAm' enRu kAttugirAn.

thank you,

vanamamalai padmanabhan

-

sadagopaniyengar

; tiruvenkatam ; Oppiliappan

Tuesday, January 27, 2004 8:43 PM

The Celebrated Chauffeur

Srimate SirivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

The Celebrated Chauffeur

Many of us have cars, especially those living

abroad, for whom the four-wheeler is not a luxury, but a dire

necessity. And some of the car-owners have chauffeurs, to whom they

entrust the safety of not only their vehicles, but also of themselves

and their precious families. It is the considered opinion of some

car-owners that it is as providential to land a good driver, as it is

to wed a good woman. Not only marriages, but also the owner-chauffeur

relationship too would appear to be made in heaven, for, as many

would attest, drivers are a lackadaisical lot. They have a penchant

for reporting sick or just not turning up, especially when you

require them the most. They have a short memory for favours received

and the niggling notion that they are grossly underpaid, however

handsome be their wages. MahAkavi BhArati refers perhaps to drivers,

when he says in “KaNnan en SEvakan”—

 

“Kooli miga kEpAr, koduttadellAm tAm marappAr

Velai miga irundAl veettilE tangiduvAr

PAattiyAr setthu vitta pannirandAm nAL enbAr

PAnayilE tEL irundu pallAl kadittadu enbAr”

 

And woe betide the master who dares to discuss family matters while

travelling in the car with his wife or others—in no time they

would be dutifully communicated to jealous and gossip-mongering

neighbours.

 

This piece is not a diatribe against the worthy profession of

drivers—the object is entirely different, viz., to extol the

praises of a member of the same profession, who, despite His exalted

stature, comported Himself so excellently as an obliging chauffeur to

a demanding master, that the whole world sings His praises till date.

 

There might be any number of instances of the Lord’s extreme

accessibility (Soulabhyam) and His readiness to mingle as one with

lowly mortals (Souseelyam)—but there is no other single act of

His which demonstrates the aforesaid traits explicitly, than His role

as a charioteer to Arjuna. When DuryOdana and Arjuna both seek the

support of Sri Krishna in their battle royal, the former is content

with material assistance in the form of the vast YAdava force, all of

them fierce warriors of exceptional calibre. Arjuna, on the other

hand, asks Krishna for the rather strange favour of having Him

(Krishna) as a simple charioteer, one who would wield no weapons, but

would merely pilot the chariot wherever required at His master’s

command. One knows not what made the PANdava ask this of Sri Krishna,

but the former, in hindsight, appears to have displayed admirable

perspicacity in doing so.

 

Thus begins a relationship, which would last the duration of the

battle between the PANdavAs and the KouravAs at KurukshEtra. From day

one of the battle, Lord Krishna transformed Himself from the

omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent ParamAtmA, into a humble

charioteer implicitly obeying the dictates of his royal master. Gone

were the Divine Discus and the Cosmic Conch from His handsome hands,

to be replaced by the reins of the horses and a stick with which to

goad them on. Gone were the urbane appearance and debonair demeanour,

with attire and ornaments better than the best royalty could afford,

to be replaced by the humble clothes of a driver, His face and torso

coated with the grime and dust of the battlefield, His benign

countenance (normally resembling a blooming lotus) covered with

pockmarks from arrows which were aimed at the master, but which the

chauffeur thought fit to intercept bodily, saving the master from

certain death on many occasions. The normally broad, beautiful and

lotus-like eyes were now red-lined and half-closed with fatigue and

battle-wearines. The curly, jet-black hair, the envy of even women,

was not coated with dust and grime. While the overhead canopy

provided shade and comfort to the master Arjuna, the SArathy had no

such advantage, with His already dark visage made the more so due to

constant exposure to the blazing Sun. His entire body was covered by

a fine film of sweat, as He manoeuvred the horses and the chariot in

appropriate directions, weaving between the vehicles of opponents

with expertise and expedition, confounding enemy warriors with the

speed and dexterity of movement.

 

Sri Ramanuja is so enchanted with this endearing portrayal by the Lord

that he devotes quite a few majestic phrases to its depiction—

 

“GnAna shakti bala ishvarya veerya shakti tEjasAm nidhim, sva

sankalpa krita jagat udaya vibhava laya leelam, HrishIkEsam, parAvara

nikhila jana antara bAhya karaNAnAm sarva prakAra niyamanE

avastthitham”

 

Marvels Sri Bhashyakara—“It is this exalted Parabrahmam,

the repository of innumerable auspicious attributes, having for its

sport the creation, sustenance and destruction of this entire

universe of sentient beings and non-sentient objects, the Supreme

Controller of all the faculties (external and internal) of all beings

in this vast world—it is this ParamAtma who stood as a humble

charioteer, in front of Arjuna’s chariot.” Adducing

reasons for this apparently impossible role-change, Sri Ramanuja

says, “Asrita vAtsalya vivasa tayA”, chronicling the

glory of the Lord who permits Himself to be ordered about like the

lowliest of underlings, all due to His overwhelming love and

affection for His devotees. Unable to shake off his wonderment, Sri

Ramanuja exclaims, “Ratham stthApaya iti achOdayat”

(Arjuna ordered the chariot to be parked between the two armies ready

for battle), moved beyond measure by the ParamAtmA, the Supreme Lord

of all Universes, being ordered about by a mere mortal and, on top of

it, carrying out the orders meekly. Supplements Swami Desikan,

“Sarva prashAsitA niyOjya: abhavat iti Ashcharyam iti

bhAva:”

 

When ordered by Arjuna to place the chariot amidst the two armies, the

Lord obeys instantly and with alacrity, with all the world watching

His menial demeanour, says Sri Ramanuja, still unable to shake off

his wonderment at the Almighty’s greatness in putting Himself

at the beck and call of a human master—“Sa cha tEna

chOdita: tat kshaNAt Eva BhIshma DrONAdInAm sarvEshAmEva mahIkshitAm

pasyatAm yathA chOditam akarOt”.

 

Sri Tirumangai Mannan too is extremely moved by the SArathI’s

role assumed by the Lord—“Indiran siruvan tEr mun

nindrAnai TiruvallikkENi kaNdEnE”. Indra, the chief of all

celestials, is himself a non-entity vis-à-vis the ParamAtmA: his son

Arjuna, being a mortal, is more so. Despite all this, the Lord

consented to be SArathy of this PANdava prince, who did not have a

bit of land to call his own, solely out of love and affection. And

while Arjuna was ensconced comfortably on the chariot’s

cushioned seat, with a canopy to protect him from rain and shine, the

Lord stood on the ground (“tEr mun nindrAnai”), the

personification of servility and submissiveness, holding the

horses’ reins and the goad (“KOl kaiyil koNdu PArtthan

tan tEr mun nindrAnai”) in His beautiful hand.

Sri Kalian’s emotion is all the more understandable, when we

consider that the Azhwar enshrined the Lord in a glorious chariot,

made up of the glorious verses of Tiruvezhukoottrirukkai.

 

Arjuna might have been attired in princely robes and presented a

picture of virility and might, but the real adornment to the chariot

was the Lord, who, despite His humble habit and meek demeanour, shone

like a thousand Suns despite the coating of grime and grist of the

battlefield, says Swami Desikan, in VairAgya

Panchakam—“Dhananjaya syandana bhooshaNam dhanam”.

And because of its Distinguished Driver, the Chariot itself acquired

glory, which is evident from the descriptions of Sri Kalian

(“PArtthan selva tEr Eru SArathiyAi”) and of Sri Ramanuja

(“Mahati syandanE”).

 

We know only too well that the Lord adapts Himself admirably to the

role He chooses from time to time. He delivers a stellar performance,

whether as a Magnificent Monarch, an angry young Rishi bent upon

annihilating the ruling classes, a diminutive bachelor come to beg

for an insignificant three feet of land from an Emperor or a

ferocious Man-Lion materialising out of a palace pillar to put paid

to one of the vilest of asurAs. He puts His life and soul into the

performance, so to say, to emerge as a player worthy of a million

Oscars.

 

In His role as a chauffeur too, the Lord excels, as is His wont. We

are struck with wonder as to how Emperuman is able to play

diametrically opposite roles, as the Prince of Ayodhya, used only to

riding in chariots driven by the best of charioteers, to that of a

lowly chauffeur, piloting the carriage to the directions of a

perishable human master. Listen to Sumantra, the exalted minister of

Dasaratha and a charioteer par excellence, praying to Sri Rama to

ascend the chariot for a quick drive to wherever He might wish—

“Ratham ArOha bhadram tE Rajaputra! MahAyasha:

Kshipram prApayishyAmi yatra mAm Rama! vakshyasi”

We are told too that Sri Rama’s chariot was magnificent,

glittering with a golden body studded with precious stones, verily

like the Sun—“tam ratham Soorya sankAsam”

“athO jvalana sankAsam chAmIkara vibhooshitam

tam Aruruhatu: toorNam bhrAtarou RAma LakshmaNou”.

 

It is not only the Lord who is accustomed only to riding in a chariot,

when but His constant Consort too is accustomed to ride with splendour

in a glorious chariot (“ashva poorvAm, Ratha

madhyAm”—Sri Suktam), which appears irreconcilable with

the Lord’s occupation during the Kurukshetra war. Despite all

these, if Emperuman could turn in a commendable performance as a

charioteer to Arjuna, executed with admirable aplomb and effortless

ease, it is no mean tribute to His histrionic talents.

 

When He takes up something, the Lord does it perfectly. As a

charioteer, He tended to the horses with the high degree of love,

affection and commitment, which prompted them to turn out their best

on the battlefield. He never ate before ensuring that the animals had

their belly-full and ensured that they were always well-fed and cared

for, with their strong, white bodies gleaming in the Sun, their heads

held high with the pride of performance. At the end of each day of

battle, the Lord washed down the horses, cleansing them of the dust

and grime of the day and applied soothing salve to their wounds,

before having a wash Himself.

 

Once, in the midst of raging war, sensing the horses slowing down due

to dehydration, the Lord even arranged for an impromptu spring on the

battlefield, from which the horses drank their fill and were fit and

rearing to go once more. This is not mere canard, but well-chronicled

history, to which the following pasuram of Sri PeriyAzhwar bears

testimony—

 

“Mannar maruga maitthunanmArkku oru tErin mEl

mun angu nindru mOzhai ezhuvittavan”

 

 

Swami Desikan’s Acharya, Sri KidAmbi AppuLLAr, sees

Arjuna’s chariot and the Lord’s own position therein, as

representative of Emperuman’s role as the Universal Saviour.

The picture of Sri Krishna seated ahead of Arjuna at the front of the

chariot, protecting Arjuna from all possible dangers, is reminiscent

of the “akAra” (the letter “a”) in the

PraNava mantra depicting the Lord’s role as the Saviour, and

ArjunA’s own position at the rear of the chariot, of the last

letter, the “makAra” (the letter “im” in the

Pranava) representing the JeevAtma—

 

“abhirakshitum agrata: stitham tvAm PraNavE PArttha rathE cha bhAvayanta:”

 

When we stand before Sri Parthasarathy Swami at TiruvallikkEni and

throw our thoughts back to that battlefield of Kurukshetra, we find

our eyes brimming with tears at the sight of the Lord, whose handsome

visage sports innumerable pock-marks, bearing testimony to His

boundless love for his bhaktAs and His readiness to do anything, but

anything, to please His devotee. The word “infra dig”

appears not to figure in His lexicon, as far as doing the bidding of

His bhaktAs is concerned. If we perform Prapatti and entrust to Him

the job of piloting the vehicle of our lives, He would surely guide

us unerringly to the Promised Land, steering us with care amidst the

minefield of SamsAra. All that we have to do is to hand over the

reins of our lives to Him and relax, with absolutely no care in the

world, saying with Swami Desikan—“nirbharO

nirbhayOsmi”.

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri

Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, sadagopanTo visit your group on the web, go

to:Oppiliappan/ To from

this group, send an email to:Oppiliappan

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Swamin,

 

This is very articulate as usual, enough to bring tears. The topic is

itself is vast - Paramatma guiding a jivatma. If this is learnt (by

epics) and we are made to believe, we can't comprehend His Karunya which

is always upon us but we are covered with Agyana (ignorance). He is the

only one sarvatantra swanthra and rest are dependant on him. But due to

ignorance we often think that we are the doers.

 

It is said that reading anything on smruti, shruti etc., brings merit

(virtues) to the author besides the reader. Dhanyosmi.

 

 

Sukumar

 

|Sri Krishnaparabrahmane Namaha|

 

 

 

 

 

sadagopaniyengar [sadagopaniyengar]

Monday, January 26, 2004 4:56 PM

; radha jagannathan; j.srinivasan; cs.srinivasan; Krish

The Celebrated Chauffeur

 

 

Srimate SirivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

 

The Celebrated Chauffeur

Many of us have cars, especially those living

abroad, for whom the four-wheeler is not a luxury, but a dire necessity.

And some of the car-owners have chauffeurs, to whom they entrust the

safety of not only their vehicles, but also of themselves and their

precious families. It is the considered opinion of some car-owners that

it is as providential to land a good driver, as it is to wed a good

woman. Not only marriages, but also the owner-chauffeur relationship too

would appear to be made in heaven, for, as many would attest, drivers

are a lackadaisical lot. They have a penchant for reporting sick or just

not turning up, especially when you require them the most. They have a

short memory for favours received and the niggling notion that they are

grossly underpaid, however handsome be their wages. MahAkavi BhArati

refers perhaps to drivers, when he says in "KaNnan en SEvakan"-

 

 

 

"Kooli miga kEpAr, koduttadellAm tAm marappAr

 

Velai miga irundAl veettilE tangiduvAr

 

PAattiyAr setthu vitta pannirandAm nAL enbAr

 

PAnayilE tEL irundu pallAl kadittadu enbAr"

 

 

 

And woe betide the master who dares to discuss family matters while

travelling in the car with his wife or others-in no time they would be

dutifully communicated to jealous and gossip-mongering neighbours.

 

 

 

This piece is not a diatribe against the worthy profession of

drivers-the object is entirely different, viz., to extol the praises of

a member of the same profession, who, despite His exalted stature,

comported Himself so excellently as an obliging chauffeur to a demanding

master, that the whole world sings His praises till date.

 

 

 

There might be any number of instances of the Lord's extreme

accessibility (Soulabhyam) and His readiness to mingle as one with lowly

mortals (Souseelyam)-but there is no other single act of His which

demonstrates the aforesaid traits explicitly, than His role as a

charioteer to Arjuna. When DuryOdana and Arjuna both seek the support of

Sri Krishna in their battle royal, the former is content with material

assistance in the form of the vast YAdava force, all of them fierce

warriors of exceptional calibre. Arjuna, on the other hand, asks Krishna

for the rather strange favour of having Him (Krishna) as a simple

charioteer, one who would wield no weapons, but would merely pilot the

chariot wherever required at His master's command. One knows not what

made the PANdava ask this of Sri Krishna, but the former, in hindsight,

appears to have displayed admirable perspicacity in doing so.

 

 

 

Thus begins a relationship, which would last the duration of the battle

between the PANdavAs and the KouravAs at KurukshEtra. From day one of

the battle, Lord Krishna transformed Himself from the omnipresent,

omniscient and omnipotent ParamAtmA, into a humble charioteer implicitly

obeying the dictates of his royal master. Gone were the Divine Discus

and the Cosmic Conch from His handsome hands, to be replaced by the

reins of the horses and a stick with which to goad them on. Gone were

the urbane appearance and debonair demeanour, with attire and ornaments

better than the best royalty could afford, to be replaced by the humble

clothes of a driver, His face and torso coated with the grime and dust

of the battlefield, His benign countenance (normally resembling a

blooming lotus) covered with pockmarks from arrows which were aimed at

the master, but which the chauffeur thought fit to intercept bodily,

saving the master from certain death on many occasions. The normally

broad, beautiful and lotus-like eyes were now red-lined and half-closed

with fatigue and battle-wearines. The curly, jet-black hair, the envy of

even women, was not coated with dust and grime. While the overhead

canopy provided shade and comfort to the master Arjuna, the SArathy had

no such advantage, with His already dark visage made the more so due to

constant exposure to the blazing Sun. His entire body was covered by a

fine film of sweat, as He manoeuvred the horses and the chariot in

appropriate directions, weaving between the vehicles of opponents with

expertise and expedition, confounding enemy warriors with the speed and

dexterity of movement.

 

 

 

Sri Ramanuja is so enchanted with this endearing portrayal by the Lord

that he devotes quite a few majestic phrases to its depiction-

 

 

 

"GnAna shakti bala ishvarya veerya shakti tEjasAm nidhim, sva sankalpa

krita jagat udaya vibhava laya leelam, HrishIkEsam, parAvara nikhila

jana antara bAhya karaNAnAm sarva prakAra niyamanE avastthitham"

 

 

 

Marvels Sri Bhashyakara-"It is this exalted Parabrahmam, the repository

of innumerable auspicious attributes, having for its sport the creation,

sustenance and destruction of this entire universe of sentient beings

and non-sentient objects, the Supreme Controller of all the faculties

(external and internal) of all beings in this vast world-it is this

ParamAtma who stood as a humble charioteer, in front of Arjuna's

chariot." Adducing reasons for this apparently impossible role-change,

Sri Ramanuja says, "Asrita vAtsalya vivasa tayA", chronicling the glory

of the Lord who permits Himself to be ordered about like the lowliest of

underlings, all due to His overwhelming love and affection for His

devotees. Unable to shake off his wonderment, Sri Ramanuja exclaims,

"Ratham stthApaya iti achOdayat" (Arjuna ordered the chariot to be

parked between the two armies ready for battle), moved beyond measure by

the ParamAtmA, the Supreme Lord of all Universes, being ordered about by

a mere mortal and, on top of it, carrying out the orders meekly.

Supplements Swami Desikan, "Sarva prashAsitA niyOjya: abhavat iti

Ashcharyam iti bhAva:"

 

 

 

When ordered by Arjuna to place the chariot amidst the two armies, the

Lord obeys instantly and with alacrity, with all the world watching His

menial demeanour, says Sri Ramanuja, still unable to shake off his

wonderment at the Almighty's greatness in putting Himself at the beck

and call of a human master-"Sa cha tEna chOdita: tat kshaNAt Eva BhIshma

DrONAdInAm sarvEshAmEva mahIkshitAm pasyatAm yathA chOditam akarOt".

 

 

 

Sri Tirumangai Mannan too is extremely moved by the SArathI's role

assumed by the Lord-"Indiran siruvan tEr mun nindrAnai TiruvallikkENi

kaNdEnE". Indra, the chief of all celestials, is himself a non-entity

vis-à-vis the ParamAtmA: his son Arjuna, being a mortal, is more so.

Despite all this, the Lord consented to be SArathy of this PANdava

prince, who did not have a bit of land to call his own, solely out of

love and affection. And while Arjuna was ensconced comfortably on the

chariot's cushioned seat, with a canopy to protect him from rain and

shine, the Lord stood on the ground ("tEr mun nindrAnai"), the

personification of servility and submissiveness, holding the horses'

reins and the goad ("KOl kaiyil koNdu PArtthan tan tEr mun nindrAnai")

in His beautiful hand.

 

Sri Kalian's emotion is all the more understandable, when we consider

that the Azhwar enshrined the Lord in a glorious chariot, made up of the

glorious verses of Tiruvezhukoottrirukkai.

 

 

 

Arjuna might have been attired in princely robes and presented a picture

of virility and might, but the real adornment to the chariot was the

Lord, who, despite His humble habit and meek demeanour, shone like a

thousand Suns despite the coating of grime and grist of the battlefield,

says Swami Desikan, in VairAgya Panchakam-"Dhananjaya syandana

bhooshaNam dhanam". And because of its Distinguished Driver, the Chariot

itself acquired glory, which is evident from the descriptions of Sri

Kalian ("PArtthan selva tEr Eru SArathiyAi") and of Sri Ramanuja

("Mahati syandanE").

 

 

 

We know only too well that the Lord adapts Himself admirably to the role

He chooses from time to time. He delivers a stellar performance, whether

as a Magnificent Monarch, an angry young Rishi bent upon annihilating

the ruling classes, a diminutive bachelor come to beg for an

insignificant three feet of land from an Emperor or a ferocious Man-Lion

materialising out of a palace pillar to put paid to one of the vilest of

asurAs. He puts His life and soul into the performance, so to say, to

emerge as a player worthy of a million Oscars.

 

 

 

In His role as a chauffeur too, the Lord excels, as is His wont. We are

struck with wonder as to how Emperuman is able to play diametrically

opposite roles, as the Prince of Ayodhya, used only to riding in

chariots driven by the best of charioteers, to that of a lowly

chauffeur, piloting the carriage to the directions of a perishable human

master. Listen to Sumantra, the exalted minister of Dasaratha and a

charioteer par excellence, praying to Sri Rama to ascend the chariot for

a quick drive to wherever He might wish-

 

"Ratham ArOha bhadram tE Rajaputra! MahAyasha:

 

Kshipram prApayishyAmi yatra mAm Rama! vakshyasi"

 

We are told too that Sri Rama's chariot was magnificent, glittering with

a golden body studded with precious stones, verily like the Sun-"tam

ratham Soorya sankAsam"

 

"athO jvalana sankAsam chAmIkara vibhooshitam

 

tam Aruruhatu: toorNam bhrAtarou RAma LakshmaNou".

 

 

 

It is not only the Lord who is accustomed only to riding in a chariot,

when but His constant Consort too is accustomed to ride with splendour

in a glorious chariot ("ashva poorvAm, Ratha madhyAm"-Sri Suktam), which

appears irreconcilable with the Lord's occupation during the Kurukshetra

war. Despite all these, if Emperuman could turn in a commendable

performance as a charioteer to Arjuna, executed with admirable aplomb

and effortless ease, it is no mean tribute to His histrionic talents.

 

 

 

When He takes up something, the Lord does it perfectly. As a charioteer,

He tended to the horses with the high degree of love, affection and

commitment, which prompted them to turn out their best on the

battlefield. He never ate before ensuring that the animals had their

belly-full and ensured that they were always well-fed and cared for,

with their strong, white bodies gleaming in the Sun, their heads held

high with the pride of performance. At the end of each day of battle,

the Lord washed down the horses, cleansing them of the dust and grime of

the day and applied soothing salve to their wounds, before having a wash

Himself.

 

 

 

Once, in the midst of raging war, sensing the horses slowing down due to

dehydration, the Lord even arranged for an impromptu spring on the

battlefield, from which the horses drank their fill and were fit and

rearing to go once more. This is not mere canard, but well-chronicled

history, to which the following pasuram of Sri PeriyAzhwar bears

testimony-

 

 

 

"Mannar maruga maitthunanmArkku oru tErin mEl

 

mun angu nindru mOzhai ezhuvittavan"

 

 

 

 

 

Swami Desikan's Acharya, Sri KidAmbi AppuLLAr, sees Arjuna's chariot and

the Lord's own position therein, as representative of Emperuman's role

as the Universal Saviour. The picture of Sri Krishna seated ahead of

Arjuna at the front of the chariot, protecting Arjuna from all possible

dangers, is reminiscent of the "akAra" (the letter "a") in the PraNava

mantra depicting the Lord's role as the Saviour, and ArjunA's own

position at the rear of the chariot, of the last letter, the "makAra"

(the letter "im" in the Pranava) representing the JeevAtma-

 

 

 

"abhirakshitum agrata: stitham tvAm PraNavE PArttha rathE cha

bhAvayanta:"

 

 

 

When we stand before Sri Parthasarathy Swami at TiruvallikkEni and throw

our thoughts back to that battlefield of Kurukshetra, we find our eyes

brimming with tears at the sight of the Lord, whose handsome visage

sports innumerable pock-marks, bearing testimony to His boundless love

for his bhaktAs and His readiness to do anything, but anything, to

please His devotee. The word "infra dig" appears not to figure in His

lexicon, as far as doing the bidding of His bhaktAs is concerned. If we

perform Prapatti and entrust to Him the job of piloting the vehicle of

our lives, He would surely guide us unerringly to the Promised Land,

steering us with care amidst the minefield of SamsAra. All that we have

to do is to hand over the reins of our lives to Him and relax, with

absolutely no care in the world, saying with Swami Desikan-"nirbharO

nirbhayOsmi".

 

 

 

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri

Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dasan, sadagopan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

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