Made for Each Other

March 3, 2004

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra

Mahadesikaya nama:

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

yes"> Made for Each Other

12.0pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Those who peruse the matrimonial columns in newspapers

and magazines would be familiar with the phrase, “A Suitable Bride wanted”. This

is what every eligible bachelor seeks—an ideal soul mate, suited in every way

to harmonious matrimony. It is thus every man’s dream (and every woman’s too)

to wed his perfect match in physique, temperament and demeanour. How blissful

would life be, if one is able to link up with a life partner who is in every

way one’s alter ego!

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">However, this appears to remain a distant dream, as

far as most of the couples are concerned. Whoever in heaven fixes up these

marriages, doesn’t appear to be very particular about pairing off matching

individuals, with the result that discord and disharmony often (and in some

cases, permanently) plague marital relationships. Right from trivial matters

like difference in tastes (whether in food, dress or reading) to major ones in

arriving at decisions in crucial family matters,

yes"> lead to differences cropping up between couples, with the result

that their lives, including those of their children, are affected adversely.

While in normal couples such differences are resolved or at least glossed over

with mutual give and take and tolerance, in many cases they assume

irreconcilable proportions, with disastrous consequences.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">The point, therefore, is that it is extremely

difficult, if not impossible, to find perfectly matched couples.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">The Lord is a model of everything we aspire to

be. We look up to Him for inspiration,

guidance and advice because He is the Perfect Person, a veritable paragon of

virtues, the repository of all auspicious attributes and the antithesis of all

that is bad. It is therefore no surprise to us that He is the Perfect Husband

too, a partner every woman dreams of landing, but alas! perhaps never

does. However, to be fair to the fairer sex, it is

to be recorded that Piraatti is in every way eminently suitable to the Lord,

whether it be in physical beauty, auspicious attributes or freedom from blemish

of any sort.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Acharyas tell us that the Divine Consort is a Perfect

Match for the Lord in all respects. Says Sri Ramanuja in the Sharanagati

Gadyam, addressing Piraatti--

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">“Bhagavan Narayana abhimata

yes"> anuroopa svaroopa roopa guNa vibhava iyshvarya sheelAdi

anavadhika asankhyEya kalyANa guNa gaNAm”.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Though it is impossible to catalogue the aspects in

which Piratti forms the perfect counterpart for the Lord, it is worthwhile to

go into some of them at least.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">1.Roopam—In physical beauty, Piraati is in every way

the Lord’s equal.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">If He is a “PuNdarIka VisAlAksha:” (one with broad,

lotus eyes), She too is “VisAlAkshI” and “Mriga sAbAkshI”, and sports broad,

beautiful and deer-like eyes.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">If He is portrayed to be a “Vidyut Prabha:”

(resembling a lightning)

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">by the DvAdasa nAma Panjaram, She too is adulated by

Sri Valmiki as “Vidyut PrabhAm”.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">If He is a “PeetAmbara dhara:” (clothed in bright

yellow silk), so is She adorned in beautiful yellow silk, with swans drawn on

it—“peetEna hamsAnkitEna kshoumENa samvritAm”—Sri Valmiki.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">If He has curly, jet black hair falling on His

forehead (“Mai vaNNa narum kunji”, “lalAta paryanta vilambita Alakam” “kupyat

chOLee vachana kutilai: kuntalai: slishtta moole”) etc., then so does Piratti

sport beautiful, black, long and curly hair—“neela kunchita moordhajAm”, “neela

nAghAbhayA vENI”, “Vakra kEsAntA”, all of which are from the pen of an admiring

Valmiki.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">If He is “SAkshAt Manmatha Manmatha:”—the sole

personification of handsomeness, She too is incredibly and immeasurably

beautiful—“DEvatAbhi: samA roopE SItA Shreeriva roopiNI”.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">If His complexion is that of beaten gold (“ApraNakhAt

sarva Eva suvarNa:” says the Upanishad), She too is of the same

colour—“HiraNyavarNAm HariNIm”, according to the Sri SUktam.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">If the Lord’s soundaryam is such as to generate

infinitely new varieties of bliss every second, without the experience palling

on the viewer despite any length of time (“appouzhudaikku appozhudu en

ArAvamudamE”—Sri Nammazhwar), so too is Piraatti’s beauty capable of providing

the onlooker such varied bliss every second, says Sri Alavanadar—

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">“sadA anubhootayApi apoorvavat vismayam AdadhAnayA”.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">The Lord is a veritable forest of lotuses—His eyes,

face, hands, feet all resemble the beautiful flower, says Sri Nammazhwar—

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">“SentAmarai tadam kaN senkanivAi senkamalam

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> sentAmarai

adikkaL sempon tiruvudambE”.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">PirAtti is none the less enamoured with the lotus,

being lotus-complexioned, residing in a lotus, lotus-eyed and holding lotuses

in her hands—“Padma priyE Padmini padma hastE padmAlayE padma dalAyatAkshi”.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">If the Lord sports a smiling countenance (“smayamAna

mukhAmbuja:”) so does Piraatti-:”ChArusmitE!” says Ravana, addressing Her.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">We could perhaps go on endlessly, matching each

glorious part of the Lord’s tirumEni with that of His Consort, who matches the

specifications down to the minutest detail.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Having found the Divine Duo extremely compatible in

physical features, we move on to verify whether the concord extends to their

attributes.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">From a general viewpoint, the Lord is renowned as

“PurushOttama:”, the best among men in all respects. Not to be left behind,

Piraatti too elicits the description, “nAreeNAm uttamA vadhoo:” from Valmiki,

who claims the Divine Consort to be the most excellent person of the female

race.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">When it comes to the most important trait (from our

view point) of Mercy and compassion, the Lord’s distinction has been

elaborately chronicled in DayA Satakam. He is supposedly the sole repository

and an ocean of Mercy—“karuNA varuNAlayam”. Sri Bhattar says that Sri

Mahalakshmi is no less than Her Husband and might have, in fact, surpassed Him

in exhibiting this virtue.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">The Lord protects people only when they seek His

protection and refuge—“RakshApEkshAm prateekshatE”. Piraatti, however, extends

Her protective umbrella to cover even those who haven’t sought the same and to

the contrary, have caused her harm, as in the case of the RAkshasIs of AshOka

Vanika and the KAkAsura.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">The Lord is the epitome of generosity and gives

everything that He has to the seeker—“tamadu anaitthum avar tamakku vazhangiyum

tAm miga viLangum amaivudaya aruLAlar”. The Divine Mother too is generous to a

fault and, even after showering on the devotee all that he can possibly ask for

(and even that he can’t even think of seeking) feels ashamed that She hasn’t

done anything for the poor child—“Tvam lajjasE amba! KOyam udAra bhAva:!”

marvels Sri Bhattar at this overwhelming generosity.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">If the Lord’s bounty knows no bounds, He being the

Ishvara with all the sentient beings and non-sentient objects forming His sole

domain, PirAtti too is the possessor of unlimited aishvaryam, says Sri

KoorattAzhwan. So much so, says the Acharya, that big or small, any bounty attained

by anyone in this world, is the result of a stray glance from the corner of Her

broad and benevolent eye. If all the world is His, He is the indisputable

overlord of all that moves and doesn’t (“tam IsvaANAm paramam MahEsvaram”), She

too is the unparalleled Empress of all worlds—“asyEsAnA jagata:”

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Granting Liberation is the Lord’s sole prerogative,

say the Shastras—“MOksham icchEt JanArdanAt”. His Consort too can confer the

same, says Sri Bhattar-“aishvaryam akshara gatim paramam padam vA”

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">If the Lord is infinite, pervading all living beings

and non-living things in all the universes, PirAtti too is all-pervasive,

Vibhu, says the Vishnu Purana—

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">“YathA sarvagatO Vishnu: tathA Eva iyam dvijOttama”.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">If He is father to the

whole world, She is the most Merciful

Mother, performing a complementary and supplementary role in the process of

raising JeevAtma families—“MAtA DEvI tvamasi BhagavAn VAsudEva: pitA mE” says

Swami Desikan, addressing these perfect parents. She is the Universal

Mother—“Samasta lOka JananI”.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Boundless and blemishless wisdom, (“GnAnam”) which is

one of the Lord’s principal characteristics is present in Piraatti too in the

same measure. And in bestowing the same on devotees too, both the Lord and His

Consort are equally capable. If He is a “neri ellAm edutturaittha nirai

gnAnatthu oru moorthi”, having enunciated all the guidebooks for good conduct,

in the form of Shastras in general and the Gita in particular, She too is

responsible for feeding Her infants with the milk of unblemished wisdom—“Chaitanya

stanya dAyineem”.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">One might suppose, albeit mistakenly, that Balam or

Strength, being a masculine trait, must be the sole preserve of the Lord.

However, the episode about Sri Sita lifting the box containing the Shiva dhanus

casually (in the process of retrieving Her ball which had fallen behind the

same) makes us believe that Her strength is no less, though She doesn’t chose

to display the same.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Power is normally considered to be a masculine

preserve. The Lord is reputed to be a ShaktimAn beyond compare, with nothing

beyond His achievment. Indeed, He is said to be capable of making even the

impossible happen, through His “aghatita ghatana sAmarthyam”. Piraati too would

appear to be none the less endowed with this trait. She tells Ravana that She

Herself is quite capable of reducing him to a fistful of dust, in a

proclamation of Her infinite Shakti.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">The Lord is said to be sweet—to the onlooker’s eyes,

ears, mind and other faculties too. The MadhurAshtakam tells us that everything

about the Lord is “madhuram” or sweet. Sri Nammazhwar likens Him to honey,

sugar candy, sweet milk etc.—“enakku tEnE pale kannalE amudE”.

Piratti too is incredibly sweet, as could be

learnt from the Lord’s own words, for, if anyone could know, He should—“madhurA

madhurAlApA”.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">If the Lord is a consummate Actor, donning vividly

various roles for dushta nigraham and sishta paripAlanam, His Consort too

adopts characters eminently suited to and complementing His role, says Swami

Desikan in Dasavatara Stotram—“Yat dharmai: iha dharmiNI viharatE nAnAkriti:

nAyikA”

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">It is well known as to how the Lord was dismayed,

dejected and saddened beyond measure by the parting from Sri Mythily, during

Ramavatara, with Sri Valmiki faithfully and elaborately chronicling the depth

of emotion Sri Rama exhibited for His Consort. If such was the love lavished by

the Lord on Piraatti, could Her attachment for Him be any the less? We thus

have Sri Nammazhwar telling us that She is loathe to leaving Him even for a

micro-second and, unable to suffer any sort of parting, resides permanently on

the Lord’s broad chest—“agalakillEn irayum endru alarmEl Mangai urai mArba!”

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Thus, in respect of each of the 24 kalyANa guNAs

listed by Sri Ramanuja as a sample of divine traits, we can find that Piraatti

stands shoulder to shoulder with Emperuman, equal and eminently suitable to Him

in every respect. In fact, in every imaginable way, the Lord and His Consort

are eminently suited to each other.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Commenting on the matchless match of Sri Rama and Sri

Vaidehi, Sri Valmiki says,

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">“Tulya sheela vayO vrittAm tulya abhijana lakshaNAm

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">RAghava: arhati VaidEhIm tam cha iyam asitEkshaNA”

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">It is fine to say that in flawless conduct and exalted

birth, Sri Mythily equalled Sri Raghava. However, would it be correct to say

that they were of equal age, as it is not the practice for couples of the same

age to wed? Further, there is any amount of internal evidence in Srimad

Ramayana itself to show that Sri Sita was younger than the Prince of Ayodhya.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Rushing to Sri Valmiki’s defence, Swami Desikan says

in his Stotra Bhashyam that the word “tulya” in the aforesaid sloka, with

regard to age, should be interpreted with reference to the usual practice of

the groom being elder to the bride—“atra vayO lakshaNayO: tulya shabda: ouchityapara:--DampatyO:

nyoona adhika vayaskatvAt”. What is meant here is that the difference in their

ages was neither too small, nor too large, but just right.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">However, in digressing about age, I am missing the

second half of the sloka, which really carries the punch line—viz., Sri Raghava

deserved Sri Mythily in every way and so did She deserve Chakravartthi

Tirumagan. They were indeed a pair so obviously Made for Each Other, where none

else would have suited the Glorious Groom or the Blemishless Bride, but each

other.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">This Matchless Match has been the subject of comment

by any number of worthies, be they Azhwars or Acharyas. We thus see Sri

Nammazhwar telling the Lord that His Consort is in every way the most suitable

for Him—

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">“unakku Erkkum kOla malar PAvai”. That this pasuram

occurs in the very last decad of Tiruvaimozhi indicates this conclusion being

indeed the considered opinion of the Azhwar, after adequate analysis and

contemplation.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">And when Sri Bhashyakara tells us that Piraatti is THE

suitable bride for the Lord in all aspect, he only conveys the opinion of his

master, Sri Alavandar, who too comments with wonder on the rare perfection of

the divine match—

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">“SadA tavaivOchitayA tava ShriyA”

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">“Ahu: svai: anuroopa roopa vibhavai: gAdOpagoodAni tE”

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">It is perhaps to remind us of this impeccable and

ideal match and to showcase the same as the ideal for every mortal pair to

strive for, that till date, our marriages are conducted mostly as a

re-enactment of the divine wedding, with the groom regarded verily as

Mahavishnu and the bride attired with an “ANdAL kondai”, with the recitation of

“VAraNamAyiram” etc. to signify the fruition of the bride’s dream of attaining

a perfect match. With our penchant for copying others’ conduct, (mostly the

unsavoury aspects thereof) if only we import into our marriage even an

infinitesimal aspect of the impeccable match between the Lord and His Consort,

marital discord would be banished from the earth, marriage counsellors would be

out of jobs and the word “Divorce” would lose its place in the lexicon.

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka

SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Dasan, sadagopan

March 4, 2004

Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha,

Dear Sri Sadagopan,

It was a great article posted at the right time. Yesterday was maasi

dwAdasi, the divine thirukalyana utsavam of Sri Mannathan along with

Vedavalli thayar is celebrated grandly every year in thiruvallikeni.

Mannathan, is a special bride and no less is Vedavalli thayar who is

first among the women celebrated by thirumangai azhvar as

"oppavarillA mAdhargal vAzhum mAda mAmayilai thiruvallikeni".

Valmiki's views about the divine couples (vibhavam) are in words but

for people who want to visualise the same today we have the divine

couples in archai who show us how any couple should be among

themselves and towards their kids.

Thanks a lot for your divine posting.

Alwar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan

-

sadagopaniyengar

; Oppiliappan ; tiruvenkatam

Thursday, March 04, 2004 8:11 AM

Made for Each Other

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Made for Each Other

Those who peruse the matrimonial columns in newspapers and magazines

would be familiar with the phrase, “A Suitable Bride wanted”. This is

what every eligible bachelor seeks—an ideal soul mate, suited in every

way to harmonious matrimony. It is thus every man’s dream (and every

woman’s too) to wed his perfect match in physique, temperament and

demeanour. How blissful would life be, if one is able to link up with

a life partner who is in every way one’s alter ego!

However, this appears to remain a distant dream, as far as most of the

couples are concerned. Whoever in heaven fixes up these marriages,

doesn’t appear to be very particular about pairing off matching

individuals, with the result that discord and disharmony often (and

in some cases, permanently) plague marital relationships. Right from

trivial matters like difference in tastes (whether in food, dress or

reading) to major ones in arriving at decisions in crucial family

matters, lead to differences cropping up between couples, with the

result that their lives, including those of their children, are

affected adversely. While in normal couples such differences are

resolved or at least glossed over with mutual give and take and

tolerance, in many cases they assume irreconcilable proportions, with

disastrous consequences.

The point, therefore, is that it is extremely difficult, if not

impossible, to find perfectly matched couples.

The Lord is a model of everything we aspire to be. We look up to Him

for inspiration, guidance and advice because He is the Perfect

Person, a veritable paragon of virtues, the repository of all

auspicious attributes and the antithesis of all that is bad. It is

therefore no surprise to us that He is the Perfect Husband too, a

partner every woman dreams of landing, but alas! perhaps never

does. However, to be fair to the fairer sex, it is to be recorded

that Piraatti is in every way eminently suitable to the Lord, whether

it be in physical beauty, auspicious attributes or freedom from

blemish of any sort.

Acharyas tell us that the Divine Consort is a Perfect Match for the

Lord in all respects. Says Sri Ramanuja in the Sharanagati Gadyam,

addressing Piraatti--

“Bhagavan Narayana abhimata anuroopa svaroopa roopa guNa vibhava

iyshvarya sheelAdi anavadhika asankhyEya kalyANa guNa gaNAm”.

Though it is impossible to catalogue the aspects in which Piratti

forms the perfect counterpart for the Lord, it is worthwhile to go

into some of them at least.

1.Roopam—In physical beauty, Piraati is in every way the Lord’s equal.

If He is a “PuNdarIka VisAlAksha:” (one with broad, lotus eyes), She

too is “VisAlAkshI” and “Mriga sAbAkshI”, and sports broad, beautiful

and deer-like eyes.

If He is portrayed to be a “Vidyut Prabha:” (resembling a lightning)

by the DvAdasa nAma Panjaram, She too is adulated by Sri Valmiki as “Vidyut PrabhAm”.

If He is a “PeetAmbara dhara:” (clothed in bright yellow silk), so is

She adorned in beautiful yellow silk, with swans drawn on it—“peetEna

hamsAnkitEna kshoumENa samvritAm”—Sri Valmiki.

If He has curly, jet black hair falling on His forehead (“Mai vaNNa

narum kunji”, “lalAta paryanta vilambita Alakam” “kupyat chOLee

vachana kutilai: kuntalai: slishtta moole”) etc., then so does

Piratti sport beautiful, black, long and curly hair—“neela kunchita

moordhajAm”, “neela nAghAbhayA vENI”, “Vakra kEsAntA”, all of which

are from the pen of an admiring Valmiki.

If He is “SAkshAt Manmatha Manmatha:”—the sole personification of

handsomeness, She too is incredibly and immeasurably

beautiful—“DEvatAbhi: samA roopE SItA Shreeriva roopiNI”.

If His complexion is that of beaten gold (“ApraNakhAt sarva Eva

suvarNa:” says the Upanishad), She too is of the same

colour—“HiraNyavarNAm HariNIm”, according to the Sri SUktam.

If the Lord’s soundaryam is such as to generate infinitely new

varieties of bliss every second, without the experience palling on

the viewer despite any length of time (“appouzhudaikku appozhudu en

ArAvamudamE”—Sri Nammazhwar), so too is Piraatti’s beauty capable of

providing the onlooker such varied bliss every second, says Sri

Alavanadar—

“sadA anubhootayApi apoorvavat vismayam AdadhAnayA”.

The Lord is a veritable forest of lotuses—His eyes, face, hands, feet

all resemble the beautiful flower, says Sri Nammazhwar—

“SentAmarai tadam kaN senkanivAi senkamalam

sentAmarai adikkaL sempon tiruvudambE”.

PirAtti is none the less enamoured with the lotus, being

lotus-complexioned, residing in a lotus, lotus-eyed and holding

lotuses in her hands—“Padma priyE Padmini padma hastE padmAlayE padma

dalAyatAkshi”.

If the Lord sports a smiling countenance (“smayamAna mukhAmbuja:”) so

does Piraatti-:”ChArusmitE!” says Ravana, addressing Her.

We could perhaps go on endlessly, matching each glorious part of the

Lord’s tirumEni with that of His Consort, who matches the

specifications down to the minutest detail.

Having found the Divine Duo extremely compatible in physical features,

we move on to verify whether the concord extends to their attributes.

>From a general viewpoint, the Lord is renowned as “PurushOttama:”, the

best among men in all respects. Not to be left behind, Piraatti too

elicits the description, “nAreeNAm uttamA vadhoo:” from Valmiki, who

claims the Divine Consort to be the most excellent person of the

female race.

When it comes to the most important trait (from our view point) of

Mercy and compassion, the Lord’s distinction has been elaborately

chronicled in DayA Satakam. He is supposedly the sole repository and

an ocean of Mercy—“karuNA varuNAlayam”. Sri Bhattar says that Sri

Mahalakshmi is no less than Her Husband and might have, in fact,

surpassed Him in exhibiting this virtue.

The Lord protects people only when they seek His protection and

refuge—“RakshApEkshAm prateekshatE”. Piraatti, however, extends Her

protective umbrella to cover even those who haven’t sought the same

and to the contrary, have caused her harm, as in the case of the

RAkshasIs of AshOka Vanika and the KAkAsura.

The Lord is the epitome of generosity and gives everything that He has

to the seeker—“tamadu anaitthum avar tamakku vazhangiyum tAm miga

viLangum amaivudaya aruLAlar”. The Divine Mother too is generous to a

fault and, even after showering on the devotee all that he can

possibly ask for (and even that he can’t even think of seeking) feels

ashamed that She hasn’t done anything for the poor child—“Tvam lajjasE

amba! KOyam udAra bhAva:!” marvels Sri Bhattar at this overwhelming

generosity.

If the Lord’s bounty knows no bounds, He being the Ishvara with all

the sentient beings and non-sentient objects forming His sole domain,

PirAtti too is the possessor of unlimited aishvaryam, says Sri

KoorattAzhwan. So much so, says the Acharya, that big or small, any

bounty attained by anyone in this world, is the result of a stray

glance from the corner of Her broad and benevolent eye. If all the

world is His, He is the indisputable overlord of all that moves and

doesn’t (“tam IsvaANAm paramam MahEsvaram”), She too is the

unparalleled Empress of all worlds—“asyEsAnA jagata:”

Granting Liberation is the Lord’s sole prerogative, say the

Shastras—“MOksham icchEt JanArdanAt”. His Consort too can confer the

same, says Sri Bhattar-“aishvaryam akshara gatim paramam padam vA”

If the Lord is infinite, pervading all living beings and non-living

things in all the universes, PirAtti too is all-pervasive, Vibhu,

says the Vishnu Purana—

“YathA sarvagatO Vishnu: tathA Eva iyam dvijOttama”.

If He is father to the whole world, She is the most Merciful Mother,

performing a complementary and supplementary role in the process of

raising JeevAtma families—“MAtA DEvI tvamasi BhagavAn VAsudEva: pitA

mE” says Swami Desikan, addressing these perfect parents. She is the

Universal Mother—“Samasta lOka JananI”.

Boundless and blemishless wisdom, (“GnAnam”) which is one of the

Lord’s principal characteristics is present in Piraatti too in the

same measure. And in bestowing the same on devotees too, both the

Lord and His Consort are equally capable. If He is a “neri ellAm

edutturaittha nirai gnAnatthu oru moorthi”, having enunciated all the

guidebooks for good conduct, in the form of Shastras in general and

the Gita in particular, She too is responsible for feeding Her

infants with the milk of unblemished wisdom—“Chaitanya stanya

dAyineem”.

One might suppose, albeit mistakenly, that Balam or Strength, being a

masculine trait, must be the sole preserve of the Lord. However, the

episode about Sri Sita lifting the box containing the Shiva dhanus

casually (in the process of retrieving Her ball which had fallen

behind the same) makes us believe that Her strength is no less,

though She doesn’t chose to display the same.

Power is normally considered to be a masculine preserve. The Lord is

reputed to be a ShaktimAn beyond compare, with nothing beyond His

achievment. Indeed, He is said to be capable of making even the

impossible happen, through His “aghatita ghatana sAmarthyam”. Piraati

too would appear to be none the less endowed with this trait. She

tells Ravana that She Herself is quite capable of reducing him to a

fistful of dust, in a proclamation of Her infinite Shakti.

The Lord is said to be sweet—to the onlooker’s eyes, ears, mind and

other faculties too. The MadhurAshtakam tells us that everything

about the Lord is “madhuram” or sweet. Sri Nammazhwar likens Him to

honey, sugar candy, sweet milk etc.—“enakku tEnE pale kannalE

amudE”. Piratti too is incredibly sweet, as could be learnt from the

Lord’s own words, for, if anyone could know, He should—“madhurA

madhurAlApA”.

If the Lord is a consummate Actor, donning vividly various roles for

dushta nigraham and sishta paripAlanam, His Consort too adopts

characters eminently suited to and complementing His role, says Swami

Desikan in Dasavatara Stotram—“Yat dharmai: iha dharmiNI viharatE

nAnAkriti: nAyikA”

It is well known as to how the Lord was dismayed, dejected and

saddened beyond measure by the parting from Sri Mythily, during

Ramavatara, with Sri Valmiki faithfully and elaborately chronicling

the depth of emotion Sri Rama exhibited for His Consort. If such was

the love lavished by the Lord on Piraatti, could Her attachment for

Him be any the less? We thus have Sri Nammazhwar telling us that She

is loathe to leaving Him even for a micro-second and, unable to

suffer any sort of parting, resides permanently on the Lord’s broad

chest—“agalakillEn irayum endru alarmEl Mangai urai mArba!”

Thus, in respect of each of the 24 kalyANa guNAs listed by Sri

Ramanuja as a sample of divine traits, we can find that Piraatti

stands shoulder to shoulder with Emperuman, equal and eminently

suitable to Him in every respect. In fact, in every imaginable way,

the Lord and His Consort are eminently suited to each other.

Commenting on the matchless match of Sri Rama and Sri Vaidehi, Sri Valmiki says,

“Tulya sheela vayO vrittAm tulya abhijana lakshaNAm

RAghava: arhati VaidEhIm tam cha iyam asitEkshaNA”

It is fine to say that in flawless conduct and exalted birth, Sri

Mythily equalled Sri Raghava. However, would it be correct to say

that they were of equal age, as it is not the practice for couples of

the same age to wed? Further, there is any amount of internal evidence

in Srimad Ramayana itself to show that Sri Sita was younger than the

Prince of Ayodhya.

Rushing to Sri Valmiki’s defence, Swami Desikan says in his Stotra

Bhashyam that the word “tulya” in the aforesaid sloka, with regard to

age, should be interpreted with reference to the usual practice of the

groom being elder to the bride—“atra vayO lakshaNayO: tulya shabda:

ouchityapara:--DampatyO: nyoona adhika vayaskatvAt”. What is meant

here is that the difference in their ages was neither too small, nor

too large, but just right.

However, in digressing about age, I am missing the second half of the

sloka, which really carries the punch line—viz., Sri Raghava deserved

Sri Mythily in every way and so did She deserve Chakravartthi

Tirumagan. They were indeed a pair so obviously Made for Each Other,

where none else would have suited the Glorious Groom or the

Blemishless Bride, but each other.

This Matchless Match has been the subject of comment by any number of

worthies, be they Azhwars or Acharyas. We thus see Sri Nammazhwar

telling the Lord that His Consort is in every way the most suitable

for Him—

“unakku Erkkum kOla malar PAvai”. That this pasuram occurs in the very

last decad of Tiruvaimozhi indicates this conclusion being indeed the

considered opinion of the Azhwar, after adequate analysis and

contemplation.

And when Sri Bhashyakara tells us that Piraatti is THE suitable bride

for the Lord in all aspect, he only conveys the opinion of his

master, Sri Alavandar, who too comments with wonder on the rare

perfection of the divine match—

“SadA tavaivOchitayA tava ShriyA”

“Ahu: svai: anuroopa roopa vibhavai: gAdOpagoodAni tE”

It is perhaps to remind us of this impeccable and ideal match and to

showcase the same as the ideal for every mortal pair to strive for,

that till date, our marriages are conducted mostly as a re-enactment

of the divine wedding, with the groom regarded verily as Mahavishnu

and the bride attired with an “ANdAL kondai”, with the recitation of

“VAraNamAyiram” etc. to signify the fruition of the bride’s dream of

attaining a perfect match. With our penchant for copying others’

conduct, (mostly the unsavoury aspects thereof) if only we import

into our marriage even an infinitesimal aspect of the impeccable

match between the Lord and His Consort, marital discord would be

banished from the earth, marriage counsellors would be out of jobs

and the word “Divorce” would lose its place in the lexicon.

Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri

Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, sadagopan

March 5, 2004

Dear Sri sadagopan Iyengar swami,

Made for each other indeed.

I would like to add the following couple of lines.

When it comes to be prejudiced towards the devotees are concerned, the

general perception is that pirAtti excels.

She says" who has not committed mistakes. To err is human and to

forgive is Almighty and precipitates His auspicious qualities"

==dhvayam.

However, the Lord when question by pirAtti about His devortees by

mistakes takes a stand -" Who does not commit mistakes; Even if they

do so, it is good"

" than adiyAr thiRathagathu thAmaraiAL Agilum sidhaguraikkumEAl,

ennadiyAr adhu seiyyAr; sedihAreA nanRu seidhAr " periyAzhwAr

thirumozhi 4-9-2

"ennadi! yAr adhu seiyyAr'

dhAsan

vanamamalai padmanabhan

note:by the way, what happened to the speck of dust.