"All that Glitters..."

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

"All that Glitters..."

No metal is more closely associated with the human race as Gold.

Diamonds may be forever, but the lure of the yellow metal is eternal.

In any comparison with other metals or elements, Gold comes out with

shining colours. There is perhaps no sphere of human activity, which

is not touched and adorned by Gold, be it social, economic or even

religious. It has been the currency of yore, which people used to buy

and sell other things. Anything valuable is said to be “worth

its weight in Gold”, while we characterise anything

magnificent, splendorous or beneficial as “Golden”, as

for instance, the Golden Age of the GuptAs in history. Successful

passing of the midway milestone in life, 50 years of married life,

even the first 50 days of a film’s successful run—all

these are termed “Golden Jubilee”, signifying how much we

value the yellow metal. To honour someone, we drape him with a

gold-coloured shawl—a “PonnAdai”. Till a few

decades past, the World Economy was on the Gold Standard, which meant

that countries could issue currency, only if it was backed by an

equivalent stock of Gold. Till today, the amount of Gold reserves a

country has is taken to be a measure of its soundness and solvency.

 

The yellow metal has another admirable characteristic, viz.,

Malleability, which makes it the preferred metal for the manufacture

of ornaments and jewellery, thus rendering it the metal closest to

the human heart, especially the feminine one, literally and

figuratively. In marriages too, even the poorest of poor deems it a

necessity to marry off their daughter with at least a gram of gold on

her person, in tune with the mantra, “KanyAm kanaka

sampannAm”. It is a different matter that this more has

resulted in several cases of exploitation of the bride’s

parents with exorbitant demands, perhaps based on a misinterpretation

of the term “sampannAm”. And when a child is born, the

mother croons to it with a loving “en thangamE!”. Even at

the ripe old age of ninety, man delights in having gold showered on

him by his progeny, in what is known as

“KanakAbhishEkam”.

 

It would thus appear that Gold pervades our life all throughout, in all spheres of human activity.

 

The question therefore arises as to why this yellow metal should

command such lure and love from human beings, when other, more

precious elements are there like Platinum, Diamonds etc.

Granted that these other metals and carbons do have an attraction for

people, but it is nothing compared to the widespread and mass

following that Gold has.

 

Delving deep into the matter, we come to the conclusion that the

fascination for Gold in the secular sphere is but an extension of its

glitter on the spiritual plane. If we care to look for it, we find

innumerable mentions of the yellow metal in the Scripture, with its

being used as a mode of comparison with none less than divine

personages.

 

Perhaps the most complimentary mention of this metal is in the context

of comparing it with the glitter, brilliance, magnificence and

preciousness of the ParamapurshA’s tirumEni. “Ani sempon

mEni endAi” “Sem ponnE tigazhum tiru moorthiyAi”

says Sri Nammazhwar, telling us that the Lord’s complexion is

that of beaten red gold. Another Azhwar confirms this and considers

the matter to be significant enough to be catalogued in the very

first verse of his composition—“TirukkaNdEn PonmEni

kaNdEn”. Sri Kalian, that peerless connoisseur of the arcchA

moorthy, tells us that if we really think about it, we would find the

Lord’s tirumEni to be golden-hued—

“vaNNam eNNum kAl Ponnin vaNNam maNiyin vaNNam

puraiyum tirumEni

Inna vaNnam endru kAttIr IndaLooreerE”.

 

As we know that every word and syllable of Azhwars’ outpourings

are based on the Shruti, we search for confirmation from the Vedas

for this conception of the Lord’s complexion and we do find it

in the Upanishad, which goes a step further and tells us that even

the hair atop the Lord’s head, His moustache, other facial

vegetation and all the magnificent parts of His splendorous torso,

including His nails, are gloriously golden. Here is the relevant

quote—

“Ya EshOntar AdityE hiraNmaya:Purusha:drisyatE

HiraNmaya:smashru:hiranmaya kEsa:AprNakhAt sarva Eva

suvarNa:” For good measure, the Shruti reconfirms the

Lord’s golden complexion thus—“Hiranya varNam

rugmAbham”. Emperuman’s association with gold

doesn’t stop with His complexion. When He is born as Sri

Krishna, He arranges for AdisEsha too to descend to Gokulam, in the

form of a golden cradle. The conscientious chronicler of

Krishna’s childhood, Sri PeriayAzhwar, confirms that Sri

Krishna slept in a golden cradle, the ardent offering of a devoted

BrahmA— “MANikkam katti vayiram idai kattiANi ponnAl

seida vaNna siru tottilPENi unakku Piraman vidu tandAn” The

Lord is so enamoured of gold that even His spittoon is made of the

yellow metal, which Sri Kulasekhara Perumal wishes to hold

forever— “Venkata KOn umizhum pon vattil piditthu udanE

pugapperuvEn AvEnE”. Another indication of His infatuation

with the yellow metal is His sporting a “golden”

tirunAmam, at one of the TirunAngUr divyadEsams, as “Sempon sei

Arangan” (HEma Rangan). We are told by Sri Valmiki that the

Royal court of Ayodhya was all done up in glittering

gold—“SabhAyAm hEma kliptAyAm”. And on the occasion

of Sri Rama’s coronation, Brahmins holding auspicious things in

their hands walked ahead of Sri Rama, on His way to the Royal court,

and predictably, one of the mangala dravyAs they held was gold—

“akshatam jAtaroopam cha gAva: kanyA: tathA dvijA: narA mOdaka

hastAscha Raamsya puratO yayu:” When holy water is to be

brought for the PattAbhishEkam from sacred rivers and oceans, it is

brought in golden pots- “sauvarNAn vAnarEndrANAm chatuNAm

chaturO ghatAn”. And on the joyous occasion of the Coronoation,

Indra, the Chief of the Celestials, offers with devotion a glittering

golden garland to the Paramapurusha— “MAlAm jvalantIm

vapushA kAnchanIm shata pushkarAm Raghavaya dadou VAyu: VAsavEna

prachOdita:” And when Sri Rama thinks of offering a tribute to

VadikAs on the occasion of His coronation, it is Gold that He plumps

for, in the form of 300 million gold coins—“Trimsat kOtI:

hiraNyasya brAhmaNEbhyO dadou puna:” According to popular

accounts, all SAlagrAma shilAs, in which the Lord’s presence is

constant and eternal, are said to contain a streak of gold inside

them, giving such moorthies (especially those which do not have a

vadanam or chakram) the name “HiraNya garbha:” (pregnant

with gold). It is interesting to note that the Lord Himself is

referred to as Hiranyagarbha by the Shruti—“HiraNya

garbha: samavartata agrE bhootasya jAta: pati: Eka Aseet”. This

term is also used to denote the four-headed BrahmA. The Golden

Connection doesn’t stop with the Lord. Predictably, His Consort

too sports a golden hue, as She is in every way a perfect match to the

Paramapurusha. This is confirmed by the Sri Suktam, which adds that,

in the manner of our own women folk who have a penchant for matching

colours, Sri Mahalakshmi too wears garlands of a golden hue—

“HiraNya varNAm HariNIm suvarna rajata srajAm” Not only

the Divine Duo, but also their devotees have an abiding connection

with the yellow metal, we find. For instance, Parama BhAgavata Sri

Shankara too sports a golden complexion, according to

Azhwars—“Pon tigazhum mEni puri sadai am puNNiyan”.

Confirmation of this is available from a NayanmAr, an exclusive

devotee of Rudra too, who describes the deity as “PonnAr

mEnianE!”. VaruNa, the presiding deity of all waters, be they

rivers, oceans, ponds or wells, is reported to have a golden

horn—“Hiranya shringam VaruNam prapadyE” says the

aghamarshaNa SUktam. Not only the Lord’s votaries, but some of

His sworn adversaries too have a golden name, like HiranyAksha and

Hiranyakasipu, to quote a couple. Azhwars too refer to these asurAs

as “Pon peyarOn”. While in one of the yagyAs, a golden

vessel full of honey is supposed to be given away (“HiraNya

pAtram madhO: pUrNam dadhAti—madhavyOsAnIti”), in

another, the performer of the yAga gains bricks made of

gold—“hirayNyEshatakO bhavati” Gold not only serves

the Lord in the myriad modes mentioned above, but is also eminently

suitable for worshipping Him with, as flowers made of

gold—“SwarNapushpam”-- make for an admirable

adornment to Him. Additionally, during the alankArAsanam, we are

supposed to submit (as part of the 32 types of

“upachAram” to be offered to Him) gold too, as

“MAtrA dAnam”, according to the Pancha kAla kriyA

Deepam— “tila taNdula tAmbUla tapanIya dhritAmbarai:

pooritAm darsayE mAtrAm pAtrENa PraNatArtihan” Continuing the

saga of ceaseless association of the Lord with the precious metal, we

find that even the river, which laps gently at His tiruvadi and forms

a glorious garland to Sri Rangaraja, is called “Ponni”.

Not only is the river’s name golden, it brings gold from

various underwater mines and offers it as an ardent tribute at the

feet of the Lord of Srirangam—“Pon alaikkum KAviri”

Is it any wonder therefore, that stealing of gold ranks among the most

heinous of misdeeds? Theft and robbery are bad enough when they

involve other items of property, but when it comes to gold, ShAstrAs

are especially severe in prescribing penalties for “SvarNa

stEyam”. However much we may tout Gold to be the best of

riches, Sri Nammazhwar tells us that even the most precious of

ornaments made of the purest of gold, would not equal one sincere and

devout folding of the palms in a gesture of “anjali”, as

an offering to Emperuman—“dEsamAna aNikalanum en kai

kooppu seigayE”. Having compared the Lord’s brilliance to

beaten gold, Azhwar is eaten away by remorse, for likening Him to

after all an inanimate object, the glitter of which would not equal a

billionth of the Lord’s, and comes out with a

clarification—“Sutturaittha nan pon un tirumEni oLi

ovvAdu”.Having traversed the golden trail so far, we find that

there are several other items that are as precious and splendorous as

Gold, with their glitter however hidden from the undiscerning

observer. For instance, Sandhyavandanam is indeed a Golden Ritual,

conferring upon us immense and precious benefits, but its brilliance

is not immediately perceptible to the uninitiated. It is only when

one adopts and continues its “upAsanA”, that it reveals

itself in all its magnificence, inculcating in us devotion and

dedication to the Ultimate. There is similarly a “Golden

Strategy” which leads us unfailingly to the gates of Paradise,

viz., Prapatti, which too remains invisible to our eyes, till we

apply the magical mascara of Acharya upadEsam. Srimate Sri

LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:dasan, sadagopan