Seeing Red

[Guest guest]

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

Seeing Red

 

When do you your eyes acquire a reddish tint? “When you contract

Conjunctivitis!” (popularly known as “Madras Eye”)

remarks my daughter, looking over my shoulder at the computer. Levity

apart, when your eyes take on a reddish hue for whatever reason, they

acquire an unseemliness, which makes people avert their faces. We do

not associate blood-shot eyes with anything good. In fact, in some,

such eyes are indicative of excessive intake of alcohol, while in

others, the condition is caused by sleeplessness. In women, the

condition is induced by prolonged crying. Whatever be the reason

therefor, red eyes do spoil your looks and indicate an abnormality.

 

Surprisingly, however, the same condition is the subject matter of

admiration and adoration, when it is found in the Lord. People have

written pages on the very same reddishness in the Lord’s eye,

which they find unseemly in others. “Kangal sivandu

periyavaai” remarks one Azhwar, while another enthuses about

the “Sentaamarai Kannan”. When Tiruppanazhwar catalogues

the captivating features of the Lord’s eyes, reddishness is one

trait, which he finds remarkable—“Kariyavaagi pudai

parandu milirndu sevvariyodi neenda apperiyavaaya Kangal”.

 

The Lord is extremely colourful—His curly hair is jet black

(“Mai vanna narum kunji”), His broad and beautiful eyes

are tinged with red, His teeth are a dazzling white, His lips a

captivating red again (“Kovvai chevvaai”), He wears a

Vanamaala with a selection of vividly colourful flowers and His

complexion that of brilliant beaten gold (“Pon meni

kanden”). However, amidst all this riot of colour, it is His

bewitching eyes, which captivate the devotee and make him lose all

self-control. The beauty of these lotus eyes is enough to drive us

mad with desire, says Tiruppanazhwar—“periyavaaya Kangal

ennai pedamai seidanave”. Even seasoned Rishis who have

banished all desire and emotion from their hearts are floored by

these captivating eyes, says the Jitanta Stotram—“Jitante

Pundarikaksha!”. It is these eyes that rivet the

onlooker’s attention and prevent him from proceeding further to

enjoy other parts of the Lord’s tirumeni. It is these eyes which

show Him up to be the Overlord of the Universe, says Sri

Nammazhwar—“anaittulagum tozhum aravinda lochanan”.

 

If Emperuman’s eyes are of such scintillating beauty, they owe

it in no small measure to their reddish tint. We have a doubt

here—why should the Lord’s eyes be red, of all colours?

Why not green or blue, for that matter?

 

A quick look at Srimad Ramayanam and Aruliccheyal reveals several

reasons why the Lord’s eyes are red.

 

1. The Paramapursha’s eyes are verily lotus blooms.

(“Ramo Raajeeva lochana:”—“Sentaamarai

Kannan”) And lotus flowers are red (though there is a white

variety too—Ven Taamarai—the majority of these blooms are

red). Hence there is no surprise that Emepruman’s eyes sport a

reddish tinge. This is the purport too of the name

“Lohitaaksha:” occurring in Sri Vishnu

Sahasranamam—“Rakta Raajeeva nayano Lohitaaksha:

prakeertita:”

 

2. The Divine Consort sports a complexion like a

lotus—“Padma Varnaam” says the Sri Suktam. Our eyes

reflect what is constantly opposite them. Since Sri Mahalakshmi is the

inseparable Consort, who has vowed to stay with the Lord without a

second of separation, Her colour rubs off on Emperuman too, so to

say, imparting a reddish tinge to His eyes.

 

3. As we have seen above, sleeplessness can be a cause of eyes

being red. If you want to test the truth of this, try keeping awake

for a whole night and look at your eyes in the morning. But why

should the Lord be sleepless? To the contrary, He is always to be

seen reclining on His soft and smooth snake bed, which would lull

even an incurable insomniac to sleep. However, we are told that the

Lord never sleeps, but only feigns slumber—“uranguvaan

pol yogu punarnda oli mani vannan Kannan”. With His eyes shut,

He is always devising newer and newer strategies for ensuring

emancipation for the vast majority of souls suffering in bondage. It

is hence no wonder that without sleep, the Lord’s eyes are red.

 

People say that wealth is sure to drive away sleep, because the rich

man is always worried about what would happen to his wealth and

constantly thinks about safeguarding and multiplying it manifold.

Similarly, Emperuman, who is the Lord and Master of all sentient

beings and non-sentient objects, cannot but keep awake with worry as

to their well-being.

 

4. On some occasions, the Lord’s eyes acquire a deep

reddish hue due to anger. Though He is by nature extremely

compassionate and a stranger to anger, yet, in His role as the

Universal Protector, He has occasions to display anger. Srimad

Ramayanam speaks of several instances of Sri Rama’s eyes

acquiring a reddish tinge on account of anger. One such is the

unresponsive attitude of Samudra Raja, when Sri Rama lies on the

seashore on a bed of grass, seeking the former’s permission for

building a bridge across the waters to Lanka. When, despite sincere

entreaties, the God of Waters doesn’t appear and fails to

oblige, Sri Rama’s justifiable anger makes His eyes blood-red,

we are told—

“Samudrasya tata: kruddho Ramo raktaanta lochana:”. In His

legendary confrontation with Ravana, Sri Raghava’s eyes acquire

a deep shade of red due to anger, with His brows knit in a terrifying

frown—“Sa kritvaa bhrukutim kruddha: kinchit samrakta

lochana:’

 

5. The commentaries to Tiruppavai tell us of another reason why

Emperuman’s eyes are red. Expanding on the phrase,

“senkan tirumukhatthu selva Tirumal”, Sri Jananyaacharya

observes that the pleasure of regaining Jeevatmas (Chetana laabham)

also makes the Lord’s eyes red. Considering our propensity to

go astray and away from Him, when we reform, perform Prapatti and

reach Him at His divine abode, the Lord is as delighted as a father

would be, at the return of a long-lost prodigal son. Thus

immeasurable happiness also imparts reddishness to Emperuman’s

eyes, says the commentary—“alabhya laabhattaale sivanda

kangal”

 

6. Vyaakhyaana Chakravartthi Sri Periyavacchan Pillai, commenting

on the line “Senkan siru siride emmel vizhiyaavo”

(Tiruppavai) ascribes another reason for the ever-present tinge of

red in the divine eyes—“Vaatsalyattaale

sivandirukkai” says he, telling us that Emperuman’s

overflowing love and compassion for us makes His eyes red. Swami

Desikan too concurs with this interpretation, in his Munivaahana

Bhogam—“ananyar pakkal anuraagatthukku keetru edukkalaam

padiyaana sivanda varigal”.

 

7. According to Saamudrikaa Lakshanam, the eyes of royals are

tinged with red. And since the Lord is the King of all

Kings--”Raajaadi Raaja: sarveshaam”, is it any wonder

that His eyes have such a tint?

 

Red is indeed a beautiful colour. When we chose the very first saree

the bride is to wear during the wedding (“Koorai

Pudavai”), we chose red. The deep beauty of corals is a thing

all women enjoy and appreciate. Most of the beautiful flowers,

whether it is a rose or a lotus or Iruvaaakshi, are red. More than

anything else, it is because Red is the colour Emeperuman’s

eyes are tinged with, that our liking for the tint goes up manifold.

It is this reddish tint sported by the lotus-like eyes that floors

and enslaves onlookers, say Azhwars and

Maharshis—“Taamarai kangalukku attru teerndu”. Red

is the colour of the cloth Matadors use to enrage and ultimately

subdue the Bull. It would appear that the Lord too uses this

matchless colour in His eyes, to win over our hearts.

 

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri

Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

dasan, sadagopan