Magnanimity -2

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Lord krishNA to vANAsuran/shivA.

 

 

vANAsuran was a demon who had thousand shoulders. His daughter ushai

and anirudhan wanted to be united in wedlock.

 

However, vANAsuram who was a devotee of subramnyA, shivA, opposed this tooth and nail.

The asurA fell at their feet who came to his rescue only to fail after some time.

 

The demon was falling at the feet of anybody who he was seeing. He did

not have any conviction or steadfastness. Having failed in

understanding who the real saviour was, he went on to fight against

the Saviour Himself.

The pAsuram-s go on to explain the fact that shivA and murugan have

helped vANAsuran in furthering his desires but failed in that

process.

 

Lord krishNA spared his life and also removed all his shoulders.

 

The reasons for this is categorically specified in th EDu for the pAsuram

 

"nEAr sarindhAn koDik kOzhik koNDAn-pinnum

nEAr sarindhAn eriyum analOAn,pinnum

nEAr sarindhAn mukkaN mUrthy kaNDEr-appan

nEAR sari vANan thiN thOL thuNithavanREA" thiruvoimzohi 7-4-8;

 

i. ushai pithruhEaniAga voNNAdhu enRu karathai kazhithu viTTAn;

(The Lord spared his life as ushai should not become fatherless)

Further, the deity -shivA requested sriman nArAyaNA that if you kill

him, then nobody would respect me, as I had given him refuge. Hence,

please spare his life, was his request.

 

"ath-thEvathai thAnEa vandhu, nE ivanaik kollil, en kAlil

guNisivArillai ini" enRu paRkATTugaiyAlEa viTTan.

 

ii. 'kara pAdhaiyilEa ivanai kaNDAr kAlil ellAm vizhap paNNiRRu" enRu

avanukkuriya karathai kazhithuvittu iRai ili AkkiviTTan.

 

The shoulders which should have been used for falling at the feet of

Lord Almighty was used for falling at the feet of whoever come in the

way. Therefore, to emphasise the non-advisability of dhEvathAnthra

worhsip the Lord removed all the shoulders.

 

Thus the magnanimity of Sri krshNA is observed on two counts, insparing the life of vANAsuran.

 

1. ushai should not be fatherless and 2. Request of shivA was acceded to.

 

dAsan

vanamamalai padmanabhan