A Balm for The Lord

[Guest guest]

A BALM FOR THE LORD

 

When Sri Mukund from Singapore, to be handed over to

ThiruvallikkEANi- saffron powder alongwith 'kODali thailam' I was

confused for a second. The kumkumapU is meant for The GEthAchAryan

but the balm? Is it also meant for Him? Now, this is interesting.

What about balm for the Lord. The balm is a pain reliever. Who thinks

of alleviating the agony of the Almighty? Those who are concerned

about His welfare. Those who are emotionally entangled with Him. Sri

PeriyAzhwAr comes uppermost in our minds being The MangaLA sAsana

parar. He thought himself to be the mother of Lord krshNA and

suffered the pangs of a mother when the kid is in trouble. He

exclaims ' Oh! Lord I survived the fact that You were in fight with

the venomos snake" -'nanjumizh nAgathinOdu piNangavum-nAn vuyir

vAzhndhirundhEAn" 3-3-6;--Such is the nature of parivu of

PeriyAzhwAr- that she feels bad on surviving the scare of kALingan

fight.

 

The case of Sri Kula-SekarAzhwAr is also wierd. Living yugAs after Sri

RAmA, he ordered his regiments to set off to the help of the

Chakravarthith Thirumagan absolutely not realising he is far far away

from the period ages ago.

 

What about Sri Nam-AzhwAr. He regrets that Sri RamA being a Royal

Head doe s not have anybody to carry His bow and arrows

".ALum ALAr Azhium sangum sumappAr thAm..vALum villum koNDu pin selvAr maRRillai" 8-3-3;

 

The classic case of Thrimazhisaip pirAn is well known. It is customary

for the host to come out to the front and greet the guest. Sri

Thirumazhisaip pirAn while visiting the ThirukkUDandhai mentions to

the Lord Sri ArAvamudhan " Please do not take the trouble of even

getting up from the reclining posture. You are indeed tired after

measuring the three worlds with YOur feet and also exhausted after

rescuing the world .Therefore, You may just speak to me on a combined

posture of getting up lying. And LO! The Lord indeed talks to AzhwAr

neither in a reclining posture nor in a sitting one but in a mixed

one.

 

"nadandha kAlgaL nondhavOA? nadungu gnAlam yEanmAi

idandha mei kulungavOA? vilangu mAl varaichuram

kadandha kAl parandha kAvirik karai

kudandhaiyUL kidandha vARu yezhundhirundhu pEAsu

vAzhi kEsanEa" Thriuchandha vrutham 61;

 

Thamizhth thalaivan also voices the same concern.

 

'isaindha aravamum veRpum kadalum,

pasaindhangu amudhu paduppa, asaindhu kadaindha varuthamOA -kachi

vekkAvil kidandhirundhu ninRadhuvum

angu" mUnRAm ThiruvandhAdhi 64.

 

Oh! Lord, Perhaps You are tired on helping the dhEvars by churning the

ocean by using the serpant and extracting the nectar from the ocean

and resting in ThriuvekkA.

 

Thirumazhisai AzhwAr again expreseses the same sentiment

'ThALAL vulagam aLandha asaivEa kol,

VALAk kidandharulum vAi thiRavAn,

NEL Odham vandhalaikkum mAmayilai mAvallikkEaNiyAn

ainthalaivAi nAgathaNai' nAn-mugan thiruvandAdhi 35;

 

 

AzhwAr-s are the jEvAthmA-s involved in the kalyANa guNangaL of

EmperumAn and their concern springs from the affection emanating from

the emotional involvement.

 

That is why Sri Nam-AzhwAr desires "Shall I also be given the

opportunity to smother, soothen Your feet, Oh! Lord like Your divine

consorts"

 

"vaDivinai illA malarmagaL maRRai nilamagaL pidikkum melladiyai kodu

vinaiyEanum pidikka nE oru nAL kUvudhal varudhal seiyyAyEa" Thriu vAi

mozhi 9-2-10;

 

Well. The concerns, the affection, the agony on observing the Lord's

efforrts and magnanimity are emanate as pAsuram-s.

 

In fact these psalms are

 

The Balm for the Lord.

 

dAsan

vanamamalai padmanabhan