Fwd: Dhadhibhandan's clay pot

[Guest guest]

tiruvengadam, "Sudarshan M.K." <sampathkumar_2000>

wrote:

tiruvengadam, sadagopan iyengar <sadagopaniyengar>

wrote:

 

> Moksham for Dhadhibhandan's Clay Pot

> Dhadhibhandan and his clay pot

>

> dear bhgavatas, but one

> has to only refer to the history of mahatmas like jada

> bharata, to conclude that the ultimate janma of gnAnis

> need not even be human. It is only thus that one

> could explain the pasuram, "narpAl ayOttiyil vAzhum

> charAcharam mutravum narpAlukku uytthanan" (even the

> blades of grass in Ayodhya were given moksha by Sri

> Rama). if this were not agreed to, then the elaborate

> moksha mArgAs prescribed by various Upanishads, Sri

> Geeta, and poorvAchArya anushttAnam,etc. would become

> irrelevant and uncalled for.

 

> -dasan,sadagopan.

***********************

 

Dear SrimAn Sadgopan Iyengar,

 

'devarir' is absolutely right and you have quoted incontrovertible

scripture to support you. There is nothing more adiyane can or needs

to add to what 'devarir' has commented.

 

To be honest, adiyane was posing questions to you in a rather playful

mood only, so please forgive me. Sometimes it is healthy to approach

'vedAntam' and 'siddhAntam' in a light-hearted way also. Religion

is not always so grim and severe that we should not indulge a bit,

now and then, in its lighter side!

 

Adiyane must confess when I first heard the "dadhipAndan" story from

the late U.Ve. Mukkur Lakshminarasimhachari I too drew the wrong

lessons from it. I also fell into the trap of concluding from it that

like the 'claypot', man could certainly hope to receive 'mOksha'

gratuitously. I too began to entertain doubts with regard to the need

to adopt proper 'upAyam' like "bhakti-mArgam" and "prappatti" in the

pursuit of God.

 

Mukkur Swamy used to say, "If this is the lesson one learns from the

DadhipAndan story then the fault lies not with the story itself but

in our 'kONa-buddhi' (flawed minds) which is unable to infer right

conclusions from right premises. What is the true message of the

story, then? It is not about an inanimate object like a claypot being

the gratuitous recipient of spiritual grace ("nirhetuka-kripa"). Far

more wondrous than that fact (if it is fact at all!) is the story's

subtle implication that all creation on earth, whether animate or

inanimate, insensient or intelligent, animal or human, be it a worm

or a yogi --- all things on earth are capable of aspiring for the

highest experience of life called "mOksha". This is because all

things on earth, without exception, are God's creations... every

blade of grass, every mortal being and every thing that moves and

moves not... everything is His inalienable property. Everything on

earth thus actually aspires to be eventually restored to its rightful

owner. Or rather, to a higher state of being called 'mOksha". Not all

things and beings may have actually realized 'mOksha' but there is no

denying that all are capable of aspiring for it. We may not all yet

be "mOkshAdhikAri-s", but we are all, in varying degrees perhaps, but

surely "mumukshu-s". Everything in nature constantly aspires to

ascend --- this is a fundamental law of nature... God recognizes this

and which is why everything in this world is hence fully worthy of

His affection. Should not all objects of God's affection thus command

our respect too? Even a 'claypot' such as DadhipAndan's? Should not

all this world, the Almighty's very own, therefore be the object of

our loving veneration?".

 

Mukkur Swamy used to further add, "After listening to DadhipAndan's

story we should not ask ourselves "How can I too, like the claypot,

secure God's Grace effortlessly?". Instead, we should ask "If God in

His compassion is willing to hear even the muted pleas of a lifeless

claypot longing for 'mOksha' and reward it accordingly, why doesn't

this proud and steely heart beating within my breast, with its

vast power of eloquence, still not cry out to Him in desperate

prayer and seize the same opportunity"?

 

It was only after I'd heard Mukkur Swamy's explanation did the true

significance of DadhipANdan story sink into me.

 

Thanks and regards,

dAsan,

Sudarshan

--- End forwarded message ---

[Guest guest]

tiruvengadam, "Sudarshan M.K." <sampathkumar_2000>

wrote:

> Mukkur Swamy used to further add, "After listening to DadhipAndan's

> story we should not ask ourselves "How can I too, like the claypot,

> secure God's Grace effortlessly?". Instead, we should ask "If God

in > His compassion is willing to hear even the muted pleas of a

lifeless > claypot longing for 'mOksha' and reward it accordingly,

why doesn't > this proud and steely heart beating within my breast,

with its > vast power of eloquence, still not cry out to Him in

desperate > prayer and seize the same opportunity"?

> > It was only after I'd heard Mukkur Swamy's explanation did the

true > significance of DadhipANdan story sink into me.

> dAsan,

> Sudarshan

 

 

Dear friends,

 

Adiyane forgot to mention one other fact in the above posting of mine.

 

While explaining the point above, and more especially to underscore

the fact of "this proud and steely heart beating within my breast",

Sri.Mukkur Swamy used to remind us of the oft-quoted and most

poignant 'pAsuram' from Tondar-adi-podi's "tirumAlai":

 

"virumbi ninru aettha maatane, vidhi illane, madhi onru illai;

irumbu-pOl valiya nenjam irai irai urugam vannam

karumbu amar sOlai suzhntha aranga mA koyil konda

karumbinai kandu konda, en kaNNiNai kaLLikumArE" !

("tirumAlai" -Verse 17)

 

(Translation):

 

"Many years have passed, my head not once did bend in prayer,

My mind refused to turn Godward; these hands never served Him...

This heart of mine was but hard, cold, unbending silent steel --

 

But then my eyes feasted upon the temple of Arangam

Amidst those sweet cane-groves swarming with bees --

My eyes rejoiced! My spirit leapt

And my heart melted... bit by bit"!

 

Mukkur Swamy used to explain the delightful phrase "irumbu-pOl valiya

nenjam irai irai urugam vannam" very movingly indeed, saying that

even DadhipAndan's claypot obviously had more "heart" to earn the

Grace of God than the "steely-hard hearts" of human-beings who, alas,

have no yearning whatsoever for the 'parama-gatih' which is the Feet

of our Lord at Arangam!

 

Thanks to Sri.Mukkur Swamy, to this very day, whenever adiyane reads

this particular verse from the 'tirumAlai', I am able to recollect

the the claypot of the DadhipAndan story and partake in the delight of

the AzhwAr's own savour ("azhwAr kanda ruchi")!

Thanks and regards,

dAsan,

Sudarshan

--- End forwarded message ---