A Blade of Grass

[Guest guest]

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

 

A Blade of Grass

 

 

 

What would you say is the least valuable and most insignificant

item in the Lord's Creation? There are supposed to be 8.4 million types of

beings in the world, belonging to various species, classes and races. Lower in

ranking than the humblest of these are the inanimate objects, due to their not

having been blessed with faculties of cognizance or speech and lacking life in

general. Even among such non-living things, some items like veins of gold,

silver and other minerals and metals command good value and are deemed precious,

as are diamonds extracted from their rocky settings. Even if they do not rate

such high value, other things too are of great utility to mankind, such as

plants and trees, which provide us with precious food, fruits and shelter. Among

other types of plants, there are those shrubs which provide us with beautiful,

fragrant flowers and those with enchanting leaves and shoots, while yet others

have a medicinal value as herbs, used in various potions for curing the sick.

However, if you think of it, a single blade of grass appears to be most

insignificant and least glamorous item in the entire gamut of God's creation,

looked at from any angle. Grass may be used for landscaping and as fodder for

cattle, but notwithstanding these minor applications, it is the oft-used simile,

while a worthless being or object is compared. We often hear people complaining

that they were treated as little better than blades of grass ("pullukku

samAnam"), thus demonstrating the contempt or indifference this item raises in

the minds of people. The term "Pulliyar" used to denote people of despicable

conduct and character, appears to have had its origins in the lowly status of

the "Pull" or grass. However, when we look into the Scripture, it provides us

with abundant contexts where the ubiquitous but unassuming blade of grass has

figured with distinction.

 

 

 

All of us are aware of the Tamizh saying, "Vallavanukku pullum Ayudham",

describing how even the humblest and most harmless of things like a blade of

grass could be turned into a weapon of destruction, in the hands of an

accomplished person. Adages such as these, we find, originate from an actual

happening, from which the saying gains popular currency. It doesn't need much

research to discover from which particular event this particular saying

emanated, for it immediately draws our attention to the KAkAsura episode in

Srimad Ramayana, where Sri Rama, enraged at the insufferable insult and physical

injury inflicted upon the Divine Mother by the misguided son of Indra, just

plucked a nearby blade of grass (dharbham) and flung it at the cursed crow,

uttering the BrahmAstra mantra.-

 

 

 

"Sa darbham samstarAt grihya BrAhmENAstrENa yOjayat

 

Sa tam pradeeptam chikshEpa darbham vAyasam prati"

 

 

 

This simple blade of grass turned into an extremely potent weapon and hounded

the KAkAsura wherever he flew, all over the three worlds. The renowned Creator

BrahmA, the dreaded Destroyer Rudra and the Chief of Celestials Indra, the

father of the crow-none of these worthies could save the fugitive from the

pursuing BrahmAstra. After flying in vain several times around the three worlds,

the crow fell at the feet of Sri Rama, displaying utter helplessness and

remorse-"threen lOkAn samparikramya tamEvam sharanam gata:" and was saved by the

KaruNA KAkuttsttha, even though he (the crow) deserved the most stringent of

sentences, viz., death-"vadhArham api KAkuttsttha: kripayA paryapAlayat".

 

 

 

This, then, is what a blade of grass of capable of, when handled by a person of

attainment.

 

 

 

And we are told that when the Lord returned to Sri Vaikuntam on completion of

His mission as Sri Rama, He afforded emancipation to even the last blade of

grass in Ayodhya-"purpA mudalA narpAlukku uyttanan".

 

 

 

In the TrivikramAvatAra too, the Lord used a Darbham to evict ShukrAchArya, who,

assuming the form of an insect, obstructed the passage of water from the vessel

of MahAbali, who was about to grant the boon of three feet of land sought by the

wily VAmana BrahmachAri.

 

 

 

We might talk lightly of a blade of grass, but can you think of a single vaidika

karma, a single solitary ritual or deed, which can be performed without adorning

oneself with a "Pavitram" made of kusa grass (Darbham)? Darbham imparts purity

to the wearer and makes him eligible for the performance of the Karma. The

Shruti tells us that this type of grass is the embodiment of purity and

sanctity-

 

"SAkshAt pavitram darbhA:". Whether the entities to be propitiated are DEvatAs

or one's forefathers, it is Darbham which is used as a medium for conveying the

offerings to them and in which their presence is ensured, with appropriate

AvAhana mantrAs. The specific mantra which has to be uttered at the time of

plucking Darbha grass for use, glorifies this apparently insignificant object

thus-

 

 

"VirinchEna sahOtpanna! ParamEshtti nisargaja!

 

nuda sarvANi pApAni Darbha! SvastikarO bhava"

 

 

 

This grass is so ancient that it was born along with the Creator BrahmA himself

and is capable of relieving us of all sins through appropriate prAyaschitta

karmAs, says the aforesaid sloka. This grass is so potent, we are told, that

VaidikAs used it for sprinkling holy water, accompanied by the chanting of Veda

mantrAs, to protect the toddler Sri Krishna from evil influences-

 

 

 

"ViprA: hutvA archayAns chakru: dadhi akshata kusAmbubhi:"

 

 

 

says Srimad Bhagavata Purana.

 

 

 

Shastras enjoin BrahmachAris to wear around their waist a belt made of "Mounji"

grass, to act as a protecting and purifying agent.

 

 

 

Srimad Ramayana is a veritable grassy knoll, dotted with accounts of this holy

grass Darbham. When Sri Rama decides to propitiate Samudra RAja, He lies down on

a bed of Darbham-

 

 

 

"tata: sAgara vElAyAm darbhAn Asteerya RAghava:

 

anjalim prAngmukha: kritvA pratisisyE mahOdadhim"

 

 

 

Thus these blades of grass were as fortunate as AdisEsha himself, as the Lord

used them as His bed. To this day, the place this event was enacted stands

glorious testimony to perhaps the one and only Saranagati that the Lord Himself

performed, lying down on a bed of grass. TiruppullANai (or TiruppuLLANi as it is

known today) or Darbhasayanam boasts of a beautiful temple, where Sri Rama can

be seen in a rare reclining posture, sung with verve by Sri Tirumangai Mannan in

all of 20 pAsurams, depicting the beauty of "azhagAna PullANi".

 

 

 

If grass is thus dear to Emperuman, could it be otherwise to PirAtti? We find

Sri Janaki too using a blade of grass as a medium through which to communicate

with RAvaNa, when he threatens Her with dire consequences if She doesn't

cooperate with his nefarious designs-

 

 

 

"TriNam antarata: kritvA pratyuvAcha suchismitA".

 

 

 

Rather than communicate directly with the vile asurA, Piraatti plucks a blade of

grass, throws it between Herself and Her abductor and addresses only the grass,

without looking up at the asurA's face. By doing this, She signifies several

things:

 

 

 

1) It is not the "done thing" for chaste women to even look at other males.

 

2) RAvaNa was little better than the blade of grass, in view of his

absolute lack of righteous thoughts.

 

3) Being the distinguished daughter of the venerated Rajarshi Janaka, the

daughter-in-law of Dasarata of great renown and the beloved wife of Sri Rama of

undoubted prowess, it doesn't behove the lOkamAta to speak directly to such a

"neecha" as Ravana: hence She communicates with him indirectly, addressing only

the blade of grass.

 

4) She was conveying indirectly to Ravana that when Rama reached Lanka and

by the time He was done with Ravana, the latter would be trampled beneath the

former's foot like an impotent blade of grass.

 

 

 

This sloka is considered so significant by Sri PeriavAcchAn PiLlai that he finds

in it and furnishes to us a wealth of purport.

 

 

 

We are told that Sri Ramanuja was so attached to the Lord that he regarded

everything else in this mundane world as mere worthless blades of grass-

 

 

 

"YO nityam achyuta padAmbuja yugma rugma

 

vyAmOhata: tat itarANi triNAya mEnE".

 

 

 

Of what use is grass to anyone, except as fodder for cattle? Similar was Sri

Ramanuja's disenchantment with worldly relationships and possessions.

 

If such is the Bhashyakara's VairAgyam, can Swami Desikan's be far behind?

 

The Acharya expresses his resolve not to waste words of praise on mortal kings

for material considerations, when he has been blessed with the ultimate wealth

represented by the All -powerful Lord, who adorned the chariot of Arjuna. Swami

Desikan says he would neither seek nor accept even a worthless blade of grass

from such sovereigns-

 

 

 

"TriNam api vayam sAyam samphulla malli matallikA

 

parimaLa muchA vAchA na yAchAmahE maheesvarAn"

 

 

 

A meadow of fine, green grass is what constitutes the dream of every herbivorous

four-legged creature. Cows, calves, deer and other cattle relish a meal of

succulent grass and deem it a delicacy. However, if they were to pause in the

midst of grazing, abandon their favourite gourmet dish and stand transfixed with

even the imbibed, half-chewn grass sliding out of their mouths, the diverting

attraction must indeed be of considerable magnetism. This is the effect the

sweet and mesmerising strains from Sri Krishna's flute had on these dumb

animals, says Sri Periazhwar-

 

 

 

"Surundu irundu kuzhal tAzhnda mukhattAn

 

Oodugindra kuzhal Osai vazhiyE

 

MaruNdu mAn kaNangaL mEygai marandu

 

mEynda pullum kadai vAi vazhi sOra

 

irandu pAduntulungA pudai peyarA

 

ezhudu chittirangaL pOla nindaranavE"

 

 

 

The BhAgavata Purana too describes the same scene thus-

 

 

 

"VrindashO vraja vrishA mriga gAvO vENu vAdya hrita chEtasa ArAt

 

danta dashta kabalA dhrita karNA nidritA likhita chitram iva Asan"

 

 

 

A blade of grass might be insignificant in several respects: however, when we

see the potency and sanctity some of its varieties command, we are forced to

revise our unfllattering opinion about grass. So much so that a modern poet

seeks a birth as one of the humble blades of grass growing in the meadows of

BrindAvanam, so that Sri Krishna's tiruvadi would sanctify it sometime or the

other and, even if this doesn't happen, it would be trodden on at least by the

hooves of cows and calves made holy by their association with the Lord-"oru

PullAi piravi tara vENum- punithamAna pala kOti piravi tandAlum, BrindAvanam

adil oru pullAi piravi tara vENum" beseeches this poet, placing a birth as a

blade of grass much ahead of that as an exalted, erudite and devout paragon of

human virtues.

 

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrismha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dasan, sadagopan