The Lord Goes on the River

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

 

The Lord Goes on the River

 

 

The heart brims over with emotion. Eyes are clouded with tears of joy. Each and

every individual hair on the body stands erect with the intensity of blissful

experience. The head bows involuntarily at the magnificent spectacle. When you

try to speak, you find your voice quavering with passion. You want to speak at

length, but somehow words fail you, despite there being so much to describe. You

want to share the intensity of the experience with someone, but you find every

one, from babes in arms to doddering old men with backs bent like a question

mark, in the same state, overwhelmed by emotion. There is none who has eyes for

anything other than the scintillating spectacle, none who is not mesmerised by

the gripping scene, none on whose lips there are words other than the name of

the Distinguished Guest. What could be the event, which evokes such a

heart-warming response in us?

 

 

 

Every month in the year has its own rich and varied devotional fare to offer.

VaikAsi brings us the glorious Garuda sEva of Kanchi, Ani too affords us the

spectacle of Sri Koodal azhagar resplendent on Sri GaruthmAn, in Adi we

celebrate TiruvAdippooram on which day Sri Andal took birth among us to uplift

and emancipate us, PurattAsi takes us to Tirumala for the BrahmOtsavam of

MalayappaswAmy, and if it is Kartthigai, our destination is TiruvAli for the

glorious VEdupari utsavam. In Tai we are able to witness the multiple treat of

Twelve Garuda SEvAs at TirunAngUr, in Masi the Lord at various divyadEsams goes

on a float (TeppOtsavam), and when it is Panguni, we are at Srirangam, to

worship the Lord and His Consort on the auspicious aphorism of Uttaram.

 

 

 

The reason for leaving out Chittirai from the aforesaid list is that it deserves

separate treatment. Just as it is the hottest of months, it offers too the

richest of fare to the devout. We have the celebrations all over the globe on

account of Sri Ramanuja Jayanti and GajEndra MOksham episode (where the Lord

came running all the way from Vaikunttam to solve a mere pachyderm's problems)

is enacted at several divya dEsams.

 

 

 

However, the star attraction of Chitthirai is the event at Madurai on the ChitrA

PourNami, when Sri KaLlazhagar enters the Vaigai. None would dispute the

magnificence of the utsavam, which attracts thousands of devotees, rich and

poor, young and old, erudite and unlettered, all of whom throng the Vaigai on

the morning of the appointed day, to witness the grand spectacle. People in

their thousands flock to the river, all attired in their best and making an

extremely colourful sea of humanity, waiting patiently and with eager

anticipation for the Lord's arrival from distant Azhagar Koil. Many of them,

unable to contain their impatience, go on to receive Him en route and have an

advance glimpse of the glorious Lord, in what is known as "edir sEvai".

 

 

 

What makes the Lord come all the way from far-away TirumAlirumsOlai to Madurai?

Without doubt, it is the love and devotion with which the multitude awaits His

arrival at the river. Though He would like to rush in a headlong ride from His

abode to Madurai, His progress is impeded by frequent halts at the various

mandapams constructed on His way to the city, where devotees compel Him to stay

at least a few minutes, offering Him new clothes, fruits and sugar candy with

love. And unable to resist their ministrations, the Lord too slows down, making

His ride slow and majestic. Though He leaves His abode on the previous day

itself, Sri Azhagar arrives at Vaigai only the next morning, attesting to the

numerous halts He is forced to make en route.

 

 

 

To mark the occasion, the entire city wears an extremely festive look. People

are clad in their best clothes, feasts are prepared at every home in honour of

the distinguished guest, infants are tonsured at the site, the devout burst into

Bhajans extolling His praises and a carnival-like atmosphere pervades the city,

with everyone participating enthusiastically in the event in their own

individual ways. The stinking rich jostle with the abject poor to have a

glorious glimpse of the Lord, in the event, which is marked by rare social amity

and goodwill.

 

 

 

If the Lord came all the way from Sri Vaikunttam in response to the elephant's

call, here, He covers the entire distance from TirumAlirumsOlai to Madurai on

horseback. And what a horse! The splendour and magnificence of the Horse is to

be seen to be believed. Made of glittering gold, the Horse wears TirumaN like a

paramaikAnti, with its sharp features standing out. With its forefeet raised for

a gallop, the horse presents a picture of pride and prowess-pride at the rare

privilege of carrying the Paramapurusha on its back. Its gait is indeed majestic

and varying. At times, it walks sedately, when confronted by a crowd of

devotees, affording them the opportunity to have a leisurely glimpse of the

Lord. At times, when the road is fairly empty, it breaks into a gallop, anxious

to reach the Lord in time for a reunion with waiting devotees at Vaigai. At

times, it appears to go berserk, bucking furiously up and down, unable to

contain the joy of carrying the Supreme Lord on its back.

 

 

 

The Lord on horseback, with a goad in His hand, presents a magnificent

spectacle, recalling to us His intimate association with the five horses of

Arjuna's chariot, as PArtthasArathi. He has a red silk cloth around His headgear

and wears green or white silk around His midriff. The colour of the Lord's

apparel is a matter of suspense every year to devotees, who wait with bated

breath to see whether He is draped in white silk or green.

 

There is a highly discernible, broad beam on the Lord's countenance, reflecting

His huge enjoyment-at His outing, at riding horseback, at rushing all the way to

meet millions of devotees, at being the focus of the proceedings, very much like

a Matinee Idol who is the cynosure of all eyes.

 

 

 

Another reason for the Lord's delight at the entire proceedings-He indulges in

His favourite sport, viz., Jala kreedA. It is a well-chronicled fact that the

Paramapurusha is enamoured of water sport. We are told that the Yamuna was a

second home to Sri Krishna and the scene of many a boisterous bash, with

vigorous participation from His equally unruly friends and loving GOpIs.

 

 

 

While it was He who wielded the water gun ("BhastrA Yantram"-Sri GOpAla Vimsati)

and drenched all and sundry during Sri Krishnavatara, the Lord is at the

receiving end during the ChitrA utsavam, with the clan of KaLLars, intimate

devotees of the Lord, spraying Him with streams of water from their equipments.

One wonders-it would appear that the arcchAvatAra Emperuman is allergic to water

from external sources, except during Tirumanjanam and ritual worship. We witness

the spectacle of BrahmOtavams during the monsoon season being conducted under

the protective canopy of a tarpaulin, especially at Tirumala. And arcchakAs are

so caring and concerned at His getting wet, that they rush Him to the nearest

shelter, lest even a drop of rainwater fall on His tirumEni.

 

 

 

Contrary to all these, we find the spectacle of the Lord being sprayed with jets

of water all through His journey from Azhagar Koil to Vaigai, with devotees

drenching Him in streams of aqua, with impunity. Not only the Bhattar, standing

by with a watchful eye, allow such goings on, but he also remains a smiling

spectator of the entire proceedings. In fact, along with the Lord, he too is

soaked to the skin and presents a bedraggled appearance, with several jets of

water drenching him copiously. It is perhaps only at this divyadEsam that such

liberties are taken with the Paramaprusha, reflecting the Lord's penchant for

revelry with His fans.

 

 

 

And it isn't mere exuberance that prompts the devotees to train their water guns

on the Lord. The normal ChitrA weather being scorching hot, the KaLLars try to

make it tolerable for the Lord by giving Him the "Water Treatment", ensuring

that the extremely delicate tirumEni of Sri KaLlazhagar suffers not from the

enervating heat. It is this maternal concern of the KaLlars that entitles them

to such liberties as spraying water on the Lord, which is probably contrary to

all known Agamic provisions. And one wonders too whether it is all those GOpis

who were drenched by Sri Krishna, who have taken birth as these KaLlars, to take

sweet revenge by pelting the Lord with streams of water. Not to be outdone, the

clouds also take the opportunity to perform Tirumanjanam to the Lord by gently

sprinkling rain drops-it is not a torrential rain which would inconvenience

everyone, but a soft and light drizzle, enough to bring down the temperature.

The Lord, who played truant with Sri Yasoda when called upon to take a bath and

required so much persuasion, comes all the way from azhagar kOil, to be

virtually given a bath at the hands of loving devotees.

 

 

 

Srimad BhAgavata Purana tells us that some of the Gopis, unable to tolerate

separation from Krishna, dressed up like Him and regaled each other with stories

of His exploits, forgetting His absence for the nonce. We find a similar scene

at the Vaigai too, with many of the KaLLar devotees attired very much like the

Lord, with a colourful silken "talai pAgai", silk clothes similar to those worn

by the Lord, etc.

 

 

 

A lone Garuda circles the skies right above the Lord, perhaps jealous of all the

good fortune, that has befallen the horse, that should normally be his, as the

official carrier of Sri Vaikunttam. His presence brings to our mind Sri Andal's

lines, "Vinathai siruvan siragennum mElAppin keezh varuvAnai VirundAvanatthE

kaNdOmE". And when you consider the matter, the place is no less than

BrindAvanam, with its proximity to MathurA (Madurai).

 

 

 

His programme at the Vaigai over, the Lord turns His horse homewards to azhagar

kOil. His journey, however, is much slower than when He was coming to Madurai,

expressing in every step His reluctance to move away from the adulating

multitudes. En route to TirumAlirumsOlai, Sri Azhagar visits VandiyUr to confer

relief to MandUka Maharshi from the crippling curse which turned him into a

frog. And at the RAmarAyar mandapam, the Lord re-enacts the DasAvatArAs, to the

delight of devotees. Many of the devotees who thronged the Vaigai accompany the

Lord at least for some distance, loathe to parting with Him, as is He from

us-for, both must wait for a year more for next ChitrA PourNami, for the next

reunion.

 

 

 

We wend our ways home slowly, our hearts heavy-heavy in more than one

sense-heavy with the sadness of separation from the Lord and heavy also because

He has entered our hearts, unbeknownst to us, to take up permanent residence, as

He did in the case of Sri Nammazhwar. The saint just mentioned the name of His

abode, TirumAlirumsOlai, and Emperuman, treating it as reason enough,

immediately entered Azhwar's heart, never to leave again. We learn this from the

Azhwar's own immortal words-

 

 

 

"TirumAlirum sOlai malai endrEn, enna

 

TirumAl vandu en nenju niraya pugundAn"

 

 

 

In our case too, the Lord, who looks for the flimsiest of reasons and the

minor-most of gestures on our part, appears to have treated our visit to the

Vaigai to witness the grand annual spectacle as an excuse for entering our stony

hearts and filling its every nook and cranny with His glorious presence, making

us tingle all over with the bliss of His association, as described in the

opening paragraph of this piece.

 

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

dasan, sadagopan