Fw: Instructive Inaction

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sadagopaniyengar

; J.Srinivasan ; radha jagannathan ; rajamragu

Friday, March 18, 2005 4:39 AM

Instructive Inaction

 

 

 

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

 

Instructive Inaction

 

 

 

 

What is the image we have in our mind of the Divine Consort? What

qualities do we normally associate with Her? How do we expect Her to act in a

particular situation?

 

 

 

These may appear to be rhetorical questions, for which everyone knows the

answers. The picture we have etched in our consciousness about Piratti is one of

an extremely merciful and considerate Mother, ever ready to forgive the offences

of Her errant progeny, endowed with an apparently boundless fund of Mercy and

Compassion, to whom anger and punitive measures are total strangers. A picture

of boundless Beauty and radiating absolute Peace, ready without even a request

to bestow on us bounties-unimaginable riches, blemishless wisdom and ultimately

Liberation itself-this is what we think of Tirumagal, the inseparable Consort of

Sriman Narayana the Supreme Being.

 

 

 

The Scripture tells us that the traits, looks, glory and other attributes of

Sridevi, the Principal Consort, are every bit in conformity with those of Her

distinguished Husband-"Bhagavan Narayana abhimata anuroopa svaroopa roopa guna

vibhava aishwarya seelaadi anavadhika atisaya asankhyeya kalyaana guna ganaam"

says Sri Ramanuja, paying glorious tribute to Sri. What this boils down to is

that the characteristics of Sridevi are every bit a match to and as splendorous

as those of the Lord. There are some like Sri Bhattar who in fact place Her on a

higher pedestal than the Paramatma Himself, as far as compassion is concerned.

She is eternal, as is the Lord. She is all-pervasive, as He is. She is

all-powerful too and omniscient, matching Emperuman perfectly, aspect to aspect.

If He is the Bhagavaan, the possessor of the six major attributes of Gnaanam,

Balam, Ishvaryam, Veeryam, Shakti and Tejas, She too is Bhagavati, equally

endowed with these traits.

 

 

 

It follows from all the above that Piratti is as powerful, strong and capable of

annihilating adversaries, however tough they be, as the Lord Himself is. There

is no limit to Her potency, might, force and command. It is not for nothing that

the Shruti describes Her as "Duraadharshaam" (Srisuktam), referring to Her

invincibility. If only She so wishes, She can destroy evil forces with as much

ease and facility as Emperuman. One might suppose, albeit mistakenly, that Balam

or Strength, being a masculine trait, must be the sole preserve of the Lord.

However, the episode (from Paadma Puranam) of Sri Sita lifting the box

containing the Shiva dhanus casually (in the process of retrieving Her ball

which had fallen behind the same) makes us believe that Her strength is no less

phenomenal than the Lord's, though She doesn't choose to display the same.

 

 

 

Let us take the instance of Sita Piratti's abduction by Ravana. None can doubt

that that the apparently delicate-looking Princess of Mithila was indeed endowed

with strength enough to ward off the worst of attacks by the mightiest of foes.

She had too the power to reduce the abductor to ashes, with a mere look of anger

from Her normally merciful eyes. She was a true "Pativrata", who could make the

elements dance to Her tunes. More than anything, She was the Divine Consort, who

could destroy a million Ravanas with Her mere will.

 

 

 

The question arises, therefore, as to why Sita Devi chose to meekly let Herself

be spirited away, without defending Herself effectively. Had She done so, She

could have saved Herself, Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana a lot of misery. Rama need

not have searched for Her over hill and dale, seeking the assistance of monkeys

and bears in the process.

 

 

 

She too need not have endured so much depression, desolation and gloom, which

almost drove Her to take Her life. Tears spring to our eyes when we read

descriptions of Piratti's travails while in the custody of the vile Ravana.

Valmiki describes Her as having lost all Her splendour, tortured constantly by

unthinkable thoughts and worry plaguing Her mind. She suffered in silence like a

Chakravaaka bird cruelly separated from its mate. It breaks Sri Hanuman's heart

to witness Sita's plight at Lanka.

 

 

 

With all this, why, indeed why did Piratti choose not to destroy Her abductor

with a fiery glance? Why did She choose to spend a gruelling year in captivity

at the Asoka Vanam, surrounded by terrifying Rakshasis and constantly being

threatened by Ravana? With all the wherewithal at Her command, why did She not

rid Herself of Her tormentors in a trice?

 

 

 

We have an answer to this riddle, in the words of Piratti Herself. Says She,

addressing Ravana with revulsion-

 

 

 

" asandesaat tu Ramasya, tapasascha anupaalanaat

 

na tvaa kurmi Dasagreeva! bhasma bhasmaarha! tejasaa"

 

 

 

Sita tells Her abductor-"I am entirely capable of reducing you to a mere heap of

ashes, with just a glance from my normally compassionate eyes. My power and

luminescence are such that you would perish like an insignificant speck of dust

caught in an inferno. And that is what you richly deserve too! However, I spare

you because I do not want to expend my divine energy on a non-entity like you.

Further, I do not have the requisite authority from my distinguished husband to

do this to you. You are soon going to see for yourself the destructive powers

Sri Raghava can wield, once angered. And since you would be meeting your

miserable end at His glorious hands, I spare you now".

 

 

 

When we scour the Scripture, we find that this is not an isolated instance of

Piratti refraining from protecting Herself from an asura's onslaughts, though

fully capable of doing so.

 

 

 

In the very same Epic, we find the same Piratti patiently bearing the injury

inflicted by the vile Kaakaasura, who pecked at Her breast and drew blood.

 

 

 

When the dreaded Hiranyaaksha, the brother of Hiranyakasipu, spirited away the

Earth and hid it in the depths of the ocean, Bhoomi Piratti was indeed capable

of annihilating the asura. However, we find Her docilely submitting to the

persecution and remaining hidden ("paasi toorthu kidanda Paar Magal"-Sri andal)

and uncared for beneath the deep waters, till the Lord took the form of a giant

boar, the Yagya Varaha Murthy, and rescued Her after fierce battle with

Hiranyaksha.

 

 

 

Enquiring into this repeated phenomenon of Piratti refraining from any action in

self-protection despite being eminently endowed therefor, Swami Desikan says

there is indeed an excellent reason behind this enigma.

 

 

 

"Aashvaasanaaya jagataam Purushe parasmin

 

Aabaddha rakshana dasaam abhinetu kaame

 

Antarhita itara gunaat abalaa svabhaavaat

 

Oudanvate payasi majjanam abhyanaishee:"

 

 

 

How do ordinary people develop confidence in a Protector? Only by seeing Him

extend the umbrella of safety and security to those in distress. And the more

powerful the distressed person, the greater is the assurance generated in the

onlooker that the Lord is indeed a Protector par excellence, capable of saving

us from any type of danger or threat. It was just to foster in people's minds

such an unshakeable confidence in the Lord as the Universal Guardian, Defender

and Trouble Shooter, that Bhoo Devi subjected Herself to all the tribulation of

abduction by Hiranyaksha. When the Lord is seen to be capable of affording

protection to even the mighty Piratti, it generates in the onlookers' minds an

indestructibly sturdy faith that He is capable of shielding us from any

onslaught from any source. However much the Scripture may wax eloquent about the

Lord's capabilities as the Sarva Rakshakan (Universal Saviour), for the

uninitiated, "seeing is believing". And this is why Piratti meekly accepted the

abduction, rather than destroy Hiranyaaksha with Her mere glance, says Swami

Desikan.

 

 

 

Further, it would appear that though the Lord and His Lady share all the

auspicious attributes, they have entered into an inter se agreement that each

would predominantly demonstrate only certain of the attributes. Going by this

formula, Piratti appears to have entirely forsaken any punitive action,

preferring to deal with Her errant progeny with the extremely potent weapon of

Mercy. "Nityam agyaata nigrahaam" is how Swami Desikan describes Her, telling us

that She is, by nature, incapable of doling out retribution, however richly

deserved. She is the Universal Mother ("Samasta loka Janani"), who would not

take a stick to Her children, however grave be the provocation.

 

 

 

Another reason appears to be to demonstrate the paramount trait of Paaratantryam

or Dependence. We know only too well that we are incapable of protecting

ourselves. Not only is self-protection an ineffective strategy, it also

indicates inadequate faith in the Universal Protector and His capability to

shield and shelter us. "Aham mad rakshana bhara:.na mama, Sripate: eva" says

Swami Desikan, squarely placing the responsibility as well as fruits of

protecting us at the doorsteps of Emepruman. It was to demonstrate to us this

sterling concept of Paaratantryam or sole dependence on the Lord for our

protection, that Piraatti, though eminently capable of defending Herself from

the vilest of asuras, refrained from doing so and awaited succour from the

divine hand.

 

 

 

The glory of Srimad Ramayanam is such that we learn a lot from not only the way

each of the characters act, but also from their inaction. Piratti's conduct on

this occasion, that of refraining from protecting Herself, also aids the story

line, we must say. For, had Sita Devi annihilated Ravana the moment he

approached her in the garb of a Sanyasi, Ramayanam would have come to an end

then and there. We would have had no occasion to learn about such sterling

characters as Sabhari, Sugreeva and Vali. We would never have been aware of the

glory of Hanuman or of Vibhishana.

 

The vast clan of Rakshasas would have remained undestroyed, continuing to cause

incalculable harm to the rest of humanity. The efficacy of the supreme strategy

of Sharanagati, its modes and requirements, would have remained undemonstrated,

since Vibhishana sharanagati would not have come to pass.

 

 

 

We thus find that every minute action or abstention of characters in the Epic is

extremely significant, everything apparently timed to perfection and enacted

under the able tutelage of the Master Choreographer.

 

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

dasan, sadagopan

 

 

 

 

 

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