Glorious Gateways by Sri Sadagopan Iyengar (sadagopaniyengar@... )

January 4, 2006

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Maadesikaya nama:

Glorious Gateways

Have you ever thought about Gates or Doors? This may appear to be a

silly question—for, what is so significant about these? They are,

after all, mere entrances and exits through which you pass, to get in

to or out of homes or offices. What could possibly be remarkable

about such openings? Such thoughts do run through your mind, when the

subject is broached. However, deeper reflections, especially with the

aid of the Scripture, reveal to you such a wealth of information

about these innocuous gates and doors, that you are indeed surprised

that so much should have been said about such humble objects.

This being the month of Margazhi and the season for entering the

Paramapada Vaasal at temples, let us start with Tiruppavai and its

several mentions about doors. `Manik kadavam taal tiravaai', plead

the Gopis standing outside the house of a lazy girl, who cherishes

her beauty sleep and prefers it to Bhagavat anubhavam. The residents

of Gokulam are so rich (`seer malgum Aayppaadi') that the houses of

even ordinary cowherds are adorned with doors studded with gems and

precious stones—`Manik kadavam'. The brilliance of these gems is so

blinding that those standing outside, who would normally have let

themselves in through the doors, are unable to find the entrance and

have to ask the sleepy occupant to come and open the entrance—

`Maanikkangalin oliyaale taal terigiradillai, neeye tiravaai

engiraargal' Further, the entire palatial home is so gem-studded and

effulgent, that the visitors are unable to identify exactly where the

wall ends and where the door is inset. The house is a `Thoo mani

maadam' and the door too a `Manik kadavam', making it difficult to

identify the location of the latter.

The words `Manik kadavam' can also be construed to mean doors adorned

with bells. Even today, we find temple doors hung with bells, which

emit sweet chimes whenever they are opened or closed. Additionally,

devotees too ring these bells whenever they pass in or out of temple

doors, perhaps marking their attendance and drawing the Lord's

attention to their presence. One wonders whether the present day

Calling Bells at house entrances have evolved from these belled doors!

If the houses of even ordinary Gopis are so brilliant and beautiful,

need we say anything about the doors at the palace of Nandagopa,

their Chieftain? His palatial residence too is adorned with beautiful

doors, studded with the most precious of dazzling diamonds. The doors

are further decorated with flags and festoons fluttering gaily in the

wind—`Kodi tondrum torana vaayil'. Visitors to Nandagopa's residence

pause for long at these doors, mesmerized by their magnificence and

unable to proceed further. We are told that the doors at Nandagopa's

palace monopolize visitors' attention, preventing them from going

inside. And once they get over their obsession with these dazzling

doors and manage to get in, then the infinitely greater attraction of

Sri Krishna seated inside makes it impossible for them to tear

themselves away even after any length of time. Thus, those who are

outside find it difficult to get in due to the mesmerizing doors,

while those who are inside are unable to get out, as kutty Kanna's

beauty doesn't release them from its grip.

It is interesting to note that Sri Tirumangai Mannan too comments

about the compelling beauty of doors, which prevents people from

proceeding beyond them, despite the knowledge of an infinitely

greater treat awaiting them inside. The doors of Tirunarayur

Emperuman's abode are so splendorous that it is with very great

difficulty that Parakaala Naayaki tears herself away from them, to be

greeted by the glorious sight of the Lord inside—`Ponniyalum maada

kavaatam kadandu pukku'. `Puguvaarai tan azhagaale kaal kattum

kadavu' says Sri Periyavaacchaan Pillai, commenting on these doors.

These are no ordinary doors, insentient and lifeless—they are full of

intense love for Krishna—`Nesa nilai kadavam'. Due to their

passionate protectiveness, the doors stand steadfast, denying

admittance to those whom they suspect even slightly of dubious

intentions towards Sri Krishna. And for those who are inclined to

scoff at the idea of insentient objects like doors having Nesam or

love for Krishna, I would only recount to them the behaviour of the

sturdy doors at Kamsa's prison, on the stormy night of Krishna's

birth. These tall and strong doors, reinforced with steel chains,

just flew apart on their own accord, when Sri Vasudeva appeared,

bearing in his hands the magnificent baby.

If the doors of the Lord's earthly abodes are themselves so

magnificent, our imagination baulks at the thought of how beautiful

they must be in His eternal residence, Sri Vaikunttam. The gates of

Paradise are so exalted that getting past them is impossible for even

accomplished souls like Brahma, Rudra and Indra, says Sri Kulasekhara

Perumal—

`Pinnitta sadayaanum Piramanum Indiranum

Tunnittu pugal ariya Vaikuntta neel vaasal'

Admittance to these gates is restricted to those who perform

Saranagati and surrender themselves heart and soul to Emperuman –none

else, however illustrious he is, is let in the glorious gates.

Another meaning too can be attached to these beautiful lines of

Perumal Tirumozhi, from the context. Speaking of the glory of

Tirumalai, Azhwar articulates his ardent wish to perform some

intimate kainkaryam or other to Srinivasa. Azhwar finds the crowd of

devotees at Tirumala awaiting the Lord's audience so huge (even in

those days) that even exalted entities like Siva and Brahma are

caught up in the crowd, are pushed and pummelled and find it

difficult to get past the imposing gates to the Lord's sanctorum.

And the reason for such illustrious personages failing to gain

admittance to the doors of Paradise? This is outlined by Sri

Bhootatazhwar in his second Tiruvandadi. To reach and get into the

glorious gates of Sri Vaikunttam, one must first surmount the dense

undergrowth of Samsaaram. This, Azhwar avers, is possible only for

those with the firm conviction that the Lord Himself is both the goal

be attained and the strategy therefor—He is the Upaayam as well as

the Upeyam—

`Tirambittru ini arinden ten Arangattu endai

Tirambaa vazhi selvaarkku allaal—tirambaar

Chedi narakai neekki taam selvadan mun vaanor

Kadi nagar vaasal kadavu'

Sri Peyazhwar speaks about an entirely different type of door—one

that is aimed at keeping in check our five faculties, which are

always rearing to escape our control and indulge themselves in

puerile pleasures. Azhwar tells us that we should erect such a strong

door in our minds, that keeps the senses imprisoned, preventing them

from escaping and running riot. Only such a door, which acts as an

effective check on the faculties, would enable us to realize the

Lord, says Azhwar. And such a door would predictably have as its

bolts nothing other than Wisdom or Gnaanam.

Here is Azhwar's thought-provoking pasuram—

`Arivu ennum taal koluvi, iympulanum tammil

Serivu ennum tin kadavam semmi—marai endrum

Nangu odi nangu unarvaar kaanbare naal torum

Painkota vannar padi'

The Shruti speaks about a wonderful building—one with no less than

nine doors. `'Ashtaa chakraa nava dvaaraa, Devaanaam poo: Ayodhya'

says the Taitthireeya Aaranyakam, describing this edifice. This

concept finds mention in the Svetaasvataropanishad too—`Nava dvaare

pure dehi hamso lolaayate bahi:'. Sri Kalian too speaks about this

beautiful but perishable structure with nine doors—`onbadu vaasal

taanudai kurambai'. The Bhagavat Gita contains a verbatim version of

the Upanishadic phrase—`nava dvaare pure dehee naiva kurvan na

kaarayan'. All these texts speak of none other than our physical

body, with two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, a mouth and two

excretory organs, accounting in all for nine gates.

Going back to divine gates, would you be surprised to know that the

Sun and the Moon represent giant gateways? Yes, the king of the day

and the queen of the night do form gateways to the worlds above, says

the Mahabharata. It is through Sun that we have to travel, if we are

destined for higher worlds like Sri Vaikunttam. This is known as the

Deva Yaanam or the Divine Route, to which the Sun forms the glorious

gateway. This is borne out by the Mundakopanishad text, `Soorya

dvaarena te Viraja prayaanti'. Sri Tirumangai Mannan too

avers, `Teraar nirai kadiron manadalattai keendu pukku'. And there is

the Mahabharata sloka which confirms, `Ayam sa deva yaanaanaam Adityo

dvaaram uchyate'. And complementarily, the Moon too is said to be a

gateway, to the Pitru Yaanam or the ancestral path. However, those

who traverse this gateway are destined to come back to the Earth, to

be reborn into this Samsaaram—`Ayam sa Pitru Yaanaanaam Chandrama

dvaaram uchyate'.

Thus, the Moon forms the entrance to the lower worlds, which afford

us fruits commensurate with our baggage of Karma and once these are

worked off, push us back into the mundane morass.

The gates to SriVaikunttam, as indicated above, are magnificent

beyond measure, are adorned with the most precious of divine diamonds

and are long and broad—`Vaikuntta neel vaasal'. And these divine

gates are guarded zealously by exalted gatekeepers by name Indra and

Prajapati—`Indra Prajapatee dvaara gopou' says the Kousheetaki

Upanishad. The inner doors of Paramapadam are guarded by

Dvaarapaalakaas, eight pairs of them stationed at each of the eight

glorious gates—

Chanda and Prachanda, Bhadra and Subhadra, Jaya and Vijaya, Dhaata

and Vidhaata, Kumuda and Kumudaaksha, Pundareeka and Vamana,

Shankukarna and Sarpanetra, Sumukha and Supratishtita. According to

the Cchandogyopanishad, there are five gates to the Lords abode and

each of these gates is guarded by a Brahmapurusha of considerable

accomplishment—`Te vaa ete pancha Bramapurusha: svargasya dvaarapaa:'

The Kaataka Prasnam too confirms that Svarga lokam has five entry

points—`Taa vaa etaa: pancha svargasya lokasya dvaara:'. However, the

guards at these doors differ from those stated in the Upanishad—

Kaatakam tells us symbolically that the first door is guarded by

Penance (Tapas), the second by Shraddha, the third by Satyam, the

fourth by the Mind and the last by Charanam. A different version,

again allegorical, is available in the Mahopanishad as to the

Dvaarapaalakas of Moksham—

`Moksha dvaare Dvaara paala: chatvaara: parikeertita:

Samo Vichaara: Santosha: chaturtha: Saadhu sangama:'

(In the aforesaid texts, the words Svargam and Moksham have been used

interchangeably, according to commentators)

Normally, all of us enter others' houses through the front gate and

doors. However, Shastras have a rather strange prescription in this

regard. We are told that we should enter into the homes of friends

and well-wishers only, through the doors. The houses of enemies and

those who are unfavourably inclined towards us should not be entered

through the gates. The Mahabharata is quite categorical about this—

`Advaarena ripo: geham dvaarena suhrido griham

Pravisanti sadaa santa: dvaaram no varjitam tata:'

We find Sri Hanuman following this Shastraic dictum, while entering

Lanka. Though he had scored a victory over the awesome Lankini

standing guard at the entrance and could very well have entered

through the main doors of the Lankan fort, he preferred to jump over

the ramparts—`Advaarena mahaa baahu: praakaaram abhi pupluve' .

We find temple doors these days becoming the favourite abode of

beggars and others of similar persuasion. However, the Bhaagavatas of

Srirangam are so enamoured of Rangaraja, that they are loathe to

going home even after the gates of the Sanctorum are shut for the

day, and keep haunting the doorsteps of the Sannidhi. These Mahatmas

spurn all mundane associations and avocations and make the doors of

Srirangam temple their permanent abode, considering the Lord their

all, having surrendered themselves heart and soul to Him and ridden

themselves of all pride and possessiveness. And it is these

apparently lazy people, (who hardly stir from His door steps), whom

Sri Ranganatha likes most, says Sri Tondaradippodi Azhwar –`nin kadai

talai irundu vaazum sombarai ugatti polum soozh punal Arangattane!'

And now to conclude, all the aforesaid would have convinced us that

doors and gates are not mere trivial objects intended to cover an

entrance, but are indeed sentinels of significance, whom we can

afford to ignore only at the peril that Hiranyakasipu exposed himself

to, by doubting the capacity of a pillar to be the Lord's abode.

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisima divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri

Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

dasan, sadagopan