bhOgyAmrutam - 17 akSharaha

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akSharaha = na kSharatIti akSharaha = The one who has no decrease = The one

whose auspicious qualities find no decrease even after being the sources of

perpetual joy to all His seekers.

 

Poem: Tiruviruttam - 91 (of SrI NammALwAr)

 

Brief interpretation : When He swallowed all of these worlds in a split of a

second, His form was no different from the one that He had while stealing the

butter. There was no change in that little form. There was no reduction to His

auspicious qualities both when He was a manikin and the all encompassing

Trivikrama. He remains the same Sovereign one in all times and at all places. He

is the one who is called 'akShara'.

 

Poem in English:

1) The little thief who stole butter from the pots

2) The one who swallowed all the worlds into His big belly

3) Who went to Bali as a manikin for a land worth 3 matchless steps (& tricked

him).

4) That great deft one alone is my heart's desire.

 

Detailed Interpretation :

1) The little thief who stole the butter & swallowed all of these worlds at once

into His belly : Well, when He swallowed all of these worlds, He was the same

little one as He was when He stole the butter from the rope-shelves. There was

no change in his tiny form.

Why did He steal butter from the gOpIs?...Its because they were

devoid of the thought of surrendering the fruits of their actions to Him. By

stealing the butter, He filled that big void and blessed them. Stealing the

butter was just a pretext for showering His love on them. The gOpIs didn't give

Him such a chance & He had to create one Himself. He didn't bother about all the

chiding & mistreatment that He received in the process. His love for them was

never lessened. For He is the akShara - whose love for us never knows any kind

of reduction. Its always on the rise.

He keeps giving us many opputunities to realize Him. But when we

misuse them and continue with our complicities & as our sins keep piling up, He

decides to give it all a break and start all over again. And then He swallows

all these worlds & preserves them with extreme care. The reason behind this act

also, is His ever-lasting love for us. It is not lessened even on seeing the

countless blemishes on our part. For, He is the akShara. He keeps creating again

and again with the hope that we will recognize Him one day or the other; in one

life or another.

 

(To be continued...) Jai Sriman Narayana