Nava-Rathina MAlai 4

[Guest guest]

Dear SrEvaishNavites,

 

Continuing on the nine gems given by SwAmi PiLLai lOkAchAryAr, the next is How

should one consider bhandhuKKal/relatives? Here it is:

 

Blood relatives: The blood relatives are related to us through the physi. dhEha

BandhukkaL cal body and hence dhEha bandhukkaL.

 

They are not our natural relatives in the sense that their relationshiop

terminates once this body falls. Further, since their assocition only

aggravates the samsAric immersion, this is not a desired connexion.

 

This is what Sri Nam-AzhwAr mentions ‘koNda peNdir makkaL vuRRAr suRRathavar

piRarum, kaNdadhOdu pattadhallAl, kAdhal maRRi yAdhum illai’ 9-1-1 of

ThiruvAiMohzi and

 

‘..iruL koL thunbathu inmai kANil ennEa enbArum illai” 9-1-3 of ThriuvAiMozhi.

These relatives spurn us when one is in distress.

 

The question then comes up,’ Who is the real relative’

 

The relative with whom the relationshiop is natural and never terminates.Sri

AndAL clearly underlines this fact in ThriuppAvai 28 ‘..vunnOAdu vuRavEal ingu

vozhikka vozhiyAdhu”

 

That mother has failed is seen in the instance of kaikEyai, that brother is not

so is observed in case of vAli, that sons have also disappointed is seen in the

case of rudhran and kamsan, that the husband has deserted is clear from

dhraupadhi-s episode and naLan-s.

 

Therefore, all these relationship is Him which is made clear by Sri ParAnkusan

 

‘sEAlEai kaNNiyarum, perum selvamum, nan-makkaLum, mEAlAi thAi thandhaiyum

avarEa ini AvAREA” 5-1-8 of ThiruvAi Mozhi;

 

 

DAsan'

vanamamalai padmanabhan