Namasthe- Njanappaana 45

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Njanappaana 45

 Enniyenni kurayunnithaayussum

Mandi mandi karerunnu mohavumVannuvonam kazhinju vishuvennum

Vannillallo thiruvaathirayennumKumbha maasathilaakunnu nammude

Janma nakshathram aswathi naalennumSradhamundaho vrischika maasathil

Sadyayonnum eluthalliiniyennumUnniyundaai velpichathiloru

Unniyundaayi kandaavoo njaanennum;Konikkal thanne vanna nilamini

Kaanamennum ozhippikkaruthennum

Count of every moment reduces our life span (first line) and desires are running up fast (second line). Onam has come, Vishu is over (third line), Thiruvathira is yet to come (fourth line), nakshathram or star " aswathi " in the month of " Kumbham " is my birthday (lines five and six), there is a death anniversary in the month of " Vruschikam " ( line seven). there are several feasts (coming) (line eight), after getting a son, I will get him married and I will see his child (lines nine and ten), we should not get rid of the tenants who pay us rent from the lands we own. 

These are the thoughts of a person climbing higher and higher up the ladder of desire. He does not realise that as he is climbing up the ladder of desire his count down to death also is progressing. If all our desires are fulfilled, is it possible that we can die peacefully with no lingering desires? The answer given by several knowledgeable people is " no " because nobody ever attains this state of mind after fulfilling one's material desires. Here let me use the metaphor of ghee and fire as suggested by respected S.N. Sastriji. Fire is burning and if we pour ghee to put out the fire, it only helps the fire to burn higher and higher. Fulfilling the material desires only increases the desire and attachment to worldly things. In Mahabharatham king Yayaathi says:

" desire never ends, desire grows with feeding, like sacrificial flames lapping up ghee. Become the sole Lord of the world's paddy fields, wheat fields, precious stones, beasts, women'..... Still not enough. Discard desire. This disease kills. The wicked cannot give it up, old age cannot lessen it. True happiness lies in controlling it. (translation by Mr. P. Pal, Aadiparva 85- 12-14)

Desires are never ceased by fulfilling and experiencing them, just like how flames are increased by adding ghee to the burning fire, desires increase as one fulfills them.

People like us who are immersed in the material world think exactly like what Poonthaanam says: about Onam, Vishu, Thiruvathira, next year's Onam, Vishu Thiruvathira, birthdays, sraaddhaas, having a son and even about having a grandson. There is no end to our calculations and imaginations, eagerly waiting for events one after another. The biggest surprise is that we are all doing all these perfectly knowing that we are not eternal and end can come any time. But that knowledge is always pushed back by the biggest optimism that " death will not knock at my door that soon " .

We are all ordinary human beings immersed in material world, finding pleasure and pain in our daily lives and how can we even think of escaping this cycle of birth, death and suffering? We do not even have the " saavakaasham " or leisure  to think of anything other than meeting the deadlines. What should we do? Poonthaanam assures that Naamasankeerthanam is for people like us who are fortunate to be born in this Kaliyuga. Just by chanting the divine names of Bhagavvaan, with or with out sraddha, clean or unclean, before eating or after eating, while walking, sitting, driving or doing things, one can reach Bhagavaan. Poet assures that when we take one step towards Him,  Bhagavan takes ten steps towards us. 

Let us chant Bhagavaan's divine names with Shri Poonthaanam and millions of devotees around the world: 

Krishna! Krishna! Mukunda! Janaardana!

Krishna! Govinda! Naaraayana! Hare!

Achyuthaananda! Govinda! Maadhava!

Sachindaananda! Naaraayana! Hare!

 Samasthaaparaadham kshamaswa

Sreekrishnaarpanamasthu

Regards and prayers

 

savitri