Unique Thoughts of PeriyAzvAr 20

[Guest guest]

THE STARVATION DAY

 

Our ancestors used to starve on every eleventh lunar day -EkAdasi. Perhpas, this was to give a day rest to the metabolic system.

Perhpas, we should term this as 'fasting' day as this is voluntary.

 

We see people fast for a day in a week or a month with a view to obtaining material benefits.

 

On certain days of ceremonies, people have partial fast - oru pOAdhu.

 

We observe thus that, denying oneself the staple food is starving or say fasting.

 

Not getting the food is starving.

 

For Sri Nam AzvAr Sri KrshNA was the food, water and all. Hence, without KaNNA He became fish out of water.

 

As seen earlier, PeriyAzvar had seven pronged approach. He had the attachment towards EmpeurmAn's feet like one had towards one's belongings.

 

Our PeriyAzvAr thirved on thinking Thirumanthram always.

He worshipped Lord's divine feet with flowers chanting vedic verses-rig, yajur and Sama verses.

Any day not thinking the divine manthram 'Om nAmOA nArAyaNA' would be a starving day for him.

Any day devoid of chanting vedic verses and praising EmperumAn's divine feet would be deprival of food for him.

 

These are not just ritualistic chanting. These vedic verses were channelised by AzvAr to rever the divine feet of the Lord.

 

' OVadhEa namO nAraNA enRu eNNA nALum, irukku-yajur-sama vEdha nAN malar kONDu vuna pAdham naNNA nAL, avai thathuRum Agil anR enakku avai pattiNi nALEa' 5-1-6.

 

Let us not go into the discussion of 'living for eating' or 'eating for living'.

Let us maintain that the day we do not think of AzvAr-their verses and the commentaries, we starve.These days are pattiNi nAL-starvation day for us.

 

aruLich cheyal koNdu vuna pAdham nannA nAL

anRu enakkavai pattiNi nALEA

 

dasan

vanamamalai padmanabhan