The Lord at Seevaram

[Guest guest]

dasan. "The Lord at Seevaram" is contiinued.T.RaguveeradayalTHE LORD AT SEEVARAMIn The Village            We had neared the village. There were awaiting us the whole lot of villagers with their loyal Deity in their midst. The welcome was cordial. The hearts the whole knot of the villagers were at once offered at the feet of the Visitor Lord. They had forgotten their own God.                  The mingling of the fatigue of Conjeevaram with the freshness of the village marked the beginning of the festival proper. By this time it was twilight and faces were perceptible without the aid of torchlight. The moon had done her work in lighting the path of the Lord to the village and having seen Him safely in it set in supreme content with the full consciousness of having served the Lord to the best of her ability. The sun, as if to take her place, rose full in the east gladdening us all with welcome light and beat. By the time the Lord came to the streets of Seevaram the sun was fairly well up in the sky and the first thing that he did was to peep through the fields of the Dandigai at the face of the Lord. It was a heavenly servant paying homage to his Lord before taking up service. At that time when a ray of the sun fell on that Face, all nearby looked with wondrous awe at the luminous Face thus illuminated.             For the first time since the starting of the journey the Lord was now perceivable in light. Torchlight did its best to show off the sparklings of His environment but it failed to exhibit the Face in all its glory. With day-light the Thejas (effulgence) was perceivable in all its splendor. The sweet Face, the pretty dimpled Chin, the long ivy-like Nose and the Eyelids that lotus-like seemed to open to the morning sun captivated us all a thousand times more than they did in the half-darkness of the night. The silks and shawls were yet covering the Lord's person, for although in the streets of Seevaram, He was still in Prayanakolam (traveling dress), His journey not having been finished. But it was a blessing as we all reckoned. This is the only time when one can look at the rapturous Face without disturbance or distraction. The moment He reveals His full Form the eye gets bewildered. Sooner can a man fix his attention on one lotus amidst a bunch of lotuses, than try to fix his attention on one part of the Lord. The ambitious eye travels from the face to the broad shoulders, from there to the prominent Chest, then to the two Divine luminaries attached to His Form the Shanka and the Chakra, from thence as the eager bee it descends to the beautifully shaped Hands, then to the Stomach and then to the Feet – all a bewildering collection of lotuses of various hues, each surpassing the other in sweetness and sublimity, each by itself strong enough to rivet the attention o the eye and fix it for over to itself. But as it was, there was no trial for our eyes. They rested contentedly over the sublime Face and had enough to do to enjoy it in full.                      The beauty of the whole Farm in its new light was exquisite. There were the soft eyelids suggestive of repose and sweet and balmy mercy. There was the lofty ivy-like nose which in its well-defined prominence enraptured every soul. The sweet chin that neatly protruded from beneath the mouth shone in splendid contrast to the covered parts below. The cheeks bore the dimples caused by the constant kissings of a thousand Nachimars (Consorts) to whom lips the Lord's well formed cheeks are the playground. Above all there was the charming mouth about whose corners a sweet ravishing smile was lurking—inscrutable in extent and unknowable in import. The two lips slightly parted threatening to show off the pearly whiteness inside justified every Gopi who had almost lost her life for one sweet kiss from those treasures of divine Ananda. The forehead bright as the moon and quite as broad seemed to have grown into the dazzling "Savari Paghai" the shining head dress of the Lord when engaged in travel. The whole Face was a splendid flower just bloomed, full of honey to the eager eyes that roamed to and fro along its honey-choked extent.          This was the Face that met the gaze of each villager as he came forward with offerings in his hands and love in his heart.           Needless to say the small village was then in its gala attire. Men and women, old and young, rich and poor were dressed in their best. Even the streets of undulated levels looked grand. They were decked with flowery designs below, and green and gay festoons above. Each house-front had been made attractive by mango leaf festoons and pairs of bright shining Indian lamps. Each house-front was thronged with the inmates thereof together with all possible relations of theirs comprising the very aged, the middle aged, the youthful, the boyish and the babyish ones. It was a day when people came to the village claiming relationships which had been forgotten. The principal man of each house had in his hands a broad plate whereon lay the chosen offerings which he brought to the Lord who was gracing his village that day with His presence. To receive and acknowledge these the Lord paused at each house-front, and at each pause those around including the inmates of the house rushed toward and clustered round the Dandigai eager to catch a glimpse at that face which had come to bless them all that day, and to receive on their heads the Srisatari or the golden crown surmounted by His Paduka. This necessarily made the procession very slow along the streets of the village. There were even frequent punctuations of mandapappadies or small halts in specially erected mantapams or pandals. In these portions of the festivals we had necessarily to lose sight of the Lord for a pretty long time. It was not until the last mandapappadi was over and the Lord started towards the foot of the Hill that we again attached ourselves to the front of His procession and renewed our wondering gaze at His wondrous form. At the foot of the Hill.to be continued.