SRISTHAVAM 2: DOG DRINKING GANGA WATERS

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavatas

Kindly recall my Introduction to KoorathAzhwAn's Pancha Sthavam and Sri

Sthavam # 1 posted on 1/24/00. As mentioned in the Introduction, this series

is based on the KAlakshEpam discourses of Sri SrivatsAnkAchariar Swami which

I had the bhAghyam to attend while in India and his twin volumes on Pancha

Sthavam published by Sri VisishTAdvaita PrachAriNi Sabha, Mylapore in 1986.

Of course, inputs from discourses of some other scholars have also been

alluded to by way of further elucidation of the already lucid commentaries of

our Swami.

 

Due to some problems, Sri Sthavam 2 and 3 could not be featured on malolan

net.

I am posting # 2 now. # 3 onwards will follow.

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

=============================================================

SRISTHAVAM 2: DOG DRINKING GANGA WATERS

=============================================================

KshOdheeyAnapi dushTa buddhirapi nisnEhOpi aneehOpi thE

Keerthim dEvi lihan aham na cha bibEmi ajgnyO na jihEmi cha /

DushyEth sA thu na thAvathA na hi sunA leeDApi bhAgeerathe

DushyEth svA api na lajjathE na cha bibEthi aarthisthu sAmyEth suna://

(Sristhavam SlOkam 5)

 

Meaning

" Oh! Periya PirAtti!

Though I am ignorant (agjna:), base (kshOdheeyAn), vile (dushTa buddhi)

belligerent (nissnEha), indifferent (aneeha:), I am not afraid (na bibEmi)

nor am I ashamed (na jihrEmi) to enjoy applauding you.

 

Your glory is so great that it will not be demeaned or diminished (na

dushyEth) by my panegyric in spite of all my above failings (thAvathA).

 

Does the sanctity of Ganga get polluted by this licking (leeDapi) of the

dog? The dog (sunA) that licks the holy Ganga waters also does not feel any

fear (na bibEthi) nor any shame (na lajjathE) in doing so? At the same time,

the waters of Ganga do not fail to slake its thirst "

 

COMMENT

Can the AchArya compare himself to a dog?

In this, he only follows the precedent set by the AzhwArs who in spite of

their holiness assume such lowliness on themselves.

 

By no stretch of imagination could we consider this as a reflection on them.

This only shows their " naichyAnusanthAnam " , their feeling of (aakinchanyam)

helplessness and their " kArpaNyam " - that which invokes the " kripa " or mercy

of the Lord - one of the important angas required for Prapatti.

 

Tirumazhisai Azhwar also equates himself to a lowly dog when he says

" nAyinEn nAn seitha kutram natramAghavE koLL gnAla nAthanE "

Cf also " nAyEn vandaDainthEn " , " aDi nAyen " etc.

 

Swami Desika in " SaraNAgathi Deepika " SlOkam 42 employs the exact analogy of

the dog drinking the holy Ganga waters when he says :

dushyEth kimangri thaTinee thava dEva sEvyA

durvAratharsha chapalEna sunAvaleeDA //

 

Statements such as the following must have weighed with AzhwAn in expressing

these sentiments -

* YEpi syuh pApa yOnaya: ku yOnishvapi sanjAtha:/

Hari: harathi pApAni dushTa chithairapi smrutha://

Meaning: Even though one is born out of the womb of a sinner or such other

despicable one, or is one of wicked disposition, Hari removes all sins, once

one thinks of Him

And,

* AniichchyApi samsprushTO dahathyEva pAvaka:/

SAnkhEthyam pArihAsyam vA sthObham hELanamEva vA/

VaikunTa nAma grahaNam asEsha agha vinAsanam//

Meaning: Fire is sure to burn even when touched unintentionally. Similarly,

whether one utters the name of Sri VaikunTanAtha, obliquely, or in jest or

even in disrespect, He destroys all of one's sins without any trace.

============================================================

TO CONTINUE: SRI STHAVAM 3: " THE OMNISCIENT BHAGAVAN IS IGNORANT!

============================================================