Doctrine and the Drama

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavatas:

I am overwhelmed by the encouraging responses from several readers on the

series on " PrahlAda StOtram " .

 

With reference to the query of the BhAgavata on Sri MahAlakshmi (the

inseparable Consort of the Lord) being portrayed in the StOtram as being

" afraid " to approach the angry Lord, another BhAgavata had commented as

follows:

 

" It was a very pertinent question of doctrine the BhAgavata raised and Sri.

Anbil,

thank you Sir, for clarifying it equally well.

 

Yes, the purAna says that Mahalakshmi on seeing the terrible form of Her

Lord's

avatAra recoiled from Him in fear. Commentators have added that 'thAyAr' was

heard to even say, " This creature perhaps is not my Lord at all! " .

 

Such portrayals of the purAni-c scene are entirely credible from a purely

dramatic

point of view. But they should not be immediately confused with matters of

some

doctrine or other... the doctrine of 'purushAkAram' in this case. Several

'purAnic'

incidents do serve to illustrate doctrine; but that does not necessarily mean

that

every doctrine has its affirmation in some 'purAnA'.

 

In the 'yuddha-kAndA' of the Ramayana we see Lord Rama savagely repudiate His

Consort Sita in the presence of all the world, as it were. Rama utters

terrible

things, cruel things.... He even says He wished He never had to set eyes on

Sita

again, ever.... etc. Now does all that mean Rama Himself negated the doctrine

of

" purushAkAra " ? That would be straining the credibility of both 'purAnA' and

the

doctrine, isn't it?

 

We must be careful not to read too much meaning into 'purAni-c' incidents

while using them to illustrate abstruse matters of doctrine or theology. "

regards,

dAsan,

--------------------------

As indicated in my reply, in terms of the " leela " vouched by SwAmi DEsika and

Bhagavad RAmAnuja (vide- " akhila bhuvana janma sthEma bhangAdi leelE " ) if

the " acting in the drama of this AvatAra " of Lord Nrisimha and Sri

MahAlakshmi has roused such reaction as to raise the query in the first

place, it only goes to prove -

 

* The best Actress award goes to....Periya pirATTI !

and

* The best Actor award goes to.... Lord Nrisimha !

 

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy