Sri AshtabhujAshtakam-2

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra

Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

Sri AshtabhujAshtakam-2

 

We saw that Emperuman’s anger is unstoppable, and the

target of this rare anger cannot find refuge

anywhere.(“RakshA kuta: syAt tvai jAta rOshE”).

The first half of the sloka tells us that once

Emperuman has decided to save us, nobody’s anger can

affect us.

“Bhayam kuta; syAt tvayi sa anukampE” says Swami

Desikan,

emphasising that the Lord’s devotee has nothing to

fear from any source.

This bhayam or fear can be of several kinds and

emanate from diverse sources. We see in the world that

almost all people are plagued by fear of some sort or

the other- the young fear the uncertain future, the

old fear approaching end, the wealthy are afraid of

penury and the penniless of continuing suffering. The

strong fear contracting disease, while the sick are

afraid of getting sicker. The student fears

examinations and later, the results, while politicians

fear elections. If we look deep enough, we would find

everyone fearing something or the other at some time

or the other.

The JitantA StOtra voices the plaintive cry of the

JeevAtmA that he is plagued by great fear from all

sides at all times-

“ SarvEshu api cha kAlEshu dikshu sarvAsu cha Achyuta!

SareerE cha gatou chApi vartatE mE mahat bhayam”

The same stOtrA identifies the source of this

overwhelming fear as SamsAra, (“aham bheetOsmi

DevEsa, samsArEsmin bhayAvahE”) or this mundane world

of births and deaths, which shackles us with

unshakeable fetters. However, even in this fearful

Samsara, it is possible for us to live without fear,

provided we perform the duties that are laid down for

us, based on varNa and Ashrama. The GitAchArya says

that performing duties that are not meant for us

generates fear-

“SwadharmE nidhanam shrEya:

ParadharmO bhayAvaha:”

 

The Lord is verily the creator of fear (“Bhayakrit”)

and its destroyer too (“Bhaya nAsana:”). Since all

entities who are considered powerful derive their

power from the Lord, they live in mortal fear of Him-

the Sun, the Wind, the Fire, Death- all perform their

respective functions out of fear of retribution from

the Lord, says the Taittiriya Upanishad-

“BhIshAsmAt Vata: pavatE

BhIshOdEti Soorya:

BhIshAsmAt Agnischa Indrascha

Mrityu: dhAvati panchama iti”

Coming back to the subject, fear of all types vanishes

like dew at sunrise, once the Lord makes up His mind

to protect us. The best example that strikes us in

this regard is that of Sri PrahlAda. The trials and

tribulations that this young and ardent devotee of the

Lord went through were legion. For categorically

declaring the supremacy of Sri Hari, Hiranyakasipu put

his son through a variety of ordeals.

The tender boy was pushed down from a precipitous

mountain- but the Lord broke his fall and ensured that

he landed as if on a bed of roses. Sri Prahlada was

pushed into a pit swarming with deadly snakes, but the

Lord who reclines on the king of all snakes ensured

that his devotee came to no harm. The deadliest of

poisons administered to the young boy could do him no

harm, again due to the Lord’s intervention. All known

methods of torture and all available weapons of

destruction were of no avail against the apparently

defenceless child, who stood staunch in his conviction

that Sri Hari was supreme. And why? Because the Lord

had decided to save His ardent devotee. Is this not a

classic case of “Bhayam kuta: syAt tvayi sa anukampe”?

 

Again, as one of our learned members had pointed out,

the curse of the notorious DurvAsa Maharshi could not

touch even a hair on the head of the pious King

AmbarIshA, as the Lord was on his side. And it was the

Lord who saved Sri MArkandEya from the deadliest of

all fears, the fear of death. Sri SugreevA could get

over his fear of the mighty Vali, Sri Gajendra was

saved from the fear of ignominy and certain death,

Draupati from the fear of humiliation, etc. One could

perhaps go on chronicling instances of the Lord’s

devotees being rid of fear, for the Scripture is full

of such examples.

Emperuman is in a state of high alert always, and

never lays down any of His five weapons, so that He

could rush to the rescue of a devotee in distress at

the first call from the latter, says the following

sloka-

“PAtu praNata rakshAyAm viLambam asahan iva

sadA PanchAyudhI bibhrat sa na Sri RanganAyaka : »

He could protect by mere will (Samkalpam) and need not

go down to the scene of action: nor does He need any

weapons to destroy- the same Samkalpam would do.

However, in His infinite mercy, the Lord rushes

personally to the rescue of His devotee in distress,

just as the mother of a child, which has fallen into

the well. The mother would never think of sending a

servant or any other, but would much prefer to act

herself.

Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka

sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra

Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

------------dasan,sadagopan-----------------------

 

 

 

 

 

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