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PeriyAzhwAr thirunakshatram

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Respected Ramanuja Bhaktas,

 

Almost all theistic religions share a common belief of a parent-child

relationship between the Supreme Being and the soul. Most commonly,

the Lord serves as the Father/Mother, while the soul is the child

whom He adores unconditionally.

 

However, in the case of Vishnuchitta (He whose very consciousness is

filled with the Lord), or PeriyAzhwAr (the Great AzhwAr), whose holy

appearance day is today (Ani-swAti), the roles are very much the

reverse. In his PeriyAzhwAr thirumozhi, which forms the first part

of the nAlAyira divya prabhandam (The Collection of 4000 Sacred

Hymns), the AzhwAr experiences the Lord as a parent, and sometimes

friend to the parent, of the playful and mischievous Darling, Sri

Krishna. In his verses, AzhwAr takes on the mood of Yashoda,

Krishna's Foster Mother, adoring and pampering Him as she feeds,

bathes, clothes and decorates Him, sings His benedictions, and gently

lulls Him to sleep. In her (his) arms, The Supreme One is as

accessible and completely dependent as a little baby would be in the

arms of his own parents. The Supreme One, Sri Krishna, is completely

enraptured by the pure and unconditional Love of His Devotee, that He

is unable to do anything else but take on the mood of a beautiful

baby, unconditionally accepting the loving caress of His Mother's

arms.

 

The hymns of PeriyAzhwAr are joyous in that almost anyone who has

ever experienced love for a child could find something within it that

draws them in to its deeper spiritual message. Indeed, these verses

are so cherished by the followers of Ramanuja Darshanam, that the

first among them, thirupallAndu, the hymn of benediction, is sung

first to the Lord as part of the daily thiruvArAdhanai (sacred

worship).

 

To me, the Mood of the Lord as a Baby is most befitting for several

reasons:

 

*Just as a baby's playful mischief is something which is enjoyed, so

too can we enjoy His Play in the beauty and mystery of this thing we

call " life "

*Just as a baby responds with Love to anyone who offers him

affection, so too does the Lord is willingly accept affection from

any of us, irrespective of our race, caste, creed or gender.

*Just as a baby is completely helpless without the care of his loving

parents, so too does the Lord make Him Himself completely helpless in

the form of the archa vigraha (iconographic form), so that we can

enjoy the bliss offering our Loving Service to Him.

*Just as the mere presence of a baby in a room brings a smile to just

about everyone, so too can the simple acceptance of Sriman Narayana

into our hearts fill our lives with utmost happiness and peace.

*Just as a baby is a joy and treasure to his parents, so to is the

Darling Child of the Universe a Treasure of Treasures for all of us.

 

On this day, let us take a moment to reflect on the greatness of the

PeriyAzhwAr and the Darling Sri Krishna who inspired Him.

 

Please take a moment to view the iconographic image of PeriyAzhwAr at

his hometown, Sri Villiputtur:

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/alvars/periyalvar/periyalvar-

srivilliputtur.jpg

 

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

Mohan

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