DEGREE OF COMPASSION

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DEGREE OF

COMPASSION

 

 

 

How does one measure compassion?It is a subjective and relative one. Is it

subject to comparison? It is not quanitifiable like bananas or oranges. Hence,

can be termed as compassionate, more compassionate and most compassionate or no

compassion.

 

Who is the most compassionate one? The Lord of course. He is the most

compassionate Supreme Being who strives for our retrieval and again and again

creates the universe and gives us opportunity directly or through

AzhwAr-AchAryAs despite our indifference. He takes pity on us and tries to

elevate us from this samsAra and grant us salvation. He resides in the inermost

of our souls and thinks and does things for our good. He is thus the most

compassionate being.

The first sUthram of AchArya hrdhayam will amply corroborate this point.

" kAruNikanAna sarvEswaran aRivilA manisar vuNarvenum chudarvilakku yERRi..... "

The compassionate Lord bequeaths the sAsthric knowledge for the good of the

souls for discerning between good and the bad.

He does not come in front of the soul as the soul may reject Him outright.

Notwithstanding this indifference The Lord does good for the souls remaining in

the backstage and seeing to it that the soul attains the benefit.

 

Full of compassion is the attribute of the Lord. Having said so, can His

compassion be compared with Others? Is there any chance for anybody else to near

to His compassion. Being a subjective phenomenon can this study be undertaken.

After observing that He is the most compassionate one, it can be mathematically

argued that nobody else can be as compassionate as He is.' He being less

compassionate and anybody more' can be categorised into a null set.

 

Nevertheless, if somebody else can shower more compassion which in a way

eclipses His, can it not be termed as less compassion or compassionless? That is

really implausible. However, thiru arangahtamudhanAr in his 'irAmAnusa

nURRandhAdhi'

has dealt this very topic in the following pAsuram:

 

" vuL ninRu vuyirgaLukku vuRRanavE seiyyum , avarku vuyavE paNNum, paranum parivu

ilan Am padi,

palluyirkum viNNin thalai ninRu vEd aLippAn em irAmAnusan maNNin thalthudithu,

maRai nAlum

vaLarthananE " irAmAnusa nURRandhAdhi 95

 

The Lord is inside every soul -antharyAmi- and does only the good for them for

their betterment. However, even the Lord can be termed as compassionless- parivu

ilan Am padi - when compared to sri rAmAnujA who by his works and deeds granted

salvation to one and all by descending to the earth from the Lord's abode.

 

AzhwAr emperumAnAr jEyar thirvadigaLE charaNam

vanamamalai padmanabhan