Love for the calf

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavatas,

 

Sri M.G Vasudevan and Sri Padmanabhan have written wonderfully about the

emperuman's love for the calf.

 

Emperuman's deep love for the cow and calf is greatly shown in his love for the

" govinda " nAmam. Sri Ramapiran had to sacrifice his pattabhishekam and go to

forest but he was not worried about the same. He did not get angry. But when

Indra showered heavy rain and wanted to destroy the whole gokulam Sri krishna

was put to immense anger and hence he took the govardhana giri in his hands to

save all the gokula vasees (mainly the cows and calf which were very dear to

him). Sri Ramapiran returned back to ayodhya and underwent the pattabhishekam

to ayodhya samrAjyam but still he was not happy. Very shortly he had to get

separated from his dear wife seetha once again hearing the words of one of his

citizens. But in case of krishna, Indra came and did " govinda pattabhishekam "

which made not only krishna but the whole gokula vasees happy. None of the

gokula vasees saw krishna as a special person/god even after seeing him do such

a miracle. Some of the elderly women in gokulam, even

prayed for the welfare of krishna. They did the rites of " drushti kazhithal "

to kutti kannan so that no evil eyes fell on him. Krishna was so attached to

the govinda nama. Usually it is kid's play to irritate the other kid with a

name which the other kid dislikes. Similarly in gokulam the gopis irritated

krishna by calling him " narayana " . According to the gopikas this name

" narayana " which is considered so near and dear by the vaidhikas was only a very

small name (siru pEr). Andal in her divine thiruppavai apologizes to have

called krishna with this name.

 

(Remember Narayana nama alone is the sole proof for the parathvam of emperuman.)

 

In the 28th paasuram, " karavaigal pin sendru.... " andal says, " sirupEr

azhaththanavum seeriarulAdhE "

 

Here the arayirapadi vyakhyanam to this goes as follows:

 

" (sirupEr) govinda pattabhishEkam pannina pinbhu mudhal thirunAmam sollugai

kuttramirE "

 

Here sirupEr refers to nArayana nAmam. Though Indra understood that krishna was

none other than the ubhaya vibhoothi nAthan still he honoured him with the name

" govinda: " (the one who is the leader of the cowherd). So this thirunamam is

considered as par with the nArAyana nAmam. In gokulam, govinda nama has more

prominance since the gokula vasees were attracted to that nama only.

 

" SahasrAsharangal and dvadhasAsharangal thodakkamAna perumpErgalellAm avan pEr

ettezhuththum kandavArE sirugittru; adhudhAn moodrezhuththudaiya pErai kandavArE

sirugittru; "

 

All other thirunamams become lowly names when compared to narayana nAmam but

even this narayana nAmam was considered less popular compared to the three

lettered govinda nAmam. According to the vyakhyanam those who say the

ashtAkshara nAma are considered to be confused and hence the gopikas who are

clear in mind consider the nArayana nama to be sirupEr. nArayana nAma is to be

kept as a secret and to be told in the ears by the acharyan and hence it was

used while krishna was a small kid in the cradle ( " mannu nAranan nambi

pirandhamai " , " narayananE azhEl thAlElO " ). But since now he is big kannan that

namam cannot be used.

 

Erayirapadi reads, " narayananenkai kuttramO? ennil; neermai sambhAdhikka

pOndhavidaththil mEnmai sollugai kuttramandrO? "

 

While emperuman took avathara as krishna to show explicitly his sowlabhyam to

one and all is it not wrong to point out to his parathvam?

 

Realising her mistake andal apologizes and says " seeriarulAdhE " Oh! lord please

don't get angry instead forgive our mistake. On seeing krishna's vishvaroopa

arjuna apologised for all the mistakes he did considering krishna to be his

friend. " sowlabhyaththil parimAriya thappugalai parathvam kandavArE porai kondAn

avan " but here andal does the reverse, " sowlabhyaththai kandu parathva

bhuddikku kshamai kollugirArgal evargal "

 

Even today as we enter the foot steps of thirumalai we hear the govinda nAma

everywhere. But where is the link for govinda nama to thiruvenkatamudaiyan

(learned bhagavatas can through light on this). Adiyen will present one

interesting fact. What is the guna showed by thiruvenkatamudaiyan?

 

" mannOr vinnOr vaippil, pOginra Ezhulagukkum vuyir pAsam vaiththa nigaril

vAtsalyam mujjvalam " (Acharya Hrudhayam)

 

What is the definition to the " vAtsalya " guna?

 

" attra muraikkil adaindhavarpAl ambuyaikOn kuttramunardhu egazhum kolgaiyanO?

ettrai than kandrinudambin vazhuvandrO kAdhalippadhu andradhanai yeendrugandha

Aa. " (jnana sAram -24)

 

Does the sripathi: Sriman narayana hate the jeeva who surrenders to him seeing

all the mistakes he has committed? Doesn't the cow, which is considered as a

clean animal get rid of all the dirt on its newly born calf's body with love?

 

So probably thiruvenkatamudaiyan learnt this guna of vatsalyam only from the cow

and calf and hence the nama govinda is chanted by bhakthas to keep reminding him

of this great kalyana guna.

 

Alwar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam

 

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan

 

 

 

 

 

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