Sri Vishnuchitta kulanandana kalpavalli (part-11)

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha

Srimad Vara Vara MunayE namaha

Sri Vanachala mahA munayE namaha

 

Gratefulness “kruthaknadhai” is very important for any human being. Our sastras declare that the worst of sins is forgetting gratitude. It is similar to acting unfaithfully to a friend. (“mitra drOhE cha pAthakam”)

 

Andal who started the marghazhi nOmbu to attain the divine krishnAnubhavam suddenly in the third paasuram prays for the welfare of the place “vAnga kudam niraikkum vallal perum pasukkal neengAdha selvam niraindhu” Why does she ask for all these? For any Srivaishnavite/prapannan attaining emperuman’s divine feet is the only goal. All other lowkika palans (pleasures) are ignored. Is attaining emperuman the primary goal and the others the secondary goals? No for Srivaishnavas primary, secondary everything is only emperuman and his anubhavams. Then why is andal talking about attaining nourishment of cows and other wealth? It is to show her gratitude to the elders who have allowed their union with krishna. The elders wanted the welfare of aiypadi and hence for the sake of the elders andal also prays for the same as a sense of gratitude.

 

Our acharyas have given very special importance to this sense of gratitude. Once a king with his army proceeded towards south to win over another kingdom. On the way a Srivaishnavite in Srirangam helped the king and his army with rice, grains and other ingredients. The king accepted the same with happiness and continued his journey. After winning over the war the king returned back to his kingdom and on the way back met this srivaishnava once again and asked what he could do to him in return to his timely help? The Srivaishnava replied, “You have already done everything to me” The king was taken by surprise. He asked, “I have met you only once in my life and that was the time when you helped me giving the grains and other ingredients when did I do anything to you?” The Srivaishnava replied, “My acharya Sri Parasara bhattar used to tell about you with great gratitude. While swamy was suffering in thirukottiyur without being able to have the divine darshan of his dear namperumal you were only instrumental of bringing him back to srirangam under the divine feet of emperuman. So swamy used to remember that incident quite often and show his gratefulness for your help. A service done to satisfy my acharya is the greatest help you can do to me. So adiyen reserves my gratitude towards you for all my life. I have now done only a small drop as a token of my sense of gratitude.” Thus was the extent of gratefulness and acharya bhakthi our acharyas had.

 

Shouldn’t we hold atleast one percent of the same feeling calling us also as Srivaishnavites. In the next posting we will see one instance where swamy emperumanar, elder brother of soodhikkoduththa sudarkodi showed his gratefulness towards a small girl.

 

(To be continued)

 

Azhvar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan