Sri Vishnuchitta kulanandana kalpavalli (Part-29)

[Guest guest]

Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha

Srimad Vara Vara MunayE namaha

Sri Vanachala mahA munayE namaha

 

We all go to temple to worship the divine lord. What is the procedure that has to be followed while visiting a temple? “seiyyAdhana seiyOm” says andal. First of all we have to follow our elders and act accordingly. We have to keep in mind that we are not going to do anything they haven’t done. Then what should we do? We have to go to the temple as a ghosti. We have to collect all interested bhagavatas and along with them go to the temple. “vEdham vallArgalai kondu vinnOr perumAn thiruppAdham panindhu” says Swamy Nammazhvar (we will follow those well versed in sastras (in this world and outside) and surrender to the divine feet of the lord.) Even the pAncharatra sAstram says that before entering a temple it is necessary to get the permission of the kshetra/dvara palakas. That is what andal shows in anushtAnam (practice) in her sixteenth paasuram ("nAyakanAi nindra nandagOpanudaiya kOil kAppAnE"). Now that she has awakened all the gopis and everyone have joined them, they all proceeded towards the thirumaligai of Sri Nandagopar to sing thirupalliyezhuchi to Kannapiran.

 

Though andal and her mates who were basically ignorant and illiterate small girls didn’t know the sastras but since their ancestors were vaishnavas they have inherited the practices by nature. So before waking up krishna they first requested permission from the koil kAppAn (security to the temple), then after pacifying him they proceeded inside. Then they got the permission of the vAsal kAppan (open who guards the entrance.) Getting permission was not that easy since not only the chetanas (koil kAppan and vAsal kAppan) but also the achetanas (doors) were very cautious so that no harm occurs to their dear krishna. After all interrogations they were allowed inside.

 

Here andal doesn’t name the security guards but says ‘koil kAppAn’ and ‘vAsal kAppan’ since for Srivaishnavas, importance is only for the kainkaryam they do, no matter who they are. In this paasuram, andal shows one another important concept of Srivaishnavism. Brahmins give a lot of importance to AchAram whereas deha AchAram is totally different from anushtanam. To attain the divine lord bhAva shuddhi is only important deha shuddhi is not necessary. Our poorvacharyas quote vibheeshanAzhvan, drowpathi and arjuna for those who surrendered to emperuman without deha shuddhi but with bhAva shuddhi. So it is said that if you are physically pure, no problem if you are nor pure then too no problem. Just with pure mind surrender to the divine feet of emperuman as it is.

 

(To be continued)

 

Azhvar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan