Magnanimity -2

July 9, 2005

Lord krishNA to vANAsuran/shivA.

vANAsuran was a demon who had thousand shoulders. His daughter ushai and anirudhan wanted to be united in wedlock.

However, vANAsuram who was a devotee of subramnyA, shivA, opposed this tooth and nail.

The asurA fell at their feet who came to his rescue only to fail after some time.

The demon was falling at the feet of anybody who he was seeing. He did not have any conviction or steadfastness. Having failed in understanding who the real saviour was, he went on to fight against the Saviour Himself.

The pAsuram-s go on to explain the fact that shivA and murugan have helped vANAsuran in furthering his desires but failed in that process.

Lord krishNA spared his life and also removed all his shoulders.

The reasons for this is categorically specified in th EDu for the pAsuram

"nEAr sarindhAn koDik kOzhik koNDAn-pinnum

nEAr sarindhAn eriyum analOAn,pinnum

nEAr sarindhAn mukkaN mUrthy kaNDEr-appan

nEAR sari vANan thiN thOL thuNithavanREA" thiruvoimzohi 7-4-8;

i. ushai pithruhEaniAga voNNAdhu enRu karathai kazhithu viTTAn;

(The Lord spared his life as ushai should not become fatherless)

Further, the deity -shivA requested sriman nArAyaNA that if you kill him, then nobody would respect me, as I had given him refuge. Hence, please spare his life, was his request.

"ath-thEvathai thAnEa vandhu, nE ivanaik kollil, en kAlil guNisivArillai ini" enRu paRkATTugaiyAlEa viTTan.

ii. 'kara pAdhaiyilEa ivanai kaNDAr kAlil ellAm vizhap paNNiRRu" enRu avanukkuriya karathai kazhithuvittu iRai ili AkkiviTTan.

The shoulders which should have been used for falling at the feet of Lord Almighty was used for falling at the feet of whoever come in the way. Therefore, to emphasise the non-advisability of dhEvathAnthra worhsip the Lord removed all the shoulders.

Thus the magnanimity of Sri krshNA is observed on two counts, insparing the life of vANAsuran.

1. ushai should not be fatherless and 2. Request of shivA was acceded to.

dAsan

vanamamalai padmanabhan