Embodiment of SrI.... from today's Hindu... under religion column

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Embodiment of Sri

 

 

CHENNAI : The Padukas (sandals) of the Lord are

considered as the manifestation of the Divine Mother,

Sri, in the Srivaishnava tradition. The Paduka is also

the embodiment of the preceptor who mediates between

man and the Lord during the performance of

Self-surrender (Saranagati, Prapatti) to Him for

liberation. It is to the Ramayana that the tradition

of worshipping the Paduka is traced, the context being

Bharata accepting Rama's sandals when He refused to

return to Ayodhya and installing them on the throne at

Nandigrama. Bharata had declared to Rama then that he

would not brook any delay after the 14-year exile was

over.

 

In his discourse, Sri M.V. Ananthapadmanabhachariar

said Rama remembered Bharata's ultimatum when

Vibhishana requested Him to accept his hospitality

after his coronation in Lanka. Rama turned down his

invitation with the camaraderie born of friendship but

on His return journey to Ayodhya Rama could not do the

same when Sage Bharadwaja wished to entertain Rama and

His entire entourage. Anxious that this would delay

His journey, Rama instructed Hanuman to convey the

news of His return to Bharata. The Kamba Ramayanam

offers insight into the gravity of the situation as

similar to when Hanuman was earlier despatched with

the mission of locating Sita in Lanka. Sita had

decided to end Her life having given up all hopes of

Her rescue when Hanuman found Her in the Ashoka grove

and gently conveyed Rama's message by relating His

life and later established his identity as His

messenger by handing over His signet-ring.

 

Once again Hanuman was chosen for the task of saving

Bharata's life when he had sunk to the depths of

despondency. Kamban says that when Bharata was

offering worship to the fire, before immolating

himself while all tried to dissuade him, Hanuman

arrived and told him, " Our leader Rama has returned.

If you sacrifice your life which is the embodiment of

truth, will Rama sustain his life and live? " Hanuman

then showed Rama's ring to Bharata. To Bharata and the

people of Ayodhya gathered there the sight of Rama's

ring was like the nectar of immortality. Vedanta

Desika in his hymn Paduka Sahasram notes that Hanuman

offered the ring to Rama's Paduka (as being the

embodiment of Sri, She had been separated from Him for

14 years).