Abuse and Adulation

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

Abuse and Adulation

 

Most of the things and concepts in this world are relative: but for a few

tenets which we hold absolute, all others are interpreted with reference to the

time, place, person and context. If we take Dharma or righteousness for

instance, it differs from Yuga to Yuga, the requirements of Krita Yuga being

vastly different from those of the current Kali Yuga. Dharma differes too from

person to person, the King having duties entirely dissimilar to those of a

trader or farmer. Similarly, what is Dharma in a particular context may not hold

good for other situations. For instance, the primary requirement of honesty is

waived, if the situation is such that it would involve a life being lost,

whether one's own or others'. The purpose of this piece is to divine Sri Kodai

Nacchiar's tiruvuLLam, when She apparently calls Sri Krishna all sorts of names,

the most insulting of which is perhaps " Dharumam ariyA Kurumban " (the miscreant

devoid of all sense of right and wrong).

 

Azhwars are exemplary bhaktas, with nothing but unalloyed love, affection and

devotion for the Lord. Their infatuation with the Lord and His endearing

attributes is phenomenal, each of His characteristics appearing to them to be

beyond compare. They wax eloquent on every single aspect of His kalyana gunas,

losing themselves totally in their unfathomed depths. It is therefore

inconceivable that any of their outpourings should contain even a single

derogatory reference to the Lord, however remote, whether implicit or by

inference. It is in this context that Sri Andal's reference to " Dharumam ariyA

Kurumban " too has to be viewed.

 

Sri AmudanAr says in IrAmAnusa NoottrandAdi that words of abuse from the

ignorant and uninitiated should be deemed indeed as praise- " isayakillA

manakkuttra mAndar pazhikkil pugazh " . For instance, if a nototrious criminal

were to pass a disparaging comment about the sentencing judge for his

arbitration, it could be very well construed as a compliment to the arbiter's

impartial implementation of statutory provisions. If a fool abuses a vidvAn as

being ignorant, the latter could justifiably accept the abuse as an accolade.

The same analogy holds good for Azhwars too, when they apparently call the Lord

uncomplimentary names. Even if Azhwars are neither ignorant (far from it, they

have been blessed with unblemished wisdom) or biased, whatever they say about

the Lord has to be adulatory, anything appearing otherwise being merely a matter

of interpretation. Thus, even if a particular appellation addressed by an Azhwar

appears uncomplimentary, it merely masks an accolade.

 

If Sri Andal really feels that the Lord is an unrighteous urchin, why would She

pine day and night to wed Him and record the same for posterity too in such

prabandams as " VAraNamAyiram " ? And why should She go to considerable trouble and

expense to offer Him 100 huge pots of butter and " akkAravadisil " (whether She

Herself did it or had it done by Sri Ramanuja)? Unless all She felt for the Lord

was unalloyed affection and admiration, She would hardly have devoted 143

nectarine pasurams in His praise. Taking all this together, we would have to

conclude that the lone reference to " Dharmam ariyA Kurumban " too is indeed

adulatory, albeit it may appear otherwise, prima facie.

 

The Lord is the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, the Emperor of all

Emperors- " RajAdhi RAja: SarvEshAm " . The role of any King is to preserve the rule

of law in his territory. This involves rewarding the righteous and punishing the

delinquents. Establishment of Dharma on a firm footing necessarily comprises of

both protecting the good and destroying the wicked, as the Lord Himself lays

down in the Gita- " ParitrANAya sadhUnAm, vinAsAya cha dushkritAm, dharma

samstthApanArtthAya sambhavAmi yugE yugE " . Though it is a two-fold function,

while the Lord performs SAdhu paritrANAm with boundless joy, to destroy anyone

is anathema to Him, which He does as an unavoidable chore incidental to the main

purpose of preservation of Dharma.

 

We thus find that it is the duty of the Lord, His Dharma, to weed out the

wicked. However, He is loathe to performing this unpleasant task and prefers to

look the other way, wherever the offences of His devotees are concerned- " Bhakta

dOshEshu adarsanam " , as pointed out by Swami Desikan. Even if we sinners commit

a hundred transgressions, He magnanimously forgets them- " na smarati apakArANAm

satamapi AtmavattayA " (Srimad Ramayanam). Thus the Lord hardly performs His

appointed role of the Universal Father, intent on meting out just punishment for

all infringements, major and minor. For all practical purposes, He adopts the

role of a lenient mother, saying to Himself, " Boys will be boys! " , whenever His

deovtees commit some misdemeanour or the other. Instead of awarding them

appropriate punishment, He brings them to the notice of a merciful Acharya, who

takes the sinners under his wing and brings them back to the straight path

leading to Paramapadam, through repentance and adoption of strategies like

Bhakti or Prapatti.

 

Therefore, Sri Andal finds that the Lord has all but forgotten His Dharma of

being the punitive Arbiter, dealing out just reprisal to all offenders, and,

instead, turns a blind eye to their transgressions. The Lord's line of argument

is that if He were to strictly invoke every rule in the divine statute, there

would be none left in this wide world, who would be beyond the sweep of

rigorous retribution. It is for this reason that He has almost abandoned His

Dharma of awarding exemplary punishment to His devotees for their various acts

of commission and omission. And this is why Sri Andal calls Him affectionately

as " Dharumam ariyA Kurumban " , the Judge who has forgotten His gavel and

sentencing procedures. We thus see that what appears prima facie to be a mortal

insult being hurled at the Supreme Lord of the Universe, turns out in fact to be

an encomium par excellence.

 

Having seen the justification in Sri Andal's words, we must also see who has

made the Lord the " Dharumam ariyA Kurumban " He is accused or adulated to be. It

is said that Periya Piratti knows not what punishment is, however great be the

offence- " nityam agyAta nigrahAm " and is said to be the personification of

benefaction- " Anugraha mayeem " . It is to the tunes of this lovely lady that the

Lord dances forever, according to Sri Koorattazhwan- " tat ingita parAdhIna: "

If we take Sri Bhoomi Devi, She is the embodiment of infinite tolerance, so much

so that even the Lord's patience is compared to Hers- " KshamayA prithivI sama: " .

And the other Consort, Sri Nila Devi, seduces Emperuman with Her wily charms

such that He has nary a glance to spare for the sins of mortals like us. Sri

Andal being the synthesis of all the three NacchimArs, is thus Herself

responsible for the Lord forgetting His Dharma of punitive reaction and turning

out to be a " Dharumam ariyA Kurumban " .

 

Another of Sri Kodai's apparent insults, " Puram pOl uLLum kariyAn " (one who is

as black of the heart as He is of the skin) is similarly an adulation in

disguise. The Lord's exterior resembles a black, rainbearing cloud- " mEgha

shyAmam " says the prelude to the Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra, with which all

Azhwars are in unanimous agreement, describing Him variously as " Mugil vaNnan " ,

" Kar mEgha vaNNan " etc. Inside too, the Lord is akin to a rain cloud, which is

ready to precipitate a shower of mercy at the slightest provocation, and most of

the times, without any provocation too. Thus, He resembles the rain-bearing

cloud, bringing cheer and joy to parched earth and poverty-stricken humanity, as

much in His interior as His black exterior. This is what prompts Sri Andal to

praise Him as a blackie, in and out.

 

When we think of Sri Andal and Her bewtiching bridal mysticism, we are indeed

moved beyond measure by Her ananya bhakti, growing up with the Lord occupying

every waking moment of Hers and even Her dreams, devoting Her mind, body and

soul solely to Him, rebelling even at the thought of relationships with mortals

( " mAnidavarkku endru Agil vAzhakillEn kandAi ManmathanE " ), considering Emperuman

to be Her all ( " uNNum sOru parugum neer tinnum vettrilai yAvum Kannan

Emperuman " ), loving Him beyond measure, ecstatical when in His company and

desolated when deserted by Him even for a second and living out the tenet

" KannanukkE Amadu kAmam " . Azhwars like Sri Nammazhwar and Sri Kalian might pose

to be ParAnkusa nAyaki and ParakAla nAyaki : they are however poor pretenders at

best when compared to Sri Kodai, for it is only She who can voice with any

authority the authentic feelings of joy and misery which a girl feels in the

company or the absence of Her beloved. Is it any wonder that Acharyas have felt

that Andal's outpourings are indeed what the Upanishads are comprised of- " Shruti

shata shira: siddham adhyApayantI " and form the very basis of the venerated

Shruti- " Vedam anaitthukkum vitthAgum Kodai tamizh " ?

 

" VaN Puduvai nagar Kodai malar padangaL vAzhiyE "

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, sadagopan