SrI UpakAra Sangraham Part - 40

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srI:

SrI upakAra sangraham – 39

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adikAram – 1

poorva upakAra paramparai

(The Foremost Series of Favours)

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SECTION – 5 (8)

(27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for

MOKSHAM)

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SwAmi Desikan continues with the list of favours

conferred by the Lord, SrIman nArAyaNa to the beings

in the world. Not only He provided VEdAs and spiritual

scriptures to guide the jIvAs to develop sAttvika

qualities in order to turn towards Him, but also He

takes births to strongly establish righteousness

whenever it becomes weaker.

Now, a question may arise in our minds. Is it enough

if there are scriptures in the form of shruti and

written works to enable a person to turn towards the

Lord for attaining mOkasha? Will they be able to

attract the souls?

SwAmi Desikan now deals with such queries and doubts

in this sub-section:

 

(8) “vadivazhakAlum, seelattAlum

vasheekarikkumtuvum;”

 

{The Lord captivates (the jIvAs) by His enchanting

form and conduct.]

 

In two ways, the Lord captivates the minds of jIvAs.

First by His form or appearance. It is so beautiful

that it cannot be described in words. Only by seeing

Him directly one can realise His beauty. It is beyond

even imagination as far as we are concerned. Only a

few fortunate and blessed people have had this direct

experience. The great souls like AzhvArs and saints

like Sukha, have been able, to some extent, to

describe the Lord’s physical beauty, that too through

examples or comparison with some objects.

 

Still, we have a plenty of descriptions of the Lord’s

form in PurANas and nAlAyira divya prabandam (the

poetical works of AzhvArs).

 

We shall start with a few slokas from the PurANas,

making a general reference to His form:

From VishNu purANa:

 

avikArAya shuddhAy nityAya paramAtmanE /

sadaika roopa-roopAya vishNavE sarvajishNavE //

(1-2-1)

 

(The ParamAtma, SrI VishNu’s form ever remains the

same and is changeless, pure and permanent.)

 

samstAshshakthayashcaita nrupa paratishThatAh /

tadvishvaroopa--vairoopyam roopamatyaddharEmahat //

(6-7-70)

 

(Oh, King! Hari has the form, in which all these

shaktis abide, is entirely different from all forms

seen in the universe. It is not of material make. It

is mighty in form as well as qualities.)[Here, the

term ‘shaktis’ refers to bhakta, mukta, and avidhya.)

Since, we have no previous experience of having

witnessed the beautiful form of the Lord, how will we

be able to conceive His form? A solution is given in

the Poushkara Samhita:

 

nityasidhdE tadAkArE tatparatvE ca poushkara /

yasyAsti sattA hrudayE tasyAsau sannidhim vrajEt //

 

(O Poushkara! The Lord soon approaches him, who has

faith in His form that is eternal, and in His being as

the Supreme Lord.)

 

Another query may arise in our minds: If the Lord is

said to take births, whether it means that He is like

any of us? The answer is found in Vishnu PurANa:

 

samasta-kalyANa-guNAtmaka asou

svashaktilEshAdhdruta-bhootavargah /

icchA-gruheetAbhimatOrudEhah

samsAdhitAshESha-jagadhditO yah // (6-5-84)

 

(The Lord assumes a form by His own will (not due to

karma); those forms also will be immense and pleasing,

as per the wish of the devotees.)

 

Yet another question may be raised: Is His body like

ours? The answer is found in the MahAbhArata:

 

tadEv kruShNO dAshArhah shreemAn shreevatsa-lakShaNah

/

na bhoota-sangha samsthAnO dEhOsya paramAtmanah //

(Bha.-shAnti, 206-60)

 

(The body of the Supreme Being is not constituted of

the five elements. [like ours])

 

Another evidence from VarAha PurAna:

 

na tasya prAkrutA moortih mAmsa-mEdOsthi-sambhavA /

yOgitvAccEshvaratvAcca sarvaroopa-dharO vibhuh //

(75-44,45)or (31-40)

 

(The Lord’s form is neither material nor formed of

flesh, lymph or bone.)

 

Now, a short description of His form as in

SrIvaikuNtam is from the MahAbhArata:

 

bhujaish-caturbhih samupEtamEtad-roopam vishiShtam

divi samsthitam ca /

bhoomou gatam poojayatApramEyam sadA hi tasmin

nivasAmi dEvAh //

 

 

(Bha.-Mousala, 5-34)

 

(This form of the Lord has four arms, is supremely

excellent, and is in SrIvaikuNta.)

 

What about ornaments and weapons on the Lord’s body?

The answer is found in VishNu PurANa:

 

astra-bhooShaNa-samsthAn-svaroopam roopa-varjitah /

bibharti mAyA-roopOsou ShrEyasE prANinAm harih //

(1-22-76)

 

(The Lord has a body on which rest weapons and

ornaments)

 

tamasah paramO dhAtA shankha-chakra-gadA-dharah /

(RamAyaNa, 6-114-15)

 

(The Supreme Being, armed with the conch, the chakra

and the club, is in the region beyond the universe of

matter [tamas].)

 

The total picture of the Lord’s form has been

described by SrI RAmAnuja, our AchArya, for us to

grasp it in our mind and meditate on it:

 

akhilhEya pratyaneeka kalyANaiktAna svEtara samasta

vastuvilakShaNa anantaj~nAna Anandaika svaroopa !

svAbhimata anuroopaikaroopa acintya adbhuta nitya

niravadya niratishaya oujvalya soundarya sougandhya

soukumArya lAvaNya youvanAdi ananta guNanidhi

divyaroopa ! (SrI sharaNAgati-gaDyam)

 

(The Lord has a form, which is, being opposed to all

that is of the nature of blemish, and is the sole

resting place of all that is auspicious; whose

essential nature is absolutely different from that of

all beings and objects other than Itself; and is

characterized as infiniteness, intelligence and bliss;

whose unique personality is appropriate to and

pleasing to Himself; and is the abode of unimaginable,

divine and wonderful qualities, eternal, spotless, and

unsurpassed -- countless qualities like splendour,

beauty of features, fragrance, tenderness, handsome

personality and youth!)

 

(Courtesy: SrImad RahasyatrayasAram and SrI

SharaNagati Gadyam.

English translation by: Sri M.R.Rajagopala Iyengar

(Formerly of the Madras Educational Service)

 

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan)

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