SrI sArasAram --I(56)

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srI:

SrI sAra sAram – I (56)

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I – ThirumantrAdhikAram

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The Significance of ‘nArAyaNanAya’

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Now, another question is likely to rise in our minds. The question is: A mukta

jIva, a liberated soul, has no chance of suffering in SrIvaikuNTam and he also

knows that the Lord too has no chance of being subject to any ill-effects; then,

why should he wish the Lord to live long, as expressed in his “pallANDu,

pallANDu!� SwAmi Desikan takes up this question for discussion:

“muktanukku anishTa-prasangkamum bhrAnti-prasangkamum inRikkE ISvaranum

nitya-niranishTanAi avAptha-samstha-kAmanAyirukka ‘soozhnthirunthEtthuvar

pallANDE’ enna vENDiRRu ennennil, ithu anishTa-nivruttyAdikaLai prayOjanamAkak

koNDAthal ajnAtthaik kAraNamAkak koNDAthal varumathanRu. Ivanukku SrutikaLiR

conna sAmagAnAdikaLaip pOlE ithu oru svacchanda-pravrutti-viSEsham.†----

For a jIva who has attained mukti and attained SrIvaikuNTum, there is absolutely

no prospect of his having to face any misfortune. Nor is there any likelihood of

suffering any misconception. The Supreme Lord is also beyond any evil effects.

There is no desire of His that remains unfulfilled. This being the case, where

is the need for the muktas surrounding Him to sing ‘Long live the Lord!’, as

stated by SrI PeriyAzhvAr in his Thirumozhi: ‘soozhnthirunthEtthuvar

pallANDE’? Let us see the verse in full:

“pallANDenRu pavithranai paramETTiyai sArngamennum

villANDAn thannai villipuththoor viTTucchitthan virumbiya sol

nallANDenRu navinRuraippAr namO nArAyaNAya venRu

pallANDum paramAtmanaic coonthirunthEtthvar pallANDE.†(PeriyAzhvAr

Thirumozhi, 1-1-12)

Meaning:

These verses are sung by SrI VishNuchittha of SrIvilliputthoor wishing a long

life for the Lord Who is holding the sArnga bow in SrIvaikuNTam; the devotees

who recite these verses and utter the Thirumanthiram, will ever be singing in

praise of the Lord in SrIvaikuNTam also, wishing ‘Long live the Lord!’.

If it is asked, where is the need for them to wish Him a long life, it should

be kept in mind that they sing this neither out of fear of any harm nor because

of their ignorance. It should be considered as a spontaneous act rendered out of

their free will, just as reciting the metrical hymns of the sAma vEda in praise

of the Lord, as stated in the Upanishads. The muktas are not performing an act

for any particular benefit. They do it with full enthusiasm on their own. In the

same way, they sing this hymn wishing the Lord a long life for limitless number

of years, “pallANDuâ€. Traditionally it is known as ‘mangaLASAsanam’.

Here, another question is raised: The mukta jIvas are part of the assembly of

nitya sooris in SrIvaikuNTam, singing ‘mangaLASAsanam’ for the Lord. Nitya

sooris are those jIvas, who have never been affected by karmas unlike the mukta

jIvas, who had been caught in the cycle of births and deaths in material world

before their liberation. Elders say that the ever-free souls (nitya sooris) are

highly alert in protecting the Lord. Hence, it appears inappropriate for them to

worry about anything untoward befalling Him and planning how to protect Him.

SwAmi Desikan clears this doubt too:

“asthAna-rakshA-vyasanikaL enRu nityasoorikaLaic connathuvum

asthAna-bhayaSamkai-yuDaiyArkkuLLa parivuDaiyavarkaL enRapaDi.†---

In this world, people worry about the well being of dear ones even when there

is no prospect of any danger to them. This is out of their deep affection for

them. They also go to the extent of arming those persons with an amulet in order

to get rid of the oncoming danger, which is never likely to happen. This is

called ‘asthAna-rakshA’ – needless-protective appliance.

Similarly, the nitya-sooris too utter the protective hymns for the Lord for Whom

they have such great affection as to make them appear as though they are afraid

of non-existing danger to Him.

With this in view, ancestors like the AzhvAr have sung these verses, says SwAmi

Desikan:

“ingu uLLArkku asthAna-bhayaSankai uNDAmathu bhakti-viSEshamaDiyAka

varukaiyAlE guNamAm.†---

SwAmi Desikan says, even in this world, people who are caught in the samsAra

get such a fear about the likelihood of some danger for the Lord. This baseless

fear comes to them because of the extreme bhakti they have towards the Lord.

Hence, it should be considered a virtue. It is a virtue which should be

welcomed.

SwAmi Desikan stresses that it is appropriate to provide protection for the

Lord in His archa (idol) form and in His incarnations:

“arccAvathArAdikaLil prANikaLuDaiya karma-anuroopamAka prAdur-bhAvamum

upEkshaiyum naDakkiRathAkaiyAlE, ‘striyO vruddhAstaruNyaSca’

ithyAdikaLiRpaDiyE mangkaLASAsanmum saphalam.†---

In temples, the Lord is present in idol form which is known as archa. It is one

of the five states of the Lord, the other four being Para (Supreme state),

Vyoohas (emanations), Vibhavas (Incarnations) and antaryAmi (Inner-soul). There

is this tradition of elders praying during worship for the benediction of Lord

in His idol Form. Similarly, they also do the benedictory prayer for rAma,

KrishNa and other incarnations of the Lord. Such prayers have been mentioned in

scriptures also. As an instance, SwAmi Desikan quotes from a verse in SrImad

rAmAyaNa, ‘striyO vruddhAstaruNyaSca’. The SlOka in full:

“striyO vruddhAstaruNyaSca sAyam prAtah samAhitAh /

sarvAn dEvAn namasyanti rAmasyArthE manasvinah //†(ValmIki RAmAyaNa,

Ayodhya KaNda-2-52)

Meaning:

Morning and evening, all women, old as well as young, as they are deep hearted,

devoutly bow to the gods in the interest of SrI rAma. Let that entreaty of

theirs be fulfilled by your grace, Oh Lord!

Not only the common people but even the knowledgeable do similar prayers, says

SwAmin Desikan:

“appOthu nipuNarAi iruppAr, ‘rakshatu tvAm’ ityAdikaLiRpaDiyE avan

thannayE koNDu mangaLASAsanam paNNuvArkaL. ippadi engum kaNDukoLvathu.†--

SwAmi Desikan remarks that even the enlightened persons are susceptible to

getting into such a state of apprehension and praying for the protection of the

Lord during His incarnations. He, however, points out that their plea is that

the Lord should take care of Himself. He gives the example of NandagOpa, quoting

from VishNu PurANa:

“rakshatu tvAmaSEshANAm bhootAnAm prabhavO harih /

yasya nAbhisamudbhootapankajAdabhavajjagat //†(VishNu PurANa, 5-5-14)

 

Meaning:

O Harih! You, Who created the world from Your navel and Who is the source of all

beings, must take care of Yourself.

The difference between the common people and such knowledgeable persons like

NandagOpa is clearly shown in these two quotes. Ordinary people seek the

blessings of other gods to protect the Lord from any possible harm, while the

knowledgeable persons place the request before the Lord Himself, saying, ‘Thou

should take care of Thyself’ and they will not seek the help of other gods.

This is the best way.

SwAmi Desikan says, we should keep the above explanation in mind when we come

across such prayers for the protection of the Lord in scriptures as well as in

Temples.

 

 

(To continue)

dAsan

anbil S.SrInivAsan

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