Of Shades and Shadows

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

Of Shades and Shadows

 

What does a pedestrian long for, having travelled far on a hot summer

day, with the Sun blazing overhead and the earth radiating heat underfoot, lips

parched with an unquenchable thirst and with his irritated red eyes

automatically closing due to the unbearable heat? What he would crave for is a

spot of shade provided by a hospitable tree or the shadow cast by a sky-scraper,

in whose protective penumbra he can seek refuge for a time, before moving on.

Though we might not realise the utility of such shades and shadows in normal

times, once the day's heat strikes us in all its virulence, we immediately run

in search of the nearest source of shade, prompting the Tamizh saying,

" nizhalin arumai veyyilil teriyum " . Such comforting shades and long shadows are

also to be found at several places in the Scripture, a few of which are

highlighted here.

 

What is the principal characteristic of a shadow? Its unique feature is that

it is inseparable from its parent, the person who casts the shadow. It always

accompanies the person to whom it belongs. It does whatever its owner does,

running when the latter runs, standing while the latter stands and so on. In

short, its every action or inaction is solely fashioned on that of its

possessor. With these traits, the shadow too forms the subject of one of the

numerous similes for which the Adi kavi Valmiki is renowned. Describing the

relationship existing between the Prince of Ayodhya and the Princess of Mithila,

Sri Valmiki says that Sita was akin to a shadow to Sri Rama-

" PativratA mahAbhAgA cchAyA iva anugatA sadA "

 

When giving his beloved Sita away in marriage to Chakravartthi Tirumagan, Sri

Janaka Maharaja proudly proclaims the exalted merits that embellish the perfect

physical beauty of his divine daughter. Holding Her out to be the epitome of all

womanly virtue ( " nArINAm uttamA vadhoo: " ), the proud father expands on this by

calling Her a " Pativrata " , one who regards Her husband as verily the Lord and

devotes Her life to the fulfilment of every wish of His, minor and major. The

place of such a Pativrata is always by Her husband's side, be it in pleasure or

pain, in the blissful confines of the regal palace or the stark and inhospitable

environs of the terrifying jungle. She never leaves Her husband voluntarily and

adheres to Him as if She were verily His shadow, inseparably attached to Him in

thought, word and deed. This is what Sri Janaka hints, when he promises Sri

Rama that His new bride would indeed follow Him like a shadow- " CchAyA iva

anugatA " . We have heard that everything connected with Emperuman is

distinguished and divine-we learn from Sri Valmiki's words that even the Lord's

shadow is incomparably unique and illustrious.

 

Another shadow the great Epic casts is in Sundara Kandam, during the memorable

flight of Siria Tiruvadi across the ocean separating BhAratavarsha from Lanka.

Propelled by the thought of the Prince of Ayodhya grieving for His beloved

Sita, Hanuman flits through the skies above the ocean at terrific speed. One of

the inhabitants of the ocean, a Rakshasi by name SimhikA, hungry for long,

sights the strong and fleshy figure of Anjaneya and congratulates herself on

having found a satisfying prey. She never has any doubt about her ability to lay

her hands on the vAnara, because she has the exceptional power of capturing

people by just grasping at their shadows, giving her the dreaded appellation,

" CchAyA grAhi " . She rises up suddenly from the depths of the ocean, assumes a

monstrous form and grabs Hanuman's fleeting shadow.

The VAnara Veera feels the consequence immediately, as if someone had suddenly

immobilised him. Gone are his speed and expedition and Tiruvadi drops down like

a stone, all the wind taken out of his sails. Sighting the monstrous form

running at him with its cavernous mouth open to grab and gobble him up, Sri

Hanuman immediately recollects Sugriva's warning about the dangerous creature.

Just ahead of entering the terrifying jaws of the Rakshasi, Hanuman contracts

his giant form into that of a dimunitive dwarf, enters her yawning mouth, goes

straight to her heart, tears it apart with his razor-sharp nails, breaks the

chest open and emerges from her body, totally unscathed and without even a

scratch. All the celestials who are witness to this great display of valour,

shower their appreciation on Sri Anjaneya. If only Simhika had known in advance

about the destructive capabilities of the shadow she had grabbed, she would have

probably left it well alone! This goes to show how dangerous even shadows could

be.

 

Talking of shadow-grabbers, it is interesting to note that Sri Tirumangai Mannan

had four principal sishyAs, one of whom was known as " CchAyai pidippAn " (or

" nizhalil odunguvAn " according to some accounts), who actively aided him in

relieving filthy-rich travellers of their ill-gotten wealth, to be used for the

noble purpose of bhAgavata tadIyArAdhanam.

 

Having seen some dangerous shadows, let us turn to comforting shades. There is a

huge Peepal tree, extremely extensive, spreading its branches far and wide. This

is a special tree which can accommodate any number of people under it. Its

branches are so closely knit as to prevent sunlight and heat from filtering

down. For those suffering from the unbearable heat and the blinding brilliance

of Samsara, this hospitable tree provides cool and comforting shade and succour,

enabling the worn and weary traveller to rest and re-energise himself. And those

who have the good fortune to seek shelter under this tree never have the need to

venture again into the enervating heat of the mundane morass. The beauty of this

exceptional tree is that it never grows old, nor do its branches ever break and

fall, nor even are its leaves shed in autumn. This is a hoary old tree, whose

origins no one knows: nor is it subject to the worldly phenomena of decay and

death.

 

For those who have still not divined the identity of this glorious botanical

specimen, this is none other than the Lord, who provides refuge and relief to

countless souls suffering from the three types of heat (

Tapatrayam--AdhyAtmikam, Adibhoutikam and Adidaivikam) generated by Samsara.

While the shade provided by ordinary trees can at best be temporary, this divine

tree, the " VAsudEva Taru " , affords a lasting and permanent shadow, from the

comforts of which we never need to stir out again into the terrible heat and

dust of Samsara. Such is the glorious shadow cast by this magnificent tree,

adulated by the Scripture as " VAsudEva TaruccchAyA " . For those who may object

to the depiction of the Lord as a tree, however exalted, Swami Desikan's

description of Sri Ranganatha as a fragrant sandalwood tree ( " Sri Rangaraja

Harichandanam " ) and the Lord's own declaration that He is the venerated Peepal

tree among the species ( " Ashvattha: sarva vrikshANAm " ), should provide an

answer.

 

Just as Sita Piratti adhered to Chakkravartthi Tirumagan like a shadow, there

are some things which stick to us inseparably. These are with us not only till

" death do us part " , but even beyond death. The association between these sticky

things and ourselves extends forever : even if we cast off one body and take on

another, we would not be able to sever ourselves from these adherents, which are

the prime reason for our getting enmeshed in the morass of Samsara. This unique

shadow which never forsakes us is nothing but our accumulated baggage of good

and bad, collectively known as Karma. This KArmic Shadow, like the ogress

SimhikA, pulls us down constantly and immobilises us completely, preventing us

from adopting an effective strategy for emancipation. The only way we can escape

this debilitating shadow of Karma is to expose ourselves to the midday Sun of

Sharanagati, in whose presence all shadows, however persistent, vanish without a

trace.

 

It is not only we poor mortals who seek the shade of a tree, for relief from

heat of various types. If it is any consolation to us, even the Lord prefers the

comforting shade of the PArijAta tree. As one who likes His creature comforts,

whatever be His camp office, He comfortably ensconces Himself on a magnificent

throne made of beaten gold. And even under the tree, He remains inseparable from

His Consorts, Si RugmiNI and Sri SatyabhAmA, forever the " MAlOla " . This rare

snapshot of the Lord, apparently on an outdoor picnic along with His family,

all decked-up in His finery and sporting four arms (instead of the two to which

He is entitled to in His form as the human Sri Krishna), is presented by Sri

Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram, towards the fag end of the prelude thereto-

 

" CchAyAyAm PArijAtasya hEma simhAsanOpari

Aseenam ambuda syAmam AyatAksham alankritam

ChandrAnanam chaturbAhum SrivatsAnkita vakshasam

RugmiNI SatyabhAmAbhyAm sahitam Sri Krishnam AshrayE "

 

Another worthy who favours the shade of the ParijAta tree is our Siriya

Tiruvadi-

" PArijAta taru moola vAsinam bhavayAmi PavamAna nandanam "

 

Would you be surprised to hear that more than the shade provided by the VAsudEva

taru, there is another source of shade and comfort which affords the Prapanna

better relief from Samsara and its travails? There is indeed one such, by

seeking refuge in which we can be rid of our shackles and lead the rest of our

existence in boundless bliss. Swami Desikan points out in Sri EtirAja Saptati as

to how Sri Ramajuja is verily a tall and broad tree, affording refuge and relief

to the weary travellers on the endless path of Samsara-

" Jani patha parivritti shrAnta vishrAnti shakhI "

 

Similarly, for those uninitiated seekers who travel on the Vedic highways,

searching in vain for the abode of the Parabrahmam, wearied beyond measure by

their fruitless quest, Sri Ramanuja stands as a huge monolithic tree, providing

not only the shade of relief from misleading schools of thought, but also

delectable fruits representing knowledge of the Paramapurusha, says Swami

Desikan-

" nigama pathika cchAyA shAkhI nirAsa mahAnidhi " .

 

Such is the glory of Sri Ramanuja's disciple Sri EmbAr, that he is adulated as

verily the shade provided by the holy feet of his master- " Ramanuja pada cchAyA "

and as the final resting place " vishrama stthalI " for all those in search of

liberation. Sri Govinda, as he was known as in his poorvAshramam, adhered so

closely to the Bhashyakara's tenet and teachings, that he was called the

veritable footprint of his master.

 

A visitor to the present day Tiruvallikkeni would find it to be a concrete

jungle, affording little shade or shadow. All trees have been felled and every

inch of available lung-space exploited by avaricious builders hastening to turn

it into a matchbox dwelling. However, time was when the divyadesam was a verdant

copse, wooded with tall trees so closely grown as not to allow even the rays of

the Sun to pass through, providing a cool and inviting shade to all those coming

to have their fill of Emperuman's magnificence. This luxurious shade can be

inferred from Sri Tirumangai Mannan's lines,

" kuravamE kamazhum kuLir pozhiloodu kuyilodu mayilgaL nindru Ala

iraviyin kadirgaL nuzhaidal seidu ariyA TiruvallikkENi kaNdEne "

 

It is not only the Lord who likes the lure of tree shade. Even crabs relish it,

it would appear from Sri Kalian's depiction of TiruvAli. The Azhwar says that

Punnai trees in this divyadesam spread their cool and comforting shade over

beautiful ponds filled with lotus blooms. Finding the soft petals of these

flowers to be ideal beds, and with the canopy of shade provided by the aforesaid

trees, male crabs recline in comfort in these flowers-

" nilavu malar punnai nAzhal neezhal tandAmarai malarin misai-mali

alavan kaN padukkum aNi Ali ammAnE! " .

 

With his penchant for portraying scenic locales, Sri Kalian speaks of shadows

again, in the " nandA viLakkE " pathigam. The divine bard waxes eloquent when he

witnesses the rare concert of birds and bees in the groves surrounding

TirunAngUr. Enthused by the cool shade and balmy breeze, one class of bees hums

the DEvagAndhAri rAga, while another choir of the same species provides

harmonious vocal support, all underneath the closely-grown ParijAta trees, which

provide an uninterrupted and all-encompassing shade, shutting out the midday

Sun-

" etthisayum gandhAram am tEn isai pAda mAde kaLivaNdu mizhattra nizhal tudaindu

mandAra nindru maNa malgu NangUr MaNimAda kOil vaNangu en mananE! "

 

The more we peruse our SampradAyic lore, the more does the entire Scripture

appear to be one long, shady grove, affording us a relaxing and rejuvenating

shade in which we may seek refuge, forgetting all our mundane travails. Any

painter worth his name would tell us that it is shades and shadows which provide

much-needed life and realism to a painting. From all the aforesaid, it would

appear that the same is true of life too.

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, sadagopan