Power of Lust !!!

[Guest guest]

Om Namah Sivaya

 

Sri Ramakrishna’s saying: " One cannot obtain the

Knowledge of Brahman unless one is extremely cautious

about woman. Therefore it is very difficult for those

who live in the world to get such Knowledge. However

clever you may be, you will stain your body if you

live in a sooty room. The company of a young woman

evokes lust even in a lustless man. "

 

 

Sundarar flourished in the 8th century. He was a great

devotee of Lord Siva. He is one of the Saiva Samaya

Acharyas (four great Saivite religious Teachers) in

South India. He lived only Eighteen years. He sang the

glories of Lord Siva at all the sacred places that he

visited. These hymns are called Thevaram. They have

been collected into a book-form. All devotees sing the

Thevaram even today.

 

In his previous incarnation Sundarar was Alala

Sundarar , who was an ardent devotee of Lord Siva.

Once when Alala Sundarar was living by the side of

Lord Siva in the Mount Kailas, serving the Lord and

bringing flowers from the garden for His worship, he

cast a lustful look at Aninditi and Kamalini, the

attendants of Goddess Parvathi who had also gone to

the garden to collect flowers for the divine Mother’s

worship. They, too, fell in love with him. Lord Siva,

through His divine vision, understood all that had

happened in the garden. He called Alala Sundarar and

said: ‘Sundarar, since you fell in love with these

girls, you and they, too, will go down to the earth

and take a human birth. You will marry them and enjoy

the pleasures of the world.’ Sundarar wept bitterly,

regretting his folly which had resulted in his

separation from the Lord. He prayed to the Lord: ‘Oh

Lord! It is due to my evil thought that I have to

undergo this separation from Thee. I am afraid lest I

should be steeped in ignorance and forget Thee. Oh

Lord of mercy! Let this not happen to me. Oh Lord of

compassion! Dispel my ignorance soon and take me back

to Your lotus feet.’ Lord Siva granted this wish.

 

There was another cause for Sundarar’s human birth. To

an ordinary man it may appear that Sundarar was a

victim to lust, even in the divine realm of Kailasa.

It was not so. Sundarar was only an instrument in the

hands of God. It was Lord Siva’s wish that Sundarar

should sing 'Tiru Thonda Thogai' for the benefit of

mankind. So, Lord Siva entered his mind and created a

desire for these two girls. Also, the Lord wanted to

teach mankind a great lesson. Lust is EXTREMELY

POWERFUL. It can delude even a great devotee of the

Lord like Sundarar, if he is not ever vigilant.

MAYA'S CHARMS ARE POWERFUL. Unless this EVIL quality

is burnt, the JIVA CANNOT REACH SIVA. Yet another

lesson. The lustful eye was the cause of Sundarar’s

downfall. But, when it is used in the service of the

Lord (for looking at the holy shrines, holy images of

God, saints, and study of scriptures) the very same

organ will help towards our emancipation.

 

 

Sri Ramakrishnaya Namah

Vivekananda Centre London

http://www.vivekananda.co.uk