Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Maadesikaya nama:
Glorious Gateways
Have you ever thought about Gates or Doors? This may appear to be a silly
question-for, what is so significant about these? They are, after all, mere
entrances and exits through which you pass, to get in to or out of homes or
offices. What could possibly be remarkable about such openings? Such thoughts
do run through your mind, when the subject is broached. However, deeper
reflections, especially with the aid of the Scripture, reveal to you such a
wealth of information about these innocuous gates and doors, that you are
indeed surprised that so much should have been said about such humble objects.
This being the month of Margazhi and the season for entering the Paramapada
Vaasal at temples, let us start with Tiruppavai and its several mentions about
doors. 'Manik kadavam taal tiravaai', plead the Gopis standing outside the
house of a lazy girl, who cherishes her beauty sleep and prefers it to Bhagavat
anubhavam. The residents of Gokulam are so rich ('seer malgum Aayppaadi') that
the houses of even ordinary cowherds are adorned with doors studded with gems
and precious stones-'Manik kadavam'. The brilliance of these gems is so
blinding that those standing outside, who would normally have let themselves in
through the doors, are unable to find the entrance and have to ask the sleepy
occupant to come and open the entrance-'Maanikkangalin oliyaale taal
terigiradillai, neeye tiravaai engiraargal' Further, the entire palatial home
is so gem-studded and effulgent, that the visitors are unable to identify
exactly where the wall ends and where the door is inset. The house is a 'Thoo
mani maadam' and the door too a 'Manik kadavam', making it difficult to
identify the location of the latter.
The words 'Manik kadavam' can also be construed to mean doors adorned with
bells. Even today, we find temple doors hung with bells, which emit sweet
chimes whenever they are opened or closed. Additionally, devotees too ring
these bells whenever they pass in or out of temple doors, perhaps marking their
attendance and drawing the Lord's attention to their presence. One wonders
whether the present day Calling Bells at house entrances have evolved from
these belled doors!
If the houses of even ordinary Gopis are so brilliant and beautiful, need we
say anything about the doors at the palace of Nandagopa, their Chieftain? His
palatial residence too is adorned with beautiful doors, studded with the most
precious of dazzling diamonds. The doors are further decorated with flags and
festoons fluttering gaily in the wind-'Kodi tondrum torana vaayil'. Visitors to
Nandagopa's residence pause for long at these doors, mesmerized by their
magnificence and unable to proceed further. We are told that the doors at
Nandagopa's palace monopolize visitors' attention, preventing them from going
inside. And once they get over their obsession with these dazzling doors and
manage to get in, then the infinitely greater attraction of Sri Krishna seated
inside makes it impossible for them to tear themselves away even after any
length of time. Thus, those who are outside find it difficult to get in due to
the mesmerizing doors, while those who are inside are unable to get out, as
kutty Kanna's beauty doesn't release them from its grip.
It is interesting to note that Sri Tirumangai Mannan too comments about the
compelling beauty of doors, which prevents people from proceeding beyond them,
despite the knowledge of an infinitely greater treat awaiting them inside. The
doors of Tirunarayur Emperuman's abode are so splendorous that it is with very
great difficulty that Parakaala Naayaki tears herself away from them, to be
greeted by the glorious sight of the Lord inside-'Ponniyalum maada kavaatam
kadandu pukku'. 'Puguvaarai tan azhagaale kaal kattum kadavu' says Sri
Periyavaacchaan Pillai, commenting on these doors. These are no ordinary doors,
insentient and lifeless-they are full of intense love for Krishna-'Nesa nilai
kadavam'. Due to their passionate protectiveness, the doors stand steadfast,
denying admittance to those whom they suspect even slightly of dubious
intentions towards Sri Krishna. And for those who are inclined to scoff at the
idea of insentient objects like doors having Nesam or love for Krishna, I would
only recount to them the behaviour of the sturdy doors at Kamsa's prison, on
the stormy night of Krishna's birth. These tall and strong doors, reinforced
with steel chains, just flew apart on their own accord, when Sri Vasudeva
appeared, bearing in his hands the magnificent baby.
If the doors of the Lord's earthly abodes are themselves so magnificent, our
imagination baulks at the thought of how beautiful they must be in His eternal
residence, Sri Vaikunttam. The gates of Paradise are so exalted that getting
past them is impossible for even accomplished souls like Brahma, Rudra and
Indra, says Sri Kulasekhara Perumal-
'Pinnitta sadayaanum Piramanum Indiranum
Tunnittu pugal ariya Vaikuntta neel vaasal'
Admittance to these gates is restricted to those who perform Saranagati and
surrender themselves heart and soul to Emperuman -none else, however
illustrious he is, is let in the glorious gates. Another meaning too can be
attached to these beautiful lines of Perumal Tirumozhi, from the context.
Speaking of the glory of Tirumalai, Azhwar articulates his ardent wish to
perform some intimate kainkaryam or other to Srinivasa. Azhwar finds the crowd
of devotees at Tirumala awaiting the Lord's audience so huge (even in those
days) that even exalted entities like Siva and Brahma are caught up in the
crowd, are pushed and pummelled and find it difficult to get past the imposing
gates to the Lord's sanctorum.
And the reason for such illustrious personages failing to gain admittance to
the doors of Paradise? This is outlined by Sri Bhootatazhwar in his second
Tiruvandadi. To reach and get into the glorious gates of Sri Vaikunttam, one
must first surmount the dense undergrowth of Samsaaram. This, Azhwar avers, is
possible only for those with the firm conviction that the Lord Himself is both
the goal be attained and the strategy therefor-He is the Upaayam as well as the
Upeyam-
'Tirambittru ini arinden ten Arangattu endai
Tirambaa vazhi selvaarkku allaal-tirambaar
Chedi narakai neekki taam selvadan mun vaanor
Kadi nagar vaasal kadavu'
Sri Peyazhwar speaks about an entirely different type of door-one that is aimed
at keeping in check our five faculties, which are always rearing to escape our
control and indulge themselves in puerile pleasures. Azhwar tells us that we
should erect such a strong door in our minds, that keeps the senses imprisoned,
preventing them from escaping and running riot. Only such a door, which acts as
an effective check on the faculties, would enable us to realize the Lord, says
Azhwar. And such a door would predictably have as its bolts nothing other than
Wisdom or Gnaanam.
Here is Azhwar's thought-provoking pasuram-
'Arivu ennum taal koluvi, iympulanum tammil
Serivu ennum tin kadavam semmi-marai endrum
Nangu odi nangu unarvaar kaanbare naal torum
Painkota vannar padi'
The Shruti speaks about a wonderful building-one with no less than nine doors.
''Ashtaa chakraa nava dvaaraa, Devaanaam poo: Ayodhya' says the Taitthireeya
Aaranyakam, describing this edifice. This concept finds mention in the
Svetaasvataropanishad too-'Nava dvaare pure dehi hamso lolaayate bahi:'. Sri
Kalian too speaks about this beautiful but perishable structure with nine
doors-'onbadu vaasal taanudai kurambai'. The Bhagavat Gita contains a verbatim
version of the Upanishadic phrase-'nava dvaare pure dehee naiva kurvan na
kaarayan'. All these texts speak of none other than our physical body, with two
eyes, two ears, two nostrils, a mouth and two excretory organs, accounting in
all for nine gates.
Going back to divine gates, would you be surprised to know that the Sun and the
Moon represent giant gateways? Yes, the king of the day and the queen of the
night do form gateways to the worlds above, says the Mahabharata. It is through
Sun that we have to travel, if we are destined for higher worlds like Sri
Vaikunttam. This is known as the Deva Yaanam or the Divine Route, to which the
Sun forms the glorious gateway. This is borne out by the Mundakopanishad text,
'Soorya dvaarena te Viraja prayaanti'. Sri Tirumangai Mannan too avers, 'Teraar
nirai kadiron manadalattai keendu pukku'. And there is the Mahabharata sloka
which confirms, 'Ayam sa deva yaanaanaam Adityo dvaaram uchyate'. And
complementarily, the Moon too is said to be a gateway, to the Pitru Yaanam or
the ancestral path. However, those who traverse this gateway are destined to
come back to the Earth, to be reborn into this Samsaaram-'Ayam sa Pitru
Yaanaanaam Chandrama dvaaram uchyate'.
Thus, the Moon forms the entrance to the lower worlds, which afford us fruits
commensurate with our baggage of Karma and once these are worked off, push us
back into the mundane morass.
The gates to SriVaikunttam, as indicated above, are magnificent beyond measure,
are adorned with the most precious of divine diamonds and are long and
broad-'Vaikuntta neel vaasal'. And these divine gates are guarded zealously by
exalted gatekeepers by name Indra and Prajapati-'Indra Prajapatee dvaara gopou'
says the Kousheetaki Upanishad. The inner doors of Paramapadam are guarded by
Dvaarapaalakaas, eight pairs of them stationed at each of the eight glorious
gates-
Chanda and Prachanda, Bhadra and Subhadra, Jaya and Vijaya, Dhaata and
Vidhaata, Kumuda and Kumudaaksha, Pundareeka and Vamana, Shankukarna and
Sarpanetra, Sumukha and Supratishtita. According to the Cchandogyopanishad,
there are five gates to the Lords abode and each of these gates is guarded by a
Brahmapurusha of considerable accomplishment-'Te vaa ete pancha Bramapurusha:
svargasya dvaarapaa:' The Kaataka Prasnam too confirms that Svarga lokam has
five entry points-'Taa vaa etaa: pancha svargasya lokasya dvaara:'. However,
the guards at these doors differ from those stated in the Upanishad-Kaatakam
tells us symbolically that the first door is guarded by Penance (Tapas), the
second by Shraddha, the third by Satyam, the fourth by the Mind and the last by
Charanam. A different version, again allegorical, is available in the
Mahopanishad as to the Dvaarapaalakas of Moksham-
'Moksha dvaare Dvaara paala: chatvaara: parikeertita:
Samo Vichaara: Santosha: chaturtha: Saadhu sangama:'
(In the aforesaid texts, the words Svargam and Moksham have been used
interchangeably, according to commentators)
Normally, all of us enter others' houses through the front gate and doors.
However, Shastras have a rather strange prescription in this regard. We are
told that we should enter into the homes of friends and well-wishers only,
through the doors. The houses of enemies and those who are unfavourably
inclined towards us should not be entered through the gates. The Mahabharata is
quite categorical about this-
'Advaarena ripo: geham dvaarena suhrido griham
Pravisanti sadaa santa: dvaaram no varjitam tata:'
We find Sri Hanuman following this Shastraic dictum, while entering Lanka.
Though he had scored a victory over the awesome Lankini standing guard at the
entrance and could very well have entered through the main doors of the Lankan
fort, he preferred to jump over the ramparts-'Advaarena mahaa baahu: praakaaram
abhi pupluve' .
We find temple doors these days becoming the favourite abode of beggars and
others of similar persuasion. However, the Bhaagavatas of Srirangam are so
enamoured of Rangaraja, that they are loathe to going home even after the gates
of the Sanctorum are shut for the day, and keep haunting the doorsteps of the
Sannidhi. These Mahatmas spurn all mundane associations and avocations and make
the doors of Srirangam temple their permanent abode, considering the Lord their
all, having surrendered themselves heart and soul to Him and ridden themselves
of all pride and possessiveness. And it is these apparently lazy people, (who
hardly stir from His door steps), whom Sri Ranganatha likes most, says Sri
Tondaradippodi Azhwar -'nin kadai talai irundu vaazum sombarai ugatti polum
soozh punal Arangattane!'
And now to conclude, all the aforesaid would have convinced us that doors and
gates are not mere trivial objects intended to cover an entrance, but are
indeed sentinels of significance, whom we can afford to ignore only at the
peril that Hiranyakasipu exposed himself to, by doubting the capacity of a
pillar to be the Lord's abode.
Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisima divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
dasan, sadagopan
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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