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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Lend Me Your Ears!--Part II


What to hear

Well, Emperuman may listen to only what is pure and auspicious. What about us? Alas, what we hear is mostly puerile, inauspicious, contaminating and unwholesome. For each word about the Lord which falls on our ears, a thousand words of impure stuff assail our ears from all sides. Kulasekhara Azhwar tells us how we should use our ears—"Achyuta kathaa shrotra dvaya tvam shrunu!" (Mukunda Maala). "Lend your ears only to tales about the glories of Emperuman!" exhorts Azhwar, telling us implicitly to avoid hearing gossip and noises about all other mundane matters. Normally, to human beings, what is pleasing to the ears is good and melodious music or praise about themselves. However, to Azhwars, it is the Lord's names which are most pleasurable—"Sevikku inbam aduvum Senkan Maal naamam". If succulent fruits are tasty to the tongue, it is the Lord's praises that are a treat to the ears, says Nammazhwar—"Sevigalaara nin keerti kavi ennum kanigale" Sri Pogaiazhwar swears, "en sevi irandum kel avanadu in mozhiye kettu irukkum" ("My ears listen only to the glorious tales of Emperuman, who is everybody to me"). And what about ears that do not let in the Lord's names or doings? Sri Kalian says that they are mere adornments to the sides of the head, and do not serve any useful purpose at all--

"tolaada maamaniyai tondarkku iniyaanai   kelaa sevigal sevi alla kettaame"--Concurs Elangovadigal in Silappadhikaaram -   "Tirumaal seer kelaada sevi enna seviye!"

 

One significant feature of our listening faculty is that unlike our mouth or eyes, there is no in-built facility for automatically shutting our ears, perhaps with the intention that man should listen a lot. However, with the passage of good times and the preponderance of evil tidings over good, we have to be selective in what we let into our ears. And the only way we can perform kainkaryam with our ears is to confine their intake to tales of the Lord's glory. It is not for nothing that one of the Vedic Shaanti paatas begins with "Bhadram karnebhi: shrunuyaama deva:" (May the Gods let only good tidings fall on our ears!).  Here, the word "Bhadram" refers to the Lord's praise, in the form of Veda mantras, stotras, Azhwars' outpourings, etc. The word "Bhadram" also refers to Nrisimhan. If we adopt this meaning, then the Veda vaakya referred to above tells us to listen to the praise only of Sri Nrisimha. This prayer occurs also in the Taittiriyopanishad Seekshaavalli, thus--  "karnaabhyaam bhoori vishruvam". Another related Veda vaakya is "shrotrena bhadram uta shrinvanti satyam".  The Veda Purusha prays that we may listen only to accounts of Emperuman's glory, and not to mere mundane matters.  While Azhwars are particular about hearing only such things, they are also equally concerned about what they should not lend their ears to.  Says Sri Poygaiazhwar - "pey mulai nanju oonaaga undaan uruvodu per allaal kaanaa kan kelaa sevi" - (My ears would not listen to anything other than Sri Krishna's haloed names). Like the three monkeys that Mahatma Gandhi used to like, we too should shut our ears to all mundane gossip, invective and unproductive sounds and lend our ears only to tales of the Lord.

Are Snakes really deaf?

If the Lord has beautiful ears and hears only the best of sounds like Veda ghosham, what about His most intimate servitor, Aadisesha? Does he have ears at all? There are different opinions about whether snakes and serpents have ears and can hear. We have the Tamizh saying "Paambu sevi", indicating that the hearing of snakes is quite sharp. We have too the English idiom "deaf as an adder", indicating that snakes do not have any hearing faculty at all. What then is the truth? Peyaazhwar tells us that Adisesha does not have ears—"Sevi teriyaa Naagam". However, this doesn't mean that he can't hear--for, his eyes double as ears too. Though he doesn't have separate ears, his eyes do the job of hearing too, apart from seeing. This is why the snake is also known as "Chakshusrava:" and "Chakshu: shrutee:" ("Chakshu:" means eye and "Srava:"refers to ears) in Sanskrit and as "Katchevi" (Kan+Sevi) in Tamizh. There is thus no dispute—while snakes definitely do not have ears, they can hear, through their eyes. This explains why snake charmers are able to sway and entice snakes with the haunting tunes they play with their pipes ("Magudi"). Azhwar says Aadisesha's ears are quite sharp and can detect at distance apparently hostile sounds, which make him spit venom in his anxiety to protect the Lord—"Aangu aaravaaram adu kettu azhal umizhum poonkaar aravanai".  "Can one faculty do the job of another!" I hear you wonder. However, Aadisesha is reputed to perform several kainkaryams to the Lord with a single body—acting as an umbrella, a throne, a supple bed, soft slippers, a beautiful boat and a luminescent lamp—"Chendraal kudayaam, irundaal singaasanamaam, nindraal maravadiyaam, neel kadalul endrum punayaam manivilakaam poompattam, pulgum anayaam Tirumaarkku aravu". Hence it is definitely not impossible for Aadisesha to hear with his eyes.

It is not only Adisesha who can hear with his eyes—His Lord and Master too has the capacity to make one faculty perform the function of another, as for instance, hearing with His eyes. While in ordinary mortals, one faculty or indriyam can perform only one function, the Lord has no such constraint and can use any of His faculties to use in any manner He likes, says Sri Paraasara Bhattar—

"Nayana shravana drichaa shrunoshi atha te Rangapate! Mahesitu:

Karanairapi kaama kaarina: ghatate sarva pateenaam eekshanam"

Not only can Emperuman hear with His eyes, He can hear even without the aid of His ears or, for that matter, any other faculty. The Upanishad tells us that He is able to hear without ears, see without eyes, run without legs.

Snakes for Ear Rings!

Aadishesha might not have ears—but his eternal companion in the Lord's service, Garuda, indeed has beautiful ears. And these ears are adorned by unique kundalams, long, soft and supple—none other than snakes. Great snakes known as Padmam and Maha Padmam adorn Garuthman's right and left ears, says Swami Desikan, who had the great good fortune of seeing Garuda in person and obtaining from him the precious Hayagreeva mantram—

" Padmam karne apasavye prathi bhavati Maha Padmanyatra bibhrat

Choodaayaam shankha paalam gulikamapi bhuje dakshine Pakshimalla:"

Bells in the Ears!

Talking of ear adornments, have you heard of Ghantaakarnan, who was so called because he adorned his ears with bells? These were not mere adornments, but had a definite and diabolic purpose. When everyone in their right mind prays for the Lord's names to be always filling one's ears, this Ghantaakarnan hated Sriman Narayana so much that hearing the Lord's name was like pouring molten lead into his ears. He therefore hung bells from his ears and would violently shake his ears, making them ring loudly, whenever someone uttered the holy names of Vishnu within his earshot. He was however a great Shiva bhakta. Due to the accidental association with a Vishnu bhakta, Ghantaakarnan developed a desire for liberation and went to Kailaasam to seek the same from Siva. Since Moksham can be conferred only by Sriman Narayana ("Moksham icchet Janaardanaat"), Siva directed Ghantaakarna to approach Sriman Narayana with his request. The scales fell from Ghantaakarnan's eyes and he repented deeply for his unreasonable hatred of Vishnu. He untied the bells from his ears and tied them to his hands, wanting for ever to fill his ears with the nectar of Bhagavan naama. When he performed Sharanaagati to the Lord, Sriman Narayana blessed him with liberation, despite his avowed and long-standing enmity towards the Lord.

Adornments to the Ear are on the principal list of jewels of every lady worth the name. We have never seen a girl or lady with her ears un-pierced or unadorned. "Todu" ranging from plastic ones to diamond ear rings, depending upon the economic status of the female, are an indispensable part of female attire. (My wife, who is reading this over my shoulder as it is being typed, tells me that it is time we bought diamond ear rings for our daughter, which appear to be a sine qua non for Sri Vaishnavite marriages) We are hence not surprised to find ear rings figuring prominently on Sri Andal's list of jewels, to be worn at the end of Maargazhi Vratam—"Soodagame, tol valaye, Tode, sevippove, paadagame endru anaya palkalanum yaam anivom". Ear rings are one of the five hallmarks of a "Sumangali", the other four being a "tilakam" on the forehead, use of turmeric, bangles and Mangala Sootram ("thaali")

Born from the Ear!

We have seen how beautiful the Lord's ears are. What about those of His Consorts, especially those of Bhoo Devi? Vedas tell us that since Bhoo Devi is none other than Mother Earth, Her ears represent projections from earth—specifically, anthills (known in Sanskrit as "Valmeekam") are said to be Her ears. Just as mountains are said to be Her breasts and the vast seas Her attire ("Kaaraar varai kongai kannaar kadal udukkai"), anthills are veritably Her ears. Since he emerged after a long penance from the anthills which the ants had built around him, the author of Srimad Ramayanam came to be known as Vaalmeeki—"Valmeekata: shravanato Vasudhaatmana:" says Swami Desikan in Godastuti. We thus see that while the Lord's ears gave birth to asuras like Madhu, Kaitapa, Loka and Kantaka, His Consort's ears originated Maharshis and good people!

Purity personified!

The relative importance of Ears among the various parts of the body is evident, when we find that they are considered to be places of purity. A Braahamana's right ear, especially, is supposed to be a repository of holy waters like the Ganga, and, as such, extremely pure. When water is not available for purificatory rituals like Aachamanam, Smritis tell us that it is enough if we touch the tip of our nose and our right ear, while uttering the Pranavam

"Gangaadyaa: dakshine karne naasikaagre Hutaasana:

Ubhou api sakrit sprishtvaa tat kshanaat eva shudhyati"

This procedure, which confers on us instant purity, is known as a "Shrotra Aachamanam".

This is further borne out by the fact that whenever a vaidika karma is performed and the "Pavithram" worn on the ring finger is to be temporarily kept somewhere, it is to be placed only on the upper portion of the right ear. Parking the Pavitram anywhere else in the body renders it impure and unusable—

"Dehe nikshiptam anyatra dakshina shravanaat tyajet" (Saccharitra Sudha Nidhi)

And when we perform excretory functions, when we are supposed to keep our Yagnopaveetam out of the way, the sacred thread is supposed to be rolled up and kept on top of the right ear, again signifying the latter's purity.

"Cut them off!" says Sri Rama

Again, Ears are supposed to be such an important part of the body, that cutting off an offender's ears was deemed to be an exemplary punishment. We find such retribution being meted out to Soorpanakha, in the Ramavatara. Cutting off a woman's ears was supposed to inflict mortification and ignominy. No wonder Soorpanakha ran to her brother Raavana to complain and seek revenge!

The Ears appear to have an inalienable association with the Lord. We have seen above how His ears originated the four Directions. During the purificatory ritual of Aachamanam, when several body parts are supposed to be touched with the ring finger while uttering various names of the Lord, we find that the ears are to be touched with the holy names, "Trivikrama and Vamana".

Star of the Ear

We come next to the Shravana Nakshatram. "Shravanam", as we know, refers both to Ears and to the act of listening. We are told that those born under this Nakshatram are adept at listening and learning. This constellation signifies eternal quest of knowledge. In yet another association, we find that this is the Lord's own nakshatram—so much so that He is addressed by Periazhwar as "Tiruvonatthaan". Considering the association between ears and the Lord, it comes as no surprise to us to find that Vaamana and Hayagreeva descended to earth on that day. Attesting further to its divinity, it is the aphorism under which Poigayaazhwar, Swami Desikan and Sri Pillai Lokaacharya took birth in this world, to emancipate innumerable souls through their words of wisdom.

"For Your Ears Only"

Normally, good things should be shouted from the roof tops, so that the maximum number of people can hear and benefit. However, there are certain matters like Mantras, which are to be kept confidential and whispered into the ears of the beneficiary, without even a third person hearing it. The upadesam of Gaayatri mantram is done even today in this fashion, with a silk cloth thrown over the heads of the father (who performs the upadesam) and that of the son (who receives the mantra). Thus, the upadesam of mantras is to be done with only four ears in attendance—two of the giver and two of the receiver and no fifth or sixth ears (meaning a third party) are permitted—"Ashatkarnam". This is borne out by the dictum quoted by Swami Desikan in Srimad Rahasyatrayasaaram—"Mantram yatnena gopayet"—esoteric formulations are to be kept a closely-guarded secret, with strenuous effort therefor.

 

 

Did Ramanuja shout mantras from rooftop?

This brings us to the question of Sri Ramanuja's conduct at Tiruggoshtiyur—he is supposed to have acquired the Ashtaakshara mantram from his Acharya Tiruggoshtiyur Nambi, with considerable effort, having been made to walk from Srirangam to Tiruggoshtiyur no less than 18 times. And it was this holiest of holy mantras that Ramanuja is supposed to have shouted out from atop the temple gopuram, for all and sundry to hear, with the apparent intention of benefiting all. We wonder whether Ramanuja would have violated such a sacred trust reposed in him by his Guru, with the specific injunction that the mantram should not be parted with except through proper means and to the appropriate person, after comprehensively testing the receiver's eligibility. And now some well-intentioned soul has even erected a statue of Ramanuja on the gopuram, apparently lending credence to the tale.

The fact of the matter is that Ramanuja, with his strong tradition of obedience to his Gurus and implicit adherence to Shastras, would never have taken such a drastic step. Apart from ordaining the secrecy of mantras to be preserved zealously, Shastras also tell us that spiritual enlightenment should never be given unsolicited. Such indiscriminate dissemination of Aatma gnaanam would benefit neither the giver nor the receiver and may often prove counterproductive, resulting in loss of longevity and riches, says the Smriti—"aprakaasa prakaasaabhyaam ksheeyate sampat aayushi". It is therefore inconceivable that Bhaashyakara would have willfully disobeyed both the Shastras and his Guru's advice, displaying callous disregard for both. What is more likely is that he would have indeed addressed the people from the gopuram, in a bid to spread the good word of supremacy of Sriman Narayana and the need for engaging oneself in spiritual endeavours like naama smaranam and sankeertanam, the need for adherence to saamaanya dharma, etc.

Point of Entry

The Lord is so enamoured of His devotees that He seeks proximity to them not only at the mental level, but on a physical plane too. He is extremely fond of being one with them. We only have to look at the way He crowded in with the three Mudal Azhwars at Tirukkoilur on that stormy night. Similarly, Sri Nammazhwar tells us that the Lord entered into his body, desiring a physical closeness with Azwar—"ennul pugundaan". And when we see how the Lord enters Azhwar's body, we find that of the nine entrances that the body has ("uromam veyndu onbadu vaasal taanudai kurambai"), it is the ear that the Lord chooses for His grand entrance. This is no mere idle speculation, but has been recorded by Azhwar himself in Periya Tiruvandaadi--

"Bhuviyum iru visumbum nin agattha—nee en

Seviyin vazhi pugundu ennullaai—avivindri

Yaan periyan nee periyai enbadanai yaar arivaar

Oon parugu nemiyaai ullu"

Enough of the Ear!

Well, we could perhaps go on chronicling the significance of ears. However, people would stop lending me their ears, as this article has crossed ten pages in length. Shall we stop here then, with just one more quote that amply demonstrates the greatness of the ears and of the faculty of listening—"Kattralil kettale nandru". This old adage tells us that absorption of wisdom is better done through the Ears, hearing to elders and teachers, rather than by mere perusal of text books. This is all the more applicable to Vedic studies, where the sounds are to be imbibed only through listening, consequently bestowing the scripture itself with the name "Shruti"—that which is to be propagated and learnt only through listening.

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paaduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri NarayanaYatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

dasan, sadagopan

 

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Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan
http://www.sadagopan.org




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