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srI:
SrI sAra sAram â I (56)
--
I â ThirumantrAdhikAram
--
The Significance of ânArAyaNanAyaâ
---
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 âpallANDu, pallANDu!â? SwAmi Desikan takes up this question for
discussion:
âmuktanukku anishTa-prasangkamum bhrAnti-prasangkamum inRikkE ISvaranum
nitya-niranishTanAi avAptha-samstha-kAmanAyirukka âsoozhnthirunthEtthuvar
pallANDEâ enna vENDiRRu ennennil, ithu anishTa-nivruttyAdikaLai
prayOjanamAkak koNDAthal ajnAtthaik kAraNamAkak koNDAthal varumathanRu.
Ivanukku SrutikaLiR conna sAmagAnAdikaLaip pOlE ithu oru
svacchanda-pravrutti-viSEsham.â ----
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 âLong live
the Lord!â, as stated by SrI PeriyAzhvAr in his Thirumozhi:
âsoozhnthirunthEtthuvar pallANDEâ? Let us see the verse in full:
âpallANDenRu pavithranai paramETTiyai sArngamennum
villANDAn thannai villipuththoor viTTucchitthan virumbiya sol
nallANDenRu navinRuraippAr namO nArAyaNAya venRu
pallANDum paramAtmanaic coonthirunthEtthvar pallANDE.â (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 âLong live the Lord!â.
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, âpallANDuâ. Traditionally it is
known as âmangaLASAsanamâ.
Here, another question is raised: The mukta jIvas are part of the
assembly of nitya sooris in SrIvaikuNTam, singing âmangaLASAsanamâ 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:
âasthAna-rakshA-vyasanikaL enRu nityasoorikaLaic connathuvum
asthAna-bhayaSamkai-yuDaiyArkkuLLa parivuDaiyavarkaL enRapaDi.â ---
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 âasthAna-rakshAâ â 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:
âingu uLLArkku asthAna-bhayaSankai uNDAmathu bhakti-viSEshamaDiyAka
varukaiyAlE guNamAm.â ---
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:
âarccAvathArAdikaLil prANikaLuDaiya karma-anuroopamAka prAdur-bhAvamum
upEkshaiyum naDakkiRathAkaiyAlE, âstriyO vruddhAstaruNyaScaâ
ithyAdikaLiRpaDiyE mangkaLASAsanmum saphalam.â ---
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, âstriyO vruddhAstaruNyaScaâ. The SlOka in full:
âstriyO vruddhAstaruNyaSca sAyam prAtah samAhitAh /
sarvAn dEvAn namasyanti rAmasyArthE manasvinah //â (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:
âappOthu nipuNarAi iruppAr, ârakshatu tvAmâ ityAdikaLiRpaDiyE avan
thannayE koNDu mangaLASAsanam paNNuvArkaL. ippadi engum kaNDukoLvathu.â --
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:
ârakshatu tvAmaSEshANAm bhootAnAm prabhavO harih /
yasya nAbhisamudbhootapankajAdabhavajjagat //â (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,
âThou should take care of Thyselfâ 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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