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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:



"Smile, Please!"



Doctors say that a smile does us a power of good. They follow it up with 
statistics to show that it takes almost a hundred muscles toassume an 
expression of anger, whereas the number required for a smile is much less. Even 
the normally humourless Incometax Department has tried to cash in on the 
ubiquitous smile, with its catchy slogan, "File, Smile and Go"(it is however a 
moot point whether anyone would still be in a position tosmile after an 
interview with one's Incometax Inspector). We are very particular, while posing 
for photographs, that we should be shot with a smile on our face, for we would 
like posterity to remember us as benign, amicable specimens of humanity. We 
have heard of smiles that launched a thousand ships and of enigmatic smiles 
like that of Mona Lisa, in unravelling the purport of which people have spent 
futile hours.



Somehow, we tend to associate a smile more with women than men. Perhaps the 
male population is too weighed down with familial care to smileoften. This is 
not to say that ladies are any the less responsible, but smiles somehow appear 
more natural on the fairer sex than on their harder counterparts. Whole 
treatises have been written about ladies and their smiles.A smile enhances 
considerably the attractiveness of a woman, says Sri Tirumangai Mannan-"vAl 
nilA muruval sirunudal perunthOL mAdarAr", attesting to how difficult it is not 
to be floored by the radiant smiles of delightful damsels. Ladies' laughter 
could also be dangerous, as the Mahabharata teaches us: the Kurukshetra war 
appears to have had its genesis in the intemperate laughter of Draupati, 
occasioned by DuryOdanA's inability to distinguish between land and water, 
while on a visit to the wonderful hall constructed specially for the Pandavas 
at Indraprasta, by the divine architect Maya.(Vide MahAbhArata SabhA parva)



When we come to think of it, we find that Scripture has quite a few smiles and 
laughs embedded in it. One would be surprised, for the popular perception is 
that of ithAsAs and purAnAs being heavy and sober stuff. Let's look for a few 
smiles then.



When somebody smiles at us in derision, we feel quite infuriated. It is this 
feeling that Sri Yasoda tries to exploit, when she exhorts herboisterous brat 
to have a much-needed bath. Sri Krishna's tirumEni is a deep hue of black. 
Adding to this is the grime and dust of horseplay with fellow cowherds. None 
needs to announce the arrival of this Ayar kozhundu, forthe smell of milk, 
curds and butter wafts ahead of the little Lord, wherever He goes. He just 
smells. Sri Yasoda, like all mothers desiring fair-skinned offspring, does 
harbour a grievance that her son is a blackie. Even black could be beautiful, 
if properly cared for by timely and frequent baths, staying in the shade, 
applying appropriate creams, etc. However, Sri Krishna is absolutely 
uncooperative in all this. Even getting Him to bathe daily is quite an arduous 
task, as Periazhwar recounts in "VeNnai aLainda kuNungum". Having used all 
persuasive measures for bringing the elusive Krishna tothe bathtub, Sri Yasoda 
tells Him finally that His girl friend Nappinnai would surely smile at Him in 
derision, if He persisted in looking grimy and unwashed-"Nappinnai kANil 
sirikkum". This ruse proves effective and Krishnacomes running immediately. 
This only goes to prove the power of the ladies' smile and the fact that even 
the Lord Himself is not proof against the bewitching smile of His ladylove. It 
is not that all smiles, derisive or otherwise, are equally effective. An 
earlier threat by the same Yasoda in the same decad, that Gopa girls would 
surely laugh at Him ("cheppiLa men mulayArgaL siru puram pEsi sirippar") if He 
remained dirty and unwashed, leaves the Lord unmoved, while the possibility of 
Nappinnai's derisive smile galvanizes Him into having a cleansing dip.



The Lord's smile is something the entire world longs to look at. It is no 
insincere baring of the lips as is usual in most cases, but is a beautiful, 
beaming and bona fide smile, which gladdens the heart of the onlooker. It is 
filled with compassion, goodwill and affection, and touches the innermost 
corners of the heart, generating instant and overwhelming bliss. If the Nitya 
SUris of Sri Vaikuntam keep their eyes fixedforever on the Lord ("SadA pasyanti 
sooraya:"), surely this bewitching smile on His magnificent visage must be the 
reason! This is why Sri KrishnAshtakam characterises the Lord's smile as 
"ChAruhAsam". 



For those who missed this enthralling spectacle enacted during the Vibhava 
avatArAs, the Lord at various divya desams, in His arcchA form, still continues 
to wear the same beautiful smile, if only one cares to look closely. Acase in 
point is Sri Parthasarathy of ThiruvallikkENi. Whoever looks at the majestic 
countenance is rewarded with a broad and beaming smile, accentuated by the 
roguish moustache the Lord sports. Cartoonists would agree that the best way to 
make a person look sad and depressed is to paint him with adrooping moustache. 
In contrast, the one adorning Sri Parthasarathy's visage curls upwards at the 
ends, bestowing Him with a virtually beaming expression. And those who have 
visited the Govindarajan Sannidhi at Tiruppathi would attest to the benign and 
beautiful smile of the TayAr, saying so much with just a simple smile. 
Unfortunately, most of the sanctum sanctorums are not well lit, with the result 
that we are unable to appreciate the Lord's smiling face at most of the 
divyadesams.



Sri Alavandar is so captivated by the Lord's smile, that he characterises it as 
"suchi"-pure and unadulterated. Swami Desikan, expanding on this phrase, quotes 
the saying, "smayan iva nripa: hanti". You can't really believe Kings-they 
would be sporting a smile one moment, but the next, they would order your 
execution with the same smile still in place. In contrast, the Lord's smile is 
the genuine article and is filled with nothing but goodwill and mercy for the 
suffering mankind. The Lord's smile comes as soothing balm to those tormented 
by the travails of samsara, says the Poushkara Samhita-

"Poorva karma anala ArtAnAm dhyAyatAm khEda shAntayE

svadantE induchayOtthEna hlAdayan gOgaNEna tu" 



Both the Kousheetaki Upanishad and the "Soozh visumbu ani mugil" decad of 
Tiruvaimozhi provide a graphic account of the enthusiastic welcome the Jeevatma 
is accorded upon his entry into SriVaikuntam. 

After being greeted by the various nitya sUrIs and others with flowers, when 
the Jeeva approaches the Lord, ensconced on His snake-bed, the ultimate welcome 
is provided by the Lord Himself, who beckons to the Jeeva to come closer. While 
doing so, the Lord greets the Atma with a warm smile of welcome, says Sri 
Bhashyakara, in his Vaiknta Gadyam-

"Sasmitam Ahooya". From this phrase, one gets the impression that the 
invitation to come closer and to ascend the Paryankam (snake bed) is conveyed 
bythe precious smile itself, without words being used. Thus the "inviting 
smile" is another aspect of the Lord's beauty.



Depending on one's own frame of mind, one is able to read a wealth of meaning 
into the Lord's smile, especially at divya desams like Thiruvallikkeni, where 
the Lord wears a beautiful smile. When one has committed an infringement 
recently, the smile seems to be tinged with annoyance or remonstration.When we 
find an occasion to be of service to His devotees, the very same smile appears 
to convey appreciation and approval. And when we find ourselves unable to toe 
the right path laid down by the Shastras, the Lord's smile seems to be laced 
with sadness and despair at the incorrigibility of the human nature, despite 
any amount of guidance provided by generations of merciful Acharyas. He appears 
to be smiling ruefully at the propensity of the errant human race to ignore 
divine injunctions and to persist in sinning, despite the numerous avatArAs He 
had taken for curing it of its delinquent ways-

"maNmisai yOnigaL tOrum pirandu, engal MAyavanE

kaNNura nirkilum kANagillA ulagOrkaL"



It is not only the Lord who wears a smile-the arcchA tirumEni of Swami Desikan 
at Thooppul wears a beatific smile too. We cannot but be captivated by the 
Acharya's prasanna vadanam, which appears to reflect the eternal bliss that he 
is enjoying in the service of the Lord at Paramapadam. It is also indicative of 
the immeasurable contentment and vairAgya Swami Desikan displayed during his 
sojourn of five score and odd years on this earth, spurning riches and honours 
for the pleasure afforded by Bhagavat BhAgavata kainkaryam. We agree cent 
percent with Sri Kumara VaradAcharya's mangalasasnam- "nin thoomuruval koNda 
mukham vAzhi!"



In recent times, however, Swami Desikan's smile also appears to be laced with 
irony. The inability of the Thooppul temple establishment to cope with the 
mounting expenses and dwindling income has made those in charge of the 
administration throw up their hands in despair and appeal to Swami Desikan 
himself to shower upon them the wherewithal for running the temple without any 
let up in daily TiruvArAdhanam or utsavAms. Swami Desikan seems to smileback at 
them, apparently saying," When I was in your world, I did not carefor the 
untold wealth that sought me out, firm in the belief that my only wealth was 
the Emperuman at Hasthigiri ("asti mE HastisailAgrE vastu paitAmaham dhanam"). 
Do you expect me to strive for funds for my own tiruvArAdhanam now?"



As beneficiaries of the Acharya's munificence in showing us an easy and 
effective path to liberation, it behoves us to ensure that the daily worship of 
Swami Desikan at his own avatAra stthalam of Thooppul is not hampered by funds 
constraints and the corpus trust is replenished adequately, so that the 
tiruvArAdhanam can flourish unhindered for all time to come.



Coming back to the Lord's smile, we find that He is capable of not only a 
bewitching smile that gladdens the heart, but also a horribly harsh and 
loudlaughter, which strikes terror in the hearts of the unholy. Thus, 
comparedto His normal "ChAruhAsam", He also uses an "attahAsam" occasionally. 
In the NrsimhAvatara, we are told that the Lord's laughter was terrifyingly 
loud and made the whole world shake on its foundations and effectively killed 
Hiranyakasipu, even before he was physically dead-"satA patala bheeshaNE 
sarabhasa attahAsa udbhatE" says Swami Desikan in Sri KAmAsikAshtakam, 
attesting to the variety of the Lord's laughter.



Have you ever laughed at yourself? There is any number of lessons on practical 
living, to be learnt from Azhwars' sreesooktis. One of these is the ability to 
smile or laugh at one's own behaviour. When we indulge in hypocritical conduct, 
especially in the spiritual realm, we realise that irrespective of how good an 
act we put on, we can never pull wool over the ubiquitous eyes of the Lord, who 
is present at very close quarters as our antaryAmi, watching every action of 
ours. Thus our very attempt to con the unconnable Lord brings to our lips a 
derisive smile of disgust at our own deceit and duplicity. The following 
ThirumAlai pasuram teaches us to laugh at ourselves-

"uLLatthE urayaum MAlai uLLuvAn uNarvu ondu illA

kaLlatthEn nAnum tondAi tondukkE kOlam pooNdu

uLLuvAr uLLittru ellAm udan irundu aridi endrE

veLgi pOi ennuLE nAn vilavara siritthittEnE"



If we do not learn the art of smiling at ourselves, and initiating due 
corrective action in our conduct, we would land ourselves in a position where 
others would laugh at us, for this world has the rather nasty habit of laughing 
at the foibles of others while being blissfully unaware of its own.

However, once we are convinced of the righteousness of our conduct, we should 
persevere on our course, oblivious to the amusement of people who do notshare 
our thoughts. Staunch devotees of the Lord, who indulge in song, dance and 
other types of exuberant behaviour, unable to contain the ecstasy occasioned by 
the Lord's sweet name and thought, are usually laughed at by worshippers of 
Mammon. Notwithstanding this, they stick faithfully to their chosen path and 
are ultimately venerated even by the Celestials, says Sri Nammazhwar, 
confirming that it is not always bad to be laughed at-



"VAr punal anthaN aruvi Vada ThiruvEnkatatthu endai

pEr pala solli pidattri pitthar endrE pirar koora

oor pala pukkum pugAdum ulOgar sirikka nindru Adi

Arvam perugi kunippAr amarar tozhappaduvArE"



If the Lord laughs at us, then so do we, at Him. We smile at His naiveté in 
believing that we can be brought around to toe the perfect path, irrespective 
of the innumerable innings of sin we have had on this earth.

We laugh at His perseverance in trying to ensure our liberation, despite our 
determination to wallow in the mundane morass. We are amused at His untiring 
efforts in taking any number of avatArAs, in being born amongst us as fish, 
boar, turtle and Man, for the sole purpose of inspiring and guiding usthrough 
His exemplary conduct.



It is a moot point as to who will have the last laugh-ourselves or the Lord.



Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana 
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, sadagopan.







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





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