Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
The Con Artiste
All of us would have fallen for the pitch of a Con Artiste, sometime or the
other and however cautious we are. The confidence trickster who has perfected
his art is so eminently believable that we end up buying junk bonds or
worthless appliances at many times their normal price. At the least, we might
lend money to this person, carried away by his credible spiel, persuading
ourselves that we are helping some worthy cause. There have been instances of
gullible investors having bought the Eiffel Tower and the Washington Monument,
believing implicitly in the title of the seller with the apparently impeccable
credentials.
We wouldn't be surprised to learn that the confidence trick is as old as the
hills and has been practiced by eminent exponents of the art, from time
immemorial.
As in everything else, it is the Lord who leads the pack, when it comes to the
question of obtaining things on false premises. Who would be able to forget the
trick He played on the unsuspecting MahAbali, who, from being the undisputed
Emperor of the three worlds, was reduced to a pauper without a pinhead of land
to call his own? When the Lord came to his YAgashAla in the form of a
beautiful, three-foot tall Brahmachari , Mahabali was honoured to receive the
VAmana , so obviously taken in by the latter's demeanour that he intemperately
promised to give the diminutive figure whatever he wanted, despite the advice
of his Acharya.
And he made fun of the Brahmachari for asking for just three feet of land, that
too measured with his own tiny foot-a mere nothing, compared to what Mahabali
was prepared to offer. The deceitful Brahmachari was insistent on his demand
and Mahabali gave him what he wanted, wondering at the propensity of some to
ask for mere baubles, when the giver was prepared to part with riches beyond
imagination, in the manner of some devotees praying to the Lord for material
boons, when the latter is prepared to grant Moksha itself, just for the asking.
However, it was only when the innocent student started measuring the land that
the truth came out. Growing from a diminutive dwarf into a gigantic figure
encompassing the broad canvass of the earth and skies, the Lord measured all
the lower worlds with one colossal tiruvadi and the upper ones with the other,
leaving Mahabali in debt for the third foot of the Promised Land. Wouldn't you
agree now that the Lord Himself is the first and foremost con artiste in
recorded history?
Bhagavatas should not rise up in arms at this apparent insult to Emperuman. I
am only repeating what Azhwars, and principally Sri Nammazhwar, has to say
about the whole episode-
"ariyAmai KuraLAi nilam MAvali moovadi endru
ariyAmai vanchitthAi"
A tasty titbit here for the connoisseur -being a habitual donor, used to giving
munificently all that is sought by Bhaktas, the Lord is entirely unused to
asking for alms. This is reflected in the phraseology of His request for the
three feet of land, and in the improper alignment of the words. Against the
normal "Mavali! moovadi nilam tA", the Lord, unused to seeking bhikshA, says
"nilam mAvali moovadi tA"
Azhwar reminds the Lord of His unsavoury deed by calling Him "vanjanE"(Thou
Deceiver!")-"gyAlam koLvAn KuraL Agiya vanjanE".
There are several people who have taken a leaf from the Lord's book, as far as
disguise, deception, dishonesty and duplicity are concerned, though precious
few ever emulate His other sterling deeds. We have the example of MArIchA, who,
prompted by gratitude towards and fear of Ravana, took the form of a bewitching
golden deer to lure away Sri Rama and His brother, to facilitate the abduction
of Sri Mythili. The extraordinarily beautiful deer had brilliant gems adorning
the tips of its horns, silver spots enhancing its golden hue, an adorable
mixture of black and white playing on its face, its liquid brown eyes
resembling a lotus in full bloom, soft, flower-like ears, a raised neck
reminding one of a graceful dancer's and an upraised tail resembling a
colourful rainbow. It had a reddish glow like the early-morning Sun and spots
resembling shining stars. Anyone who had sighted this deer would have instantly
wanted to make it his or her own, to play with it, to pet it and make it one's
constant companion. It is no wonder therefore that Sri Janaki was mesmerised by
this wonderful animal and wanted to have it at any cost, with predictable
consequences. One might hence say that the asurA was extremely successful in
his mission, though he lost his life in the process as he himself had
anticipated.
In Act II of the same drama in Aranya Kanda, we come across another artistic
performance by an equally talented con artiste-none other than Dasamukha
Ravana, who hides nine of his heads and assumes the garb of a holy man, a
sanyAsi -"ParivrAjaka roopa dhrik". With becoming ochre robes, long hair worn
in a jatA, an umbrella and wooden slippers, a staff that is the constant
companion of sanyAsis and a Kamandalu, Ravana is the very picture of
renunciation and the VEda ghOsham emanating from his lips adds credence to his
demeanour. Ravana could create such an impression on the innocent Sita devi
that She invited him into the Ashrama and offered him a seat and fruits. What
happened next is history.
The same Ramayana recounts the episode of another confidence trickster, Indra,
who, falling for the charms of Ahalya (patni of Goutama Maharshi), assumes the
very form of her husband to satisfy his desire. Ahalya is so taken in by the
identity in looks and behaviour that she falls an unwitting prey to Indra's
debauchery. It is noteworthy that this episode is recounted in the Aruna Prasna
of the TaittirIya Aranyakam.
If men could be such successful tricksters, could women be far behind? In fact,
with their natural reserve of histrionic talents, ladies make much better con
artistes than their male counterparts. Lest this should invite the ire of lady
readers, I would hasten to add that this is not my judgement, but that of Sri
BhAgavata Purana, which recounts in detail the bewitching form assumed by
PootanA at the behest of Kamsa, for killing the infant Krishna. "TAy uruvAgi
vanda pEy" says Sri Tirumangai Mannan, attesting to the endearing beauty of
Pootana, which was not that of a seductive siren, but one aimed at capturing
the attention and affection of an infant. Otherwise, she could have hardly got
past the stringent security in NandagOkulam, tightened further in the wake of
numerous attacks on the divine child from various quarters. She cuddled Krishna
with apparent love and in the most maternal of gestures, bared her poisonous
breast ("nanju amar mulai") to feed the boy. Alas, she knew not that the one
she was trying to trick, was Himself the Master of the art of trickery and
deception and its prime exponent, to wit. She had met more than her match in
the apparently helpless and innocent infant, described variously by His own
devotees as "Vanja KaLvan", "MAmAyan" etc. In suckling at her breast, Krishna
not only drank the toxic milk but also sucked out the RAkshasi's lifeblood
itself, making her fall lifeless to the ground. This is an object lesson for
con artistes to choose their victims with care, lest the hunter turn the prey.
However, Azhwars talk of another type of confidence tricksters, widely
prevalent in this world. These are more dangerous and more accomplished than
any of the specimens described above and have been practising their art from
time immemorial. Their trickery becomes all the more audacious, considering
that it is aimed at deceiving no less a person than the Lord and His devotees.
While the vast majority of SriVaishnavas are genuine people, there is a
minuscule percentage which sports all the outward signs of an ardent devotee.
They wear dvAdasa Urdhva pundrams, beads of lotus around their necks and all
other requisites of Sri Vaishnava svarUpam. To the uninformed onlooker, they
look verily like the Lord Himself come to the earth, with their eyes brimming
over with compassion, their words full of milk and honey and deeds apparently
in tune with their mission of mercy. The thoughts hiding in the dark recesses
of their hearts are however far from pure, filled with the basest of desires
and unholy strategies for their achievement. They harbour the most nefarious of
thoughts, posing all the while as paragons of perfection, purity and virtue.
According to Sri Tondaradippodi Azhwar, this type of tricksters is the worst of
the lot, seeking, as it does, to deceive the Lord Himself and His votaries
through the demeanour of divinity-
"uLLatthE urayum MAlai uLLuvAn uNarvu ondru illa
KaLlatthEn nAnum tondAi tondukkE kOlam poondu
ULLuvAr uLLittru ellAm udan irundu aridi endrE
VeLgi pOi ennuLe nAn vilavara chiritthittEnE"
The temerity of these con artists, seeking to pull wool over the eyes of the
Lord Himself, and their failure to realise that He knows each intimate thought
of theirs the moment it is conceived, so tickles Azhwar's sense of humour that
he bursts out into boisterous laughter at their futile audacity and impudence.
Taking stock of one's personal balance sheet is perhaps the most difficult of
endeavours. An honest appraisal of the sincerity or otherwise of the emotions
one displays towards Emperuman often eludes people like me. The only way to
turn one's assumed emotions of piety and devotion would perhaps be to enact
them with greater intensity, in the hope of their turning true sometime in the
future, made possible by the boundless compassion of the Lord, who might laugh
at our antics but never forsakes us for good. He might perhaps mark it up to
our credit that we at least feigned bhakti and being a "SatyakAma", will the
spurious emotion to be turned into the genuine article.
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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