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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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