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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Abuse and Adulation

Most of the things and concepts in this world are relative: but for a few 
tenets which we hold absolute, all others are interpreted with reference to the 
time, place, person and context. If we take Dharma or righteousness for 
instance, it differs from Yuga to Yuga, the requirements of Krita Yuga being 
vastly different from those of the current Kali Yuga. Dharma differes too from 
person to person, the King having duties entirely dissimilar to those of a 
trader or farmer. Similarly, what is Dharma in a particular context may not 
hold good for other situations. For instance, the primary requirement of 
honesty is waived, if the situation is such that it would involve a life being 
lost, whether one's own or others'. The purpose of this piece is to divine Sri 
Kodai Nacchiar's tiruvuLLam, when She apparently calls Sri Krishna all sorts of 
names, the most insulting of which is perhaps "Dharumam ariyA Kurumban" (the 
miscreant devoid of all sense of right and wrong).

Azhwars are exemplary bhaktas, with nothing but unalloyed love, affection and 
devotion for the Lord. Their infatuation with the Lord and His endearing 
attributes is phenomenal, each of His characteristics appearing to them to be 
beyond compare. They wax eloquent on every single aspect of His kalyana gunas, 
losing themselves totally in their unfathomed depths. It is therefore 
inconceivable that any of their outpourings should contain even a single 
derogatory reference to the Lord, however remote, whether implicit or by 
inference. It is in this context that Sri Andal's reference to "Dharumam ariyA 
Kurumban" too has to be viewed.

Sri AmudanAr says in IrAmAnusa NoottrandAdi that words of abuse from the 
ignorant and uninitiated should be deemed indeed as praise-"isayakillA 
manakkuttra mAndar pazhikkil pugazh". For instance, if a nototrious criminal 
were to pass a disparaging comment about the sentencing judge for his 
arbitration, it could be very well construed as a compliment to the arbiter's 
impartial implementation of statutory provisions. If a fool abuses a vidvAn as 
being ignorant, the latter could justifiably accept the abuse as an accolade.
The same analogy holds good for Azhwars too, when they apparently call the Lord 
uncomplimentary names. Even if Azhwars are neither ignorant (far from it, they 
have been blessed with unblemished wisdom) or biased, whatever they say about 
the Lord has to be adulatory, anything appearing otherwise being merely a 
matter of interpretation. Thus, even if a particular appellation addressed by 
an Azhwar appears uncomplimentary, it merely masks an accolade.

If Sri Andal really feels that the Lord is an unrighteous urchin, why would She 
pine day and night to wed Him and record the same for posterity too in such 
prabandams as "VAraNamAyiram"? And why should She go to considerable trouble 
and expense to offer Him 100 huge pots of butter and "akkAravadisil" (whether 
She Herself did it or had it done by Sri Ramanuja)? Unless all She felt for the 
Lord was unalloyed affection and admiration, She would hardly have devoted 143 
nectarine pasurams in His praise. Taking all this together, we would have to 
conclude that the lone reference to "Dharmam ariyA Kurumban" too is indeed 
adulatory, albeit it may appear otherwise, prima facie.

The Lord is the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, the Emperor of all 
Emperors-"RajAdhi RAja: SarvEshAm". The role of any King is to preserve the 
rule of law in his territory. This involves rewarding the righteous and 
punishing the delinquents. Establishment of Dharma on a firm footing 
necessarily comprises of both protecting the good and destroying the wicked, as 
the Lord Himself lays down in the Gita-"ParitrANAya sadhUnAm, vinAsAya cha 
dushkritAm, dharma samstthApanArtthAya sambhavAmi yugE yugE". Though it is a 
two-fold function, while the Lord performs SAdhu paritrANAm with boundless joy, 
to destroy anyone is anathema to Him, which He does as an unavoidable chore 
incidental to the main purpose of preservation of Dharma.

We thus find that it is the duty of the Lord, His Dharma, to weed out the 
wicked. However, He is loathe to performing this unpleasant task and prefers to 
look the other way, wherever the offences of His devotees are concerned-"Bhakta 
dOshEshu adarsanam", as pointed out by Swami Desikan. Even if we sinners commit 
a hundred transgressions, He magnanimously forgets them-"na smarati apakArANAm 
satamapi AtmavattayA" (Srimad Ramayanam). Thus the Lord hardly performs His 
appointed role of the Universal Father, intent on meting out just punishment 
for all infringements, major and minor. For all practical purposes, He adopts 
the role of a lenient mother, saying to Himself, "Boys will be boys!", whenever 
His deovtees commit some misdemeanour or the other. Instead of awarding them 
appropriate punishment, He brings them to the notice of a merciful Acharya, who 
takes the sinners under his wing and brings them back to the straight path 
leading to Paramapadam, through repentance and adoption of strategies like 
Bhakti or Prapatti.

Therefore, Sri Andal finds that the Lord has all but forgotten His Dharma of 
being the punitive Arbiter, dealing out just reprisal to all offenders, and, 
instead, turns a blind eye to their transgressions. The Lord's line of argument 
is that if He were to strictly invoke every rule in the divine statute, there 
would be none left in this wide world, who would be beyond the sweep of 
rigorous retribution. It is for this reason that He has almost abandoned His 
Dharma of awarding exemplary punishment to His devotees for their various acts 
of commission and omission. And this is why Sri Andal calls Him affectionately 
as "Dharumam ariyA Kurumban", the Judge who has forgotten His gavel and 
sentencing procedures. We thus see that what appears prima facie to be a mortal 
insult being hurled at the Supreme Lord of the Universe, turns out in fact to 
be an encomium par excellence.

Having seen the justification in Sri Andal's words, we must also see who has 
made the Lord the "Dharumam ariyA Kurumban" He is accused or adulated to be. It 
is said that Periya Piratti knows not what punishment is, however great be the 
offence-"nityam agyAta nigrahAm" and is said to be the personification of 
benefaction-"Anugraha mayeem". It is to the tunes of this lovely lady that the 
Lord dances forever, according to Sri Koorattazhwan-"tat ingita parAdhIna:"
If we take Sri Bhoomi Devi, She is the embodiment of infinite tolerance, so 
much so that even the Lord's patience is compared to Hers-"KshamayA prithivI 
sama:". And the other Consort, Sri Nila Devi, seduces Emperuman with Her wily 
charms such that He has nary a glance to spare for the sins of mortals like us. 
Sri Andal being the synthesis of all the three NacchimArs, is thus Herself 
responsible for the Lord forgetting His Dharma of punitive reaction and turning 
out to be a "Dharumam ariyA Kurumban".

Another of Sri Kodai's apparent insults, "Puram pOl uLLum kariyAn" (one who is 
as black of the heart as He is of the skin) is similarly an adulation in 
disguise. The Lord's exterior resembles a black, rainbearing cloud-"mEgha 
shyAmam" says the prelude to the Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra, with which all 
Azhwars are in unanimous agreement, describing Him variously as "Mugil vaNnan", 
"Kar mEgha vaNNan" etc. Inside too, the Lord is akin to a rain cloud, which is 
ready to precipitate a shower of mercy at the slightest provocation, and most 
of the times, without any provocation too. Thus, He resembles the rain-bearing 
cloud, bringing cheer and joy to parched earth and poverty-stricken humanity, 
as much in His interior as His black exterior. This is what prompts Sri Andal 
to praise Him as a blackie, in and out. 

When we think of Sri Andal and Her bewtiching bridal mysticism, we are indeed 
moved beyond measure by Her ananya bhakti, growing up with the Lord occupying 
every waking moment of Hers and even Her dreams, devoting Her mind, body and 
soul solely to Him, rebelling even at the thought of relationships with mortals 
("mAnidavarkku endru Agil vAzhakillEn kandAi ManmathanE"), considering 
Emperuman to be Her all ("uNNum sOru parugum neer tinnum vettrilai yAvum Kannan 
Emperuman"), loving Him beyond measure, ecstatical when in His company and 
desolated when deserted by Him even for a second and living out the tenet 
"KannanukkE Amadu kAmam". Azhwars like Sri Nammazhwar and Sri Kalian might pose 
to be ParAnkusa nAyaki and ParakAla nAyaki : they are however poor pretenders 
at best when compared to Sri Kodai, for it is only She who can voice with any 
authority the authentic feelings of joy and misery which a girl feels in the 
company or the absence of Her beloved. Is it any wonder that Acharyas have felt 
that Andal's outpourings are indeed what the Upanishads are comprised 
of-"Shruti shata shira: siddham adhyApayantI" and form the very basis of the 
venerated Shruti-"Vedam anaitthukkum vitthAgum Kodai tamizh"? 

"VaN Puduvai nagar Kodai malar padangaL vAzhiyE"

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









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