Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
Emperuman and the Elephant
Of all the animals, the most fascinating is the elephant. Its sheer size makes
us stare at it in wonderment. The small beady eyes, totally disproportionate in
size to the rest of its body, the broad, fan-like ears, legs resembling huge
pillars, beautiful white tusks that are as much an adornment to the face as
deadly weapons, a soft, rubbery trunk that serves as a conveyor belt for
passing on food and drink into the cavernous mouth, the noisy trumpeting that
strikes fear in the timid-hearted, the huge torso resembling a hillock-all
these prompt us, irrespective of age, to stand and stare with enthralment.
Children, left to themselves, would probably spend all their waking hours
gawking at the pachyderm and would have to be literally dragged away from its
vicinity. And adults are not far behind in their fascination for the oversized
animal.
Whenever we search for an example for something huge, the first thing that
strikes us is the elephant. For all its size, the elephant is extremely
graceful in its movements and has a majestic gait. Poets are fond of comparing
the bearing of their heroes with that of an elephant ("Gaja Simha gatI
veerou"). In temple festivals too, the "YAnai vAhanam" is the favourite of many
devotees, with the Lord ensconced on the glittering golden elephant, with the
archaka riding close behind, attired in a flowing gown as a mahout, with a
funny headgear. I remember with nostalgia the days of the Thiruvallikkeni
Brahmotsavam, when, as children, we used to run along with the SrIpAdamtAngis
bearing the YAnai vAhanam, when they adopted a trot, to simulate an elephant on
the rampage.
It is therefore no wonder that Sri Thirumangai Mannan, searching for an apt
simile for the Lord, plumps for the elephant-
"VEdattai, Vedattin suvai payanai, vizhumia munivar vizhungum
KOdil in kaniyai nandanAr kaLittrai, kuvalayatthOr tozhudu Etthum
Adiyai amudai ennai ALudai appanai oppavar illA
mAdargaL vAzhum MAda mA Mayilai ThiruvallikkENi kandEnE"
Sri Parakalan compares the Lord to an elephant (KaLiru). He is not alone in
this. Even Sri Nammazhwar refers to the Lord with possessiveness as "en Anai"
(my own elephant). This sets us thinking. Though animals there are aplenty, why
should the Azhwars choose the elephant for comparing the Lord with? Not only
Azhwars, but Sri Sita Devi too likens Him to an elephant and Ravana to a puny
cat-"yadantaram hasti bidAlayO: vanE tadantaram DAsaratE: tathaiva cha" When we
turn our thoughts to the matter, we are struck by the several similarities
between Emperuman and the elephant:-
1.Anybody who looks at an elephant would never be satisfied with a single
glance. Even if we saw the animal just yesterday, our fascination never wanes
and we would not deny ourselves an opportunity to gape at it today too.
Similarly, Emperuman too is an "ArAvamudhu", affording the onlooker unalloyed
pleasure, making it impossible for him to pry his glance away from the Lord's
tirumEni. The Veda Purusha reports that the celestials, loath to losing even a
moment of visionary bliss, dare not wink their eyes while drinking in the
Lord's splendour-"sadA pasyanti sooraya:"
2.The pachyderm is known for its phenomenal strength and is often used to haul
extremely heavy cargo like wooden logs. The Lord too is renowned for His might
and "balam" or strength is counted as the second of His six principal
attributes ( gnAnam, balam, iyshwaryam, veeryam, shakti, tEja:).
3.In majesty of gait and deportment, the Lord is similar to an elephant.
Impressed with their dignified bearing, Sri Janaka's thoughts fly to the
elephant, immediately upon witnessing the brothers Rama advancing towards
him-"Gaja simha gatI veerou sArdoola vrishabhOpamou"
4. The elephant is totally uncontrollable and fiercely independent. No amount
of might can make it submissive, once it decides to be otherwise. The Lord too
is a "nirankusa svatantran", totally free and independent, beyond any sort of
control by anybody.
5. Despite its irrepressible nature, the elephant voluntarily submits to being
chained by its keeper, due to the love and affection he showers upon the
animal. It is thus amenable to control only through love. The independent Lord
too can be brought around by Bhakti. The omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent
Supreme Being can be tied down by a mere flimsy rope, the rope of selfless
love, as He demonstrated to Sri Yasoda, who was able to secure Him to the
grindstone, as a punishment for a minor misdemeanour-"KaNNi nuN siru thAmbinAl
kattuNNa paNNiya perumAyan".
6 For the observant, the elephant's eyes would appear to have a permanent tinge
of reddishness. So do the Lord's eyes-they are always red-lined, if we are to
believe Sri ThiruppAnAzhwar ("sevvari Odi neenda ap periavAya kaNgal")
7 For catching an elephant, people prepare deep pits and cover it over with
green leaves and twigs, into which the animal falls, attracted by the greenery
and unaware of what lies beneath it. The Lord too falls for even a mere show of
bhakti. Some of us (like me) adopt the mere outward symbols of a devotee, with
a mind filled with thoughts totally out of tune with the external affectations.
The Lord is so kind-hearted that He is pleased with even such insincere
imitations, pretends not to detect the underlying hypocrisy and showers us with
all that we seek. In fact, it is His proclaimed promise not to forsake even
those who come to Him only with feigned friendship and lip-service love-"Mithra
bhAvEna samprAptam na tyajEyam katanchana"
8 When in an ugly mood, the elephant can be pretty devastating. It can pick up
human beings like mere rag dolls with its mighty trunk and throw them to their
death, when in a rage. The normally peace-loving Lord too resorts to
destruction of the dastardly, as a means to preserving the rule of Dharma and
for the protection of the righteous. The sacking of Lanka, the killing of
Ravana and others of his ilk and the slaying of countless asurAs, are
testimonies to what destruction this divine elephant can wreak, if it is so
minded.
9 The elephant, mighty as it is, is extremely gentle with children, and many a
time picks them up like flowers and places them on its neck, giving them the
ride of their lives. The Lord too is not averse to displaying extreme
submissiveness towards His devotees. He is a "bhakta parAdheenan", totally at
the disposal and control of true devotees and delights in blessing them with
everything they can possibly require.
10 While feeding the elephant, we have to do it with due care and ensure that
it has all that it likes. A hungry or offended elephant can wreak unimaginable
havoc. Shastras say that while performing ArAdhanam to the Lord, we must
perform it as if we are doing it to a mighty elephant, with true devotion and
offering to Him all that we can afford, with love, affection and respect-"YathA
tu mada hastinam".
11 The elephant is credited with a long and sharp memory. It never forgets its
foes and gets even with them even after decades. The Lord too is renowned for
His memory. The only difference is that the Lord remembers only the good we do
and is extremely forgetful, as far as our lapses are concerned, says Sri
Valmiki-"katanchit upakArENa kritEna EkEna tushyati
Na smarati apakArANAm satamapi AtmavattayA"
12. The elephant is known to be voracious eater and consumes food in bulk. What
would normally feed an army for a week would probably form a day's diet for the
pachyderm. The Lord too is known to have a huge hunger and expects to be fed a
large quantity of food and drinks during every meal. The Vishnu Sahasranama
Stotram calls Him "MahAsana:", attesting to His insatiable appetite. He is the
"ulagam uNda peru vAyan" of Sri Nammazhwar.
How futile it would be for a total cripple, bereft of all his limbs and lying
at the bottom of a deep pit, to aspire to ride on the back of a mighty
elephant, towering majestically over him! However, if the pachyderm were to
take pity on him, kneel down to him, pick up the cripple gently with its soft
trunk, put him on its back and give him the ride of his life, the cripple's cup
of joy would be full. Similarly, looking to the unbridled supremacy of the Lord
(Paratvam), we might despair of His inaccessibility to frail mortals like us
and of interacting with Him in any fashion. However, Emperuman Himself, aware
of our frailties, reaches down from the heights of His supremacy and is born
time and again in this humdrum world to live as one with us mortals, to share
in our happiness and sorrow. And, for the sake of those who were not around
when He took His avataras, He contracts His glorious form and resides in idols
made of stone, metal and mere mud too, consecrated at various temples, as the
"arcchA moorthi''.
The next time we set eyes on an elephant, would it not remind us of the
glorious Lord, in all His majesty and grandeur, untiring in His efforts to
emancipate us and ready to kneel down, put us on His shoulders and carry us on
the journey to the Eternal Land, if only we would show Him the mere semblance
of love and affection?
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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