>From: sadagopaniyengar <sadagopaniyengar@xxxxxxxx>
>Subject: The Ubiquitous Umbrella
>Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 20:37:57 +0530
>
>
> Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
>
>
>
> The Ubiquitous Umbrella
>
>
>For long, whenever a caricature is drawn of a Londoner, he has always been
>picturised with a bowler hat on his head and an umbrella under his arm. He
>may forget even his preferred breakfast of bacon and eggs in the morning,
>but not to carry his umbrella, we are told. London weather is said to be so
>nasty that precipitations occur frequently and without notice-- hence its
>residents' attachment to the umbrella. We in India too like to carry an
>umbrella during the monsoon season (which, alas, has become almost
>non-existent during the last couple of years). And ladies prefer the
>umbrella during rain or shine, to protect their lily-white complexions from
>the Sun. This applies especially to Japanese ladies, whom you always find
>(at least in movies) sporting trendy umbrellas in their hands-so much so
>that it appears to be as much a part of Japanese traditional costume, as
>the Kimono. However, as you would have observed, the umbrella appears to
>be on its way out during recent years, replaced by Raincoats, Duck-back
>wear and such-like, which provide comprehensive and body-length protection
>against a downpour. The younger generation perhaps considers the umbrella
>unfashionable and prefers to cover itself with shiny plastic, leather and
>vinyl, as its answer to rains. Before it becomes extinct, let us capture a
>few glorious glimpses of the umbrella's hoary history.
>
>
>
>The Lord appears to have created us in His own mould, perhaps in the fond
>hope that we would be as good and holy as He is. Though we have belied His
>expectations, we do stick on to things that remind us of our origins and
>parentage. We find, thus, that in carrying an umbrella too, we are only
>copying Him.
>
>
>
> My ever-critical daughter, peering over my shoulder, remarks, "You have
>got away with quite a few wild statements in the past. You have linked the
>most insignificant of things to the Lord, like a speck of dust, a blade of
>grass, a strand of hair and even a piece of stone. This time, however, you
>are going too far by trying to connect a mere umbrella with Emperuman and
>are surely going to fail! Let me see how you do it!"
>
>
>
>Ruing the misfortune of having to answer to mere infants with pretensions
>of being literary critics at sixteen and spurred on by the compulsion of
>having to prove her wrong, I lay the following lines before you, who are
>the final arbiters in the matter.
>
>
>
>To repeat, it is very much the Lord who first held an umbrella. Whenever
>you see sculptures of the DasAvatArAs, you find that each avatAra is
>depicted with distinct items in the Lord's hands. For instance, you are
>able to recognise Sri Rama instantly by the bow and arrow He holds
>stylishly, Sri Krishna by His flute, Sri Balarama by the Plough and Sri
>Parasurama by the murderous axe slung over His shoulder. Similarly, the
>observant among us would have definitely noticed the distinctive feature of
>the VAmanAvatAra-the Umbrella.
>
>
>
>When the Lord makes His appearance at MahAbali's asvamEdha yAga in the form
>of an enchanting BrahmachAri, short and sweet, radiating wisdom and
>penance, His attire is completely in tune with the role adopted. As a
>BrahmachAri, He holds a Dandam (a stick of the PalAsa tree) in His hand,
>has a belt of darbha grass, a yagyOpaveetam sprawling resplendently in His
>chest and holds a Kamandalu or water-container in His other hand. His chest
>is covered by deerskin, which the Lord uses to hide the presence of the
>inseparable Sri Mahalakshmi. Onlookers are so astounded by the beauty and
>splendour of the small boy, that they rise to their feet automatically.
>They wonder whether it is verily the Soorya BhagavAn who has honoured the
>sacrifice with his presence, or the illustrious Agni himself. Such was the
>impressive entry made by Emperuman at Bhrigukaccham on the banks of the
>Narmada, where the asvamEdha yAga was in progress.
>
>
>
>The point of this lengthy description is that the BhAgavata PurANa tells us
>of one very important item held in the Lord's hand, viz., an Umbrella-
>
>"Cchatram sadandam sajalam kamandalum vivEsa bibhrat hayamEdha vAtam". One
>wonders-against which element did the Lord need protection, that He carried
>an umbrella? Was it against the blazing Sun? It could not be, for the
>timely rise and set of the Sun is attributed to his fear of the
>Lord-"bheeshOdEti Soorya:" says the Taittiriyopanishad. Could it have been
>against pouring rain? This again was not possible, for Varuna the Deity of
>Waters, VAyu the Windgod and Indra the Chief of celestials, all of whom
>jointly send down rains, are in equal fear of the Lord, says the same
>Upanishad-"BheeshAsmAt VAta: pavatE, bheeshAsmAt agnischa indrascha".
>
>
>
>We are told that the umbrella was a gift to the Lord by the heavens above,
>just as the Yagyopaveetam was gifted by Brihaspati, the belt of Munji grass
>by Kashyapa Maharshi, the kamandalu by BrahmA and so on-"koupeenam
>AcchAdanam mAtA dyou: cchatram jagata: patE:"
>
>
>
>Does the umbrella's association with the Lord stop with the VAmanAvatArA?
>Not at all, as we shall see presently.
>
>
>
>During the Ramavatara, in describing Sri Rama's return from His father's
>palace without any of the trappings of the YuvarAjA due to KaikEyI's
>machinations, Kamban says,
>
>
>
>"kuzhaikkindra kavari indri, kottra veN kudayum indri
>
>azhaikkindra vidhi mun chella, Dharumam pin irangi Ega"
>
>
>
>To Kousalya, who had been expecting Her darling's return with all the
>trappings of power like acolytes fanning Him on both sides, a courtier
>holding aloft a decorated umbrella made of the purest of white silk and so
>on, Sri Rama's return unaccompanied by any of the aforesaid adornments
>comes as a severe disappointment.
>
>
>
> We see thus that the Umbrella has for long signified power, prestige and
>honour. That this is true today too, even at much lower levels, is seen
>from the lackey following the village landlord, holding an umbrella over
>his head. And we find Emperors being described as "Eka CchatrAdhipati",
>indicating that their umbrella of power extends over the whole world-this,
>however, is a misnomer, for it is only Emperuman who could truthfully claim
>this title, being the Supreme Lord of all the universes.
>
>
>
>After His triumphant return from Lanka, Sri Rama accepts the throne of
>Ayodhya at the request of Bharata. At the Coronation, signifying His
>overlordship over all, a beautiful white umbrella is held over the head of
>Sri Rama. The good fortune of holding the same falls to the lot of
>Shatrughna-"Cchatram tu tasya jagrAha Shatrughna: pANdaram shubham".
>
>
>
>If Sri Rama was accorded the honour of a ceremonial umbrella only at His
>coronation, Sri Krishna managed to corner the same on the very first day of
>His birth. It is raining cats and dogs, the precipitation coming down in
>torrents, when Sri VasudEva leaves KamsA's prison for the safety of
>NandagOkulam, bearing the just-born Krishna. He is worried what would
>happen to the infant, if it were to be drenched in the downpour. He need
>not have been concerned, for, the moment he stepped out of the prison,
>there was AdisEsha, holding his hoods protectively over the Lord, ensuring
>that not a drop of rain fell on the Paramapurusha's tirumEni.
>
>
>
>It is perhaps from this episode of the Strange Snake functioning as the
>Lord's umbrella, that Azhwars, come up with the following formulation-
>
>
>
>"chendrAl kudayAm irundAl singAsanamAm
>
> nindrAl maravadiyAm-neeL kadaluL endrum
>
> puNayAm maNi viLakkAm poompattAm, pulgum
>
>aNayAm TirumArkku aravu"
>
>.
>
>Here too, the primacy of the Umbrella is evident from its being mentioned
>ahead of the Lord's throne, footwear, boat, luminous lamp and the softest
>of beds.
>
>
>
>We have seen that others hold an umbrella over the Lord's head, as a
>measure of protection, honour and adoration. Is there any instance of
>Emperuman holding an umbrella over the heads of others? Yes, indeed there
>is. He is so accessible and likes so much to mingle with us, that He
>doesn't shrink from performing even the most menial of services for His
>ardent devotees.
>
>
>
>The residents of Gokulam had the practice of performing poojA every year to
>Indra, the Chief of Celestials, who ensured timely rains, so essential for
>the sustenance of both man and cow. Sri Krishna, intent on teaching
>arrogant Indra a lesson, convinced His father and GOpAs that worship ought
>to be performed to the actual benefactors of Gokulam, viz., the cows which
>showered wealth through their munificent flood of milk, Brahmins who
>performed VEda pArAyaNam for universal welfare and to the Govardhana hill,
>which was responsible for the cows' well being. The GOpAs, impressed by Sri
>Krishna's well-reasoned arguments, agreed and performed worship to the
>aforesaid, ignoring Indra. Indra was furious at this and to teach the
>ignorant cowherds a lesson they wouldn't forget in a hurry, sent down
>torrential rain, accompanied by terrifying claps of thunder and continuous
>flashes of lightning, enough to blind the eye. Due to the incessant rain,
>the entire Gokulam was almost submerged in floods, with men, women and
>children shivering in the sharp wind and drenched to their skins, not to
>speak of the cows and calves. And there was absolutely no sign of the
>downpour letting up. All the Gopas ran to Sri Krishna for succour. And the
>Lord came to their rescue by holding up a huge umbrella, under which all of
>them could stay safe and secure against the onslaught of rain and hail. And
>what was this umbrella, which could accommodate hundreds of cowherds and
>their families, along with the innumerable cows and calves of Nandagokulam?
>
>
>
>Assuring the shivering Gopas of immediate protection and to send a strong
>signal to Indra, Sri Krishna, barely into His teens, just plucked up the
>massive Goverdhana mountain with little effort (as if it was just a
>toadstool) and held it up with a single hand for seven continuous days, not
>even shifting a foot, affording protection to all the residents, man and
>beast, of Nandagokulam. And Indra, having found out to his chagrin that his
>powers were nothing before Sri Krishna's, stopped the rains and restored
>normalcy.
>
>
>
>It is this episode, of the Lord having held a huge umbrella over His
>devotees, which comes in for generous praise from all Azhwars.
>
>
>
> Listen, for instance, to Sri Andal-"kundru kudayAi edutthAi guNam
>pOttri!"
>
>
>
>Azhwars are so enamoured of the episode, of the little Lord having held a
>massive mountain with His single palm for seven days together, to protect
>unlettered cowherds and dumb cows and calves, that they recount it time and
>again in their outpourings.
>
>
>
>"malayai edutthu kal mAri kAtthu pasu nirai tannai
>
>tolaivu tavirttha PirAn" says Sri Nammazhwar too.
>
>
>
>However, I am forgetting the most obvious thing that comes to our mind,
>when we talk about Umbrellas-they are the ones that Sri Varadaraja sports
>magnificently over His majestic head, on the day of the GarudOtsavam. These
>umbrellas are indeed stately specimens of their species-- broad, wide and
>fitting in every way to the Paramapurusha they serve. We are told by Sri
>DoddayAchAr Swamy that these umbrellas are studded with precious stones,
>with their sides decorated by pearls. It is indeed a great sight to witness
>Sri Devadiraja adorned by these umbrellas.
>
>A great roar of devotion rends the air, as Sri TEpperumAL , in all His
>majesty and splendour, with a prasanna vadanam, with
>the chAmarAs waving gently, resplendent under the
>famous umbrellas adorned with pearls and precious
>stones, appears at the temple entrance, ensconced on
>Sri Garuda.
>
>
>
>It would appear that there is close competition between Sri Adisesha and
>Sri Garuda, as to who would serve as an umbrella to the Lord. For, during
>Sri Krishnavatara, Sri Andal tells us that VainatEya circled overhead when
>the little Lord was tending to cows in the meadows of Brindavanam,
>protecting the Paramatma from the blazing Sun and thereby preventing His
>already dark body from acquiring a deeper shade of black-
>
>
>
>"mElAl paranda veyil kAppAn Vinatai siruvan siragennum
>
> mElAppin keezh varuvAnai VirundAvanattE kaNdOmE"
>
>
>
>It goes to the credit of the Umbrella that it is one of the items to be
>offered to the Lord during daily worship or TiruvArAdhanam.
>
>
>
>All of us may be having any number of umbrellas at home: we need, however,
>to acquire one more-one which would afford us comprehensive protection
>against a heat more cruel than that generated by the Sun and more
>penetrating than mere torrents of rain. This is the unbearable heat spawned
>by SamsAra, the unending and vicious cycle of births and deaths.
>
>Prapatti or Saranagati is the only umbrella, which can afford us the shade
>of comfort against this heat. Once we surrender ourselves heart and soul to
>the Lord, He gifts us this protective umbrella of "abhayam", providing us
>safety and security while we are in this mundane land and unimaginable
>bliss at the end of this birth.
>
>
>
>Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana
>Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
>
>Dasan, sadagopan
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka
>Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
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