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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00079 May 2001

 
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--- In tiruvengadam@xxxx, "Sudarshan M.K." <sampathkumar_2000@xxxx> 
wrote:
(Contd. from previous post on this same subject):

Parashara Bhattar led his disciple down a SriRangam
street to a large "pandal" (a sprawling make-shift
canopy erected on street-kerbs on festive occasions).
He pointed to one of the bamboo-poles supporting the
structure and asked :

"Tell me, boy, what is this ?"
"It is a bamboo-pole, sir," replied the disciple.
"And what is this that has been wound around the
pole?"
"It is a streamer, Sir, woven out of the bark-fibre of
the coconut tree".
"And how does it look?", asked the Bhattar.
"It looks very pretty and colourful, Sir. They have
painted it all for the occasion, as you can see,"
remarked the disciple.
"And what is this here?", continued Bhattar.
"It is a festoon of the leaves of the banana-tree.
("thOraNum")".
"And how does it look ?"
"Why, it looks very lush and pleasing to the eye,
Sir," replied the disciple.
"And, boy, tell me what is this here?", Sri.Bhattar
persisted.
"It is a colourful banner made of leaves of the
mango-tree ("mAvalai-kodi'), Sir."
"And how does this banner look, boy?".
"It's been plaited together with floral wreaths; its a
festive and colourful sight, Sir, indeed !", said the
disciple.

Sri.Parashara next drew the boy closer to him and
looked him in the eye and spoke to his disciple :

"Now, answer me, boy. The streamer, the festoon and
the banner here, which you say all look so pretty, why
have all these been strung up here on this pandal?".

The disciple thought hard for a moment.

Then he answered,"Sir, these have been put up here for
the occasion of our Lord Ranga's "utsavam"."

"Smart boy!", said the Bhattar gleefully, "I say,
however, that the streamer, festoon and the banner
have been put up here not so much for the occasion of
Lord Ranga's procession as for the purpose of
ornamenting this structure of a "pandal" here! To make this
thatched structure look more beautiful. Now
what say you to that, eh?" asked Bhattar.

The disciple fell silent and contemplated
Sri.Parasharar's remark for a full minute.

It was then that Sri.Bhattar's lesson slowly sank into
his comprehension.

The boy looked up into Bhattar's face. The tears then
welled up in his eyes. He fell at his guru's feet and
prostrated and said,

"Honourable Sir, please forgive me! Please pardon this
sinner. I have understood your lesson on "virakthi" now truly.
Out of ignorance and inexperience I mistook your
sartorial bearing today as a sign of your insincerity
to the values of true "virakthi" and "vairAgyam". But
now I have understood what you truly mean, Sir!"

The Bhattar gathered his young disciple up in his
arms, stroked his tearful cheeks and whispered in his
ears :

"My pet, my little pet, if it were not for the Lord's
procession this morning would there be need for this
"pandal" here ? Similarly, if it were not for the
Lord's Will ("ichcha") would there be any need for
this world("prakriti")? Would there be need for even
you and me ("jivAtmA's")? Now when they decorated this
"pandal", this thatched canopy here with streamers, festoons 
and banners,they did it, of course, to enhance its beauty;
but what is the real purpose for display of
such beauty ? It is for our Lord Ranga's procession,
really, isn't it? If Lord Ranga didn't come by this
way this morning, would any fool take the trouble of
hanging streamers and festoons around this dumb and
dead timber ? If it were not for the Lord's "utsavam"
and His Exclusive Pleasure, where would we confine, I
ask you, these silly things like festoons and banners?
In the dust-bin, isn't it ? We would treat them all
with a kind of "virakthi" (indifference) isn't it?
They would have no more lofty purpose other than to be used as
menial things like domestic broom-sticks
("thOdappam") or kitchen firewood ("varatti"),
isn't it ?"

"Likewise, my boy", Sri.Parasharar continued,"when we
talk of "virakthi" and "vairAgyam", we refer to them
as appropriate emotional responses to a world NOT
serving the Pleasure of the Lord
("bhagavth-AgnyA","bhagavath-icchai"
etc.). So long as the things of this world serve us
NOT in offering Ranga His Due Pleasure
("bhagavath-kainkaryam"), they deserve nothing but our
unqualified revulsion (virakthi). But occasionally
even such worldly things -- like the streamers,
festoons and banners here did today -- do serve The
Lord's Purpose or Pleasure! At those times, my dear
boy, we should embrace the world, and freely rejoice
and indulge in it! Even the objects of our "virakthi"
would then turn into objects of Pleasure for the Lord!
It then becomes our duty as His servants ("sEsha"), my dear
boy, to offer Him, our Lord ("sEshi"), and for His Sole Pleasure,
the very same "material" world which otherwise would
deserve our revulsion!

"Tell me, which is greater to us, after all -- the Lord Ranga's
Pleasure or our own lofty "vairAgyam"?".

"It is in that spirit of "virakthi" or "vairAgyam", my
dear little boy, that I wore all these fine clothes
and diamond ear-studs on my body today. These are but
like your streamers, festoons and banners for this
body ("sarira") of mine akin to this "pandal" here
erected for the Lord's procession!".

"Understand, my dear disciple," said Sri.Parashara
Bhattar finally, "that the practice of "virakthi" or
"vairAgyam" (self-abnegation) in life, by itself, will not
carry you very far towards the Lord if there is, within
your heart, no awareness that it is the "sEsha-sEshi
sambhandham" (Master-Servant equation) that is the bed-rock 
of the "sarira-sariri sambhandham" (the 
'body-soul' nexus). Without that understanding, my
dear boy, the practice of "virakthi" or "vairAgyam" in life
will not only be vain and empty but also fruitless
effort."

**************************************
END

(with my deep homage to the memory of Sri.Mukkur Swamy),
dAsan,
Sudarshan
--- End forwarded message ---






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