Deivathin Kural Series - 174

Om Namah Sivaya.

Deivathin Kural # 174 of 28 Mar 2007.

1. These e-mails, are chapter wise translations of the lectures given by, Sri Chandra Sekharendra Swamigal, of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Every day, after the daily Puja, He used to talk, on various aspects concerning Hinduism. These are published, in Tamil, by Vanady Padippagam, T.Nagar, Chennai, as Deivathin Kural, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each. To-day's talk is titled, 'Kamakshiyin Kangal' that is, 'Kamakshi's Eyes', in pages 805 to 810, of Deivathin Kural, Volume 1.

2. In our body parts the eye is very important. As we address some one whom we love endearingly, 'my darling', we do not say, 'my nose or my ears'! Is it not so? When we think of the Parabrhmam in the form of a Mother, Her eyes automatically gets a special mention. That is why, amongst Mother's names, Kamakshi(eyes full of love), Meenakshi(eyes of the fish) and Visalakshi( wide eyed), are famous. 'Akshi', talks of the characteristics of the eye. Kamakshi holds in Her hands, sugar-cane bow and flower arrows, we say. Adi Sankara says in a slokam, starting with the words, 'puruvow bukthe kinchit', in Soundarya Lahiri, that she holds the same powerful weapons, in Her eyes too.

3. What are you saying? Her eyes are like horizontally held bow! Is it not so that, only when one is worried, the eyes are strained like that? The Mother of the world is worried because of Her concern for the welfare of Her children. Her naturally beautiful eye brows are having the shape of a bow with two curves, with a slight constriction in the center! In the center of the eye brows, at the point where the nose commences, is a gap without hair. Actually, it is a 'samudrika lakshanam' or qualitative requirement for beauty, to have a clean hairless gap between the eye brows.

4. But when comparing Her eyes to a bow, this gap would be an aberration. But Acharyal, gives the reason why it is so. That gap is the fist of the person holding the bow, he says. Who is that person? He is Manmatha. In his bow, the string is made of a number of beetles. Here below the eye brows, there are two eyes which are for ever flitting here and there, out of their concern that, none of Her children may remain without being blessed. Here also the archer is Manmatha. It is his power that, Dakshinamurthy awoke from His 'Gnana Nishta', and looked at Ambal with Love. His Love for the Mother should mean, love for the life forms of all Jeevas. The 'asai illada brhmam, asaindu koduththadu', blessing the whole world. Mother's worries were over!

5. 'Manmatha's fist holding the bow, is the space between Mother's eye brows and his wrist is the lower portion of the nose', thus describes the Acharyal in Soundarya Lahiri. When directed at Parameswara, a glance of those eyes of Kamakshi, are showering the flower arrows of desire and love. When looking at the devotees, the same eyes are capable of imparting supreme Gnana and eradicating the crass desires of 'chirirnbam'. What are these missiles of Manmatha? They are made of Lotus, Jasmine, Karunkuvalai, Mango and Asoka flowers.

6. His arrows of flowers, by form, taste, fragrance and softness have a pleasant attraction for the senses. Their beauty of shape and colours, pleases the eyes, the fragrance captivates the sense of smell, the nectar makes the taste buds salivate with expectation, and their softness invites us to touch them. As for the ear, the bees and beetles are making a wholesome 'Adhara sruthi' of concordant notes, with the dominating 'twang' of the string of the bow. Above all this is the bow of sugar-cane, representing the mind responsible for all the antics of the senses,

7. Now comes the wonderous observation that, with such simple equipments as, flowers, bees and sugar-cane, Manmatha is able to involve all the life forms in the business of 'satisfying the senses' as the primary mission, day in and day out, to the exclusion of all other pursuits to the secondary or even tertiary! This means that, if you have divine sanction, even a blade grass, will do as a weapon. Though Acharyal speaks with poetical licence, that Her eyes are the bow of Manmatha, the purport is that, the preoccupation of all life forms in gratification of the senses and the unavoidability and compulsive involvement in procreation; is all as it should be. It also means that only with Her Grace can you be weaned away from such.

8. It is only with Her grace, can we become aware of these compulsions. Once we are aware, then only, we may take the first step towards controlling of the senses and thereby the mind. That is the first step also towards 'self control'. We become aware that, there are also other purposes, than satisfying the senses and dancing to the tune of the mind. We get the first taste of the fact that, we can control our senses and can and try to be the master of our own mind. Now the only question that remains is, as to how to get Her Grace? 'That is by Her one look', says Acharyal, in Soundarya Lahiri! I am coming to that sloka, shortly.

9. To punish and to protect, both are God's portfolio. All the punishment is also only for our own actions of aberrant behaviour. When it comes to the matter of protection, God as Mother, protects Kaman too, to enable him to drive the life forms in to procreation. When it comes to protecting the life forms, from going astray; to ensure that Kaman does not play his antics, she is all the time concerned of the progressive retrieval of all life forms, from over dominance of Kama's influence.

10. When Kamakshi's eyes are over flowing with Her Love, Compassion and Grace, Acharyal is fully drenched in it, this Slokam was the outcome. It starts with the words, "drusa thrageeyasya daralitha neeloth palarucha...". This song is directly influenced by the Grace of Her Look. In the slokam Acharyal is praying for Her Look of Grace! He is not saying that he should get it. He is saying that he should also get it!

11. He talks about the greatness of Her 'Kataksham'. This word 'Kataksham' can be translated as, a 'side long glance'. He says that Her glance can go very far. A Mother keeps Her children within eye-distance. For this Mother, this eye-distance is infinity. Since we are Her children, we can never be out of range. She is the Mother for all of us, however great or small. Animals, birds, insects, plants, germs, grass; why list them all?; She is the Mother for the entire Universe. They are all within the range of Her sight. So there is no limit to the reach of Her glance too. It can and does extend to the farthest. Those eyes are like the half open, 'neelothpala' flower. 'Neelothpala' is the flower born in Neel or water. They are blue like the 'neel', sky or ocean. 'Neel' in Tamil means 'lengthening or extending'. As the lotus flower is in water, they are pleasantly cool and not hot.

12. Acharyal says, "Amma! Please make me also submerge in your 'side long glance' of Kataksham. (He uses the word, 'mam api', to mean 'me also' with so much humility.) I do not deserve it, I am still seeking your blessings, because you do not lose anything by blessing me. 'na cha the haniriyatha'. But I will benefit immensely. 'anonayam dhanyo bhavathi'." He gives one example for 'blessing irrespective of whether the reciepient deserves or not'. It is night. There is a full moon. It does not differentiate between a thorny bush and emperor's palace. The moon light is impartial. The luxuries of the palace does not accrue to the moon and the thorns of the bush do not prick it. So he says, "Amma! For You no loss and for me all gain."

13. When he said, 'me also', Acharyal spoke on our behalf. Acharyal is not different from God, Parameswara or Ambal. But out of His bountiful love, all the slokas he has written are for us to read, understand and live by. However much we may be undeserving, Mother blesses us all, like the Moon. Her side-long-glance 'Kataksham' is cool and pleasant like the 'Neelothpala' blue lotus flower. Sincere heartfelt prayer is the only Qualitative Requirement.

Sambhomahadeva.