Deivathin Kural Series - 186

Om Namah Sivaya.

Deivathin Kural # 186 of 09 May 2007.

(Continued from Deivathin Kural #185 0f 27 Apr 2007.)

16. Ambal, Mahavishnu and Parameswara, are three gems. Appayya Deekshitar has authored a treatise named, 'Ratna Traya Pareeksha'. These three are variations of the same truth only. Ambal is inseperably connected to the other two. For one she is the wife and for the other She is the sister. We should have a mind which does not differentiate between them. The basic Truth is Sivam and its functional power is seen as Ambal or Vishnu. Our adoration towards them should be of a quality of equanimity.

17. I said that in principle, there is no difference between Ambal and Vishnu. Now I will tell you a story, which You may not have heard. Ramayanam is known to you all. But I will tell you this known story in an unknown way. Other than the Ramayanam as written by Valmeeki, Kambar and Tulasi Das, there are also other versions such as, Ananda Ramayanam, Arbutha Ramayanam and Durvasa Ramayanam and some more. In one of them, this variation that I am going to tell you, is available.

18. Ambal took birth as Rama and Easwara accompanied the Avatara as Sita, is the story. Sri Rama is of dark green in colour, called, 'Maragatha mani varnan'. Kalidasa addresses Ambal as, 'Mata Maragatha Syama'. Muthuswami Deekshitar also sings about Goddess Meenakshi as, 'maragatha chaaye'. Beyond Srushti, Sthithi and Samhara, when She is in Her causal form, She is Reddish. As Parvathi, She is green. It is this colour with which She became Ramachandra Murthy and Parameswara became Sita.

19. In olden times, marriages used to be held at a very young age. So that the children may not get too bored of the rituals of Homam and chanting of elaborate Mantras, just to humour them, a lot of symbolic plays used to be conducted as part of the function, such as, vilayadal, oonjal, nalangu and oorvalam. During 'oorvalam', that is, 'going around the town in a procession', the boy used to be dressed in the girl's clothes and the girl in boy's dress. Like that, with the mission of eradicating the threat of Rakshasas in the this world, Ambal dressed up as Rama and Parameswara took up the form of Sita, as a play of going around the world in 'oorvalam'. No body knew about this. Rama and Sita too had forgotten this, as though. But in intense moments, what is hidden in the sub-strata of consciousness, outs itself, is it not so? There is such a scene in Ramayana.

20. Sri Rama decides to leave Sita in Ayodhya, while going to the forest for 14 years. At that time, Sita Devi looses her temper. She gets extremely annoyed as to how, "What sort of a Man is He that, just because of the fear of Rakshasas and wild animals, Rama is leaving me here!" In that state of mind She blurts out a truth. "It is just sad that My Father Janaka, who selected You as the Groom, did not know that You are a woman in man's get up!". 'sthriyam purusha vigraham' This is a verbatim quote from Valmeeki Ramayanam. Sita thus reminded Sri Rama, that she is Ambal. Reminded of the purpose of Avatara, Sri Rama complied immediately and let Sita accompany.

21. The Ravana, who is to be sorted out by Rama, was a great Siva Devotee. His desire was to bring Siva to Ashoka Vana and do pooja there. For that purpose only he tried to lift Kailasa Parvatam. When the mountain moved slightly, Ambal in fear embraced Siva and He pressed the mountain down by the toe of His feet. Ravana extricated himself with great difficulty and ran away to Lanka. As Ravana was a Siva baktha, he knew that Siva has assumed the form of Sita. Earlier it was Ambal's interference that came in the way of his efforts to take Siva to Sri Lanka. Now he did not want Ambal in the form of Rama,coming in the way. So he got Rama removed from the scene by using Maricha as the golden deer and took away Sita to Ashoka Vana. As I said earlier, this love for either Siva or Ambal, to the exclusion of the other; of what is inseperable 'sa + amba + siva = saambasiva', i.e., Siva with Ambal; always leads to imbalance. Here pure love becomes 'Kamam'. Still because of his devotion to Siva, 'Avatara Rahasya' or Secret of Incarnation, were apparent to him in patches of glimpses. That is why, one look at Anjaneya; and he asked, "who is this? Is he Bhagwan Nandi?". 'kim esha? bhagwan Nandi?' This is again a verbatim quote from Valmeeki Ramayanam. One look at Hanuman, who was such a close-confidant-servant of Sita and Rama, reminded him of another servant of similar status of Siva and Parvathi.

22. I am telling you all these stories, to bring home the point that, Ambal and Narayana are one. Let both be One. But Narayana as a male and Ambal as a female, are also individually, seperately great too! Then our mind says, let them be one and let them be different too! The best arrangement seems to be to have them as Brother and Sister, to which there is a lot of corroborative evidence in the Puranas.

23. Desire is the cause of all confusions and conflicts, especially desire that is illegal, misplaced, misdirected and or unnatural. Such a desire is 'Kamam'. When unfulfilled, it leads to sadness, anger, hate and accumulation of wants and needs. This is the cause of repeated births and deaths. Like we make our instruments 'water proof', we should try to become, 'kamam, hate, anger and sadness proof'. Such an armour protection is available. Ambal's grace is such an armour. We may have plenty of health, wealth, name and fame. We can claim that it is all due to Her grace, quite correctly. But as long as there is desire, hate, fear and sadness in the mind, what is the use of all the earlier mentioned advantages? So, the true indicator of Ambal's Anugraha is that we are devoid of desire, hate, fear and sorrow.

24. Hate, fear and sadness are caused by, our exclusive love for this 'I, I, I', or in other words, selfishness, caused by Kamam. If that one factor is erased, all other problems will vanish too. While still living in this body, in this world, we can experience total liberty, Moksham, Nirvana. She, who is called Kameswari or Kamakshi, when sincerely prayed to, totally eradicates Kamam. It is Kameswari who resurrected Kaman after He was burnt off. She looked at Parameswara, who had immolated Kama, with sich abiding love, that Kaman was resurrected. 'What is this? On the one hand you say that she will help eradicate Kaman from our minds. In the same breath, you are saying that, She resurrected Kaman. Looks like an apparent contradiction!' If your doubt is on those lines, let me clarify. The life forms who are struck in this Maya Prapancham, can only be elevated and ennobled, by a gradual process of progressive refinement or by sudden realization!

25. To prevent any suspension of progressive refinement, She resurrected Kaman. To get over Kaman, we need Her grace. There is no contradiction in terms or principles. Mookar often says that, 'She removes the devotees lust by enamouring Siva!'

26. As Siva's consort, She reduces Kamam to ashes. But She is also Narayana Sahodari. Narayana is the father of Manmatha. Many know that Brhma is His son. Manmatha alias Kaman is also His son only. When He took Avatara as Mohini, He got a son from Siva, who is Ayyappa Sastha.
Like Siva - Sakthi, beget Subrahmanya, Siva - Narayana, beget Ayyappa. Both are Gnana Swaroopas. While one son of Narayana is Brhma, other son is Manmatha. One creates the world and the other ensures its continuation.

27. I said the Kamakshi resurrected the burnt off Kama and that She also gets lustful tendencies erased from our minds. Can Narayana also do that? Yes. Who is Raman? He is Narayana Avatara. There is a saying in Tamil, which goes, "Raman Raman enru sonnal ange Kaman vara mattan", meaning that, 'where Rama japa is chanted, Kaman won't come there!' There are many great saints, who have attained to realization, by chanting the Name of Rama. Valmeeki himself is one, who wrote Ramayana, to start with, who attained to greatness by Rama japa. Of recent times, you can quote Rama Dasa of Ananada Ashram, Kanhangad, Kerala. 'Why so?', you may ask, 'as after all, one is father and the other son?' Tulasi Das says that, out of respect for the Father, the Son dare not poke his head. Out of fear of Siva, Kaman will refrain from, waylaying Siva Devotees. Out of respect for Vishnu, Kaman will stay off Vishnu Devotees.

28. Mahavishnu took Avatara as the twin Nara-Narayanas. When they were doing 'Tapas' or austerities at Badrikashrama, devine Apsaras, came to interfere with their Tapas. Nara got annoyed. As the name Nara indicates, His was of the Human nature. He made one violent exclamation of, 'Hum'. The Apsaras ran away from there. They went to Narayana, and tried their tricks. Narayana was unaffected. He was neither annoyed nor impressed. He lightly tapped His thigh. From His 'ooru' or thigh, 'Oorvasi', appeared. Looking at her incomparable beauty, the Apsaras were shamed to inaction. With such beauty of the female form in His self, He is the ever clean, immaculate being of austerity. The beauty that evolves from Him cannot affect him in any way! Similarly, as Brhma and Manmatha are His sons, He can undo and offset their effects of Janmam and Kamam.

29. Narayana Sahodari, Ambal, as Siva's Sakthi, burnt off Kaman. Then She herself, revived him. This shows that She has full control over Kaman. Her Devotees evidently will not be troubled by Kama's play. That is why, those who are devotees of Kamakshi, win over lust.

30. We say 'Siva Siva', when we see something peculiar or hear something not to be heard. Mookar uses this expression 'Siva Siva', in lieu of, 'Ah ha!'
"siva siva pashyanthi samam
sri kamakshi katashitha: purusha:" He says, 'Ah ha, how great! Those devotees of Kamakshi, with Her grace, see equality in all. When we see things as different, they seem to experience, 'the adwaita anubhava!' Now a days, people endlessly talk about Male - Female equality and casteless creedless society. Without the Adwaita Anubhava, all that is only word - play. In practice, it is far from the ideal. But the devotee of Kamakshi, attains to true understanding of equality and equanimity. 'For him home and hearth; forest and desert, are one', says Mookar. He goes on, 'For him there is no anger whatsoever. So, friends and enemies become equal. Kamam has forsken him and so, a young nubile girl's red lips and a piece of mud, are same.' See how beautifully he makes this point with rhyme and reason:- "loshtam cha yuvathy bimboshtam". (Loshtam is a piece of mud. Oshtam is lip. {The animal with big hanging lips is 'oshtram' or the camel, Ottagam in Tamil.} Bimbam is the red fruit of 'kovai pazham'.)

31. In Gita too, similar expression occurs. "yogi sama loshtashma kanchana:", meaning, for a Yogi, gold and mud are equal! Mookar equates the lure of women with mud; while Gita equates the lure of lucre with mud! Kama, Krodha, Moha, Shokha and Bhaya, cannot touch a devotee of Ambal! When we are devoid of these aberrations, steeped in Her dhyana, that itself is Moksha. The idea of seperateness goes. We realize our oneness with the whole existance.

32. To start with, we can think of Her as different from us. Catching hold of Her feet firmly, slowly we should try and dissolve ourselves in Her. The moment we make some effort, She will gradually raise us to Her self. The difference between us and Her will vanish. She will make 'us' into 'Her'.

Sambhomahadeva.