DEIVATHIN KURAL # 15 (Vol #4) Dated 24 May 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 15 (Vol #4) Dated 24 May 2010.

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by Periyaval of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are proceeding from the first paragraph on page 94 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers are reminded that herein 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too, mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com constantly.)

114. All that happens to Avataras will finally turn out to be good and beneficial to people of the world, because the very purpose of their coming into being in this world is, ‘Loka KalyaN”! For getting rid of negative publicity and the curse of seeing the fourth crescent of the moon, even if you are not able to reread the whole of the story of Syamantaka MaNi, think of it in the mind. When KrishNa was play acting as though he was investigating the death of Prasenan, Jambawathy revealed the whole story by that one sloka as a lullaby for her brother. We should at least chant that sloka.
115. “simha: Prasenam avateet simho Jambawataa hata: l
Sukumaraka maa rodhee: tava hyesha Syamantaka: ll” While chanting it, we will automatically review the whole ‘Upakhyanam’. The second line, though addressed to Sukumara the son of Jambawan, it sounds as though telling us not to cry! We are also Sukumaras only, that means ‘good boys’! “The Syamantaka MaNi is for you only”, she says. We know that we have two gems of PiLLaiyar and KrishNa to bless us! This sloka can be included in formal pooja, as given in ‘vrata choodaamaNi Kalpam’.
116. As blessed by PiLLaiyar, the scandal about KrishNa was erased in a few days. Dwaraka was affected by the onset of bad times. Rains failed. Trade and commerce was badly affected. People were falling sick with disease and poverty! Simultaneously in Kaasi, there was all round bounty of well being! Information was received that Akrura was there and doing a lot of social service, such as building of temples, free food camps, free medical service and so on! When you put two and two together, you make either 4 or 22! One could easily deduce that, Akrura and Syamantaka MaNi were together there!
117. Omniscient Bhagwan KrishNa did not need the news papers or the support of Press Trust of India or Reuters or any of the news channels of the Tele Vision! Still, as he was playacting as a human being, he sent some messengers to contact Akrura, with the following message. “Dear Sir! Without your august presence, Dwaraka is not a fraction of its past glory! So you must come back to Dwaraka, to be a friend, guide and philosopher of the Yadava community! It is alright, if the gem happens to be with you. That is not a problem at all! Instead of its being in the possession of anyone else, it is best to be in your hands as a man of principles, high discipline and morality! (Though he had every right for the gem, he is showing the least interest in it!) Satrajit, after all is no more. My elder brother has some doubts about me with regard to the Syamanthaka MaNi. Jambawathy could start doubting me about that gem. In turn, SatyaBhama too may start wondering about my integrity! All these doubts can trickle down to the general public of Dwaraka. So, it is best, if the gem happens to be in your hands. You can continue to have it and in the bargain, I am sure the rainless drought conditions in Dwaraka will be removed if you come back with the gem! So, I sincerely wish and pray that you find it convenient to return to Dwaraka and that hopefully the gem is with you!”
118. With sincere love and affection, the message also contains diplomacy! Though Akrura had some confusion, since he is basically a devotee of KrishNa, the moment he got a call from him, he immediately came back to Dwaraka and surrendered to Bhagawan. (Note that we are talking about times when the speediest was a horse and Dwaraka and Kaasi are geographically about 1,000 miles apart! So, months must have passed in sending a message and getting a reply!) Though Bhagawan had told him that he could keep the MaNi, all wealth belongs to that Lakshmipathi (husband of the Goddess of wealth) only. Akrura was feeling very guilty about the whole series of incidents! So, he respectfully offered the Syamantaka MaNi to KrishNa, immediately on return to Dwaraka.
119. But, KrishNa forcefully insisted that the gem should remain with Akrura only. He told him, “Please think that I have given it to you! I should get rid of the doubt and suspicions about that gem and me, in the minds of all. I am especially concerned about getting back into my elder brothers good books! Then my main interest area is the welfare of the people of Dwaraka! The influence of the gem will make an immediate effect in the social and economic well being of the country, I am sure!” Thus, he ensured that the gem remained with Akrura.
120. As the founding father of Dwaraka, as the King maker who re-installed Ugrasena after deposing Kamsa, as a leader of Yadu Kula and so on, KrishNa had an important role to play in the public life of that period. Such people have to live a life of exemplary cleanliness and transparency above all suspicions. In the case of a normal suspect, the crime has to be proved beyond reasonable doubt. In the case of public figures, the onus to prove their innocence lies with them, as the famous idiom goes, “Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion”! KrishNa took a lot of pains to maintain an above board record, free of blemishes. Not that he was worried really. He was rather setting himself as a role model to be emulated!
121. Part of that drama was the scarcity conditions that were obtaining in Dwaraka and subsequent period of abundance, after the return of the gem! When the repository of all value as KrishNa was available, it is of little consequence as to where a stone or a gem is located! It was all part of his ‘Leela’, the Lord’s wish and play. Akrura stayed in Dwaraka with the gem. Bad times hovering around Dwaraka slowly but surely lifted, along with all the doubts about KrishNa’s name and reputation!
122. Once Balarama came to know about that, he also returned to Dwaraka from Videha Rajyam. He expressed deep regrets for having doubted KrishNa’s integrity! KrishNa told him not to feel bad. “It is none of your mistake at all”, he said. “The reason is that I happened to see the chathurthi Chandra, in the month of Bhadrapada; which initiated all these events. But all that, has ended in underlining the powerful influence of Vigneshwara and the need to take his protection only! It is all for the good!” This is the story of KrishNa worshipping PiLLaiyar!
123. One great advantage experienced by the Tamilians who follow the Souramana Panchangam. For them, in the month of AvaNi, both Gokulashtami and PiLLaiyar Chathurthi, occur within a gap of 12 to 13 days; celebrating the birth-day / Aavirbhaavam of both KrishNa and PiLLaiyar. For others, Gokulashtami occurs in the month of SravaNa and Vinayaka Chathurthi in Bhadrapada!
124. The special vegetable of AvaNi is the VeLLarikkai, the cucumber! This is the only vegetable which does not become over ripe and can be eaten raw without cooking. It is a vegetable truly indigenous and endemic to South India! Moreover, it is the most ‘saatvic’ of all vegetables! Like both KrishNa and PiLLaiyar won over people’s minds for thousands of generations by their endearing childhood pranks and exploits; the ‘veLLari pinju’ the baby of this vegetable, should be offered to these Gods in their pooja and partaken! They will bless us with wisdom through this raw vegetable!
125. Conclusion. Thus PiLLaiyar, other than being from the ‘big place’ of highly connectedness, has proved himself to be the Yelder to his own Father, Mother, Younger Brother anyhow and Uncle; on various occasions! They have all (Parameswara, AmbaL, SubrahmaNya and Sri Rama,) worshipped him for removal of obstacles and Sri KrishNa has prayed to him for erasing innuendo and safe guarding his reputation! Let us also make him our constant companion, as a Baby God to be cherished, for removal of all the obstacles in the path of our lives too and for the wisdom of understanding that He can endow!

Sambhomahadeva.