DEIVATHIN KURAL # 144 (Vol # 6) Dated 20 Mar 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 144 (Vol # 6) Dated 20 Mar 2013

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by PeriyavaaL of Kanchi Kaamakoti 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 going ahead from the last paragraph on page No 985 of Volume 6 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that herein ‘man/he’ includes ‘woman/she’ too mostly. These e-mails are all available at   http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)

அம்பாளுடைய கற்புச் சிறப்பு

AmbãL's Fidelity

631.  Even when everybody else and everything else is obliterated, merged, erased, destroyed, annihilated or simply wiped out of existence; this Swami and AmbãL continue their escapades, games, merriment and fun and frolics.  (Here PeriyavãL is explaining the sloka No 26, word to word.)  In that Maha Pralaya, 'virinchi: panchatvam vrajati' – 'विरिञ्चि: पञ्चत्वं व्रजति', meaning Brhma reaches his end.  Vishnu attains to his termination – 'hari: aapnoti viratim' – 'हरि: आप्नोति विरतिं'.  Yama who draws the deadline for everybody else reaches his finality – 'vinãsam keenãso bhajati' – 'विनाशं कीनाशो भजति'.  The Lord of Wealth Kubera also finishes, that all his riches cannot save him from – 'dhanado yãti nidhanam' – 'धनदो याति निधनं'.  At that time a whole lot of Indrãs too close their eyes forever – 'vitandri mãhendri vitatirapi sammeelita dhrusã' – 'वितन्द्री माहेन्द्री विततिरपि संमीलित दृशा'.  Even in such times when everything else and everybody else are getting written off, your this husband continues to play around with you surprisingly – 'asmin  maha samhãre he sati, asou tvat pati: viharati' – 'अस्मिन महा संहारे हे सति, असौ त्वत पति: विहरति!' 

632.  (KTSV Adds:  I had given elsewhere how One Brhma's life time lasts for 311,040,000,000,000 number of years of 365 days as per human calculations of 24 hours, as given in Surya Siddhãnta.    During each day [including a night] of Brhma's, there would have been 142 Maha Yugas adding to 28 Manvantaras lasting for 8,640,000,000 no of years which makes up two Kalpas.  During this period there would have been many Indras as King of Devatas and Kalpa Pralayas!  See Swami Sivananda's book on Bhagawat Gita published by The Divine Life Society, PO Shivananda Nagar – 249 192, Dist, Tehri Garhwal, Uttara Khand, India.)

633.  The poet is calling AmbãL as 'Sati'.  Sati means someone who is highly devoted to one's husband.  As the wife of Siva, Sati the daughter of Daksha, felt it below her dignity when Daksha Prajapati conducted a Maha Yagna, but failed to invite his own son-in-law.  Having gone over there out of love of old times, Sati felt disgusted at her father's behaviour and attitude that she committed suicide by jumping in to the fire of Homa Kund.  That is the level and intensity of loyalty and fidelity of Sati towards her husband.  This became a social custom in India that women used to jump into the funeral fire of the husband.  Instead of this being a voluntary act on the part of the wife, it came to be forced on women as a social norm, against which Mahatma Gandhi took up cudgels.   

634.  So, Sati is the name of AmbãL as the woman who was ready to give up her life for the prestige and reputation of her husband's name.  Like we have special word in Sanskrit for the love of the parents for the children as 'vãtsalyam' – 'वात्सल्यं', we have a special name for the absolute loyalty of the wife for the husband in Tamil as 'karpu' – 'கற்பு'. Similarly this word 'Sati' though just the name of a woman, came to indicate the extreme sacrifice a woman was ready to make to maintain the honour of her husband!  Though she gave up her life at the pyre, she is the Brhma Shakti of eternal life of absolute devotedness for her husband.  If she is eternity in female form, her partner has to be also of eternal relevance, isn't it?  So, the Pralaya Agni does not affect him also – so as to maintain her continued 'Nitya-Sowmãngalyatvam', meaning eternal honour of being a wedded wife!  The same idea is emphasised in the next sloka known more for its end phrase – 'tava janani tãtanga mahima' – 'तव जननि ताटङ्ग महिमा'!

635.  "सुधामप्यास्वाध्य प्रतिभय जरामृत्यु हरिणीं

          sudhãmapyãsvãdhya pratibhaya jarã mrutyu hariNeem

विपध्यन्ते विश्वे विधि शतमखाध्या दिविषद: |

vipadhyante visve vidhi shatamakhãdyã divishadha: |

     करालं यत्क्ष्वेलं कबलितवत: कालकलना

          karãlam yatkshvelam kabalitavata: kãla kalanã

न शंबोस्तन्मूलं तव जननि ताटङ्ग महिमा ||"

na shambostanmoolam tava Janani tãtanga mahimã ||

[जननि = Mother! प्रतिभय = intimidating; जरामृत्यु हरिणीं = that which can undo old age and death; विधि शतमखाध्या = Brhma and Indra and many other such Devatãs; विश्वे = all दिविषद: =divine beings; विपध्यन्ते = are annihilated (during Maha Pralaya, even then,) करालं = very dangerous; क्ष्वेलं = that poison known as Kãlakoota कबलितवत: the one who had swallowed it; शंबो: = Siva (only); कालकलना = subjugated to the shenanigans of Kãla the Time as Equalizer; न यत् = if someone is not so subjected,  तन्मूलं = the cause of it is तव = your ताटङ्ग महिमा = power of the Tãtanga the ear studs.]

636.  Anybody who has consumed poison that too the famous 'Kãlakoota' known for its potency has to die.  Then we are used to the idea that those who have consumed Amrita obviate death and live for ever!  But what happens here is topsy-turvy!  In the time of 'Sarva Samhãra' the Maha Pralaya, all the divine beings who have partaken Amrita die and Parameswara who has gulped the dangerous Kãlakoota poison continues to thrive and flourish as the only one in balance to survive!

"ஈசநோடும், ஏனைய தேவரோடும்

அம்பிகையின் மாறுபாடான லீலை"

The Difference in AmbãL's Leela in Dealing with

Easwara & Other Devatãs

637. The surprising thing here is that the way Easwara is on one side and all other Devatas are on the other, so also it is there in AmbãL's service.  When the poet says 'Mukunda BrhmendrãL' all Devatãs are included in it.  When all those Devatãs are so devotedly falling on her feet, Easwara is standing apart not joining them.  That one who has his hair heaped up on his head (called சடையாண்டி    in Tamil) has not joined the others who are wearing jewelled crowns on their heads!  Now see how she treats these two lots – those who are falling in her feet with respect and adoration are all written-off in Pralaya and the one who stood apart unconcerned, is watching all the play and playing with her, during the Pralaya also!

638.  To go before a dignitary like that and having their darsan is known in Tamil as 'seviththal' – 'சேவித்தல்'. There is one sloka describing how AmbãL is tripping over the crowns of those who are prostrating before her while having her darsan and is running to welcome the one who is neither having her darsan nor doing namaskãr to her.  He is returning from somewhere and looking at him from a distance AmbãL gets up from her seat and is rushing forward with mounting love and adoration to receive him.  At that time her lady attendants are telling her to be careful lest she may trip on any number of heads with crowns of deities on the way, who are doing namaskãr to her! The poet starts with the caution of the attendants without describing the context, thereby creating quite a dramatic effect!

639.  The sloka No 29 starts with 'kireetam vairincham parihara' – 'किरीटं वैरिञ्चं परिहर' meaning, 'please avoid tripping on the crown of Virinchi!'  The word 'वैरिञ्चं' means Virinchi's that is Brahma's.  Amongst many names of Brahma, ÃchãryãL has used this name more.  In the very first sloka of Soundarya Lahari he has said, 'हरि-हर-विरिन्चादिभि: अपि' and in the second, 'विरिञ्चि संचिन्वन'.  Then while talking about an assemblage of poets in the 12th sloka, he says 'विरिञ्चि प्रभृतय:' like saying 'the creators'!  The definition says, 'visesheNa rinchadeeti Virinchi:' – 'विशेषेण रिञ्चदीति विरिञ्चि:' meaning 'specially creates and hence Virinchi:'.  Because it is so special, I suppose our ÃchãryãL also has given that word a special preference. 

640.  "Please avoid tripping on the crown of Virinchi, Mother!"  Then they are saying "Be careful that you avoid foundering on the strong crown of the one who destroyed Kaitabhasura" – 'कैटभभित: कठोरे कोटीरे स्खलसि'!  Madhu – Kaitabha Asuras came to destroy Brhma who was in the lotus of the naval of Vishnu who was sleeping.  He was reluctant of disturbing his father who was deep asleep.  So he prayed to AmbãL who had fully enveloped Vishnu as Yoga Nidra.  If VaishNavas have any objection to the use of the word 'enveloped', let me correct myself by saying that Vishnu was under the influence of Yoga Nidra.  By Brahma's prayer the influence was removed and Vishnu got up and destroyed the Madhu – Kaitabha Asuras.  Referring to this anecdote, the poet has named Vishnu as 'Kaitabha bhita'. 

641.  His crown was hard and so the poet says 'katore koteere'.  The word 'Koteeram' means crown.  In Lalitha Sahasranãma too there is this 'kuruvinda maNi sreNee kanat koteera manditã' – 'कुरुविन्द मणि श्रेणी कनत कोटीर मन्डिता', which means that she is wearing a crown inlaid with a series of gems.  So anyhow, the word 'Koteera' means a crown.  The crown on the head of Vishnu is not hollow but is 'katore' or solid.  How can a crown be solid?  It has to have some hollow portion where a part of the head can fit in, isn't it?  No, his crown is solid.  In the 44th sloka of 'VishNu Pãdãdi Keshãnta Stotram', our ÃchãryãL describes how it happens to be solid, 'kruta makuta mahadeva linga pratishte' – 'कृत मकुट महादेव लिङ्ग प्रतिष्टे', meaning that he is wearing a Shiv-Ling as a crown!  The amusing point here is that, VishNu is wearing that out of his love for Siva, without even thinking about the fact that the shiv-Ling which is the crown on his head, if it touches the feet of AmbãL it can be insulting for Siva, as well as to her devotion for her husband Siva!  In her love for her husband, she is about to trip on a Siva Ling.  When love and devotion is overwhelming there is no insult meant in any action.  Did not KaNNappa having transplanted one of his eyes in the Shiv-Ling, put his toe on the spot of the second eye, when he was trying pluck his second eye also, so that he may know exactly where to fix the second eye in the Shiv-Ling!?  So all our actions are acceptable or otherwise depending on our attitude and bhãva!

642.  Like the description of Mukunda-Brhma-Indra's crowns said to be doing Neerãjanam in the earlier sloka, here too after Brhma and Vishnu's crowns, Indra's name is mentioned.  Another Lady-in-waiting cautions AmbãL not to get tripped against the crown of Indra, who is known as Jambãri as having defeated and killed an Asura known as Jamban – 'jahi jambãri makutam' – 'जहि जम्बारी मकुटम्'.  So saying the ladies waiting on AmbãL caution her and take care of her variously!  The poet is appreciating their winning ways, when he says 'tava parijana ukti: vijayate' – 'तव परिजन उक्ति: विजयते'!  First he gives their words of caution and promptings separately dramatically making us wonder as to who is telling whom and why.  Towards the end he makes the reference to the context clear!  Even then if we are wondering as to what is the occasion for the Devas to be doing namaskãr to AmbãL, our doubt gets cleared by noting the fact 'this act of Devas doing namaskãr is an event that is happening all the time – saswan – 'सस्वन्'.  The immediate context is that Siva, whose one of the names is 'Bhava', had gone out of their residence – 'Bhavanam' and he is returning and so, AmbãL gets up to go forward and receive him!  Here the word 'upayãtam' means 'returning' and AmbãL's getting up is mentioned as 'abhyuttãnam' which may ring some bells in your memory, as it has been used in the famous sloka in Bhagawat Gita – "yada yada hi dharmasya glãnir bhavati bhãrata

   abhyuttãnam adharmasya tadãtmãnam srujãmyaham" –

   "यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य गलानिर भवति भारत |

  अभ्युत्तानं अधर्मस्य तदात्मानं स्रुजाम्यहं || ".  The Sanskrit word for returning is 'upayãtam' and getting up is 'abhyuttãnam'!

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva