Jan 10: ‘PAlita Muchukunda’ – 1

The lord on the day of Shukla Margazhi  Ekadasi day opens the door to Vaikunta and anyone who enters the entrance of Vaikunta [Vaikunta Vasal, Uttara Dwaram], on this day is said to reach Vaikunta and be in the lord’s company. Since Vaikunta Ekadasi falls in the Hindu calendar of Maargazhi, the Uttara Dwaram in all Sri Vaishnavite temples is open before daybreak. The lord in Srirangam dresses up as Mohini Devi and goes around the sanctum sanctorum of the divine mother to show that he is indeed more beautiful than the divine mother who never comes out of her sanctorum in Srirangam. She simply disregards the lord who is dressed in the form of Mohini since no one can even dare to compare to the beauty and elan of the divine mother.

 

Interestingly, it is believed that the lord is the first one to enter the Vaikunta Vasal verily because he always desires to be in the company of his devotees. It is only secondary for the lord to reside in Vaikunta.

 

Atha vaishnava chiteashu drshtva bhaktim aloukikam
Nijalokam parithyajya bhagavAn bhakthavathsalaha [Srimad Bhagavatha Mahatmyam 4.1]

The Lord comes as Bhakthavatsala, who is verily Muralidhara with a flute wherever he sees his devotees in a divine communion [aloukika bhakti].

Vanamali Ganashyamaa Pitavasa Manoharaha

While the lord desires to be with his devotees who revel in satsang, the human mind wants to be with the lord in a different world.

Andal begins her fasting [pavai nombu].  In her second pasuram – “Vayathu Vazvirgal” she refers to the list of things she would abstain during the fast, ghee, milk, collyrium for eyes, jewelry. She does the Vrata only for 26 days even though she had earlier wanted to do it for the entire Margazhi month and the reason she stopped at 26^th day was verily because the lord had already blessed her with his darshan as Manivanna in front of her which is the fruit of fasting; ‘Malae manivanna margazhi ni raduva’.

“katyayani mahamaye mahayoginy adhisvari

nandagopasutam devipatim me kuru te namah” [Srimad Bhagavatam 10.22.4]

She prays to the Pavai to bless them with Krishna, the son of Nandagopa as her Prananatha.

She requested the lord to bless with five paraphernalia (conch, flag, canopy, drums and flag) to complete the fasting ritual in a grand manner in her pasuram –

“Palanna vaNnathu un panchajaNniyame

Polvana sangankal poyppadudaiyanave

Salapperum paraiye pallandu isaippare

Kola vilakke kodiye vithaname

Aalin ilaiyaay ! arulelor empavai”

 

The lord on the 26^th day presented himself in front of Andal and wanted to bless her with boons. Since she prays the lord in Srivilliputur, the lord then presented himself as Vadabhatra sayi in Srivilliputur. When Andal prayed to the lord in Srivilliputur, he showed himself as “Aalin ilayai” and on the 27^th day the lord showed himself as Giridhari to Andal – “Koodarai Vellum Seer Govindha”.

“Kadaravindena padAravindam mukharavinde viniveshayantam

Vatasya patrasya pute shayanam balam mukundam manasa smarami” [Sri Bala Mukundashtakam]

 

The next day, Andal praises the lord as the one who unites the ones who cannot be united in a satsang [kudArai vellum Seer GovindA]. From the life-history of Lord Sri Krishna one can perceive that he bestowed his grace on many Asura . In addition to the Asura clan, he also showered his grace on Lord Brahma and Lord Indra. In Brahma Mohana Leela , lord Brahma separated the Gopas from the lord and took them to his abode for an year. When Brahma realized his mistake, he immediately asked for forgiveness from the lord and praised the lord in few verses [stuthi] and he perceived Krishna everywhere as Lord Naryana with four arms. The lord however never turned back to Lord Brahma and went away. However in the case of Govardhana Leela, Lord Indra rained cats and dogs in Gokula for seven days. When Indra realized his mistake and pleaded to the lord for forgiveness the lord turned back to him and said – “may Ate kari maghavan makha bhangO nugrnata
mad anusmrithaye nithyam maTtasyendra shriyA bhrisham”  [Srimad Bhagavatam 10.27.15]

If we ponder as to why the responded to Indra while he simply walked away from Brahma, when both of had committed a mistake, Sri Swamiji beautifully shares a precept for this act of the lord.

It is verily because, Brahma when doing the mistake, separated the Gopas from the lord, whereas Indra  who also committed a mistake, united the lord with the Gopas and Gopis  for seven days by raining cats and dogs. This goes to say that the lord very much likes to be with his devotees all the time.  All the Gopas and Gopis were under one roof for seven days and Indra helped him accomplish this and hence the lord was very happy with him.

 

So Andal in her pasuram says – “[kudArai vellum Seer GovindA]. Here in her pasuram she refers to the satsang that the lord bestowed to the Gopas and Gopis.  Andal refers to the great Bhagavatas as KudAr who they have their own devotion to the lord. The lord unites them in a satsang .

Each Gopa and Gopi was very possessive of Lord Krishna and they never mingled with other Gopas and Gopis.  They were devoted to Lord Krishna in their own way and they never got an opportunity to be in a Satsang. Sage Sukha in Venu Gitam describes the exalted state of the Gopis that when they come together and start to reminisce the divine exploits of Lord Krishna they would swoon and fall down the next second – “ tadh varṇayithum ArabdhA smarantyaḥ kṛiṣhṇa ceṣṭitam “. The lord wanted to bestow satsang to all Gopas and Gopis and hence united them in a satsang for seven days. Lord Indra helped the lord accomplish this and hence he was very happy with him. It is verily in a satsang that the lord is extolled and his glories are glorified.   The lord also performed Rasa Leela to bless the Gopis with satsang. The Gopis along with Yamuna Devi, being a special Gopi all sang the divine glories of the lord when they were in a satsang.

“tan manaskAs tad AlApAs  tad vicheṣṭAs tad AtmikAḥ
tadh guṇAn eva gAyantyo  nAtmAgArAṇi sasmaruḥ” [Srimad Bhagavatam 10.30.43]

punaḥ pulinam Agathya kAlindyAḥ kṛiṣhṇa bhAvanAḥ
samavetA jaguḥ kṛiṣhnam tad Agamana kAnkṣhitAḥ [Srimad Bhagavatam 10.30.44]

 

Andal prays to the lord to bestow her with a satsang “kudi irudhu kulirdaelo embhAvai” , the very satsang that the lord himself wants to be with his devotees on the day of Vaikunta Ekadasi. In her pasuram Andal also says that she will give up her fasting only when that wish is bestowed on her and that she will also start to adorn herself with flowers, jewelry and consume milk and ghee, the ones that she abstained during the fast.

“Naadu pugazhum parisinAl nandrAga

SOodagame tholvalaiye thode seviPpOove

Padagame yendranaiya palkalanum yAm anivOm

Aadai yuduPpom adhan pinne pAr soru“ 

 

Mucukunda, prays to the lord to bless with the highest and greatest benediction called Satsang.

“bhavApavargO bhramatO yadA bhaveJ janasya tarhy acyuta sath samAgamaḥ
sat saNgamo yarhi tadaiva sad gatau parAvareSe tvayi jAyate matiḥi “ [Srimad Bhagavatam 10.51.53]

 

When one is in a satsang, it will automatically turn the mind towards the lord by growing the seeds of devotion in one’s heart and all one needs to do is to park one’s own body in a place called satsang.

 

The satsang ended with prayers and Namasankirtan.

 

Jul 17: Pattinathar

The Nama Sankirtan was lead by Aravindji from Orlando.

Srimad Bhagavatam talks of the story of a king called Muchukunda from the Solar Dynasty.  Once Lord Subramanya [Deva Senapathy] wanted to take some rest and so went on a vacation. In his absence, Lord Indra wanted to take care of his army and hence requested Muchukunda to take care of his army. Being an able king, he led many battles won many wars. From the earth, he went to the heaven to wage war to assist the Devas and against the Asuras. Lord Indra thanked Muchukunda his services and let him return to earth to rule the kingdom. When he descended to the earth, things were totally different, for, one day in Deva Loka is many thousand years on earth. Indra, looking at his predicament granted him any boon that he desired. Muchukunda told him that he needed rest as he was feeling very tired and wanted to sleep for ages together and anyone who disturbs him in the sleep will be burned to ashes. So, Muchukunda was asleep in a cave, and thousands of years passed.

Once, an Asura by name Kalayavana was chasing Lord Krishna in a battle and reached the cave in which Muchkunda was sleeping. Kalayavana thought that Muchukunda was Lord Krishna in disguise and so he went and kicked him, waking him up. The moment Muchukunda woke up and saw Kalayevan, the latter was burnt to ashes. At that moment the Lord gave darshan to Muchukunda.  Muchukunda immediately recognized that it was Lord Krishna and sang the praises of the Lord. When asked to request for a boon, Muchukunda said, “I shall not be foolish to ask for any more worldly boons!” He says that when it is time for the people to attain the Holy Feet of the Lord, there are some indications –

“Bhavapavadh go bramato yata bhaveth janasya thasyath chuta satsamagama
Satsangamo yaryhi thadaiya satgathou paravaresyae thvayi jayathae mathihi”

If one is bestowed with satsang, then it is a clear indication that it is indeed his last birth. It is very lucid that the Lord’s compassion has fallen on him. The moment one is associated with satsang which is the divine association with a mahatma, they develop Bhakti and that will automatically take the individual to the holy feet of the lord. Such is the greatness of Satsang.

Sriramji, from Houston talked about Pattinathaar. He started off the lecture by explaining  how the Guru relieves the fear of samsara.

“The Guru makes us enjoy samsara and the life beyond by inducing the fear of samsara and then dispels the fear by making the path very easy through Nama Sankirtan. In any holy text, the crux of the text can be found in the beginning, the end and in the middle of the text. In Srimad Bhagavatam, we start off with ‘Janmadyasa..’ and end with ‘Namasankirtanam…’. The heart of Srimad Bhagavatam is Ajamila Charithra in the sixth canto.

There are twenty eight infernal regions (hells). When King Parikshit starts to wonder about these infernal regions Sage Shuka says that these are very much true! ‘Why go that far, these very much exist in our daily lives!’. Our Guru Maharaj gives a very profound example of this hell. Bull is the beast of burden in Indian villages. When the new baby bull is born, the humans do a lot of cruel things to it. It is in the bull’s fate (karma) to undergo these sufferings. Nobody can actually escape bad times.

Our Guru Maharaj actually gave a different perspective about Gajendra moksham in Srimad Bhagavatham. The elephants were lead by Gajendra (the king of the elephant herd) and they were playing in the water. They were in a way destroying the plant habitat and other aquatic habitat when a crocodile catches his feet.  This is described ‘deiva choditam’ (God-orchestrated). The moment this incident happened, the immediate relatives of Gajendra started to cry and after some time, they thought that it wouldn’t take much time for the crocodile to come and catch them and hence they stepped out of the pond and watched the scene from outside!

There is a lot of impermanence in this world. One classic example is money. Money can get one a very comfortable bed but can get it bring sleep? There is one thing that is permanent in life and it is none other than our Sadguru’s  holy feet. Pattinatar very beautifully says –

“Sadguru Paadhathai notram vitte iru
vaazhvai kudam kavizh neer enre ninai
Suttrathai verum sandhai koodam entre iru
Madathe! Unakku upadesam idhuve!”

Take refuge in the Sadguru’s feet.  Consider the life to be a as the water in a pot (it can topple anytime). Live as if family/friends are akin to the random people whom we see in a bazaar. Oh Mind! This is the teaching for you!

Pattinathaar was born in a place where Cauvery joins the ocean. In those days people used to trade with other countries through ships and to carry out such a trade, they traveled in groups. When his son was a little older, Pattinathar decided to send him to do business. He taught him the tricks of the trade.. His son soon set out on a trade-voyage and months passed by. It was time for his return. Pattinathaar eagerly waited for his son’s arrival but his son did not come. He enquired about his son to his friends who reached safely  and they mentioned that they set out in different groups and that his son was not part of that group.

Days passed by and a storm was brewing in the ocean. This stressed Pattinatar even more. He went to Lord Shiva and begged him for the safe return of his son. “I can’t care lesser for money! Even if I have to live in a hut drinking porridge, that is okay. But Oh! Lord, please save my son! I need my son back” Lord Shiva answered his prayers and his son returned safely. Pattinathaar was in  a state of ecstasy and his joy knew no bounds.

His son came home and relaxed for a while.  Then Pattinathaar went to his son and asked him, “Oh my son! How did the trade go? Did you make any profit.?” In reply to this, he said, “Yes Father!  the trade went fine and I have a small box that I wanted to show you”. When he opened the box, he was agitated to see the box being filled with cow-dung cakes. The furious Pattinathaar asked for the money and in reply his son replied, ‘Dad! Did you not pray to Lord Shiva that you don’t expect a dime out of the trade and you simply wanted me back alive? And now you ask for money/gold?”

“kaadhu arundha oosi varaadhu kadaivizhuthu kaal”

A useless needle that has lost its ears will not come with you in the last moments of one’s life. On hearing this, Pattinatar was greatly impacted. This led him to renounce all his wealth.  He sat under a tree and kept on contemplating on the one-line advice of his son.  The king who was close to Pattinatar saw him in this state walked him to him and asked him if he earned anything out of renunciation! “Ithanai panni enna kandeer?”

Pattinatar aptly replied, ‘Nee nirka nan amaara idhai kandom’

While as a king, all your subjects stand in front of you, now, you are standing in front of me while I am seated!  This is owing to the renunciation.

All of Pattinathar’s compositions are full of Bhakti and Vedanta.  Our Guru Maharaj conveys a very beautiful point. Only if you think of the non-permanence will one be bestowed with dispassion. Dispassion is a critical secret for attaining the Holy-Feet of the Lord. Pattinathar was once walking on the road when he came across a funeral. A typical funeral scene it was, as a lot of people were crying vehemently. Pattinathar started crying louder than those people!

When inquired if he was related to the dead, he said

“Setha pinathai sutri saaga pogum pinangal ellam koodi koodi azhuvadhai kandu azhugiren!”

I wail witnessing the state of all of you, who are corpses to-die and yet lament for the loss of a just-died corpse!

All of us often have this question in our lives, “Where will I go after I die?” Our Guru Maharaj explains what happens after death. In our dreams we see ourselves. We experience things. We have our manas [mind] and feelings associated with it. For example, we dream of going to a temple and do Pradakshina to the Lord. We have intellect in the dream state. But when the dream ends, the shooksma sharira is gone and we come back to our senses. Our Guru Maharaj compares this to the life after death.

In death, the gross /physical body dies.  The sookshma sharira (subtle body) [that also experienced the dream] will go to teh Swarga / Naraka depending on the merits / sins accrued in that birth, and based on the karmas, is born again.

One takes an umbrella to take shelter during the monsoon.  The Divine Name that we chant is verily the umbrella that can provide us shelter after death.

If we take to dhyana/yoga/tapas, we believe in our own ability to take us to the Holy Feet of the Lord, and we are likely to fall at any stage.  In Bhakti Marga, we are not dependent on the individual’s ability but only on the sheer grace of the Lord, which translates to unlimited Guru Krupa.

Yama Dharma Raja refuses to touch those devotees who have chanted the Divine Names of the Lord. This was clearly seen in the case of Ajamila!  Do we need any more assurance about the potency of Nama Kirtan, than verily the God of Death?”

The satsang ended with prayers and Namasankirtan.