Srivaishnava Network

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

What would be the worst fate you would wish for an adversary? When you consider someone’s offence to be extremely heinous, unspeakably atrocious and wicked beyond measure, what punishment would you wish upon the offender? Though human laws do prescribe appropriate penalties for transgressions, ranging from a mere censure from the court and release on assurances of good conduct, to capital punishment, traditionally some offences have been considered too monstrous to be dealt with under mere human laws. Again, when the criminal escapes the clutches of law (as happens many a time in the case of those with money and muscle-power), does it mean that he does indeed go scot-free, totally unpunished for his offences? Is there a mechanism to ensure that offenders are brought to book without fail and made to repent for their wrongdoings? Yet another question relates to wicked thoughts, as opposed to deeds-under our legal procedures, mere thoughts, as long as they are not translated into action, are not punishable, whether they relate to wishing somebody dead or coveting someone else’s lawfully wedded spouse. Yet, since it is the thought that forms the seed of action, one would feel that such thoughts too should attract some form of retribution. However, (fortunately for people like me) how to identify, recognise and appropriately punish such thought processes remains beyond human capabilities.

The concept of Hell, as a place where just retribution is meted out to offenders, is as old as the hills. There appears to be rare unanimity among religions on this-we Hindus call it “Narakam”, for the Christians it is “Hell” and for the Muslims, “Jahnham” (or some similar sounding word). Even if someone manages to evade human law, we are told that the long arm of the Lord would ensure for him or her a spell in Hell, to cure him or her of sinful inclinations.

However, do Hell and Heaven really exist as separate places, where the wicked and the good respectively go? As some people say, are they not to be experienced in one’s own mind, which torments one when one does something wrong and is extremely happy when one performs some meritorious deed? Or, as the atheists say, are they mere figments of imagination, created by elders to ensure adherence to accepted norms of social and personal behaviour?

As firm believers in that supreme body of knowledge, the Shruti (Vedas), we are curious to know whether this compendium has anything to say in the matter. As essentially all wisdom beyond the grasp of our frail faculties has necessarily to be accessed from the Vedas, we scour the vast body of the Shruti for any mention of Narakam, the place inhabited by pApAtmAs. And we do come up with several, especially in the aruNa Prasnam of the TaittirIya Aranyakam–

“DakshiNa poorvasyAm disi visarpI naraka:–tasmAt na: paripAhi
uttara poorvasyAm disi vishAdI naraka: tasmAt na: paripAhi”

These lines from the AraNyakam tell us that Narakam does exist, and incorporate a prayer to the Lord to save us from these hellish fires.

Additional proof, if needed, is furnished by the Sri Vishnu Puranam, which says that these worlds of sinners are located beneath the earth and the waters-

“tatascha narakA vipra! BhuvO adha: salilasya cha
pApinO yEshu nivasantE tAn shruNu mahAmunE!”

And it would appear that “Narakam” is not just a single world, but is the generic name for a group of worlds inhabited by offenders of various types and hues. We thus hear of a good number of “narakam”s, each intended for a specific type of wickedness, with punishments varying accordingly. The same Vishnu Purana catalogues a sample list of narakams-Rouravam, Sookaram, ROdham, TAlam, Vishasanam, MahAjvAlA, Taptakumbham, lavaNam, VilOhitam, RudhirAmbham, VaitaraNi, KrimIsam, KrimibhOjanam, asipatravanam, Krishnam, DAruNam, lAlAbhaksham, Pooyavaham, PApam, Sandamsam, VahnijvAlA, adha:shirA, aprathistta, aprachi, KAlasootram, Tamas, AvIchI, ShvabhOjanam, etc. Lest we derive comfort from the rather short list of hells indicated, the Purana hastens to assure us that the aforesaid is just the tip of the iceberg and there are hundreds and thousands of Narakams,e each intended for a certain type of offender-

“EtE cha anyE cha narakA: shatasOtha sahasrasa:
yEshu dushkrita karmANa: pachyantE yAtanAgatA:”

Defining the pre-requisite for a spell in hell, the Purana tells us that sin is nothing but behaviour incompatible with the codes of conduct prescribed for people belonging to various VarNAs and AshramAs (stages of life, viz., student, householder, ascetic, etc.). Those who violate these dicta fall into one or the other of the aforesaid narakAs. And, for our comfort, the Scripture adds that these offences need not be actual deeds-even sinful thoughts and words consign one to the horrible worlds below-”KarmaNA manasA vAchA nirayEshu patanti tE”. This then is the important difference between human law and the divine-You might be guilty of any amount of evil thoughts, but as long as you hide them well behind a law-abiding façade, no government can prosecute you. The arm of the divine law has, however, a greater reach and is able to discern wickedness in thought too and award appropriate punishment.

We are filled with horror at all this ghoulish spiel. Is there no way we can avoid these fires of hell? We know from practice that it is impossible for us to refrain from committing sin, one way or the other, for, Sin seems such an all-encompassing word. Even a smile of derision at some one wearing TirumaN, even a word in a lighter vein making fun of someone’s orthodoxy, even a single thought coveting someone else’s belonging-all these would reserve for us a place in hell. Given the impossibility of strict adherence to divine dicta in the present day and age, how then can we avoid falling into the fires of hell?

The same Purana, which furnishes a graphic description of hellish worlds, also prescribes for us ways of avoiding the same, by telling us to perform “PrAyaschittam” or atonement. For each and every type of transgression, ShAstrAs lay down the type of atonement to be adopted. If one takes recourse to these, then one is saved from the aforesaid worlds of chastisement. However, if one is hard nut, one must definitely undergo purification in one or the other of “narakam”s, to cleanse one of the cloying stigma of sin-

“pApa krit  yAti narakam prAyaschitta parAngmukha:”.

We must remember that atonement demands an appropriate frame of mind, the mind made sorrowful by the act of sin committed and keen to make amends through atonement. Thus, “PaschAt tApam” or remorse at having committed the sin, is an essential pre-requisite for atonement.

However, when we go through the list of atonements prescribed by MaharshIs, we feel we might as well spend a spell in hell and be done with it, for, the PrAyaschittams laid down for each sin appear indeed impossible of performance, given our current physical and mental state. Many of these atonal acts involve prolonged periods of fasting and other forms of physical inconvenience, which appear much beyond frail mortals like us. What then is our fate-is there no way for us to avoid the rigours of hell? Are we destined to rot in hell forever, for, our predilection for the forbidden act is proverbial and, in the absence of atonement therefor, what else awaits us but hell?

“Despair not!”, the Purana tells us, showing us a way out and an easy one at that. Not only does it prescribe an act that is a comprehensive PrAyaschittam for sins of all types, but one that is sweet and pleasurable in performance. Can you ever find a panacea, a sure-cure for all ills, which is simultaneously and incredibly tasty? Sri Vishnu Purana tells us that of all types of PrAyaschittam, the best is to think about the Lord, with a mind full of remorse for the violation of His dicta-

“PrAyaschittAni asEshANi tapa: karmAtmakAni vai
yAni tEshAm asEshANAm KrishNa anusmaraNam param”

What could be easier, what could be sweeter to the mind and tongue, what could be more cleansing, than to think of and utter the Krishna nAmA?

Sri Kulasekshara Azhwar wonders at the propensity of people to live lives steeped in sin, when there is any number of the Lord’s names, which one could chant and think about, capable of instantly cleansing of them of all sins.. Why could one not say “Ananta”, “Vaikunta”, “Mukunda”, “Krishna”, “Govinda”, “Damodara”, “Madhava” etc., which are incredibly sweet on the tongue and also act as purifiers, wonders Azhwar-

“ananta Vaikuntta Mukunda Krishna GOvinda DAmOdara MAdhava iti
vaktum samartthOpi na vakti kaschit ahO! JanAnAm vyasana abhimukhyam!”

Realising that we would never consciously utter or contemplate the Lord’s holy names, Sri Periazhwar suggests an easier way to ensure that we derive the benefit of the exercise-just name your children after Emperuman, so that each time you call your child, you accumulate merit and ward-off sin. Azhwar extends the categorical assurance that this is the way to avoid the rigours of hell-

“”MAnida sAdiyil tOndrittOr mAnida sAdiyayi
MAnida sAdiyin pEr ittAl marumaikku illai
VAnudai Madhava! Govinda! Endru azhaitthkkAl
NAnidai NAranan tam annai narakam pugAL”

Azhwar’s assurance appears to be based on the story of ajAmiLa, who, when on his deathbed, called to his infant son Narayana and was transported to Vishnu lOkam, despite his numerous transgressions.

We have seen how terrifying hell and its keepers are. Azhwars speak of an occasion when the entire cruel hell was transformed into a heavenly abode. How could this be possible, we wonder. Azhwar elaborates in the following TirumAlai pAsuram-

“namanum Murkalanum pEsa, narakil nindrArgaL kEtpa
narakamE Svargam Agum nAmangaL udaya nambi
avanadu oor arangam ennAdu ayartthu veezhndu aLiya mAndar
kavalayuL padugindrAr endru adanukkE kavalgindrEnE”

In a glowing tribute to the glory of the Lord’s holy names, Sri Tondarappodi Azhwar recounts the episode of a conversation between Mudgala and Yamadharma rAjA. Mudgala was an extremely wicked person, guilty of innumerable acts of sin. Quite unusually for him, he gifted a cow to a Brahmin one day, accompanying it with the words, “Let this be for Krishna” (“KrishNAya nama:”).. When he died and reached YamalOka, Yamadharmaraja himself received him with all honour and acclaim. When the surprised Mudgala sought the reason for the unusual reception, Yama told him that the single word “Krishna” uttered by Mudgala during the “GOdAnam” earlier, had rid him of all evil.

The beneficial effects of the single utterance of the Krishna nAma did not stop with Mudgala. Those in Naraka who listened to the conversation between Yama and Mudgala, and, in the process, to the Krishna nAmA, were instantly absolved of their sins. What is more, the entire hell was immediately transformed into heaven, lock, stock and barrel.

Such indeed is the efficacy of the holy name of the Lord, which is capable of benefiting even those who utter or listen to it, by sheer accident, without any instinct of devotion or adulation. Azhwar’s pasuram is in turn based on the Sri Vishnu Dharmam, where the episode is narrated in detail.

For those who are unable even to utter the short and sweet names of the Lord, Azhwar has another prescription for saving them from the fires of hell. A mere mention of the hallowed abodes of Emperuman would, by itself, ensure that none goes to Narakam: indeed, if everyone were to just say the name of a divyadesam once, it would render the hellish worlds uninhabited and desolate, says Azhwar in the following pasuram-

“arivilA manisar ellAm arangam endru azhaippar Agil
poriyil vAzh narakam ellAm pullezhundu ozhiyum andrE”

There is something worse than even Narakam, we are told by Sri Nammazhwar. Once we undergo punishment for the particular series of sins, we are freed from hell and are reborn on earth. Thus sojourn in hell is a time-bound thing. There is, on the other hand, an infinite prison sentence imposed on all Jeevatmas, which makes them hop from one body to another interminably and to remain imprisoned eternally in one mortal coil or the other. This is SamsAram, which makes people remain bound forever, unable to rid themselves of the powerful shackles of Karma. If Narakam can be compared to a long and dark night, Samsara is unending gloom, a permanent blackout, an interminable tunnel without a hint of light, says Sri Nammazhwar-

“VidiyA vennarakam”.

We have seen that there are ways of keeping out of hell-but are there ways of escaping the unending pall of gloom that is Samsara?

Instead of a PrAyaschittam for each individual sin, is there a one-time, cover-all atonement, which would serve as a massive cleansing agent, ridding us all of all types of sin? And is there such a panacea, which would ensure that even in future, unintended offences would not stain us with sin?

Though this appears too much to ask for, there is indeed a procedure for getting rid of our baggage of accumulated misdeeds, while simultaneously ensuring that we remain untainted by offences during the rest of our lives on earth. Prapatti or Sharanagati is the universal atonement for all our sins past and present, and, when performed through a benign Acharya, ensures that we never even peep into hell, however major our sins be. Unlike other atonements, it is not hard of performance nor anywhere as demanding. All it requires is the right attitude of mind, the resolution to toe the right path henceforth, to avoid the path of sin and of absolute conviction in and total surrender to our Lord and Master, giving ourselves up to Him, heart and soul. If Tapas or Penance is prescribed as atonement for major sins, this Sharanagati is rated even higher than Penance, says the Upanishad-

“TasmAt NyAsam EshAm tapasAm atiriktam Ahu:”

Once we perform Prapatti, we can challenge the minions of hell with impunity and tell them, “To hell with you!”,as does Sri Nammazhwar-

“Poliga poliga poliga, pOyittru valluyir shApam
naliyum narakamum nainda namanukku ingu yAdondrum illai”.

Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

dasan, sadagopan

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

The Scripture tells us that we all are but puppets, dancing to the tunes of the Eternal Puppeteer. The Cosmic Dance of the Jeevatmas is choreographed and controlled by the Lord, without whose will none can move a finger or a foot. All of us are thus dancers, directed by the Paramatma, exhibiting appropriate emotions and actions as desired by Him. However, would you be surprised to learn that even the Master Puppeteer Himself was made to dance, not once but repeatedly? And the person who made Him dance was no great colossus, but an ordinary one distinguished by neither birth nor attainments. If you are curious to find out more, please read on.

If we were to associate any of the Lord’s avataras with dancing, which one would come to our mind automatically and unprompted? It would be extremely difficult to imagine the stately and staid Sri Rama dancing-nothing would be farther from reality. Nor are we able to picturise the angry Parasurama or the ferocious Nrsimha engaging in this pastime. Because of His role as a Brahmachari, to whom such indulgences are taboo, the Vamanavatara too is out of the question. Nor can the Matsya, Koorma and Varaha moorties, due the very nature of their physiques, be expected to participate in dancing: nor are we able to visualise Balarama as a dancer. The one and only avatara left, for whom all fun, frolic and games would be quite in tune with character, would be Sri Krishna. Any form of pleasurable activity, whether it is singing, dancing, playing or others, we are immediately able to associate the Boy Wonder with it. It is perhaps thus that, among the innumerable avataras of the Lord, we hear of only Sri Krishna indulging in song and dance.

All movements of the Kutti Krishna were so beautiful, graceful and elegant, that His very walk could be termed a dance. The way His hips moved, His feet pranced in anything but a straight line, His eyes darted hither and thither in search of mischief to perpetrate, His long and beautiful hands swung with charm, the kaleidoscope of emotions that darted across His face with admirable facility-all these showed Him up to be an expert dancer, even in infancy. Everyone knows that the art of dancing has to be acquired with extreme diligence and hard work, with innumerable hours of practice having to be put in, before one can even approach the semblance of being a fair dancer. However, to Sri Krishna, dancing was second nature, every movement of His essaying an abhinayam. He could move everyone by the mere way He walked, displaying the elegant, graceful and flowing movements that are the hallmark of a professional artiste. Even when He came with a crowd, His fluid movements and impeccable style were distinct from the thousand others accompanying Him. Listen to Sri Periazhwar exclaiming about this-

“tan nEr Ayiram piLLaigaLOdu taLar nadai ittu varuvAn”.

The Gopis of Nandagokulam were extremely enamoured of Sri Krishna’s talents in this regard and would beseech the incomparable infant to dance a few steps for them. However, our Krishna would never oblige-He had better things to do than to stage a command performance for a few Gopis. These Gopis, thirsty for the experience of seeing the enchanting infant in fluid movement, used to lure Krishna with promises of fresh butter and curds. And when the enthralling infant came to collect, they used to lay down a precondition for delivering the delicacies-that He should dance for them. This sort of bargain our Krishna was not averse to, as it resulted in dairy products being available without the trouble of having to steal them with considerable difficulty. And He used to prance a few steps with His tender feet, all the while holding out His palm for the promised butter. The heartless Gopis were however unsatisfied with a token performance and insisted on a full-scale dance. And spurred on by the promised pot of butter awaiting Him at the end of the “concert”, Krishna too used to oblige, with His abundant locks swinging with His movements and falling on His broad and beautiful forehead, pearly beads of sweat, resulting from the exercise, adorning His upper lip, His beautiful eyes displaying a variety of instantly-changing emotions and His feet hardly touching the ground, in a whirlwind of movement.

Swami Desikan paints an enthralling picture of the mercenary dance the Lord staged, all for a palmful of butter. One beautiful foot was placed steadily on the ground, with the other crossed over at the ankles. The feet alternated in being steady and in movement, with the result that Yasoda was able to perceive only a whirl of feet. His expression was beseeching. The numerous garlands of flowers and of gold that He was wearing and His tiny earrings moved and shook with His graceful steps. And keeping perfect time was the sound of butter being churned by the Gopis, providing a steady and even-paced “TALam”.

Here is the beautiful slokam from Sri Gopala Vimsati-

“Avirbhavatu anibhruta AbharaNam purastAt
Akunchita Eka charaNam nibhruta anya pAdam
DadhnA nimantha mukharENa nibaddha tALam
NAthasya nanda bhavanE navaneeta nAtyam”

It is thus the “Navaneeta Natyam” or the dance for butter that earned Sri Krishna fame as a dancer par excellence. It is noteworthy that one of the Poorvacharyas, Sri Tirumalai Nambi, had christened the Krishna vigraham in his daily worship as “VeNNaikku Adum piLLai”. Even today, the idol of Sri Krishna worshipped at Sri Ahobila Mutt, who graces the homes of devotees resplendent in His “DOlai”, can be seen with an outstretched palm holding a blob of butter, His feet and body gracefully portraying a dance posture.

It is the ardent craving of every devotee that the Lord’s holy feet should adorn his head. We hear Sri Alavandar inquiring Emperuman with ardour as to when His tiruvadi would be placed on his (Alavandar’s) head-

“Trivikrama! Tvat charaNAmbuja dvayam madeeya moordhAnam (kadA) alankarishyati”.

Sri Ramanuja too, in his Gadyam, seeks this incredible good fortune. Predictably, such yearning on the part of Acharyas stems from that of the Azhwars.. It is thus the dream of every votary of the Lord to have the latter’s holy feet placed on his or her head. However, we would be surprised to find that there are cases of people totally opposed to the Lord, in fact battling with Him valiantly for all they are worth, being blessed with the coveted catch of these tiruvadis, with absolutely no desire therefor. Not only did the Lord’s feet merely touch the foe’s head, but stayed there for considerable time. Incredible as it may sound, this is indeed true.

A big pond by the side of the Yamuna was inhabited by a venomous serpent by name KALiya, who had made the waters so bitter and poisonous with his toxic secretions, that several of Sri Krishna’s friends lost their lives after drinking the water. After rejuvenating them with His mere nectarine glances, the Lord decided to cleanse the Yamuna and its environs of such an unwelcome inhabitant. We are told that the waters of this pond were so lethal, that even birds flying over it dropped down dead after inhaling the toxic fumes emanating therefrom and the waters of the pond were boiling hot with the serpent’s fuming breaths.

Despite His friends’ entreaty not to, Sri Krishna girded up His loins and dropped into the pond from the branch of an overhanging Kadamba tree. Once inside the pond, He made as much noise and commotion as possible to bring the snake out, beating the water with His hands and feet. KALiyA emerged in a rage, and finding that the intruder was a mere infant, immediately bit the boy at several places and encircled Him with his long tail. Witnessing their leader immobilised by the snake and rendered motionless, the Gopa lads were panic-stricken and brought all the elders of Nandagokulam to the banks of the Yamuna, for rescue. Those who came, however, could think of no strategy to rescue the boy, who was being well and truly crushed by the serpent and stood on the banks, tears flowing freely from their eyes at the danger that had befallen their beloved Krishna and at their own helplessness in the matter.

Seeing the distress of His mother and relatives, Sri Krishna decided that it was time to take matters in hand. He enlarged His body manifold, ridding Himself of the serpent’s embrace in a trice. And He started circling the hissing snake, in the fashion of an expert wrestler trying to tire out his opponent.

Enraged at the escape of the prey from his coils, the serpent KALiyA, his fury increasing by the second, started hissing threateningly, spewing out a venomous draft from his nostrils, his hood spread out and held high, eyes resembling orbs of fire, the split tongue in each head licking the lips in eager anticipation of its human prey. Made to circle constantly by the elusive Krishna, KALiyA started tiring and lowered all his hoods in an effort to sink his lethal fangs into the daring boy. Sri Krishna was awaiting just this moment, when the snake’s hoods were lowered. Immediately He darted on top of the broad and wide hoods and began pounding them with His strong and capable feet. Though they resembled soft red lotuses and felt the same to touch, KALiyA found out that day that these feet could be tough as nails and heavy as a pounding hammer, when the occasion so warranted.

And the artistic Lord, with His penchant for drama, made a song and dance out of the issue, trotting out a beautiful dance performance, putting to shame even acknowledged experts like Ramba, Tilottama, Urvasi etc.

On the pretext of putting down KALiyA, the infantile Emperuman exhibited all His artistry and agility, dancing with élan on the hoods of the serpent.. The gems (“nAga ratnam”) decorating the hoods of the snake provided footlights for the Lord’s performance, showing up His whirling tiruvadi in all its glory. The already red soles of His feet were turned more reddish by the glow of these ratnams. In this context, the Bhagavata Purana uses the word “Adi Guru” or the Primordial Preceptor, to describe the Lord, perhaps to indicate that as in the case of any vidyA, dance too owes its origins to Him..

And this dance performance was so enthralling that the entire universe gathered at Gokulam to witness the rare sight. The cheering celestials burst spontaneously into accompaniment, with GandharvAs, SiddhAs, ChAraNAs and the divine damsels singing, playing the Mridangam and other percussion/ wind instruments, making for an unprecedented and unparalleled artistic performance. The faithful chronicler of Sri Krishna’s deeds, Sri Periazhwar, records this event thus-

“KALiyan poigai kalanga pAindittu -avan
neeNmudi aiyndilum nindru nadam seidu”

Another superlative performance was staged by the Lord for the benefit of His bosom friends, the cowherds. The Bhagavata Purana tells us that in order to entertain them, Sri Krishna imitated the song of the swans, the drone of the bees and also the graceful dance of the peacock-

“abhinrityati nrityantam barhiNam hAsayan kvachit”

The Lord appears to have been an expert at not only conventional dance forms, but also at extremely difficult ones like dancing with pots balanced one atop the other. This is popularly known as “Kuda kootthu” and is attempted only by the lion-hearted among artistes, due to the difficulty of its performance. A moment of inattention or a faltering step would send the pots balanced carefully on the head, crashing down, with the resultant ignominy. Sri Krishna had perfected this art form and used to regale audiences at Nandagokulam by dancing with speed and splendour, with a pyramid of pots of various sizes carefully balanced on His beautiful head. Azhwars delight in calling Him “Kuda Koothan”, in commemoration of these sterling performances staged before adulating audiences of Gopis and Gopas-

“Kuravai kOttha kuzhaganai MaNivaNNanai Kuda Koottanai”
“KOvalan kuda koothan endru endrE kunitthu” (Sri Nammazhwar).

Another incredible form of dance the Lord appears to have engaged in, is the “Kuravai”, where He took as many forms as there were Gopis and danced with them individually. The Bhagavata Purana waxes eloquent in describing this “RAsa kreedA”. Deciding to afford the Gopis the unforgettable experience of dancing with their idol on a one-to-one basis, Sri Krishna took multiple forms and delighted them beyond measure. This is perhaps why He is called “MAya kootthan” by many an Azhwar.

To bring the concert to a close, while all of us would consider itan incredible good fortune to witness the Lord’s dance, a modern poet asks Him not to dance, but just to walk sedately-

“AdAdu asangAdu vA KaNNA!”.

When we investigate, we find that the poet fears that if the Lord were to dance, the entire universe would become unstable and be thrown into disarray, as it forms the body of the Paramatma-

“un Adalil eerEzhu bhavanamum asaindu asaindu AdudE
enavE AdAdu asangAdu vA KaNNA!”

The poet goes on to say that Emperuman’s artistry is so delightful that even an expert dancer like Sri Nataraja comes rushing from Chidambaram, to watch with undisguised admiration, forsaking his own performance.

We thus find that whatever the Lord does, He does with élan. If He sings, the entire world drops what it is doing and listens with rapt attention, down to the grazing deer calf which stands motionless like a picture, with the half-chewed grass dribbling out of its mouth with saliva.  If He dances, the entire universe turns up to watch, mesmerised by the magnificent movements, the incredible bhAvam and the unforgettable abhinayam.

Would you like to witness the Lord’s delightful performance not once, but repeatedly? Would you like to immerse yourself in the incredible bliss that only an accomplished professional like the Lord can afford the audience?

Well, you can. The ticket for the show is pretty cheap and, for a single season ticket, you become entitled to watch the concert forever. This ticket is nothing but Prapatthi. Once you perform the simple but effective Sharanagati or Absolute Surrender, the Lord is so delighted that He takes you to the best of theatres, viz., Sri Vaikuntam and puts on a command performance, just for you, forever.

Srimate Sri LakshmINrismha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

dasan, sadagopan

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

For long, whenever a caricature is drawn of a Londoner, he has always been picturised with a bowler hat on his head and an umbrella under his arm. He may forget even his preferred breakfast of bacon and eggs in the morning, but not to carry his umbrella, we are told. London weather is said to be so nasty that precipitations occur frequently and without notice– hence its residents’ attachment to the umbrella. We in India too like to carry an umbrella during the monsoon season (which, alas, has become almost non-existent during the last couple of years). And ladies prefer the umbrella during rain or shine, to protect their lily-white complexions from the Sun. This applies especially to Japanese ladies, whom you always find (at least in movies) sporting trendy umbrellas in their hands-so much so that it appears to be as much a part of Japanese traditional costume, as the Kimono.  However, as you would have observed, the umbrella appears to be on its way out during recent years, replaced by Raincoats, Duck-back wear and such-like, which provide comprehensive and body-length protection against a downpour. The younger generation perhaps considers the umbrella unfashionable and prefers to cover itself with shiny plastic, leather and vinyl, as its answer to rains. Before it becomes extinct, let us capture a few glorious glimpses of the umbrella’s hoary history.

The Lord appears to have created us in His own mould, perhaps in the fond hope that we would be as good and holy as He is. Though we have belied His expectations, we do stick on to things that remind us of our origins and parentage. We find, thus, that in carrying an umbrella too, we are only copying Him.

My ever-critical daughter, peering over my shoulder, remarks, “You have got away with quite a few wild statements in the past. You have linked the most insignificant of things to the Lord, like a speck of dust, a blade of grass, a strand of hair and even a piece of stone. This time, however, you are going too far by trying to connect a mere umbrella with Emperuman and are surely going to fail! Let me see how you do it!”

Ruing the misfortune of having to answer to mere infants with pretensions of being literary critics at sixteen and spurred on by the compulsion of having to prove her wrong, I lay the following lines before you, who are the final arbiters in the matter.

To repeat, it is very much the Lord who first held an umbrella. Whenever you see sculptures of the DasAvatArAs, you find that each avatAra is depicted with distinct items in the Lord’s hands. For instance, you are able to recognise Sri Rama instantly by the bow and arrow He holds stylishly, Sri Krishna by His flute, Sri Balarama by the Plough and Sri Parasurama by the murderous axe slung over His shoulder. Similarly, the observant among us would have definitely noticed the distinctive feature of the VAmanAvatAra-the Umbrella.

When the Lord makes His appearance at MahAbali’s asvamEdha yAga in the form of an enchanting BrahmachAri, short and sweet, radiating wisdom and penance, His attire is completely in tune with the role adopted. As a BrahmachAri, He holds a Dandam (a stick of the PalAsa tree) in His hand, has a belt of darbha grass, a yagyOpaveetam sprawling resplendently in His chest and holds a Kamandalu or water-container in His other hand. His chest is covered by deerskin, which the Lord uses to hide the presence of the inseparable Sri Mahalakshmi. Onlookers are so astounded by the beauty and splendour of the small boy, that they rise to their feet automatically. They wonder whether it is verily the Soorya BhagavAn who has honoured the sacrifice with his presence, or the illustrious Agni himself. Such was the impressive entry made by Emperuman at Bhrigukaccham on the banks of the Narmada, where the asvamEdha yAga was in progress.

The point of this lengthy description is that the BhAgavata PurANa tells us of one very important item held in the Lord’s hand, viz., an Umbrella-

“Cchatram sadandam sajalam kamandalum vivEsa bibhrat hayamEdha vAtam”. One wonders-against which element did the Lord need protection, that He carried an umbrella? Was it against the blazing Sun? It could not be, for the timely rise and set of the Sun is attributed to his fear of the Lord-”bheeshOdEti Soorya:” says the Taittiriyopanishad. Could it have been against pouring rain? This again was not possible, for Varuna the Deity of Waters, VAyu the Windgod and Indra the Chief of celestials, all of whom jointly send down rains, are in equal fear of the Lord, says the same Upanishad-”BheeshAsmAt VAta: pavatE, bheeshAsmAt agnischa indrascha”.

We are told that the umbrella was a gift to the Lord by the heavens above,  just as the Yagyopaveetam was gifted by Brihaspati, the belt of Munji grass by Kashyapa Maharshi, the kamandalu by BrahmA and so on-”koupeenam AcchAdanam mAtA dyou: cchatram jagata: patE:”

Does the umbrella’s association with the Lord stop with the VAmanAvatArA? Not at all, as we shall see presently.

During the Ramavatara, in describing Sri Rama’s return from His father’s palace without any of the trappings of the YuvarAjA due to KaikEyI’s machinations, Kamban says,

“kuzhaikkindra kavari indri, kottra veN kudayum indri
azhaikkindra vidhi mun chella, Dharumam pin irangi Ega”

To Kousalya, who had been expecting Her darling’s return with all the trappings of power like acolytes fanning Him on both sides, a courtier holding aloft a decorated umbrella made of the purest of white silk and so on, Sri Rama’s return unaccompanied by any of the aforesaid adornments comes as a severe disappointment.

We see thus that the Umbrella has for long signified power, prestige and honour. That this is true today too, even at much lower levels, is seen from the lackey following the village landlord, holding an umbrella over his head. And we find Emperors being described as “Eka CchatrAdhipati”, indicating that their umbrella of power extends over the whole world-this, however, is a misnomer, for it is only Emperuman who could truthfully claim this title, being the Supreme Lord of all the universes.

After His triumphant return from Lanka, Sri Rama accepts the throne of Ayodhya at the request of Bharata. At the Coronation, signifying His overlordship over all, a beautiful white umbrella is held over the head of Sri Rama. The good fortune of holding the same falls to the lot of Shatrughna-”Cchatram tu tasya jagrAha Shatrughna: pANdaram shubham”.

If Sri Rama was accorded the honour of a ceremonial umbrella only at His coronation, Sri Krishna managed to corner the same on the very first day of His birth. It is raining cats and dogs, the precipitation coming down in torrents, when Sri VasudEva leaves KamsA’s prison for the safety of NandagOkulam, bearing the just-born Krishna. He is worried what would happen to the infant, if it were to be drenched in the downpour. He need not have been concerned, for, the moment he stepped out of the prison, there was AdisEsha, holding his hoods protectively over the Lord, ensuring that not a drop of rain fell on the Paramapurusha’s tirumEni.

It is perhaps from this episode of the Strange Snake functioning as the Lord’s umbrella, that Azhwars, come up with the following formulation-

“chendrAl kudayAm irundAl singAsanamAm
nindrAl maravadiyAm-neeL kadaluL endrum
puNayAm maNi viLakkAm poompattAm, pulgum
aNayAm TirumArkku aravu”.

Here too, the primacy of the Umbrella is evident from its being mentioned ahead of the Lord’s throne, footwear, boat, luminous lamp and the softest of beds.

We have seen that others hold an umbrella over the Lord’s head, as a measure of protection, honour and adoration. Is there any instance of Emperuman holding an umbrella over the heads of others? Yes, indeed there is. He is so accessible and likes so much to mingle with us, that He doesn’t shrink from performing even the most menial of services for His ardent devotees.

The residents of Gokulam had the practice of performing poojA every year to Indra, the Chief of Celestials, who ensured timely rains, so essential for the sustenance of both man and cow. Sri Krishna, intent on teaching arrogant Indra a lesson, convinced His father and GOpAs that worship ought to be performed to the actual benefactors of Gokulam, viz., the cows which showered wealth through their munificent flood of milk, Brahmins who performed VEda pArAyaNam for universal welfare and to the Govardhana hill, which was responsible for the cows’ well being. The GOpAs, impressed by Sri Krishna’s well-reasoned arguments, agreed and performed worship to the aforesaid, ignoring Indra. Indra was furious at this and to teach the ignorant cowherds a lesson they wouldn’t forget in a hurry, sent down torrential rain, accompanied by terrifying claps of thunder and continuous flashes of lightning, enough to blind the eye. Due to the incessant rain, the entire Gokulam was almost submerged in floods, with men, women and children shivering in the sharp wind and drenched to their skins, not to speak of the cows and calves. And there was absolutely no sign of the downpour letting up. All the Gopas ran to Sri Krishna for succour. And the Lord came to their rescue by holding up a huge umbrella, under which all of them could stay safe and secure against the onslaught of rain and hail. And what was this umbrella, which could accommodate hundreds of cowherds and their families, along with the innumerable cows and calves of Nandagokulam?

Assuring the shivering Gopas of immediate protection and to send a strong signal to Indra, Sri Krishna, barely into His teens, just plucked up the massive Goverdhana mountain with little effort (as if it was just a toadstool) and held it up with a single hand for seven continuous days, not even shifting a foot, affording protection to all the residents, man and beast, of Nandagokulam. And Indra, having found out to his chagrin that his powers were nothing before Sri Krishna’s, stopped the rains and restored normalcy.

It is this episode, of the Lord having held a huge umbrella over His devotees, which comes in for generous praise from all Azhwars.

Listen, for instance, to Sri Andal-”kundru kudayAi edutthAi guNam pOttri!”

Azhwars are so enamoured of the episode, of the little Lord having held a massive mountain with His single palm for seven days together, to protect unlettered cowherds and dumb cows and calves, that they recount it time and again in their outpourings.

“malayai edutthu kal mAri kAtthu pasu nirai tannai
tolaivu tavirttha PirAn” says Sri Nammazhwar too.

However, I am forgetting the most obvious thing that comes to our mind, when we talk about Umbrellas-they are the ones that Sri Varadaraja sports magnificently over His majestic head, on the day of the GarudOtsavam. These umbrellas are indeed stately specimens of their species– broad, wide and fitting in every way to the Paramapurusha they serve. We are told by Sri DoddayAchAr Swamy that these umbrellas are studded with precious stones, with their sides decorated by pearls. It is indeed a great sight to witness Sri Devadiraja adorned by these umbrellas.

A great roar of devotion rends the air, as Sri TEpperumAL , in all His majesty and splendour, with a prasanna vadanam, with the chAmarAs waving gently, resplendent under the famous umbrellas adorned with pearls and precious stones, appears at the temple entrance, ensconced on Sri Garuda.

It would appear that there is close competition between Sri Adisesha and Sri Garuda, as to who would serve as an umbrella to the Lord. For, during Sri Krishnavatara, Sri Andal tells us that VainatEya circled overhead when the little Lord was tending to cows in the meadows of Brindavanam, protecting the Paramatma from the blazing Sun and thereby preventing His already dark body from acquiring a deeper shade of black-

“mElAl paranda veyil kAppAn Vinatai siruvan siragennum
mElAppin keezh varuvAnai VirundAvanattE kaNdOmE”

It goes to the credit of the Umbrella that it is one of the items to be offered to the Lord during daily worship or TiruvArAdhanam.

All of us may be having any number of umbrellas at home: we need, however, to acquire one more-one which would afford us comprehensive protection against a heat more cruel than that generated by the Sun and more penetrating than mere torrents of rain. This is the unbearable heat spawned by SamsAra, the unending and vicious cycle of births and deaths.

Prapatti or Saranagati is the only umbrella, which can afford us the shade of comfort against this heat. Once we surrender ourselves heart and soul to the Lord, He gifts us this protective umbrella of “abhayam”, providing us safety and security while we are in this mundane land and unimaginable bliss at the end of this birth.

Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, sadagopan