Monday, July 28, 2008

BG 9.37

Sri Thayar of this Kshetram is Sri Purushotthama Nayaki. She is more benevolent than the Lord. The Lord granted asylum to Jatayu, Kakasura and Vibheeshana, no doubt. But that was after they sought. Sri Thayar has been more merciful. After the war was over and Ravana was slained, Hanuman came to Sri Sita to convey the happy ending. At that time he wanted to crush to death all those Rakshasis, who were threatening Sri Sita, Though they never even approached Sri Sita for protection, She, spontaneously on Her own merciful quality, did not permit Hanuman from doing any harm to them. That is why She is the purushakara. That is She recommends to the Lord to accept the saranagathi of devotees. She makes the Lord to listen to their prayers. In Mahabharatha, the war was over after 18 days and Pandavas were returning to their palaces and Sri Krishna was to move to Dwaraka. At that time He saw Mahatma Udhanka, still meditating. Sri Krishna appeared before him and told the war was over. What war, Udhanka asked. The war between Pandavas and Kauravas, Sri Krishna told. Why were they fighting, again asked Udhanka. Sri Krishna told that Kauravas sinned against Pandavas. Udhanka again asked why they sinned. Sri Krishna told that because in the previous birth, Kauravas committed sins. Udhanka, insisted why they did sins in the previous births. Sri Krishna knew that Udhanka was trying to trap Him and so He said that He was proceeding to Dwaraka. Udhanka said that he knew that his questions could not be answered and he knew that Pandavas had the blessings of the Lord, while Kauravas did not have. But he requested that the Lord should bless him also with the Viswaroopam, He exhibited to Arjuna. Sri Krishna accepted his request and showed him the Viswaroopam.
Alwar in the last pasuram of this Kshetram says that by worshiping the Lord here, he redeemed himself [உய்ந்து போனேன்]. He uses the words அண்ணல், சேவடி and உய்ந்து. First word annal indicates tatva [तत्त्व ], second word sevadi demotes hita [हित ] and the last word uyndhu points to purushartham [पुरुशार्थम]. Tatva is the entity, which we have to attain. Hitam shows us the means and purushartha is the final reward we get. Thus by seeking the Divine feet of the Lord, we can redeem ourselves. Gita tells us this concept in 700 slokas, while Alwar tells this in a single pasuram.
Parvati requests lord Shiva to tell her the greatness of Chapter 9 and lord Shiva told her what he heard Sri Narayana telling Sri MahaLakshmi. On the banks of river Narmada there was a town Vagheeshmati and in it lived a noble brahmin, Madhava, who, true to the words in Karma kanda of Vedas, was performing yagnas. Once he desired to reach swarga or heavens and so he wanted to perform a yagna. He brought a goat to be sacrificed in the holy fire. At that time the goat spoke to Madhava and asked the logic of killing it to enable Madhava to reach heaven. Surprised at goat speaking, he requested the goat to advise him. The goat commented he was wasting his learning in pursuing yagna to go to swarga. The goat further said that in its earlier birth it was also a brahmin doing yagna and once tried to sacrifice a goat and that goat cursed that he should be born as goat and experience the same sufferings. The goat was born first as a monkey and to its sorrow, the wife in its earlier birth as brahmin, teased the monkey. Then it was born as a dog and then a horse and now a goat. Surprised at this Madhava asked how he could get rid of these sufferings. Goat narrated a story. In Kurukshetra there lived a brahmin, who wanted to donate gifts during eclipse as in shastras. He prepared an idol of Kalanemi in gold and tried to gift to another. The idol told the brahmin not t o do as if he did, two persons would emerge and kill him. Undaunted by this, the Brahmin made the gift and two persons one male and another female emerged and tried to kill the Brahmin. The Brahmin simply murmured something and the two persons fell down dead. It was known that the Brahmin simply chanted the Chapter 9 and its effect was that he could not be killed. Understanding the greatness of Chapter 9, Madhavan recited the same and attained better levels. With this Chapter 9 ends.

No comments: