Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Purpose of life

From the Bhakti List Archives

Parthasarati Dileepan • November 4, 1995 


On Sat, 4 Nov 1995 00:12:00 -0500 K. Sreekrishna said:
>
>
  [..snip..]
>
>There is no clear  purpose to life.
>What is the purpose of life?It is
>basically whatever we make out of it.

  [..rest of the article also deleted..]



     I would like to submit to this group that the
     purposes for human life are very well
     articulated by aazhvaars and other Sri
     Vaishnava aachaaryaas.  Among them are
     total surrender to our Lord Sriman Narayana
     and service to His devotees.  Here is a
     paasruam from Thiru kuRundhaaNdagam of
     Thirumangai aazhvaar that answers this
     question.

     vaanidaip puyalai maalai
       varaiyidaip pirasa meenRa,
     thEnidaik karumpin saaRRaith
       thiruvinai maruvi vaazhaar,
     maanidap piRavi yanthO!
       mathikkilar koLka, thantham
     oonidaik kurambai vaazhkkaik
       kuRuthiyE vENdinaarE.

     "Our Lord of complexion like dark cloud of
     rainy day is so sweet that He is like the
     honey of mountain bees mixed in with sugar
     cane juice. The purpose of our rare human
     birth is devotion to Him.  Only those who
     do not realize this go in search of other
     purposes for their individual lives dwelling
     inside a pathetic abode made of flesh."


     ( varai = montain,  pirasam = bee
     oonitai = made up of flesh, kurampai = hut)

     The "thiruvinai maruvi" can be interpreted
     to mean devotion to our Lord Sriman
     Narayana as well as service to His devotees.
     The "uRuthi' in "vAzhkkaiku uRuthi" can
     be interpreted as longevity of life or aim of
     life.

     In this context, we can further look to one of
     the most often recited paasurams,"siRRam
     siRukaalE," the 29th one of Thiruppaavai.
     In this AndaaL reminds us all that the
     purpose of our little lives is to be eternally
     associated with Him and serve Him, not just
     in this life but in all our of lives,
     "eRRaikkum, EzhEzh piRavikkum,
     unthannOdu uRROmE aavOm, unakkE
     naam aatseyvOm."

     IMHO, the beauty of all this is that adopting
     these principles not only results in one's
     own  happiness here and now, but also
     benefits the society at large through service
     to other devotees.


-- Dileepan