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RE- A SMALL CLRIFICATION

From the Bhakti List Archives

L&T-ECCG-Buildings & Factories • October 27, 1999 


Dear Sri Sheshadri Ranganathan

On your questions of souls getting liberated, I have a small anecdote from
the life of Sri Thyagaraja the saint musician who lived two centuries ago
and had given us a wealth of songs on raama bhakthi.

Once Sri thyagaraja visited the house of Kovoor sundara mudaliar in
ThiruvoRRiyoor (now on the outskirts of Chennai).  After staying and singing
five songs on thirupurasundari the presiding amman in the thyagarajaswami
temple in thiruvoRRiyoor, he returned to his native place viz. thiruvaiyaaru
[the songs are sundari nee divya roopamu in raaga kalyani, dharini in raaga
saveri etc]. 

While coming back, it so happened, he had to cross a forest area in the
night. Some thieves tried to attack the swamy travelling in a palanquin
through the forest. So Swamy gave a call to Raama by way of a song
"munthvenuga" in raaga darbar to escort him to safety during the travel.
Raama and his anuja lakshmana appeared on the scene with kothandam and
escorted swami to safety. 

But raama also gave darshan to the theives who tried to attack the swami and
they had the bhagyam of seeing rama and lakshmana. Where as swamy learnt he
was saved by his ishtadevatha next morning but could not have the darsanam
of raama. After much sweating and hard raama naama japam only, could he have
the darsanam of raama later. 

Whereas the thieves who had the intention of attacking the baktha without
knowing that he is a bhaktha, had the bhagyam of raama darsanam. The story
goes on to say that they later became the sishyaas of the saint.  

So it NOTHING but SHEER GRACE of the lord, that he grants all to one bhaktha
for a small attempt. But for the other bhaktha, he gives a lot of tests and
then only grants the darsanam liberation etc. 

What we can do is TO ATTEMPT with all sincerity, a way to receive his GRACE,
that is thru prapatti, which is the way shown to us by our aacharyas.

Daasan Vasudevan M.G.