Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Fun and Games

From the Bhakti List Archives

sadagopan iyengar • August 16, 2002 


                  Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta
Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

                     Fun and Games


                        Generally speaking, religion
is a serious business, with no place for such
frivolous pastimes as games. However, we do find quite
a few references to games and fun in our Scriptures,
especially in relation to the Lord, which are worth
going into. A few of these are recounted here.

In the Ramavatara, we donÂ’t find the Lord resorting
much to fun and games: Sri Rama was a Man with a
Mission, who perhaps had no time or inclination for
frivolities. Though Sri Valmiki has nothing much to
say about Sri RamaÂ’s childhood, and still less about
the games He played, Sri Nammazhwar states
categorically that Sri Rama used to play with a
catapult, and with an accurate shot, straightened the
hunchback of Mantara. For those who might find it
difficult to visualise Chakravartthi Tirumagan
wielding a catapult, here is Sri NammazhwarÂ’s pasuram:
”KoonE chidaya uNdai vill nirattil teritthAi GovindA”.
Commentators elaborate that since Azhwar too had a
problem associating the sober Sri Rama with such an
act, he ended up calling Him “Govinda”, a sobriquet
normally reserved for Sri Krishna, to whom any act of
mischief can be readily attributed, without fear of
contradiction.

Notwithstanding Sri RamaÂ’s sobriety, Sri Mythili
appears to have been more enthusiastic about games.
 Sri Tirumangai Mannan describes Her with a ball in
Her hand, apparently engaged in ball-play-“Pandu
irukkum mel viralAL pAvai”. And in one of the numerous
versions of Srimad Ramayana, we have the five-year-old
Sita playing with her companions with a ball, which
rolls under the box in which the Shiva Dhanus is kept.
We are told that the small girl just lifted the box
with the notoriously heavy bow (which later vanquished
most of the kings of the land, and which broke when
Sri Rama lifted it effortlessly) to retrieve Her ball.
If we were to go by this story, Sri Janaki seems to
have been as strong as DAsarathi, despite Her delicate
looks.
Perhaps when Sri Ramanuja says that Piratti matches
the Lord in all aspects, he includes physical strength
too! (“Bhagavat Narayana abhimata anuroopa  svaroopa
roopa guNa vibhava ishwarya seelAdi anavadhika
asankyEya kalyANa guNa gaNAm”).
 However, the moment we mention games in connection
with the Lord, it is to that mischievous darling of
Yasoda that our mind naturally flies. From all
accounts, Sri KrishnaÂ’s entire life seems to have been
filled with fun and frolic.  If Sri Rama was serious
and sober by nature, Sri Krishna was anything but
that. In fact, among all His avataras, the only one
that afforded full play to the LordÂ’s sporting
instinct was the Krishnavatara. His momentous
childhood and youth are fun-filled, if Sri Periazhwar,
Sri Andal and the Sri BhAgavata PurAna are to be
believed.

         It is on Sri Periazhwar that the good fortune
of witnessing (in his mindÂ’s eye) the LordÂ’s games
falls, and from his accounts, he appears to have had a
ringside view of Sri KrishnaÂ’s innings.
        Sri KrishnaÂ’s entire childhood and youth are
spent in fun and games. He never plays alone, but
always in the company of the cowherds of NandagOkulam
(“tan nEr Ayiram piLLaigalOdu taLar nadai ittu
varuvAn”). And His team includes not only the YAdavAs,
but  the cows and calves too, which participate in all
games with full vigour. It is perhaps because they led
such enjoyable lives filled with fun and frolic in Sri
KrishnaÂ’s company, that the cows and buffaloes of
Gokulam were so productive and practically rained
milk:
(“vAnga kudam niraikkum vaLLal perum pasukkaL”
 “kanaitthu iLam katru erumai kandrukku irangi 
   ninaitthu mulai vazhiyE  nindru pAl sOra
   nanaitthu illam sErAkkum”).
Sri KrishnaÂ’s games are of the rough-and-tumble
variety, and often lead to His rolling over and over
on the ground, resulting in His glistening black body
being covered by a thick layer of dust, which sticks
to the body all the more, due to His constant
partaking of dairy products, mostly stolen. Sri
Periazhwar describes this in the pasuram beginning
with “veNNai aLainda kunungum vilayAdu puzhudiyum
kondu”. And Balakrishna plays all day long in the hot
sun, roaming all over the forests in the company of
His band of faithful followers, that His already dark
complexion is rendered pitch-dark due to sun burn.
Laments Sri Vishnuchitta-“KAnagam ellAm tirindu un
kariya tirumEni vAda”.
When there is horseplay, can song and dance be far
behind, especially when Sri Krishna leads the gang?
The playful YadavAs sing, dance, and play musical
instruments, accompanied by Sri MuralIdhara on His
flute, producing bewitching melodies-
“taNNumai ekkam matthLli tAzhpeeli kuzhalgaLum
geetamum Agi engum GOvindan varugindra koottam”.

One of Sri KrishnaÂ’s favourite games is to wait till
the gopis get into the river for bathing and playing
in the water, and then to make off with all their
clothes, leaving them stranded in the water, unable to
come out without outraging their modesty.
“Atril irindu viLayAduvOngalai
SetrAl erindu vaLai tugil kaikoNdu”
 Not only does He steal their clothes, but adds insult
to injury by throwing mud on them. If we were to
realign the words “SetrAl erindu” slightly, we can
find Sri Krishna throwing mud on the girls, as well as
on their fine apparel. It is perhaps such atrocious
conduct that prompts Sri Andal to describe Him as a
“dharumam ariyA kurumban”. That the Lord of Gokulam
derived  considerable enjoyment from  this escapade is
 evident from Sri Periazhwar’s words-“KanniyarOdu
engaL nambi karia pirAn viLayAttu”.  Though Sri Andal,
being a lady, is unable to appreciate this act, the
game so endears the Lord to others, that several
Acharyas make a special mention of this, notably Swami
Desikan in his Gopala Vimsati:
“VAsO hritvA Dinakara sutA sannidhou vallaveenAm
   leelAsmErO jayati lalitAm Astthita: kunda shAkhAm
   savreedAbhi: tadanuvasanE tAbhi: abhyartthyamAnE
  KAmI kaschit kara kamalayO: anjalim yAchamAna:”

A favourite game of the girls of Gokulam was to build
castles in the sands of the Yamuna (we find children
doing this on the sea shore even today). These castles
were known as “Chitril”. And it was Sri Krishna’s
favourite game to wait and watch till the girls
painstakingly built beautiful edifices of sand “(Ongu
venmaNal kondu chitril mutratthu izhakkaluril”) and
then to destroy them with a well-aimed kick from His
lotus feet. Sri Andal says that these sand castles
were built with considerable labour throughout the
day, and the budding architects even developed
back-pain due the long-drawn construction-“indru
muttrum mudugu nOva irindu izhaittha chitril”. Espying
Sri Krishna coming their way, intent on His favourite
sport, Sri Andal beseeches Him to spare their labour
of love in sand –“engaL chitril vandu chidayElE”. 

Scriptures ascribe to Emperuman another game, more
elaborate and magnificent than any ever invented. This
is the game of initiating the process of creation,
with its myriad varieties of sentient and non-sentient
beings, and consisting of a bewildering array of
colourful flora and fauna, creatures often opposed to
each other, and creatures that depend upon each other
for subsistence. And having created all the world, and
innumerable worlds and Universes, the Lord again
engages in the sport of their protection, from
external and internal forces, and at times, from each
other. He provides for them, caters to their every
need, physical and otherwise, in appropriate measure,
and sustains them. And, when it is time for the Cosmic
Floods, He wraps the world up, with all the creatures
in His stomach in subtle form, and lies on a fig leaf
in Yoga nidra, assuming the form of an innocent
infant. 
All this is a giant sport (“alagilA viLayAttu”, as Sri
KambanAttAzhwar remarks) to the Lord. This is brought
out by the Brahma Sutra vakya, “lOkavat tu leelA
kaivalyam”.
The Lord has whatever He wants, and is in no need of
anything (“avApta samasta Kama:”). The question
therefore arises, why does He indulge in Creation,
Protection and Destruction? What motive drives Him to
undertake these functions? What is the purpose of the
entire elaborate exercise?

 Inquiring into these and allied questions, Sage Vyasa
determines that all this is pure sport for the Lord,
just as people engage in games for enjoyment. 
The Vishnu Dharma says that Emperuman plays with
creatures as a child would with a ball-
“HarE! Viharasi krIdA kandukairiva jantubhi:”
The same theme recurs in the following Mahabharata
sloka too-
“krIdatE Bhagavan bhootai: bAla: krIdanakairiva”
The Lord derives immense pleasure from this elaborate
sport, as would a child with its favourite ball-
“mOdatE Bhagavan atra bAla: krIdanakairiva”.

It is thus clear that as in other activities, people
are only following His example when they play, have
fun or indulge in games of any sort, for He is the
Primordial Player, who never tires of the game, a game
without a beginning and an end. The next time we
witness a cricket, baseball or football match, it
would surely remind us of the Eternal Player and His
glorious game.

Srimate SriLakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka Srivan
Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:
Dasan, sadagopan.



__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs
http://www.hotjobs.com


--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Group Home: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bhakti-list
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/