Search:
Bhakti List Archives

"Emperuman and the Elephant"

From the Bhakti List Archives

sadagopaniyengar • February 16, 2003 


                              
Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

                            Emperuman and the Elephant

Of all the animals, the most fascinating is the elephant. Its sheer size makes us stare at it in wonderment. The small beady eyes, totally disproportionate in size to the rest of its body, the broad, fan-like ears, legs resembling huge pillars, beautiful white tusks that are as much an adornment to the face as deadly weapons, a soft, rubbery trunk that serves as a conveyor belt for passing on food and drink into the cavernous mouth, the noisy trumpeting that strikes fear in the timid-hearted, the huge torso resembling a hillock-all these prompt us, irrespective of age, to stand and stare with enthralment. Children, left to themselves, would probably spend all their waking hours gawking at the pachyderm and would have to be literally dragged away from its vicinity. And adults are not far behind in their fascination for the oversized animal.

Whenever we search for an example for something huge, the first thing that strikes us is the elephant. For all its size, the elephant is extremely graceful in its movements and has a majestic gait. Poets are fond of comparing the bearing of their heroes with that of an elephant ("Gaja Simha gatI veerou"). In temple festivals too, the "YAnai vAhanam" is the favourite of many devotees, with the Lord ensconced on the glittering golden elephant, with the archaka riding close behind, attired in a flowing gown as a mahout, with a funny headgear. I remember with nostalgia the days of the Thiruvallikkeni Brahmotsavam, when, as children, we used to run along with the SrIpAdamtAngis bearing the YAnai vAhanam, when they adopted a trot, to simulate an elephant on the rampage.

It is therefore no wonder that Sri Thirumangai Mannan, searching for an apt simile for the Lord, plumps for the elephant-

"VEdattai, Vedattin suvai payanai, vizhumia munivar vizhungum
KOdil in kaniyai nandanAr kaLittrai, kuvalayatthOr tozhudu Etthum
Adiyai amudai ennai ALudai appanai oppavar illA
mAdargaL vAzhum   MAda mA Mayilai ThiruvallikkENi kandEnE"

Sri Parakalan compares the Lord to an elephant (KaLiru). He is not alone in this. Even Sri Nammazhwar refers to the Lord with possessiveness as "en Anai" (my own elephant). This sets us thinking. Though animals there are aplenty, why should the Azhwars choose the elephant for comparing the Lord with? Not only Azhwars, but Sri Sita Devi too likens Him to an elephant and Ravana to a puny cat-"yadantaram hasti bidAlayO: vanE  tadantaram DAsaratE: tathaiva cha" When we turn our thoughts to the matter, we are struck by the several similarities between Emperuman and the elephant:-

1.Anybody who looks at an elephant would never be satisfied with a single glance. Even if we saw the animal just yesterday, our fascination never wanes and we would not deny ourselves an opportunity to gape at it today too. Similarly, Emperuman too is an "ArAvamudhu", affording the onlooker unalloyed pleasure, making it impossible for him to pry his glance away from the Lord's tirumEni. The Veda Purusha reports that the celestials, loath to losing even a moment of visionary bliss, dare not wink their eyes while drinking in the Lord's splendour-"sadA pasyanti sooraya:"

2.The pachyderm is known for its phenomenal strength and is often used to haul extremely heavy cargo like wooden logs. The Lord too is renowned for His might and "balam" or strength is counted as the second of His six principal attributes ( gnAnam, balam, iyshwaryam, veeryam, shakti, tEja:).

3.In majesty of gait and deportment, the Lord is similar to an elephant. Impressed with their dignified bearing, Sri Janaka's thoughts fly to the elephant, immediately upon witnessing the brothers Rama advancing towards him-"Gaja simha gatI veerou sArdoola vrishabhOpamou"

4.      The elephant is totally uncontrollable and fiercely independent. No amount of might can make it submissive, once it decides to be otherwise. The Lord too is a "nirankusa svatantran", totally free and independent, beyond any sort of control by anybody.

5.  Despite its irrepressible nature, the elephant voluntarily submits to being chained by its keeper, due to the love and affection he showers upon the animal. It is thus amenable to control only through love. The independent Lord too can be brought around by Bhakti. The omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent Supreme Being can be tied down by a mere flimsy rope, the rope of selfless love, as He demonstrated to Sri Yasoda, who was able to secure Him to the grindstone, as a punishment for a minor misdemeanour-"KaNNi nuN siru thAmbinAl kattuNNa paNNiya perumAyan".

6        For the observant, the elephant's eyes would appear to have a permanent tinge of reddishness. So do the Lord's eyes-they are always red-lined, if we are to believe Sri ThiruppAnAzhwar ("sevvari Odi neenda ap periavAya kaNgal")

7        For catching an elephant, people prepare deep pits and cover it over with green leaves and twigs, into which the animal falls, attracted by the greenery and unaware of what lies beneath it. The Lord too falls for even a mere show of bhakti. Some of us (like me) adopt the mere outward symbols of a devotee, with a mind filled with thoughts totally out of tune with the external affectations. The Lord is so kind-hearted that He is pleased with even such insincere imitations, pretends not to detect the underlying hypocrisy and showers us with all that we seek. In fact, it is His proclaimed promise not to forsake even those who come to Him only with feigned friendship and lip-service love-"Mithra bhAvEna samprAptam na tyajEyam katanchana"

8        When in an ugly mood, the elephant can be pretty devastating. It can pick up human beings like mere rag dolls with its mighty trunk and throw them to their death, when in a rage. The normally peace-loving Lord too resorts to destruction of the dastardly, as a means to preserving the rule of Dharma and for the protection of the righteous. The sacking of Lanka, the killing of Ravana and others of his ilk and the slaying of countless asurAs, are testimonies to what destruction this divine elephant can wreak, if it is so minded.

9        The elephant, mighty as it is, is extremely gentle with children, and many a time picks them up like flowers and places them on its neck, giving them the ride of their lives. The Lord too is not averse to displaying extreme submissiveness towards His devotees. He is a "bhakta parAdheenan", totally at the disposal and control of true devotees and delights in blessing them with everything they can possibly require.

10    While feeding the elephant, we have to do it with due care and ensure that it has all that it likes. A hungry or offended elephant can wreak unimaginable havoc. Shastras say that while performing ArAdhanam to the Lord, we must perform it as if we are doing it to a mighty elephant, with true devotion and offering to Him all that we can afford, with love, affection and respect-"YathA tu mada hastinam".

11    The elephant is credited with a long and sharp memory. It never forgets its foes and gets even with them even after decades. The Lord too is renowned for His memory. The only difference is that the Lord remembers only the good we do and is extremely forgetful, as far as our lapses are concerned, says Sri Valmiki-"katanchit upakArENa kritEna EkEna tushyati

        Na smarati apakArANAm satamapi AtmavattayA"

     12. The elephant is known to be voracious eater and consumes food in bulk.              What would normally feed an army for a week would probably form a day's diet for the pachyderm. The Lord too is known to have a huge hunger and expects to be fed a large quantity of food and drinks during every meal. The Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram calls Him "MahAsana:", attesting to His insatiable appetite. He is the "ulagam uNda peru vAyan" of Sri Nammazhwar.

How futile it would be for a total cripple, bereft of all his limbs and lying at the bottom of a deep pit, to aspire to ride on the back of a mighty elephant, towering majestically over him! However, if the pachyderm were to take pity on him, kneel down to him, pick up the cripple gently with its soft trunk, put him on its back and give him the ride of his life, the cripple's cup of joy would be full.  Similarly, looking to the unbridled supremacy of the Lord (Paratvam), we might despair of His inaccessibility to frail mortals like us and of interacting with Him in any fashion. However, Emperuman Himself, aware of our frailties, reaches down from the heights of His supremacy and is born time and again in this humdrum world to live as one with us mortals, to share in our happiness and sorrow. And, for the sake of those who were not around when He took His avataras, He contracts His glorious form and resides in idols made of stone, metal and mere mud too, consecrated at various temples, as the "arcchA moorthi'

The next time we set eyes on an elephant, would it not remind us of the glorious Lord, in all His majesty and grandeur, untiring in His efforts to emancipate us and ready to kneel down, put us on His shoulders and carry us on the journey to the Eternal Land, if only we would show Him the mere semblance of love and affection?

Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

Dasan, sadagopan


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



--------------------------------------------------------------
           - 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/