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Azhagiyasinghar's Quiz Program

From the Bhakti List Archives

Ramanbil • February 22, 1999 


Dear Bhagavatas
You will remember my mentioning about the queries posed by Azhagiyasinghar in
a sort of Quiz Program and gave a few illustrations in my series on "Prakritam
Azhagiyasinghar-My Acharya, Friend, Philosopher and Guide." Hope you would
have your answers to these. If so, please send the same to my address.
However, the answers for these queries are being published in the Saranagathi
Journal.

In his Tele- Upanyasam on 7th instant he raised two queries in this mode and
called for replies but ultimately he gave the answers himself. For the benefit
of Bhagavatas who could not hear the Tele Upanyasam, I am giving the queries
here.
Query # 1
In one instance, "Sokam" (grief) resulted in the birth of a "Slokam" (Holy
verse)
In another instance, a "Slokam" got rid of "Sokam." Which are these?
Query # 2
King Dushyanta proclaimed that he would stand in the place of any "Bandhus"
(Relations) which his subjects did not have (or had lost) and render all
comfort that such Bandhus would have provided. But, this statement cannot
apply "as it is" in a particular kind of relationship. What is this
relationship?
And, Azhagiyasinghar himself gave the answers:
Answer # 1
Sage Valmiki was a witness to the tragedy of a hunter killing a bird and was
so overwhelmed with grief that he spelled out a curse. Later, he regretted his
having uttered the curse. At that time, Devas appeared before him and assuaged
him saying that his utterance, if pronounced differently, formed into a verse
(a Mangala Slokam) which Valmiki could use to start composing his great epic,
Srimad Ramayana. This is the case of "Sokam" resulting in "Slokam."
When Lord Krishna gave out the "Charama Slokam" to Arjuna, it got rid of the
grief of Arjuna. Here is an instance of a "Slokam" erasing "Sokam"

Did not Swami Desika describe the Charama Slokam as 'Sokam Thavirkkum Sruthip
Porul"?

Answer # 2
The relationship that will get vitiated, if Dushyanta's declaration is applied
'as it is'- is that of a husband for the wife. Dushyanta took care to mention
that he would stand in the shoes of all relations that were not repugnant to
the Sastras (i.e., excluding his being the husband of any woman who had no
husband).

Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy