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Bhagavat Kataksham

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sadagopan iyengar • July 27, 2002 


          Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika
Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

              Bhagavat KatAksham

                     There are looks that heal, looks
that wither and looks that even kill. There are looks
of anger, of compassion, of love and of laughter.
Lovers often long for a look of endearment from their
beloved. Such a look or the absence of it can make or
mar the day of an ardent suitor. 
It is said that Sri DhanurdAsa, before he became a
devoted disciple of Sri Ramanuja, was extremely
enamoured of a loving look from his paramour
PonnAcchi. It was only after Sri Ramanjua introduced
him to the incomparable delights of a glance from Sri
RanganathaÂ’s bewitching eyes that he realised that the
LordÂ’s look is more captivating than any other. 

      Emperuman’s look or His “KatAksham” destroys all
evil and bestows all that is auspicious: this is
brought out by the Tiruppavai lines “angaN irandum
kondu engaL mEl nOkkudiyEl engaL mEl sApam izhindElOr
empAvAi”.

It is significant that Sri Andal likens the LordÂ’s
eyes to the Sun and the Moon (“tingaLum Adityanum
ezhundAr pOl”).
It is a fact of nature that the Sun and the Moon are
never seen together in the skies, as they reign over
the day and night respectively. However, in the case
of the Lord, it appears as though they are present
simultaneously, as one eye, resembling the Sun, shines
out brightly to destroy all sin in the minds of the
devotees, while the other eye, cool and pleasing as
the moon, brings them ever-lasting happiness and
restfulness. 
When Sri Andal compares the LordÂ’s look to the
glittering Sun, She obviously has in mind the Purusha
Sukta vAkya “ChakshO: SuryO ajayata” ascribing the
SunÂ’s origins to the LordÂ’s eyes.
 The LordÂ’s look not only destroys evil, but also
instils in the devotee all the auspicious attributes
essential in an aspirant to Liberation. Once
EmperumanÂ’s kataksham falls on a bhakta even at birth,
it turns him into a SAtvika, a repository of all that
is good and an antithesis to all that is not. 
Sri Mahabharata (ShAnti Parva) bears testimony to
this;

“JayamAnam hi purusham yam pasyet MadhusUdhana:
 SAtvika: sa tu vigyEya: sa vai MokshArttha chintaka:”

On the other hand, if one comes under the sway and
look of other dEvatAs at birth, he becomes susceptible
to RAjasic or Tamasic influences. 
                       “PasyatEnam jAyamAnam brahma
rudro atava puna:
RajasA tamasA chAsya mAnasam samabhiplutam”-

Sri Tondaradippodi Azhwar cries out for a look of
vAtsalyam from Aranganagarappan-

“Mazhaikku andru varai mun Endum maindanE madhura ArE
  uzhaikkandrE pOla nOkkam udayavar valayuL pattu
 uzhaikkindrErkku ennai nOkkadu ozhivadE
unnai andrO azhaikkindrEn Adimoorti
ArangamAnagaruLAnE”

Says Azhwar- “Sri Ranganatha! You know full well that
I have fallen a slave to ephemeral pleasures and am
ensnared by females with mercenary intent. Even so, is
it fair for You to deny me a look of compassion from
Your lotus eyes? All the world knows that for
protecting cows, calves and cowherds, You undertook
the arduous task of holding up with Your little finger
the mighty Govardhana Giri for seven days, amidst
raging storm and pelting rain. My requirement is
nowhere as demanding or troublesome- I just want a
glance from your eyes. Even if your look were to be
one of contempt for my present travails, I wouldnÂ’t
mind, as long as You do look at me! You know too that
like GajEndra of yore, I have no one else to turn to
for succour. So I beseech You- do look at me!”

Even a fleeting glance from the LordÂ’s bewitching
lotus eyes can enslave one for life. The scholarly
Rishis of the SvEtadveepa are no more proof to His
irresistible charm than the unlettered Gopis of
NandagOkulam, and gladly concede defeat:
“JitamtE PundareekAksha!”
 (“Oh Lord of the lotus eyes! Despite ourselves, we
have been won over by You!”).
 Sri Nammazhwar echoes this in Tiruvaimozhi-“ThOtrOm
mada nenjam Emperuman NAraNarku”.

“Tvat eekshaNa sudha sindhu veechi vikshEpa seekarai:
KaruNya mAruta Aneetai: seetalai: abhishincha mAm”
Prays Sri Tirukkacchi Nambi, beseeching Sri Varadaraja
to drench him (Nambi) with the nectarine waves of His
looks, made cooler by the winds of compassion blowing
constantly in His presence.

Sri Ramanuja, prompted by boundless devotion brimming
over, and unable to bear the LordÂ’s separation,
wonders in the Sri Vaikunta Gadyam- “When will I reach
Sri Vaikuntam and be the object of the LordÂ’s look of
love and compassion!”
“KadA mAm BhagavAn svakeeyayA atiseetalaya drisA mAm
avalOkya ….”.

We have seen so far the high pedestal on which those
who are the object of the LordÂ’s glances are placed.
At the other end of the spectrum are those who are not
so fortunate. Sri Valmiki says that such people, whom
Sri Rama did not make the subject of His sacred look,
and those who were not fortunate enough to have a
glance at the Prince of Ayodhya, were universally
detested, and were unable to live with themselves:
“Yascha Ramam na pasyEt tu yancha RamO na pasyati
   nindita: sa vasEt lOke svAtmapi Enam vigarhatE”.
However high a personÂ’s social status, and however
blessed he is otherwise, if Sri Rama does not see him
at least once in his life, his entire sojourn on this
earth would be a waste, and he need not have been born
at all. Similar is the fate of a person who is not
blessed enough to see Sri DAsaratiÂ’s divya mangala
vigraha at least once.

If the LordÂ’s looks are so uplifting, what about those
of His Consort?
But for Sri MahalakshmiÂ’s looks of compassion, the
Universe would never have been created and countless
jeevAtmAs would have lost the opportunity for
liberation, says Sri Alavandar-
“eeshat tvat karuNA nireekshaNa sudha sandhukshaNat
rakshyatE, nashtam prAk tat alAbhata:tribhuvanam
sampratyanantOdayam”
Swami Desikan voices the same feelings in a different
fashion. After pralayam or the cosmic wind -down,
Jeevatmas, in their sublime state, are inextricably
mixed up with inanimate souls. Sri Daya Devi, casting
a glance of compassion at these inert souls, is filled
with sorrow at their plight, and initiates the process
of Creation, so that the unfortunate souls, shackled
by karma, could take birth and attempt redemption.
Here is the beautiful sloka from Sri Daya Satakam-
“achit avisishtAn pralayE jantoon avalOkya jAta
nirvEda
  karaNa kaLEbara yOgam vitarasi VrishasailanAtha
KaruNE tvam”.

 Sri KoorattAzhwan shares a secret with us in his
SriStavam-All of us are under the impression that
Emperuman is an independent agent and performs His
jobs of Creation, Protection and Destruction of His
own volition. Not so, says Sri Azhwan. It is from
PirattiÂ’s dictates, conveyed through Her captivating
glances out of the corner of Her eyes, that the Lord
takes the cue for going about His onerous tasks.
Whichever way Piratti turns, and whichever place Her
beatific glances fall on, riches of all kinds compete
with one another to fill that place. Says Swami
Desikan in Sristuti-
“yasyAm yasyAm disi viharatE Devi ! drishti: tvadeeyA:
  tasyAm tasyAm aham ahamikAm tanvatE sampadOghA:”

However, there are looks from another source, which
are more purifying and uplifting than Bhagavat
KatAksham and LakshmI KatAksham. “Could such a thing
be possible?” adiyen hears you wonder. Yes it is, and
it is none other than Acharya KatAksham or BhAgavata
katAksham. The moment the AcharyaÂ’s benign glances,
full of love and compassion, fall upon a person, the
recipientÂ’s whole life changes for the better. Acharya
bhakti leads to devotion to the Lord, and in stages,
culminates in liberation through an appropriate upAya,
as shown by the Acharya. 
As adiyen can feel the bhAgavatAsÂ’ looks of
exasperation at the length of this piece boring
through me, adiyen shall conclude here with apologies.

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

Dasan,sadagopan.


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