Search:
Bhakti List Archives

MahA VisvAsam

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • June 14, 1999 


Dear BhakthAs : Sriman VaasudEvan of Chennai 
had written beautifully about the MahA VisvAsam
aspects of Thirumangai AzhwAr in the context of his
ManimaDakkOil Paasurams .Sri Velukkudi Krishnan
has followed up with the" Satyam Jn~Anam anantham 
Brahman " aspects of the Lord and matched it word by word
with Thirimangai's Paasura Vaakhyams along the lines
of the commentary of our pUrvAchAryAs .

Inspite of all their trials and tribulations , 
AzhwArs , AchAryAs and other great souls 
trusted the Lord totally and were nourished by
the deep springs of MahA visVaasam inside them for 
their Lord as their unfailing Rakshakan as Achyuthan and 
held on to His lotus feet at all times . Occasionally ,
they will get unhappy with the Lord for "neglecting"
them inspite of their MahA VisvAsam and will react
angrily like Thirumangai did at Thiru InthaLUr . 

The dialog between the Lord and Thirumangai 
as described by Sriman VaasudEvan is echoed 
in Saint ThyagarAjA's kruthis , where he reminds 
the Lord of his utter dedication to Him and his sole 
dependence on His grace .I will quote some examples 
to illustrate how the anubhavam of the great souls 
across centuries has the central thread of MahA VisvAsam
that runs thru all of their lives and illuminates all of
their actions and how at times they testily question
the Lord for not taking into account their utter 
faith in Him .  

PanthuvarALi Krithi: ninnE nEra namminAnurA 
*********************************************
>From my early days ( as a boy) , I have placed my 
implicit faith in You and You alone .Oh Raamachandra!
I have seen great scholars of VedAs , SaasthrAs and PurANAs
standing  baffled by the various controversies about 
Your parathvam .I have seen people wandering mindlessly 
and performing YaagAs and Yaj~nAs for worldly pleasures.
I am convinced that unless one obtains Your grace , one can not 
thrive in this life ( yee janmamunu ninnu raaji jEsikOnalEka
raajillarani ThyagarAja-Raaja , Raaghava , ninnE namminAnurA ).
The choice of the words , " ThyagarAja-RaajA , Raaghava "
by this great Raama BhakthA is most moving .

NaattA Raaga Krithi :NinnE Bhajana sEyu VaaDanu
*************************************************
Oh Sakala LOka Paalaka ! RaamA ! I meditate on You 
and have selected You alone as my object of worship .
I can not bring myself to approach any others for 
blessing me and granting me Moksham .

Jingala Raaga Krithi: anAthuDanu ghAnu; Raama nE
*************************************************
In this krithi popularized by Kadri Gopalnath ,
the Saint declares : Oh RaamabhadrA ! I am not an orphan
(anAthai) without protection . The simple people of 
the world think that I am a destitute and an orphan 
because I have no support of men . I am protected by You ,
the Supreme One , whose omnipotence has been 
celebrated by great rishis well-versed in the VedAs.
Who else do I need for  protection , when You are
protcting me ? Here , the Saint pushes aside the perception 
and pity of misled people and declares his MahA VisvAsam 
in the Lord.

Yentha vEdu kOndu RaaghavA : Sarasvathi ManOhari krithi
*********************************************************

He addresses the Lord as Saarvabhouman and says:
with deep and joyous belief , I concede that the 
greatest of happiness consists in seeing You taking 
residence in my heart cavity . I have reposed my total 
faith entirely in You ( chittamanthu ninnu jUju soukhyamE-
yuthamambhanuju nuppOnguchUnu satthamaathramA ! CHAALA
NAMMITHEENI ; SAARVABHOUMA SRI THYAGARAAJANUTHA) .       

With affection , anguish and salugai , Saint ThyagarAjA
asks the Lord: Oh RaaghavA ! How long shall I have to
beg You , pray to You to come to me ? Do You still have
doubts about my MahA VisvAsam in You ?

Aahiri Krithi: Aaa daya Sri Raghuvara! nEdEla raadaya !
*****************************************************

Oh Raghuvara! DayAmbhudhi! You had initiated me with great
affection into the mysteries of Bhakthi to You and have
protected me always. You had asked me to bear with patience
all the insults that have come my way. You had nourished
my body with the needed sustenance to sing about You .
Where is all that mercy gone now ? You had made me believe
that You are my father and Mother .I have MahA VisvAsam
in You and stay in a state of fearlessness. 

Questioning Sri RaamA tightly , the Saint has a tinge of
doubt here just as Thirumangai had in his MaNimAdakkOil 
Paasurams .He goes on to dispell this passing cloud of doubt
by reminding the Lord of the text and context of His assurances
that has made him filled with MahA VisvAsam and  sustained
him . This mood is revealed in the famous KamAs Raaga Krithi ,
"SitA pathI ! naamanasuna-siddhAnthamani yunnAnurA" made
famous by SangItha KalANidhi Sri Maharaajapuram 
VisvanAtha Iyer.

KamAs Krithi : SitA Pathi !
**************************

Oh Jaanaki RaamA ! You took the initiative
with great affection towards me to reveal Your 
mahimai in presence of AnjanEyan and others and
gave me the words of assurance : " why should you,
ThyagarAjA be afraid in this world ? You are protected
by Me. " I have cherished in the depth of my heart
these words as sacred charter and have MahA VisvAsam 
in You ( prEma jUji naapai peddhamanasu jEsi , nee
mahimalElla niNDAra jUpi , yee mahini BhayamEDi kannamADa 
Raamachandra ! ThyagarAja Vinutha , SitApathi ).

RamA RamaNa BhAramA ? nannu bhrOva Srikara: Vasantha Bhairavi
************************************************************** 
In this long krithi with three charaNams , the Saint 
has some tough dialog with RaamA based on his MahA
VisvAsam in the Lord and asks the Lord in return as
to why He does not come forward to bless him .The dialog
goes along these lines : " Oh SamAna rahitha RaamA !
I am proud that there is no one equal or greater than You.
Unlike the common folk , who fail to develop faith (visvAsam )
in You due to their ignorance about Your greatness, 
I have fully understood Your limitless and unparalleled
Mahimai . I have accordingly sought refuge in You so that 
You can take me in Your hand and bless me " .

" As a result of my inner awakening , I have declared before 
the lay folk that they can find in You , the ParamAthman ,
who protects all and have proclaimed with undisputed 
authority Your Vaibhavam . Pray, uphold with mercy this
truth behind my words. I implore You and prostrate
before You. Why so much hesitation in supporting me?".

" I am fully aware that You can see through pretensions 
and formalities . If I go to You in all sincerity in 
a forlorn condition to unburden to you without reserve my 
anguishes , why should You pounce on me like puffed rice
from the frying pan ( gathilEka neethO naajAli delupaBhOthE 
laajamulu vEgaga nEla ? ).YOU HAVE GRACED MY HOUSE WITH
YOUR PRESENCE ; AND I AM NOT GOING TO GIVE UP YOUR JAPAM
AND AARAADHANAM".

NaarAyaNa GouLai Krithi: InnALLU DayarAkunnA 
********************************************
Sri ThyagarAja SwamigaL's hrudhaya BhAvam pours out
in this krithi . He pleads with the Lord for not
responding appropriately to his MahA VisvAsam :
" What is the matter that Your grace has not been
made available to me all these days? Pray tell me 
atleast now .From my childhood , I have reposed my
faith ENTIRELY in You and You alone. ...Did I ask 
You to give me gold, wealth, horses,and elephants 
and did I ever utter an untruth ? I have never 
forgotten You .I have always cherished You in my
mind as my family Treasure ( kula Dhanam )."

" I have always sent my time cherishing You with
happiness in my heart as my father, Mother, elder
and Younger Brother; without engaging myself in 
disputation with elders , and worshipping Your
blessed Feet with flowers ."

SankharAbharaNa Krithi: yEvidhamulanaina 
*****************************************
Paavana Roopa ! ParAthpara ! Raama ! 
BhAvincha jUchupaDla neevE -bhrOvavalEnu
ghAni vErevvaru ? ( However deeply I ponder over 
this matter , Can I find anyone except You to
protect me ?)-- I have always firmly believed
that You are the friend of the distressed (dhinAs)
and have constantly prayed to You ( dhIna DayApara 
Moorthivi neevani nE nEra nammithirA --nEnu sadhA
ninnu vEDithirA ; RaamA ). You alone are the God ,
whom I want to see ( SaakshAthkAramuna neevE ).
WHO IS THERE WHO COULD LIVE WITHOUT YOUR GRACE ?

AsAvEri Krithi: Nammaka nE mOsa bhOdhunaDarA ?
***********************************************

We will conclude this posting with a magnificient 
pronouncement of the Saint about his MahA VisvAsam
as a Prapannan , who has taken refuge at the Lord's
sacred feet .
" Oh Raghu-kula Rathnam ! Would I allow myself to be 
deceived without reposing my VisvAsam in You , who would 
drive away from my mind all evil propensities , and make me
regard wealth, family etc., of the toy house as not my own , 
and would free me from restless and ceaseless births and
deaths, giving quietitude to the senses by Your
charming figure. "

Tvayi Rakshathi Rakshakai: Kimanyai:
  tvayi chArakshathi Rakshakai: kimnayai: I
Ithi niscchitha dhee: srayAmi nithyam
  NruharE VegavathI taDAsrayam thvAm 

--- Sri KaamAsikAshtakam : Verse 8

Sriman NaarAyanan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam 
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan