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gaambeeryam

From the Bhakti List Archives

Parthasarati Dileepan • March 1, 1995 


9/12 gaambeeryam
----------------

In this continuing series of twelve posts, twelve of the
many guNaas that are innate to Brahman is discussed
with illustrations from aazhvaar paasurams.  These
twelve guNaas demonstrate God's eternal love for us
jeevaathmaas.  They are sowseelyam, vaathsalyam,
maardhavam, aarjavam, sowhaartham, saamyam,
kaaruNyam, maadhuryam, gaambeeryam, owdhaaryam,
chaathuryam, and sthairyam.  The subject of this post is
gaambeeryam.  Several interpretations are given for
gaambeeryam.  I feel they fall into two groups as given
below.

gaambeeryam:   Asymmetry between what devotees
               offer to the Lord, and what the Lord
               gives in return to them;  nonchalantly
               overlooking our failings

Even in material terms, what we offer pales in
comparison to what our Lord grants us in return.  The
well known story of kusElar illustrates this.
thirumangaiaazhvaar expresses the same sentiment in
this paasuram.  (This was presented once before in
vaatsalyam.)

\bt
kulamtharum selvam thandhidu madiyaar
  padu thuyaraayina vellam,
nilandharancheyyum neeLvisumbaruLum
  aruLoduperu nilamaLikkum,
valandharum maRRunthanNdhidum peRRa
  thaayinu maayinaseyyum,
nalandharunchollai naan kaNdukoNdEn
  naaraayaNaa vennum naamam.

          -- periya thirumozhi   1.1.9
\et

In return for chanting "Om namO naaraayaNaaya" we
get in return every material thing we may desire, and on
top of it all, we get mOksham (neeL visumbu) as well.

The second part of gaambeeryam has to do with the Lord
not minding our faults without so much as a hint that the
all knowing Lord knows of our transgressions.
thirumangai aazhvaar lists all his perceived sins in the
first thirumozhi of the first patthu of his periya
thirumozhi.  I give below the eighth one.

kaRRilEn kalaigaL aimbulan karudhum
 karutthuLE thirutthinEn manatthai,
peRRilEn adhanaal pEdhaiyEn nanmai
 perun^ilatthaaruyirkellaam,
seRRamEvENditthiridharuvEn thavirndhEn
 selgadhikkuyyumaaReNNi,
nRRuNaiyaagappaRRinEn adiyEn
 naaraayaNaavennumn^aamam.

     -- periya thiru mozhi  1.1.8

The aazhvaar feels his faults are many.  He lists them as,
lack of learning (kaRRilEn kalaigaL), inability to control
the mind from going behind the five senses (aim pulan
karudhum karutthuLE thirutthinEn manatthai),  causing
pain and suffering to all kinds of beings of this world
(peru nilatthu aaruyikkellaam seRRamE vENdi
thiritharuvEn).  But, aazhvaar is confident that Lord
naaraayaNaa will overlook all these faults and provide
him with precious mOksham (selgathi).  So he chants
"Om, namO, naaraayaNaaya."



         .... to be continued

----------
This and other posts to follow in this subject are based
on the aruL mozhigaL of the 45th azhagiya singar of sri
aHObila madam, sri vaN satakOpa sri naaraayaNa
yatheendhra mahaa dEsikan, published in sri nrusimhap
priyaa starting with bava varusham, chitthirai maasam,
(April 1994), and commentaries of aazhvaar
prabhandams published by The Visishtadvaita Pracharini
Sabha, 27, Venkatesa Agraharam, Mylapore, Madras,
600 004.