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Archiradhi - Part 3 - appearance of God in from of Chetanan

From the Bhakti List Archives

Venkatesh K. Elayavalli • November 26, 1999 


Dear members

W continue with the translation of  Sri Pillai Lokacharya's Archiradhi
by Ms M. S. Ramesh

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The overwhelming desire of God to extend His hand in assistance and
support to the soul which strives to attain salvation is also reflected
in a pasuram of Nammalwar (Pasuram No.3621). In that pasuram, Nammalwar
says that he wanted to enjoy and attain (anubhavam) the Lord. But he
found to his dismay that Kaat Karai Appan (This is the Perumal in one of
the divyadesas in Kerala) was a more tough master and He, before
Nammalwar could attain Him, succeeded in ensuring that he completely
absorbed Nammalwar. He says that Baghavan won in that race and so
Kaatkarai Appan was a "kodiyan" i.e. a more capable person than the
devotee himself.

The affectionate anxiety and desire of Perumal to see that this reformed
soul reaches Paramapada is compared to the feeling that Dasaratha the
emperor had when he wanted to celebrate the pattabhisheka of Rama and
had invited Vasishta, Vamadeva and other rishis, in order to advise him
on the plan of action for performing the pattabhisheka. Similarly, it is
said that God calls the devas staying in Paramapada and requests them to
accompany this chetanan i.e. devotee seeking salvation to Paramapada.

The entire route to Paramapada is beautified. The streets and the houses
enroute are also beautified. Perumal ensures that the punya i.e. the
good done by this soul i.e. chethanan is made much of. He ensures that
from the day the enlightenment has dawned in the mind of the soul, he
controls kama, krodha and other ills. Perumal also ensures that the sin
that the soul had committed in its earlier days due to ignorance, as
also the sins that he may commit as long as the soul is attached to the
mortal coil, gets reduced- in its impact.  While describing the manner
in which God reduces the burden of the sin and increases the content of
the punya done hy the soul which is striving to attain Paramapada, the
author compares it to the situation when Rama let loose the arrow meant
for Samudra raja on the enemies of Samudra Raja. This is a story in
Ramayana when Rama was waiting to cross the ocean to reach Lanka. He
spent three days on the banks of the ocean. But He found that Samudra
Raja did not come and meet Him as requested. He got angry. He was about
to let loose an arrow saying that he would completely dry up the ocean
itself. Coming to know of this, Samudra raja along with his wife came
and fell at the feet of Lord Rama and sought saranagathi. He said that
He who created the ocean could not also be the person who destroys it.
The moment Samudra raja along with his wife sought saranagathi at the
feet of the Lord, the Lord calmed down. It is said that the arrow which
He had kept ready to let loose on Samudra raja was, at the behest of
Samudra Raja let loose on the demons who were residing in a particular
island in the ocean and causing trouble to Samudra Raja.  Thus, the
arrow meant to destroy Samudra Raja was diverted to destroy the endmies
of Samudra raja. Similarly the author says that the moment we seek
saranagathi at the feet of the God, He will ensure that our enemies get
killed and that our punya gets multiplied so as to enable attainment of
salvation. God thus helps a great deal in giving a push to the soul
which is striving to have swarga anubhava.

It is said that God seated on Garuda appears before this chetanan. At
that time, Perumal looks like a blue cloud on an effulgent golden
coloured mountain. The devotee has the anubhava i.ec the enjoyment of
this Thirumeni of Perumal i.e. beautiful divine' sight of His glorious
figure. Perumal then calls the baghavath kainkarya parars i.e. those
doing service to Him and asks them to welcome this chethanan. With God's
blessing this "bashya karananas" of the devotee gets merged with the
"antah karanas" of the devotee. The speech gets submerged to the mind,
and in turn the mind becomes a part of prana and prana becomes part
oftejas. The soul which is striving to become one with God, is desirous
of staying near paramatma even as a weaiy traveller who has suffered due
to the heat of the harsh blazing Sun heaves a sigh of relief on reaching
the shade of a tree. This chethanan heaves a sigh of relief as soon as
he reaches the protective ambit of the eternal truth viz. Vasudeva and
is able to forget all the troubles and turmoils that he underwent in his
life.


To be continued ........