BG2.71

Swami Aathipiran, Swami Namalwar
















Swami Aravindalochanar
a















Swami Devarpiran

The Kshetrams around Alwar Thirunagari are Nava Thirupati. These are spread on the banks of river Thamrabarani. Three are on the south bank and six are on the northern bank. We are now at the Kshetram known as [I]rettai Thiruppati, also known as Thirutholaivillimangalam. This is on the northern bank of the river. As the name Rettai [twin] Thiruppati suggests, there are two temples and two presiding Deities. As part of the Nava Thiruppati, these are counted as two Kshetrams and we arrive at nine temples. But in the 108 Divya Desam this is counted as a single Kshetram. In the two temples the Lords are Sri Aravindalochanan and Sri Devarpiran. We are in the sannidhi of Sri Aravindalochanan. The main Deity [Moolavar] is called Sri Aravindalochanan and Uthsavar is called Sri Senthamarai Kannan. In the 6.5 Thiruvaimozhi, Nammalwar has praised this Kshetram. Alwar in the Nayika Bhavam [imagining himself to be a girl] cries Aravindalochana. That is the intimacy Nammalwar had with this temple. From here we will see the slokas 62 and 63 together. Alwar and this Kshetram are closely connected. Alwar places his thoughts, words and deeds at the feet of the Lord here. Like this if we could also direct our mind, speech and action in Him, our mind and organs will get disciplined and be under control. This we saw in the last sloka. Yesterday we mentioned about the Vaikasi Visaka festival when on the 5^th day all the Deities from the Nava Thiruppati reach Alwar Thirunagari. On the 6^th day morning all the Deities would take leave of Alwar and return to their temples. That time the Deities of Rettai Thiruppati would be on two palanquins and would be near Nammalwar to take leave. Each Deity of the various temples would come near the Alwar and after the hymns of that Kshetram are sung by the Arayar, that Deity would leave for His temple and Alwar would turn his attention on the next Deity in line. But in the case of Rettai Thiruppati there is a difference. After the hymns are sung and the Lords take leave, Alwar would wait till they disappear from his sight and then only he would attend to the next Deity on line. This is because his deeds, words and thoughts are always in Him only.

kuzhaiyum vaaLmugaththEzhaiyaith* tholai  villi mangalam kondupukku,*

izhaikoL sOthich chenNthaamaraik kaNpiraan* irundhamaikaattineer,*

mazhai peythaalokkum kaNNa neerinodu*  anRu thottummaiyaandhu,* ivaL

nuzhaiyum sindhaiyaL annaimeer!* thozhum  aththisaiyuRRu nOkkiyE. 

[She has got soft, tender, smooth beautiful face. She had so much love

for the Lord and you all showed this Divya dEsam; she is now trapped in

His beauty of this Divya Desam sthalam. Oh Mother! Hence, you have already

lost her. She is always on thoughts about Him only. She has lost herself

in His beauty. He shines so brightly and beautifully much above the

quantum of lustre of His ornaments (due to His own shining Body). >From

the day she saw His such Great shining Beauty, her tears are flowing down

the cheeks like rains. She keeps looking at that direction where

Devapiraan is there and is paying obeisance to Him, with her mind lost in

Him and His guNAs completely.]

In this pasuram the last words are ‘atthisai utru nokkum’ meaning she [Alwar] would attentively look in the direction [of the Lord].  This illustrates the intimacy Alwar had for these Deities of Rettai Thiruppati. In his Nayika Bhavam, when the Alwar was a small girl, the parents wanted to prepare her horoscope and the Astrologer told that if the parents wanted the girl [Alwar] to be with them, then they should never expose her to the Lord of Tholaivillimangalam. She would become His. But the parents made her to worship the Lord and from that time onwards she is thinking of Him only [anNnaaL thotangi innaaL dhoRum,* irundhirundhu 'aravindha lOsana!'*  enREnRE nNaindhirangumE.        6.5.8]

 If we want to control our organs, therefore, we have to submit ourselves to Him. The beauty of the Lord here is charming and no wonder Alwar did not want anything else. More than others, His eyes are captivating. By placing our organs in this Beauty, we can easily control our organs. If we do not do this, then the consequences are frightening and dreadful. This is explained in the 62nd and 63rd slokas:

dhyayato visayan pumsah
sangas tesupajayate
sangat sanjayate kamah
kamat krodho ’bhijayate [62]

"While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises uncontrollably."

krodhad bhavati sammohah
sammohat smriti-vibhramah
smriti-bhramsad buddhi-naso
buddhi-nasat pranasyati [63]

"From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the birth cycle."

Sri Krishna describes the gradual deterioration if one does not concentrate on Him and allow the mind and intellect to wander. If the atman does not direct the intellect on Him, then thinks only of the materialistic pleasures. The mind starts wandering on cheap and inferior matters. Next, this will induce a desire in them. It will slowly sprout. The desire sprouts in all the organs. This tiny spark of desire then grows into a flame, that is Kama or lust. This develops into a craving to appease that passion. When the sought desire is not fulfilled, krodha-anger and hatred, engulfs the mind. This will be on the desired objects and on those who are considered as impediments. Sri Krishna says that the krodha is not simply developing but becomes indiscriminate and uncontrollable anger. This anger is not restricted only on those preventing the desire to be achieved, but on all those related to them, their friends and supporters. This is not exaggerating, nor could happen only to ordinary persons. Sri Rama also was enslavened by this feeling, Valmiki says. When Sri Rama came to know that Sri Sita was abducted by Ravana His anger knew no bounds. He declares that before dawn, if Sri Sita were not returned back, He would destroy Ravana, his relatives and others. Sri Rama was passionately in love with Sri Sita, and so this passion was converted to anger when She was missing. This grew in such a magnitude that He declared He would destroy Ravana and his relatives. In fact, not only those, Sri Rama says, He would destroy all gods, humans, etc. Because anger is very difficult to control. It is said that a person caught in anger, will not even hesitate to murder his teacher. Once anger steps in, the person would lose his balance and sense of discrimination as what should be done and what should not be done. That is he would lose his rational behaviour and would be senseless. This leads to memory loss. That is we forget the purpose of trying to controlling the organs. This means loss of intellect or buddhi nasam. That is the buddhi to have atman darshan is lost. This results in disappearance of atman swaroopam or the basic knowledge about atman. So, the person indulges in Kama and krodha and is destined for rebirths. To summarize:

Not concentrating on God à wandering of mind and pursuing inferior pleasuresà desire sproutsà Greed and passion à Kamaà turns to anger at impedimentsà loss of rational thinkingà forgetting the purpose to control organsà loss of buddhi to have atman darshanà Inability to come out of birth cycle.

So we should like Alwar did, devote all our mind and activities at the service of Sri Aravindalochanan and succeed in disciplining our organs.