BG 11.49

Thirumangai Alwar has praised Thiruvidavendhai Kshetram in his Periya Thirumozhi [2.7]. Alwar has composed the pasurams, in the guise of a woman [nayika bhavam நாயிகா பாவம்]. The Lord is Sri Nitya Kalyana Perumal and so it is apt that the Alwar sings in Nayika Bhavam! The Lord married 360 daughters of the sage, daily one daughter for one year. Anyone worshiping the Lord here will feel like being a woman to marry the Lord. When this is the feeling of ordinary persons like us, will not a great devotee like Thirumangai Alwar have such feelings? When Alwar sings in that guise, he sings as the Sweetheart of the Lord or the mother of the lover of the Lord or as the freind of the lover. Same Alwar sings in any of the three forms. In the pasurams on this Kshetram, Alwar takes the role of the mother of the lover of the Lord and sings. 'She' says that instead of marrying 'her' daughter, the Lord had deserted 'her' daughter and so 'her daughter' was pining. 'She' tried to persuade 'her' daughter not to fall in love with the Lord, Who would cheat her; but she would not listen. Therefore, as a 'mother', 'she' asks the Lord as to what He planned to or thought of 'her' daughter - Alwar asks in the pasurams [என் நினைந்திருந்தாய் இடவெந்தை எந்தை பிரானே!]. Today [3rd December 2008] our lecture is from the sannidhi of Sri Komalavalli Thayar. We can derive from the pasurams of the Lord, how we should worship the Lord using Sri Thayar's recommendations. We are to surrender to the Lord Sriman Narayana, forwarded by Sri Maha Lakshmi [தாயாரை முன்னிட்டு பெருமாளை அடைதல்]. That way She ensures our joining His devotees' group. Thirumangai Alwar is in woman's guise. 'She' is in deep love with the Lord. But 'her' 'mother' wants to suppress that and so 'she' asks 'her' daughter to worship the Lord first. That way 'she' would realize that the Lord marries daily a girl and He was Sri Nitya Kalyana Perumal. At least by worshiping Sri Maha Lakshmi, 'she' might realize not to marry an already married Person. This is the belief of the 'mother'! This might be the pracice of mortals of this World. In our culture, married persons are not preferred. Sri Rama never even looked up to see other's wife. Girls also would not look up at married males. Trusting this, 'mother' wants 'her' daughter to go to the Lord. All atman are considered as wives of the Lord, Who is regarded as the only Male. Parakala Nayaki knows this; and also that the permanently residing on His chest - Sri Maha Lakshmi, if approached, to forward 'her' desire, would ensure marriage of 'her' with the Lord. This is the substance in Alwar's pasuram. In pasuram [2.7.1] [திவளும் வெண் மதி போல் திருமுகத்து...], Alwar describes Sri Maha Lakshmi in the First half. Despite knowing that Sri Maha Lakshmi is always on His chest, Parakala Nayaki, would not abandon 'her' love. The 'mother' asked 'her' whether would 'she' marry such a Person, already married? The 'daughter' replied in the affirmative and said that 'she' wanted to marry for that reason alone! The 'mother' is worried, that instead of abandoning love for a married Person, 'she' was more vigorous to marry Him. So, the 'mother' asked the Lord as to what He thought of 'her'. As in some Kshetrams, Sri Thayar appears like a fresh Bride! This is so, perhaps, because there is daily marriage [Nitya kalyanam] here! She is showing abhaya by Her right arm, and points to Her Divine feet, by the laft arm. Since the Lord is holding Sri Thayar by His left hand, perhaps He is also confirming that first we should fall at Her feet, before seeking His feet! We will now see sloka 50. This sloka is from Sanjaya:

sanjaya uvaca
ity arjunam vasudevas tathoktva
svakam rupam darsayam asa bhuyah
asvasayam asa ca bhitam enam
bhutva punah saumya-vapur mahatma

"Sanjaya said to Dhritarashtra: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, having spoken thus to Arjuna, displayed His real four-armed form and at last showed His two-armed form, thus encouraging the fearful Arjuna."

Sanjaya tells that the Lord conceding to the prayer of Arjuna, reverts back to the more pleasant form with Four arms, carrying discus and conch, and as the normal chariot driver of Arjuna, and assuaged Arjuna. In the earlier sloka, the Lord assured that He would get back to His usual Form and in this sloka He actually gets back to the usual form to assuage Arjuna. Sanjaya narrates that the Lord had reverted back to the usual Form. Ity Arjunam = thus Arjuna, tathoktva = was told by, vasudeva = Sri Krishna, svakam = [Sri Krishna's] Self, rupam = image, bhuya = again, dharsayamasa = made visible [to Arjuna]. That is the Lord made Himself in His usual form, viewable by Arjuna. Asvasayam asa = assuaged [Arjuna], bhitam enam = wiped off his fears. How? Puna = [by] again, sowmya-vapu = beautiful or pleasant appearance. By taking the usual pleasant form, the Lord assuaged Arjuna. Here, we may have doubt. Is it possible to change the appearance? After all a person is what he is. Beauty of atman is in knowledge, devotion and good qualities. If these are proper, body beauty is immaterial. Also, even if we struggle hard, changing the body's form is very difficult. When this is the case, how the Lord suddenly changed the gigantic form to the usual pleasant form? The answer is in the word mahatma = great soul [ of Sri Krishna]. The Lord has the capacity to do what He decided [satya sankalpam]. Mahatma implies this quality of satya sankalpa. It is no wonder, as the Lord did this as a just born infant! In the sloka it is said that the Lord appeared in His usual pleasant appearance. Our ancestors and commentators interpret that the Lord appeared with Four arms, carrying discus and conch in the upper arms. But Sri Krishna had only Two arms. So how Four arms are mentioned? In the prison of Kamsa in Mathura, the Lord was born as an infant with Four arms and with all ornaments. All puranas like Srimad Bhagavatam, describe that the Lord appeared with all the Divine weapons and ornaments. Seeing this, father Vasudeva [वसुदेव] requested the Lord to hide the divine appearance with Four arms and appear like any normal child. The Lord did accordingly. Thus Four arms are natural for the Lord. To avoid detection by Kamsa, the Lord was with Two arms till the age of 10 in Gokulam. Puranas say that लेटर, He was with Four arms. Therefore, Four arms is His usual Self.