Thursday, September 17, 2009

BG 18.41

Today's [18th September 2009] lecture is the 700th episode in Kannanin Aaramudu series. Bhagavad Gita also has 700 slokas. We have to cover more slokas. At present we have reached the last stage, Tirumamani Mantapam [திரு மா மணி மண்டபம்] in Srirangam.
Koormadin divya lokam tadanu manimayam mantapam tatra sesham
tasmin dharmadi peetham tad upari kamalam chamara grahineescha”
vishnumdevim vibhusha ayudhaganam uragam paduke vainateyam
senesam dwrapalan kumudamuga ganan vishnubhaktam prapadye ||
From this sloka we can imagine how the Lord is gracing at Paramapadam. In the 1000 pillared hall in Vaikuntam, the Lord, the support and foundation for all the worlds, is seated on Adisesha peetam [throne]. He is facing West. This seat is also called Dharmadi Peetam.


Sriman Narayana is seated between His Consorts Sri Sridevi and Sri Bhudevi. He is holding all Divne weapons and wearing all Divine ornaments. At His Divine feet, is Garuda, ever ready! Nearby is Vishvaksena, army commander holding his stick. At the gate are the Dwara Palakas Jaya and Vijaya. In fact for the Four gates, totally Eight guards are there. There are others like Kumada, Simhanana, Gajanana, etc. We worship all these Vishnu Bhaktas and the Lord Sri Maha Voshnu. In Tirumamani Mantapam, the Lord is at the center. Here Two important festivals take place. First, on Vaikunta Ekadasi day, the Lord graces Lakhs of people from here. The Second is in the same festival on Seventh day, Tirukaitthala sevai [திருக் கைத்தல சேவை].


Kaiththala sEvai

In this, the Lord is taken on bare hands by the Archaka. At that time there would not be any palanquin or other supports. Thousands of devotees would get this unique darshan. It is not that simple for the Lord to be available on hands. He would not that easily come Two steps forward to grace us. Even Nityasooris can not gauge or describe fully the grandeur and greatness of this place. Even mortals like us, when we come to Srirangam temple, would be confounded by the greatness of the temple. Even Nityasooris do not know the greatness of this place. Such a great Person, the Lord is, graces for our benefit on the Seventh day of the festival. On Tenth day of the festival [during Irappatthu], Nammalwar Moksham or Nammalwar Tiruvadi thozhudal [ஆழ்வார் மோக்ஷம்/ நம்மாழ்வார் திருவடி தொழுதல்].

AzhvAr SaraNAgati

Nammalwar, a typical Jeevatman, travels in the Arcchiradi marg and crosses Viraja river, enters 1000 pillared mantap and surrenders at the Divine feet of the Lord seated in Tirumamani mantap. During this time, Alwar is carried from Mantapa, and after going round the Lord, with 'soozh visumbu..' pasurams [Ten] sung melodiously, Alwar is placed at the Divine feet of the Lord. Every Jeevatman on reaching Vaikuntam is received as the new Muktatman, and is taken in. In this eternal blissful Divya desa, this new Muktatman is brought before the Lord in Tirumamani mantapam. The Lord will hold this atman's hands and place him on His lap and stroking the head fondly, would enquire, who he was. This new Muktatman would reply 'aham brahmasmi'! The Lord is his atman and he is body of the Lord. He has come to serve the Lord. The Lord embraces this atman. The Lord then orders this atman to serve along with Billions of Muktatman and Nityasooris. The atman is immersed in that blissful atmosphere! This is enacted in this Alwar Moksham. Nammalwar is covered by heaps of Tulasi leaves. After sometime, the Alwar is taken out of Tulasi leaves, in accordance with our prayers to release the Alwar for the benefit of Jeevatman in samsaram! This is called Vaikunta Prapti. Nitya Vibhuti [Vaikuntam] is Three times the Leela Vibhuti [our Universe is a part of it]. In Parama padam there is no karma, ignorance, sorrow, rajo/tamo qualities, destruction, birth, old age, death, hunger, disease, nor any type of distress. No one carries tales, none gets angry or jealousy, none of kama, krodha, matha, matsaryam, lobha, etc., can ever be seen. Only Bhagavat Anubhavam or experience with the Lord prevails. We attain samyapatthi or be, almost, like Him. The released soul now enjoys serving the Lord, the ultimate sight, ultimate name to be heard and ultimate knowledge to be possessed. With this enjoyment this new muktatman remains for ever in Vaikuntam, which is reached only through Bhakti and which is not yet accessible to many Rishis, Devas, etc. We will now see sloka 49 of Chapter 18:

asaktabuddhiḥ sarvatra jitātmā vigataspṛhaḥ
naiṣkarmyasiddhiṃ paramāṃ saṃnyāsenādhigacchati 18.49


The Lord reiterates what was told earlier. He who does Karma yoga with the Three Tyagas - kartrutva buddhi tyaga, mamata tyaga and phala tyaga -, attains samsiddhi. Sarvatra = in the karmas being done and in the results of the karma, asaktabuddhi = unattached intellect, jitatma = conquering mind, vigatasprha = desireless, samnysena = performing Karma yoga [with the Three tyagas], paramam = most superior, niskarmya siddhi = result of Gyana yoga. Arjuna's doubt was whether Dyana nishtai was the result of Gyana yoga. While agreeing with Arjuna, the Lord says that by doing continuously Karma yoga expalined by Him, result of Gyana yoga would be achieved, without doing Gyana yoga. Adhigacchadi = attains. Doing Karma yoga with the conscience that karma was not done by him nor for himself, and with no interest in results, most superior result of Gyana yoga is achieved. We will take leave of Srirangam. More slokas are there. From where, we are to see them? Let us wait and see!

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