BG 10.25

Swami Ramanuja had great devotion to Nammalwar. Thiruvarangathu Amudhanar [திருவரங்கத்து அமுதனார்], who composed Ramanuja Nootrandhadi [ராமானுஜ நூற்றந்தாதி], part of Nalayira Divya Prabhandam, says that by chanting Ramanuja, one can attain Moksham. It is because of Swami Ramanuja's selfless service that we are all fortunate to worship Sri Ramapriya and Sri Thirunarayana Perumal. Therefore, there can not be a better devotion than standing before Swami Ramanuja's sannidhi and praying gratefully. Today's [1st September 2008] lecture is from the sannidhi of Swami Ramanuja. Swami Ramanuja is called as Ilaiazhvar [இளையாழ்வார்], Emperumanar [எம்பெருமானார்], Udaiyavar [உடையவர்] and Sri Bhashyakarar [ஸ்ரீ பாஷ்யகாரர்]. We can worship Swami Ramanuja predominantly in Three Kshetrams. In Sri Perumbuthur, his birth place. In Srirangam, where he lived and administered Sri Vaishnavam. And, here, where he lived for Tweleve years. With folded hands and Tridhandam [த்ரிதண்டம்], we can see him. Utsavar of Swami Ramanuja also is there with anjali hastham [folded hands]. In all the three places Swami Ramanuja is in anjali hastham only. In Sriperumpudur, he is called Thanugandha Thirumeni [தான் உகந்த திருமேனி] - Swami Ramanuja himself was pleased to instal his own idol. In Srirangam it is Thanana Thirumeni [தானான திருமேனி] - he himself is there. In Thirunarayanapuram, it is Thamarugandha Thirumeni [ தமர் உகந்த திருமேனி], idol installed to fulfill his devotees' desire. Here, he is wearing pavitram [பவித்திரம்]. With long tuft [குடுமி] and safron robes and holding Tridhandam, we can worship him. Srivaishnava ascetics use tridhandam - three sticks bonded together. It symbolises chit, achit and Iswara entities. Every Thiruvadirai [திருவாதிரை] star, Abhishekam [திருமஞ்சனம் ] is performed. It is a sight not to be missed. Swami Ramanuja came to this place when there was danger to him at Srirangam; and lived here for Twelve years. When he was about to return to Srirangam, people here were very much grieved. So, with his blessings the devotees [தமர்], got an idol sculpted and installed here. Today we are enjoying the lucid explanations given by Swami Ramanuja for Bhagavad Gita. We are to see sloka 24:

purodhasam ca mukhyam mam
viddhi partha brihaspatim
senaninam aham skandah
sarasam asmi sagarah

"Of priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Brihaspati. Of generals I am Kartikeya, and of bodies of water I am the ocean."

Sarasam = among stagnant waters, asmi = I [Sri Krishna] am, sagaram = ocean. Senaninam = among army commanders, aham = I [Sri Krishna] am, skanda = lord Skanda [aka Subrahmanya, son of lord Shiva.]. The meaning of the First line is very important to be noted. Its meaning has to be applied in all the comparisons the Lord is making. Partha = Arjuna, viddhi = understand, purodhasam = among purohits or vedic rites conductors or priests, mukhyam = important, mam = I [Sri Krishna] am, brihaspatim = Brahaspati, the priest for Devas. Purohits conduct us to perform vedic ceremonies in the proper way. Here, Sri Krishna is not telling merely He is purohit for Devas, sage Brahaspati; but adds one important word -'important'. This word has to be added for every comparison He makes. As for example, among Adityas, He is the important Vishnu. Among Rudras, He is the important Sankara, etc. This word mukhya is hidden in all other slokas and so has to be applied. Brahaspati and Vachaspati are same. Skanda is the son of lord Shiva and Parvati. He is the commander of the army of Devas. In Srimad Ramayana, sage Viswamitra elaborately tells the birth of Skanda to Sri Rama and Lakshmana. We understand the relationship of all these and the Lord, similar to the relationship between soul and body. This sarira-atman bhavam is the relation between the Lord and us. This was expounded by Swami Ramanuja. This is the basic feature of Visishtadvaitham philosophy. With this we will take leave of this Kshetram.

BG 10.24

Sri Thayar never parts with the Lord. As the name suggests, the Lord is Sri Thirunarayana, and the Divine Couple can never be separated. Here, Sri Thayar is seated between the feet of the Lord. Today's [29th August 2008] lectuer is from the sannidhi of Sri Yadhugiri Nachiyar or Sri Kalyani Nachiyar. This is a separate sannidhi. Who is the Sri Thayar seated in between the feet of the Lord? This is unique to this Kshetram. We saw that the daughter of Emmadurayan was deeply in love with the Lord; but when Swami Ramanuja requested, the Lord Sri Ramapriya came to him and sat on his lap. Thereby, the Lord got the name Sri Yatiraja Sampat Kumara or Sri Chellapillai. Swami Raanuja brought the idol of Sri Ramapriya to this place. But that girl [daughter of Emmadurayan] could not bear her separation from the Lord. So she insisted that she also would accompany the Lord and Eammadurayan had to agree and sent troops and servants along with her. As they all come to enter Thirunarayanapuram, Swami Ramanuja thought what to do when once the idol was installed in the garbhagruha as none could go near the idol. But she appeared to be a very great devotee and Bhakti is very important. So, it is said that Swami Ramanuja converted her to a small idol and installed at the feet of the Lord. This way she never parts the Lord. But we are in the sannidhi of Sri Maha Lakshmi, here called as Sri Yadhugiri Nachiyar. Her glory is very much, perhaps greater than the Lord. It is said that in ancient days, Sri Thayar was seated upright with an appearance of independence to grant all, anything they wanted, on Her own. Just opposite Her sannidhi is the sannidhi of Swami Ramanuja. Since the Lord is regarded as the Son of Swami Ramanuja, he is in a way father-in-law of Sri Thayar. As is the custom, in the presence or in front of a father-in-law, the Daughter-in-law, has to show reaspect and may not show Her independent Nature. So, now She graces all devotees with a bowed appearance. Moolavar is Sri Yadhugiri Nachiyar and Utsavar is Sri Kalyani Nachiyar. Right hand is showing abhaya and left hand is indicating Her feet. There can be no doubt that after a bath in Kalyani pushkarini, if we worship Sri Kalyani Nachiyar, our lives will be full of auspicious [kalyana] functions. Swami Alavandar says kanthaste purushottama [कान्तस्ते ]. He is so much attracted to Her, that He would do anything She demanded. Acharyas say ingitha paradheena [इन्गिथ पराधीन ], which means He waits for Her approval by Her eyes [கண் பார்வை ]. She grants wealth and Moksham, just for a salute, with folded hands, to Her. Swami Parashara Bhatta says that Sri Thayar is bending Her face down in shy. The shy is not beacause She is near Her Husband, the Lord; nor the shy is because She is in front of Her father-in-law, Swami Ramanuja; but She feels shy for not granting more than Moksham to the devotee. We will now see sloka 23. In slokas 21 and 22, the Lord described groups of Four in each sloka, saying He was the leader among various groups. Now sloka 23:
rudranam sankaras casmi
vitteso yaksha-rakshasam
vasunam pavakas casmi
meruh sikharinam aham

"Of all the Rudras I am Lord Shiva, of the Yakshas and Rakshasas I am the Lord of wealth [Kuvera], of the Vasus I am fire [Agni], and of mountains I am Meru."

Another Four groups are mentioned here. Rudranam = among [Eleven] Rudras, sankara =Sankara, asmi = I [Sri Krishna] am. Vittesa = Leader of wealth [Kubera], yaksha-rakshasam = in Yaksha and Rakshasas, vasunam = among the [Eight] Vasus [ வசுக்கள் ], pavaka = Pavaka, sikharinam = among the [mountain] peaks, meru =Meru, aham =I [Sri Krishna] am. Sam + karothi = sankara. He who gives comfort. The Lord says thet lord Shiva is His body. During Thirunangur visit it was mentioned about Eleven Rudras. Adityas are Twelve. Vasus are Eight. And, Aswini devas are Two. So, 11+12+8+2 =33, which is mentioned by Sri Andal in Her Thiruppavai pasuram muppatthu moovar amararku [முப்பத்து மூவர் அமரர்க்கு முன் சென்று ] [19th verse]. By mentioning that He is Sankara among the Rudras, we should clearly understand that the Lord and lord Shiva are not one and the same. Because if we interpret it that way, the Lord says He is Sama veda or mountain peak Meru. Does it mean that Sama veda and Lord are same? Are Meru and the Lord one and same? Just like we interpreted there that Sama veda is body to the Lord; or, Moon was body to the Lord, here also we should understand that lord Shiva is body of the Lord. The Lord is the Cause, and all others are effects. So swaroopa aikyam [स्वरुप ऐक्यम ] - same person - is not mentioned. We should realize the sarira-atman relationship. Because of this Alwar says that he did not know how to call the Lord. As Shiva or as Brahma? Because all are His body. Normally, the name of the body applies to atman. When an atman resides in a body in a birth, that body gets a name. When we call that name the atman inside that body commands the body to turn and answer. Body as such has no capacity to recognise names or is inanimate. All attributes to the body, apply to to the atman. So whatever we say of Moon or Kubera, it refers to their inner atman, Sriman Narayana. Here we may get a doubt. All these days we have been differentiating between atman and body. How can it be said that all attributes to body refer to atman? We say the plant has blossomed. Dog barks, etc. Surely, the body of the dog by itself can not bark. Plant by itself is an inanimate object. What we mean is that the atman in dog's body barks. Atman in plant is blossoming. Only sarira-atman bhavam has been mentioned by the Lord. Kubera is also an Yaksha and so when the Lord says He is Kubera, He is Kubera among Yakshas; but Kubera is not a rakshasa and so here, only the leadership of rakshasa is implied. This is sambandha samaniyasti category. Sikharam means peak of mountain. Meru and Himachalam are different. Meru has been praised by many poets. It is said that Meru mountain is gold and its peaks are of diamonds. In another palce He is going to say that in sthavaras He is Himalaya; and so Himalaya and Meru are different.

BG 10.23

Swami Ramanuja had done many services in this World. Like, writing Sri Bhashyam and other philosophical works. By writing commentary on Vedanta, he clarified the Reality, to the people. By visiting various Kshetrams, he paved the way for proper conduct of pooja and temple administration. He ensured the elimination of any dangers to any temple and provided safe services to the Lord. Thus his services can not be listed. Especially, the services he had rendered at the Thirunarayanapuram temple is extra ordinary and can not be compared with services in other temples. Infact, it was his services brought the Lord here. We saw earlier that he brought out the Lord Sri Moolavar, hidden in the ground. It was in Thai Punarvasu day. But it is not Moolavar alone was re-established here by Swami Ramanuja. Even the Utsavar, Who was missing in this Kshetram was brought in and got re-established by Swami Ramanuja. Earlier we saw the story of Sri Ramapriya arriving at this Kshetram. The story further coninued. As we enter the temple we see the long corridor and the dwajasthambam. On the left we see the sannidhi of Utsavar. In front we can see the sannidhi of Moolavar. In the dwajasthambam mandapam, on the left Swami Ramanuja's sannidhi is there. We will now see how Swami Ramanuja and Sri Ramapriya are connected. Also we will see why this Lord here is called Sri Selvapillai or Sri Chellapillai. Swami Ramanuja came here and re-established the Moolavar. He enquired about the Utsavar, brought to this Kshetram by Sri Balarama and Sri Krishna. Once the Lord appeared in his dreams and informed that He had been carried away during an invasion, and kept in exile. He informed that He was taken away by Emmadurayan to Delhi and was in the inner chambers in the palace. He also ordained Swami Ramanuja to bring Him from Delhi and re-establish in Thirunarayanapuram. With his disciples Swami Ramanuja went to Delhi. Emmadurayan recieved Swami Ramanuja with appropriate honours and said, after hearing Swami Ramanuja's mission, that he could search in the godown, as he had stored many idols brought from many places. Swami Ramanuja could not find Sri Ramapriya idol. Swami Ramanuja felt extremely sorry; but the Lord would have told the correct information only, thought Swami Ramanuja. Again the Lord appeared in his dreams and informed that He was with the daughter of Emmadurayan and she was always playing with Him. When Swami Ramanuja told Emmadurayan that the idol was with his daughter in her chambers, Emmadurayan, took Swami Ramanuja to that place. They saw the daughter was playing with that idol. She had decorated the idol and showed extreme devotion to Sri Ramapriya. When Swami Ramanuja indicated that was the idol he came for, Emmadurayan told that he could take the idol. Swami Ramanuja then requested the Lord to come to him by saying 'vaarai en chellapillai' [வாராய் என் செல்லப் பிள்ளை]. The Lord took steps to measure the Universe in Sri Trivikrama Avatar. He walked all the way to redeem Sri Sita in Sri Rama avatar. He ran about in Brindavan in Sri Krishna avatar. But, Swami Ramanuja requested that the Lord should walk and come to him so that he could carry Him to Melkote. Immediately, the Lord jumped and to the clinging sound of His ornaments, He came and sat on Swami Ramanuja's lap. Swami Ramanuja was very much elated and he embraced the Lord and kissed and called Him 'nam chellappillai' [ our beloved Son] [நம் செல்லப் பிள்ளை]. From that time the Lord got the name Sri Chellapillai. The Lord became the Son of an ascetic or sanyasi!! Though Swami Ramanuja had no brother or sister, Sri Andal is regarded as his Sister; and now he had acquired a Son also! In many temples we can see the sketch of Sri Ramanuja with left hand holding Tridhand [த்ரி தண்டம்] and Sri Ramapriya seated on his right lap. The Lord appears to say that He is the Property of Swami Ramanuja. Swami Ramanuja later re-established Sri Ramapriya in the temple. In every festival Swami Ramanuja accompanies Sri Chellapillai. In sloka 21, the Lord told He was in the groups of Adityas, Maruths, etc. This continues. Sloka 22:

vedanam sama-vedo ’smi
devanam asmi vasavah
indriyanam manas casmi
bhutanam asmi cetana

"Of the Vedas I am the Sama Veda; of the demigods I am Indra, the king of heaven; of the senses I am the mind; and in living beings I am the living force [consciousness]."

Vedanam = among Vedas, sama veda = Sama veda, asmi = I [Sri Krishna] am, devanam = among devas, vasava = Indra, indriyanam = among organs, manas = mind, bhutanam = in living beings, cetana = intellect, asmi = I [Sri Krishna] am. Sama veda is in music form and with 1000 branches. It seems in Vaikuntam, sama veda would be chanted always. It does not mean that other Vedas are inferior. When He mentions Devas, do they include lord Brahma and lord Rudra? They are much superior to Indra and so what the Lord means is the Devas in Swarga loka. Vasava means having vasu [वसु] or wealth. So, the Lord is Indra, possessing vast wealth. Indriyanam means the organs of our body. They are Eleven. Karmendriya or action organs are Five - legs [for walking], hands for doing, mouth for talking, the two organs for excretion of urine and stools. Gyanendriya or knowledge organs are Five - eyes for seeing, tongue for tasting, ears for listening, nose for smelling and skin for touching. Mind is also considered as an organ and so total is Eleven. Mind is the leader among all organs and the Lord says He is mind among organs. With mind one could be in birth cycle or get redeemed and get Moksham. In the living beings with intellect, the Lord says He is the intellect. We should note the difference from the previous Three. They were all in nirdharanesakti. But here, in the living beings He is not one among them, but is the intellect in every one of them.

BG 10.22

We are at Thirunarayanapuram, known in Srivaishnava sampradhaya as Gyana mandapam. Today's [27th August 2008] lecture is f rom the sannidhi of Sri Selva Narayana. The Lord here has many names -Sri Selvanarayana, Sri Thirunarayanan, Sri Ramapriya and Sri Chellapillai. Tall Raja gopuram welcomes us.

SRI THIRUNARAYANAN, Moolavar.
The Lord is gracing with right hand in abhaya mudra and left hand holding the mace. We can worship Sri Nachiyar seated between His feet. The Lord is enchanting in every respect and every organ of Him is attractive. Still, Nammalwar had a special liking for His Divine feet. Earlier it was told that Swami Ramanuja had dedicated the pasuram 4.1.1 of Thiruvaimozhi to the Lord here. In that pasuram Nammalwar says that there could have been great emperors in this world. They all lived with great pride of their property and empire. But while life itself is like the water bubbles in rain water, their so called properties also were very transient. Alwar says an emperor of the world once ruled. Once he lost his empire and wealth. To satisfy his hunger he used to go for begging, only in the night so that he would not be identified by others. In darkness, such an emperor goes for begging with a begging mud bowl; and he trips on a black dog, which bites him and he drops the bowl with the food in that. This is not the story of one king, but of all emperors and other rich people. Do we need this situation? Asks Alwar and advises that instead of wasting our efforts on amassing wealth, seek the Divine feet of the Lord and get redeemed. Without wasting or postponing, we should surrender unto the Lord. We saw the Moolavar was handed over to Sanathkumara by lord Brahma, and was established here. Lord Brahma donated the Utsavar Sri Ramapriya [ஸ்ரீ ராம ப்ரியா], for daily pooja. We know that Lord Sri Rama was worshiping Sri Ranganatha in Ayodhya. After the Coronation, Sri Rama donated the Lord to Vibheeshana. After doing that Sri Rama did not have a Murthy [idol] of the Lord to perform pooja and so He again requested lord Brahma, who got the Utsavar of this Kshetram made and gave to Sri Rama. Since that Idol was worshiped by Sri Rama, He was called Sri Ramapriya. Sri Rama's sons Lava and Kucha also worshiped. Kucha had a daughter Kanakamalini. She was married to King Yadusekhara. As is the custom, which is followed even now, this Idol of Sri Ramapriya was given as stree dhanam along with the bride. That King was performing daily pooja to Sri Ramapriya. The King was an Yadava and Sri Krishna and Sri Balarama also were born in that community. Once Sri Ramapriya was handed over to Sri Krishna and Sri Balarama. Once Sri Balarama came on a pilgrimage to this place and came to this temple, where only Moolavar was there. He thought that this Moolavar was resembling Sri Ramapriya, He was worshiping. On return He informed this to Sri Krishna. Thereafter, they all decided to visit this place. carrying with them Sri Ramapriya. Here, Sri Krishna and Sri Balarama could connect the history of both Moolavar and Utsavar and realized that both had come from Satya lok and once they might have been together. They decided to donate Sri Ramapriya as the Utsavar for this temple and from that time both are here.

SRI RAMAPRIYA, Utsavar

Utsavar also is posing the same way as the Moolavar. Here also between His feet, Sri Thayar is seated. Now proceeding to Gita, Sri Krishna cites so many as important manifestation of Him, in the slokas 21 to 39. Instead of telling all His wealth, the Lord lists a few He considered as more important. As told earlier the Lord describes Him and the 'property', grammatically, in the same case. Sloka 21:

adityanam aham vishnur
jyotisam ravir amsuman
maricir marutam asmi
nakshatranam aham sasi

"Of the Adityas I am Vishnu, of lights I am the radiant sun, of the Maruts I am Marici, and among the stars I am the moon."

He cites many groups. Adityana = among the Adityas, aham = I [Sri Krishna] am, vishnu = Vishnu. Kashyapa had two wives Dhiti and Adhiti. Adhiti gave birth to Tweleve Adityas, in which Vishnu was the youngest. This Vishnu should not be mistaken as Lord Vishnu. Each one of these Twelve Adityas, go round our Earth one month in an year. It starts in the month of Margazhi and ends in Karthigai. The Lord says to Arjuna that among the Adityas, He is the youngest and most important Vishnu. Here, Sri Krishna mentions Himself [Aham] and Vishnu in the same nominative case. In both sarira-atman bhavam and karana-karya bhavem, both can be mentioned in the same nominative case, as in the example mud pot. Here, therefore, it means that He is the soul of Vishnu or He is the creator of Vishnu. In fact all Adityas are the body of the Lord and all of them were created by the Lord. Jyotisam = among the luminous objects, ravi = the Sun, amsuman = with rays. We regard Sun as the most radiant among luminous objects; and the Lord says He is the Sun. Marutham = among the Maruths, marici = [the Lord is] Marichi. Dhiti and Adhti were the wives of Kashyapa. Dhitis children were all Asuras and so are called Dhaiteyas. Adhiti's children were Devas. When Dhiti was pregnant, Indra, the leader of Devas, wanted to destroy the child in her womb so that there would not be more Asuras. But in doing so, the foetus got split into Seven. Indra again tried to destroy all the Seven foetus, but they became Seven times and 49 children were born to Dhiti. They are called Maruths, which literally mean air. Of the group of 49 Maruths, the Lord is Marichi. Nakshatranam = among Stars, sasi = Moon. According to Sanskrit grammar, the instrumental case [Sixth case] two relationships are possible. One is nirdharanesakti and the other is sambandha samanysakti. All previous objects were in the first relationship. But in this, that relationship can not be applied and we have to apply the second category. Among Adityas, the Lord is Vishnu, as Vishnu is also an Aditya. But Moon is not a star and is different. Here Moon is the leader and stars are deputies. This relationship is to be considered here. Depending on the context we have to carefully apply these relationships. The Lord dwells in Moon as the atman; and the Lord is the Cause for Moon; so the Lord is Moon. All are His property or all are at His command. He is going to list more in the ensuing slokas.

BG 10.21

We are at the foot of the hills on which Sri Narasimha Swami temple is there. This is situated at the entrance of this place, near Kalyani pushkarini. We climb the hills using the steps laid. We can reach in about 15-20 minutes. Not many steps, so anyone could climb up and come down. Once the lecturer [Sri UVe Velukkudi Swami] and about 1500 persons had come and all could easily climb up the hill. In that group septuagenarians and octogenarians were there. During the Sri Rama yatra tour, about 350 persons climbed the hill. Even during the tour of places connected with Swami Ramanuja, many had climbed the hill. All these are told to request all not to worry about any strain to climb this hill. We are at the sannidhi of Sri Narasimha.


MELKOTE SRI YOGA NARASIMHA


A very beautiful corridor and mandapam. We come to artha mandapam, from where devotees go in line to worship Sri Yoga Narasimha inside. The Lord is in seated pose. With both lower hands on the knees, the Lord graces in the yoga style. Large eyes. Cave like mouth. Arjuna was consoled not to worry by this mouth only. How Sri Narasimha came to Thiru Narayanapuram? This place is called Pancha Bhagavatha Kshetram [பஞ்ச பாகவத க்ஷேத்ரம் ]. Five sages sat here with a desire to view the Lord here. They were Vyasa, Ambarisha, Kumbarisha, Sukha and Rukmangatha. They meditated and prayed the Lord to appear before them. The Lord wanted to know in which form was He to appear to them. They wanted the Lord to appear in Sri Narasimha form as He appeared to the child devotee Prahalada. The Lord appeared as Sri Yoga Narasimha and continues to grace all devotees. So, by visiting this place one can have Darshan of Sri Thiru Narayana, Sri Yoga Narasimha, apply various sacred water [Theertham] and also enjoy the enchanting beauty of Nature. Unlike other places where the ambiance is warm and sultry, this place is very cool and pleasant. We see many hills around and at the feet of these hills, many ponds [theerthem] are there. There are eight ponds called Ashta theertham. We will now proceed to study further sloka 20. In sloka 18, Arjuna requested the Lord to explain in detail His empire and His yogam or auspicious qualities. He was not satisfied even if he listened to it any number of times. In sloka 20, Sri Krishna gave a very precise reply. The Lord dwells in all living beings. He is the inner soul or antharathma in every soul. We are worshiping Lord Sri Narasimha. He appeared from a pillar. Prahalada told that the Lord is in everything, be it an atom or a pillar. Bhutam means matter and includes living beings. Hiranyakasipu doubted the statement of Prahalada, He is everywhere. That is all are His body and He is the atman for all. This relationship is sarira - atman bhavam. So, the Lord replies Arjuna that all His body are His empire. Arjuna wanted to know the glory and auspicious qualities of the Lord. He replied in the Second line of sloka 20: that He is the beginning, middle and end of all. That is He is the Cause for the creation of all; Cause of sustaining all created; and, He is the Cause for the annihilation of everything. He is thus Cause for creation, protection and destruction of everything. He is the Cause and the Universe is effect. This is karana - karya bhavam. From this we learn that everything is His property. Our present atman owns the present body. But we do not know what bodies we owned in earlier births nor we know which bodies we are going to dominate in future. But the Lord owns everything not only the present, but the past and future. Sri Andal says 'yetraikkum yezhezh piravikkum...' [எற்றைக்கும் ஏழேழ் பிறவிக்கும் உந்தன்னோடே உறவேயாம் மற்றை நம் காமங்கள் மாற்று ]. So we can not be separated from Him and we are integral part of Him. This is called apruthak siddha viseshanam. Here we have to note an important message. Upanishads say He is anta pravishta:, that is He is pervading all. Atmana: antara:, He is the inner soul. But we are ignorant of this. We should clearly understand the body-soul concept. Which can be called a body? and which can be called its soul? This is very elaborately explained by Swami Ramanuja, in his Sri Bhashyam. If certain conditions are satisfied then we can regard one as soul and the other as body. That which is exclusively for the other is called body and the other is soul. That one should not have any need for itself. Our body does not have any separate requirements or private agenda. What the soul desires the body does. That which is exclusively for another, supported by the other, obeys commands of the other and is for the pleasure of the other, is body. The other is soul or atman. If we are to be the body of the Lord, then we have to live only for Him, serve only Him, obey only His commands, be supported only by Him and be only for His pleasure. It is not like what we think we own properties like house or car. They can be sold, when they are not regarded as our property. Atman and Paramatman relationship can not be separated. In the next relationship, the Lord talks of the cause- effect. We call mud pot, meaning pot made of mud. Gold pot means pot made of gold. Mud and gold are cause and pot is effect. Mud and pot are nominative cases. But by putting them together we do not use the instrumental case of grammar, but mean pot made of mud. Similarly, the Lord is the Cause and we are effect. Just like we read mud pot, both being in nominative case, our association with Lord can be read by having both the Lord and others in same nominative case; but the relationship is that of mud and pot, in the example mud pot. We will see that the Lord is going to list so many, starting from sloka 21 to sloka 39, and all and He would be in nominative case alone. We should therefore understand the relationship by appropriate application of the case. When we say Hill Sri Narasimha, it may mean Sri Narasimha seated on the hill. But it also means the Sri Narasimha in the hill, as a soul in a body. The Lord is Cause and the hill is effect. In the list He is going to tell we should therefore, understand that He is the atman for the other He mentions; He is the Cause and the other is effect. Due to these two factors, we can mention both in the same case.

BG 10.20

We are in Melkote, the Empire of Sri Thirunarayana Perumal. It is in Karnataka state. From Bangalore, either via Nagamangala or via Mandya, Mysore, we can reach this Kshetram. From Mysore it is about an hour's journey. It is situated on Yadagiri or Yathusailam. Surrounding nature is beautiful. It is called Melkote, because kings used to build forts on the hill here and reigned and so Mel [above] kote [fort]. Also it was the Western side fort and so Mel [short form for merku, west in Tamil]. Since the Lord is Sri Thirunarayanan, this place has the name THirunarayanapuram. From lord Brahma to Sanathkumara, then Sri Dattatreya, then Sri Balarama and Sri Krishna, have worshiped the deity here. The Lord here was established by Sanathkumara. After very long time, this place got submerged in earth and was hidden. The Lord was thus lost from sight. Like He is hidden in everyone of us, the Lord remained hidden under the earth. In Kali yug, the Lord was not visible to all, for some years. Swami Ramanuja brought oue the Lord to the outside world, for the benefit of all. Swami Ramanuja was living in Srirangam. Once the King there, Kirumikanda Chola [கிருமி கண்ட சோழன் ], out of hatred for Vaishnavam, wanted to punish Swami Ramanuja. Swami Koorathalwan, decided to save Swami Ramanuja. Swami Ramanuja was an ascetic with safron robes; while Swami Koorathalwan was domestic and had white robes. Swami Koorathalwan tricked by exchanging the robes, and sent Swami Ramanuja with white robes, in the West direction. Swami Ramanuja along with Swami Mudaliyandan [முதலியாண்டான் ] and other disciples, reached Karnataka. Travelling along river Kaveri, and crossing Sathyamangalam forests, they reached Thondanur, in Karnataka. He lived in Thondanur for quite some time. Thondanur has a very big lake.

THONDANUR LAKE

During his stay, once the thiruman [திருமண்], used to paint on the forehead, was exhausted. Normally, this is available from earth. Painting Namam [நாமம் ], on the forehead is an identity for Sri Vaishnavites and it represented the Divine feet of the Lord. Without thiruman, Swami Ramanuja was veru much worried and he remained on fasting for three days. At that time Sri Thirunarayana Perumal appeared in the dream of Swami Ramanuja; and ordained him to come up the hill Yadavagiri, where the Lord would provide him thiruman and also show the location where the Lord was hiding, under the Earth. When Swami Ramanuja tried to climb, he found the hill was very steep. Earlier, the King of the place Bittaraya Deva, had become the disciple of Swami Ramanuja, who had rechristened him as King Vishnuvardhana. With his help Swami Ramanuja was able to reach Melkote. First comes Vedadri Pushkarini, near which is Datatreya Theertham. Here, Sri Dattatreya recieved safron robe and kamandalam, to become an ascetic. Swami Ramanuja also again took safron robes here. It happened on Thai [தை ] month Punarvasu star day. Even today, grand festival is celebrated on that day here. He found thiruman nearby and was pleased to decorate himself with the twelve namams. Then he searched for the Lord. Here also the Lord showed him the way by asking him to go along the route of Thulasi plants. He reached in the present location of the garbhagruha. When he dug the earth, there he found the Lord, to the immense happiness of Swami Ramanuja. Immediately Swami Ramanuja remembered the First pasuram of 4.1 Thiruvalmozhi of Nammalwar [Oru Nayagamai oda ulagudaiya andavar...Thirunaranan thal kalanpera chinthithu uymino] [ஒரு நாயகமாய் ஓட உலகுடன் ஆண்டவர் .....திரு நாரணன் தாள் காலம் பெறச் சிந்தித்து உய்ம்மினோ] and dedicated that pasuram for the Lord here. People run after wealth and property, little realizing they are transient. Only the divine feet of Sri Thirunarayanan is our permanent wealth and so cling to them, advises Nammalwar. Earlier it was told that in Mannargudi, Swami Manavala Mamunigal dedicated the pasuram, unnitthu matroru deivam thozhal [உன்னித்து மற்றொரு தைவம் தொழாள் ], to Sri Rajagopala Perumal there. Here, Swami Ramanuja dedicated Oru nayagamai pasuram to Sri Thirunarayanan Perumal. Thirunaranan thal in the pasuram indicates the Divine feet of Sri Thirunarayanan. Sri Nachiyar is seated between the Divine feet of the Lord here. So, the feet are associated with Sri Thayar. Nammalwar calls upon all of us to cling to these feet, to get redeemed. After taking out the Lord, Swami Ramanuja installed the deity same day. Thus the Lord got established here again. Thus Thai Punarvasu is celebrated veru enthusiastically here. Like Sri Varaha brought out Sri Bhudevi, Swami Ramanuja brought out the Lord here. In the sloka 20 of Chapter 10, the Lord tells Arjuna that He is dwelling in each and every thing in this Universe; but only a few realize this. He is residing in our hearts. But how many realize this? Swami Ramanuja was needed to bring out the hidden Lord. There the Lord was in idol form so it could be seen by us; but to realize the Lord in our heart is very difficult. In sloka 19, the Lord told that He would list out the more important of His wealth. Now sloka 20:

aham atma gudakesha
sarva-bhutasaya-sthitah
aham adis ca madhyam ca
bhutanam anta eva ca

"I am the Supersoul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings."

Each line of the verse gives a meaning. He tells Arjuna that all the things he perceives are all His property. It is not like what we possess property. If we have money we can keep it in lockers or in our briefcase, remembering that money is physically different and separate form us. But the property of the Lord is not like that. They are always associated with Him as an integral part. All of them are His body. When atman resides in a body, it gets a name and is identified. Atman as such has no name but when it is in a body, the body gets a name and atman also is recognized with that name, as long as it is in that body. If we call a person, he turns. Though the name is for the body, without the command of atman, the body will not turn. In a similar way, the Lord is the atman in everything. He is residing in our atman as antharatman and is residing also in the body as atman. Thus all atman are the body of the Lord; also, all the materials are His body. Aham = I [ Sri Krishna] am, atma = the antharathma or inner soul, gudakesha = vanquisher of sleep [Arjuna]. Gudaka means sleep, isha means commander. Sarva bhuta = in every living beings, asaya =hearts, sthitha = established or dwelling. Our body obeys our commands,and so our body is our property. Like this, He is the inner atman in every atman or living beings and so all are His property. All are to obey His commands. This is called sareera-atma bhava or the relationship of He being soul and all His body. In the next line He says the cause-effect relationship. Mud is cause and pot is effect. Gold is cause and ornaments are effects. Similarly, the Lord is the Cause and all others are effects. Aham = I [Sri Krishna] am, adi = Cause for creation, madhyam ca = also the sustainer or protector of all created, anta eva ca = even the end at the time of Pralayam , bhutanam = of all living beings. He is the Cause for creation, sustaining and destruction, of all. This is called karana-karya bhava or cause-effect relationship. He is the supporter. He is the Commander. He is the proprietor. He is the Leader. Nothing is not in His control or ownership. If we clearly understand this, then it would be easier to understand the list He is going to deliver from sloka 21 to sloka 39.

BG 10.19

Srirangamangala nidhim karuna nivasam
Sri venkatadri sikaralaya kalamekam
Sri hastisaila sikarotvala parijatam
Srisan namami sirasa yadusaila deepam.
This sloka praises the Four important Kshetrams - Srirangam, Thirumala, Kanchipuram and Thiru Narayanapuram. First comes Srirangam, known in sampradhayam as Koil. Next, the Lord of Seven hills, Sri Srinivasan, is praised. Next is Sri Devaraja [ஸ்ரீ தேவப் பெருமாள் ] in Kanchipuram, known in sampradhayam as Perumal Koil. Finally, Thiru Narayanapuram also known as Melkote, near Pandavapuram, in Karnataka is considered important. We are now in Thiru Narayanapuram, which is famous as Dakshina Badarikasrama. In North, in Badarikashrama, the Lord graces as Sri Narayana and Sri Nara. Here, the Lord graces as Sri Narayana. The story of this Kshetram and how the Lord came to reside here are quite interesting. This place is on a hill top. Nature's beauty can be felt in reaching this place. Plenty of lakes and ponds, gardens, trees and passing clouds grazing the tree tops are all worth experiencing. Place is surrounded by many hills. As we enter, first we notice the hill where Sri Narasimha Swami is gracing. We will see that place in detail later on. Next we come across Kalyani Pushkarini. Today's [22nd August 2008] lecture is from the banks of Kalyani pushkarini. It contains the sacred water auspicious to eliminate the sins of those bathing in it. Sri Thayar of this place is also known as Sri Kalyani. Everyone desires to have good and happy occasions to occur in their lives. All such events can be got from this pushkarini. It is said that bathing in this pushkarini for three days and worshiping the Lord Sri Narasimha near by and Sri Narayana inside the place, is equivalent to performing Tweleve Ashwamedha yagna. Upto about Twenty miles from this Pushkarini is called Vaikunta vardhana Kshetram. This place will stimulate urge to reach Vaikuntam. It would enthuse people to get Moksham. Lord Brahma in the beginning was worshiping this Lord Sri Thiru Narayanan. The Lord is with Sri Lakshmi. Lord Brahma was performing pooja for this Lord in Sathya loka for many thousands of years. He gave this Lord to his son, Sanatkumara. In Krutha yug, Sanatkumara selected this place for establishing the Lord here. While Sanatkumara was performing pooja here, this place was called Narayanadri. In the next Thretha yug, the Lord here was worshiped by Sri Dattatreya. That time this place was called Vedadri. Dattatreya Peetam is in this place only and we will see that on another day. In Dwapara yug, the Lord here was worshiped by Sri Balarama and Sri Krishna and this place was called Yadavadri or Yadugiri. In the present Kali yug, Swami Ramanuja was worshiping and the Lord is called Sri Yadusaila Nathan. Thus the Moolavar of this place was worshiped in various yugs by various persons. When the Lord was First established here, many great sages had come to participate in the Prathishta utsavam. They bathed in this pond and blessed, "kalyani! kalyani!!" to invoke sanctity for the pushkarini. From that time the pond is knwn as Kalyani pushkarini. Near by there is another pond called Dharba theertham, where sage Sandilya was meditating. When the Lord appeared before him, Sandilya desired to worship the Lord at Badarikashram. The Lord considering the difficulties in reaching Badarikashram, advised the sage to see Sri Narayana of Badarikashram, here itself and so this place is known as Dakshina Badarikashram.

KALYANI PUSHKARINI

This place is also called Gyana mandapam. Srirangam is known as Bhoga mandapam, where the Lord is enjoying. Thirumala is called Pushpa mandapam, where the Lord is decorated by flowers. Kanchipuram is known as Tyaga mandapam, as the Lord appered from Yaga or sacrifice [tyaga]. Here it is Gyana mandapam, where one's knowledge would develop and grow. Swami Ramanuja had ordained his disciples to follow some advices. One of them was to live in Thirunarayanapuram. So, at least we can visit and worship the Lord. On the East of Kalyani pushkarini is Sri Lakshmi Varaha sannidhi. On the South is Sri Sita Rama sannidhi. It is said that Sri Rama sent a missile and brought out water, which is called Dhanushkoti theertham. On the West of this pond is Pancha Bhagavata Kshetram, where Vyasa, Ambareesha, Kumbareesha, Sukha and Rukmangatha, meditated. In the North, it is said that Garuda came from Swetha dweepam. So it is called Garuda Kshetram. Thus this pushkarini is surrounded on all Four sides by sacred Kshetrams. The Lord owns all these as also all the 108 Divya desams. Even to understand one Kshetram we feel exhausted. But Arjuna asked the Lord to tell him all about His empire. He was prepared to listen to them as he was not satisfied with very brief account and as he felt it would be like nectar flowing through his ears. In the 18th sloka Arjuna wanted to know the Lord's attributes, His wealth and His power of command over His property, in detail. From sloka 19th the Lord replies:

sri-bhagavan uvaca
hanta te kathayisyami
divya hy atma-vibhutayah
pradhanyatah kuru-srestha
nasty anto vistarasya me

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Yes, I will tell you of My splendorous manifestations, but only of those which are prominent, O Arjuna, for My opulence is limitless."

Kuru srestha = noble on of Kuru dynasty!, kathayisyami = [I, Sri Krishna] will tell [you, Arjuna]. Hanta = alas [ Sri Krishna wonders how He is to tell in detail about His wealth and attributes, as even the Lord would find it difficult to list them. One can say there is nothing which is not His. That would be simpler.]. Te =to you [the Lord is going to reply Arjuna] . Atma = My [Sri Krishna's], divya = sacred, vibhutaya = wealth. The Lord might be ready to tell, but Arjuna should have the capacity to understand. Pradhanyata = important ones [ as the Lord fears it might not be possible for Arjuna to understand all and time might not permit. So He would select the more important ones and tell Arjuna]. Me = My [ Sri Krishna's], vistarasya = spread out [of His wealth], nasty = has no, anta = end. Since the property of the Lord is so large without a limit, He would list out some important ones which would make Arjuna to gauge the property of the Lord. Those to be listed are all very sacred and superior ones. He wants to tell Arjuna, who had expressed his eagerness to know and who had accepted the Lord as the Supreme God. Swami Desika in his Tatparya Chandrika explains this. Arjuna in sloka 18 wanted Sri Krishna to tell in detail His wealth and attributes. Instead of listing all, Sri Krishna tells him that He would tell only the more important ones. It is because, His wealth and attributes have no end or limitless. His wealth is all sacred. The Utsavar of this place is called Sri Selva Narayanan or popularly Sri Selva Pillai [ஸ்ரீ செல்வப் பிள்ளை ]. Selvam in tamil means wealth. Thus Kalyani [which means sacred] and Sri Selva Narayana Perumal, give an idea of His sacred wealth.

MELKOTE MOOLAVAR UTSAVAR SRI CHELLAPPILLAI.

BG 10.18

The Lord, even though has many kind qualities, gets angry at our sins. Therefore, Sri Thayar's one of the very important duties is to reduce or eliminate that anger, and induce Him to have mercy on us. We are now worshiping Sri Alli Mamalar Nachiyar, near Sri Sempon Arangar. We go around the temple and worship the Vimanam also. In the past Lord Sri Rama covered it with gold. We come to the sannidhi of Sri Nachiyar, situated separately. Moolavar, Sri Alli Mamalar Nachiyar is seated. We worshiped Utsavar along with the Lord. Thirumangai Alwar was attracted by the beauty of the Lord here. There is a story about the wealth here. In Kanchipuram, there lived one Mukundan. He was very poor. He did not have any trade to earn money and was wandering and once he came to this place. Having heard that the Lord has great wealth of gold, he decided to pray the Lord for minimum wealth to continue life. He chanted the ashtaksharam mantra 32,000 times. The Lord showed him a treasure in a cave and Mukundan lived happily there after. Thus the Lord here makes His devotees also wealthy. We will study 18th sloka from Sri Nachiyar sannidhi. With this 18th sloka, Arjuna's prayer ends. Arjuna spoke in 7 slokas starting from sloka 12. In the first Four slokas, Arjuna accepted the great empire and wealth of the Lord, as also His infinite auspicious qualities and praised the Lord. With eagerness, Arjuna prayed the Lord in the next Three slokas to tell more about the Lord's wealth and qualities. This is the last sloka of Arjuna:

vistarenatmano yogam
vibhutim ca janardana
bhuyah kathaya trptir hi
shrinvato nasti me ’mrtam

"O Janardana, again please describe in detail the mystic power of Your opulences. I am never satiated in hearing about You, for the more I hear the more I want to taste the nectar of Your words."

Janardhana = Person granting the requests of people or destroyer of births [to enable people to reach Moksham]. Arjuna wants the Lord to tell him about His empire and qualities, thereby developing Bhakti yoga in him and consequently cutting off his birth cycle to reach Moksham. Vistarena = in detail, atmana = Your [Sri Krishna's], yogam = integrated auspicious qualities, ca = and, vibhutim = empire or wealth in command. Bhuti means wealth; vibhu means all pervading or absolute command; So, vibhuti means everything at His command. Bhuya = again, kathaya = tell, amrtam = the nectar of the qualities of the Lord, shrinvato = drinking by listening. The details of the wealth of the Lord and His auspicious qualities are like drinking nectar, for Arjuna. Once this nectar is drunk, the person is interested more and more in that; and so demands more. Me = to me [Arjuna], tripti nasti = not satisfied [with what Sri Krishna already told]. Therefore, Arjuna prays the Lord to tell more about His commanding wealth and His attributes, as they are like nectar and wants to drink more of this nectar by listening to again and again and in detail. Alwar tells that he wanted to taste the fruit of the glory of the Lord by listening. Even if we listen to the stories of the Lord, we still feel eager to listen to more and more. Puranam is pura api navam. That is the Lord's stories are very old but every time appear new to the listener. We listen to Srimad Ramayana every year; similarly, Thiruppavai every year. But we are not satisfied and want to listen to every time. What do we gain by listening to repeatedly? Is it pastime? All other stories may have both bad and good incidents. They could scare us or even make us to hate. But the stories of the Lord are not like them. With this Arjuna's talking ends. We also have completed all the Eleven Divyadesams in Nangur Region. We seek the blessings of Thirumangai Alwar before we leave this place.

THIRUMANGAI ALWAR WITH KUMUDAVALLI NACHIYAR.

Long live Thirumangai Alwar and Kumudavalli Nachiyar.
வாழி பரகாலன்! வாழி குமுதவல்லி நாச்சியார்!

BG 10.17

Lord Sri Ranganatha, Who was worshiped by Lord Sri Rama and other Ikshvaku Dynasty Kings, is gracing now in Srirangam. Thus, Lord Sri Rama and Sri Ranganatha are well connected. Now we are in Sempon Arangar Koil [செம் பொன் அரங்கர் கோயில் ], one of the Thirunangur Kshetrams, where Lord Sri Rama had done many temple services including gold covering for the temple. This temple is also known as Semponsei Koil [செம் பொன் செய் கோயில் ]. Thirumangai Alwar has composed 10 pasurams on this Kshetram, in his periya thirumozhi [பெரிய திருமொழி]. He repeats nangai nan naduvul semponsei koil [நாங்கை நன் நடுவுள் செம் பொன் செய் கோயில் ]. It means this Kshetram is the centre of the Nangur Kshetrams. Sem pon means pure gold. As we enter the temple, we can notice Garuda with folded hands. When this is crossed we come across maha mandapam and artha mandapam.

TEMPLE ENTRANCE

Lord Sri Rama returned to Ayodhya after war, and got coronated as King. But He was gripped by Bramhahatthi Dosha, since Ravana was a Brahmin and was killed by Sri Rama. To eliminate it He traveled to many Divyadesams. While in South, He once reached the Palasa tree here. Sage Dhrudanethrar was meditating. That time the Lord here was known as Sri Dhamodhara. The temple pond is Nithya Pushkarini. Vimanam is Kanaka vimanam. Sri Rama paid respects to the sage and served him. When Sri Rama mentioned about the Dhosha, the sage advised Him to perform Aswamedha Yaga here. He also specified an important ritual to be followed -Jetrasadham. After the yaga was over, Sri Rama performed that ritual also, where a huge cow idol made of gold was to be made and Sri Rama should remain inside the golden cow for Four days and after coming out of it on the Fifth day, to donate the golden cow. Using that gold the temple was covered by gold and so it got the name sem pon sei koil. Since Sri Rama worshiped the Lord here, He is called Sri Ranganatha [in Tamil அரங்கர் ] and so He is known as Sri Sempon Arangar. Thirumangai Alwar in his pasuram calls the Lord as Sri Perarulalan [ஸ்ரீ பேரருளாளன் ] and so that name also is used here. The Lord of Oraiyur [உறையூர் ], Sri Azhagiya Manavalan [ஸ்ரீ அழகிய மணவாளன் ] arrived here along with Sri Kamalavalli Nachiyar [ஸ்ரீ கமலவல்லி நாச்சியார் ]. The Lord graces along with Sri Allimamalaral [ஸ்ரீ அல்லி மா மலராள் ]. Moolavar is in standing pose. Right arm is in abhaya mudra and left arm is on the left lap. We can see the Utsavar.


VIEW OF TEMPLE
UTSAVAR WITH UBHAYA NACHIYAR

Truly, He is golden. With enchanting eyes and smile and with right arm in abhaya, which blessed Sri Rama also, the Lord is standing. Left arm is holding the mace. We worship Sri Allimamalaral Nachiyar.
SRI ALLIMAMALARAL THAYAR
Thus the Lord graces with Sri Sridevi, Sri Bhudevi and Sri Allimamalaral Nachiyar. We will now proceed to sloka 17. Arjuna praised the Lord in slokas 12, 13, 14 and 15. In slokas 16. 17 and 18, Arjuna requests the Lord to tell him more about the Lord's auspicious qualities and His Aiswaryam [Wealth]. Sloka 17:

katham vidyam aham yogims
tvam sada paricintayan
kesu kesu ca bhavesu
cintyo ’si bhagavan maya

"O Krishna, O supreme mystic, how shall I constantly think of You, and how shall I know You? In what various forms are You to be remembered, O Supreme Personality of Godhead?"

He asks what all he should know more about the Lord? In what way he should understand Him? What are the various auspicious qualities [கல்யாண குணங்கள் ] He possesses? What are His commanding Powers? Aham = I [Arjuna, the ignorant and about to start Bhakti yoga], katham vidhyam = how am to know [about the Lord]? Now Arjuna introduces himself. Yogim = person about to start Bhakti yoga. We can not take the word to mean Bhakti yogi, as that person would already know the Lord and he does not need any clarification. So Arjuna wants to know what all a person, who is going to start Bhakti yoga, should know about the Lord. Tvam = You [Sri Krishna, the Supreme Lord, meditated by yogis], sada = always, paricintayan = remembering. Arjuna wants to know how he can always remember the Lord to start the Bhakti yoga. Always remembering is a stage which the matured Bhakti Yogi would attain and it is just like sakshatkaram, when he would see the Lord whether he closed or opened his eyes. But Arjuna is not in that stage and so this meaning can not apply here. Arjuna is in the initial stage of Bhakti yoga and so he is asking the Lord how to constantly remember Him. This is the first part of the sloka. Arjuna wants to know by which auspiciuos attributes he should start Bhakti yoga. The Lord has many, many auspicious qualities, which are all opposed to blemishes. Arjuna wants to know by which qualities he should meditate. Kesu kesu = by which and which, bhavesu = matter, bhagavan asi = Lord [ Sri Krishna] is, cintya = object of thought or mind, maya = by me [Arjuna]? Arjuna wants to know in which matter the Lord dwells. What way we should meditate on the Lord as the dweller in and commander of objects? Arjuna, in brief, asks what are the Aiswarya of the Lord, over which He has absolute command. We are to know these two things - His auspicious attributes and His Aiswarya on which He has command. In the Vaidhika sampradhayam, knowing the auspicious qualities is very important. The Lord has endless auspicious qualities. If the Lord were without qualities, we would find it impossible to be in devotion or Bhakti. We go to a temple and pray. We regard Him as our parents to show mercy; or, we seek His pardon; we seek His affection, etc. If these qualities were not in Him, we would be scared to approach Him. He has shown different qualities to various devotees like Vidhura, Gopikas, Sanjaya, Hanuman, Sugreeva, Vibheeshana, etc. Arjuna wants ro know what are qualities should be attributed to the Lord to worship Him. Similarly, He wants to know His Empire in which He dwells and commands. Swami Vedantha Desika in his Tatparya Chandrika says that in the earlier Two slokas the Lord had listed some Twenty items as under His control - like buddhi, gyana, asammoham, kshama, sathyam, dhama, and many materilas. Now if Arjuna asks in which He dwells and controls, apart from what all He listed earlier, what other matter are there at His command. Arjuna is going to further explain his request in the next sloka.

BG 10.16

We are in the sannidhi of Sri Senkamalavalli Thayar at Thalaichanga Nanmadhiyam. She showers mercy on the devotees. The coolness in the Lord's grace is due to Sri Thayar. To cool hot water we can add cold water; but there is no need to add cold water to cool cold water. The Lord is like hot water and Sri Thayar is cold water, and makes the hot water, warm enough for our comfort. Here we can worship Sri Andal also. Normally, the hair style of Sri Andal would be on the right; but here, it is on the left.


Sri Andal in one of Her pasurams, tells about the quality of the Lord. 'Kadhir madhiyam pol mugatthan, narayanane namakke parai tharuvan' [கதிர் மதியம் போல் முகத்தான் நாராயணனே நமக்கே பறை தருவான் ]. She emphatically says that we would be granted parai, that is service in Moksham, by the Lord alone. She also, like Thirumangai Alwar, says that the Lord's face is like the Sun and the Moon. Moon denotes the mercy and Sun denotes His fame and glory. In the night the stars are all spread on the sky like a carpet, studded with diamonds. But the Moon can take pride that it is considered as the husband of all stars. The Sun may boast that because of Sun only Moon gets the shine. Agni may take pride that even before the Sun and Moon were created, Agni, that is fire, was created as one of the Panchabhuta or the great Five elements. But without the power of sight in our eyes, all these can not be seen. So, eyes can claim to be most important. But mere eyes are of no use unless atman is there to perceive. Again, this perception or knowledge of seeing by Atman, has to be granted by the Lord. Therefore, the Lord is the Prime reason and all are dependent on Him. That is what Arjuna praised in the last sloka. Now we have to see sloka 16:

vaktum arhasy asesena
divya hy atma-vibhutayah
yabhir vibhutibhir lokan
imams tvam vyapya tisthasi

"Please tell me in detail of Your divine opulences by which You pervade all these worlds."

Here Arjuna asks the Lord, "My Lord! Please tell me more about Your commanding powers". Earlier the Lord had told that He is the Owner and Commander of all in the Universe and that He has infinite auspicious qualities. In the start of this Chapter, the Lord told that He would preach Bhakti yoga and His glory so that Bhakti could develop. It appears Arjuna is trying to request the Lord not to digress from the main objective. Divya = highly glorious and divine, atma = Your [Sri Krishna's], vibhutaya = commanding power, asesena =without residue or completely, vaktum arhasy = please tell. Yabhi = by which, vibhutibhi = power of command, tvam = You [Sri Krishna], vyapya = pervading, tishtasi = established. By which power of command, the Lord is pervading everything, without exception. Arjuna requests the Lord to tell him without holding back any on such commanding powers. What are these commanding powers? In the last sloka, Arjuna used many epithets like bhuta bhavana, bhutesu, devadeva and jagat pati, etc., to praise the Lord. We should know that the Lord is the God among gods; He is the supreme God. He is the inner force in everything and commands them. He is the Owner of all and commands all. We have to note an important point here. To assume that we are at a place and the Lord is at another place and Gita is instrumental in knowing about Him, is totally wrong and will not progress us. By learning Gita we should realize that the Lord is pervading in every word and syllable of Gita, that He is pervading into Arjuna and everyone of us. We frequently hear people commenting that they have interest in Gita or interested in the Lord. This means those persons assume that they are separate from the Lord or Gita is different from the Lord. It is not like learning maths or science, which are separate from the learners. Atman is self and so it is not different from the learner. To think, to know about self, itself is the power the Lord has granted us. The Lord is the Motive force to think. We have to always think that He is inside everyone of us and is commanding. Arjuna wants to know by which power the Lord is pervading everything. How the Lord pervades and what aids Him to pervade? How are His commands? Whom all He commands? These are all Arjuna's queries. Arjuna wants to know everything about His glory. We have earlier seen that the Lord's greatness can not be understood by even great sages and even by Vedas. Then how can Arjuna understand them? By using the word arhasi, Arjuna implies that only with His blessings and grace, he can try to understand. Our efforts can not make us understand the Lord; but His blessings can make us to realize. With a request again to visit this Kshetram, we will take leave of this place.