BG 13.18

We are visiting all Kshetrams associated with Swami Ramanuja, in the Gita lecture program, in Kannanin Aaramudhu. We visited Swami Ramnuja's birth place Sriperumbudur, Maduramangalam, birth place of his cousin and disciple Swami Embar, Kooram, the birth place of another great disciple Swami Koorattalwan and Poovirundavalli, birth place of his Acharya Swami Thirukkacchi Nambi. At present we have arrived at an important Kshetram. Swami Ramanuja's sister was Naichiyar Amman [நாச்சியார் அம்மன்]. To her and her husband Ananta Dikshitar was born a son. He was called Dasarati [தாசரதி]. Later he became Swami Mudaliyandan [முதலியாண்டான்] in Sri Vaishnava sampradhayam. We are at the birthplace of Swami Mudalaiyandan - Pettai [பேட்டை]. It was called Varadarajapuram and Purushamangalam in the olden days. It is situated between Thirumazhisai and Poovirundavalli [Poonamalle]. The Lord here is Sri Pacchai Vaarana Perumal [ஸ்ரீ பச்சை வாரண பெருமாள்] or Sri Haritha Vaarana [श्री हारिथा वारण] in Sanskrit. We first see Anjaneya sannidhi. From there if we go via sannidhi street, we see the tall gopuram, renovation of which is being carried. All are requested to participate in this noble work. Nearby is the pond Dharma pushkarini [தர்ம புஷ்கரிணி]. It is large like Dharma. We now proceed to the sannidhi of the Lord. We see Dharma vimanam. Pacchai varanam means green elephant. Why did the Lord here appear in green coclor? We find the pushkarini and vimanam named Dharma. Yudhishtra, of the Pandavas was called Dharmaputra. This Kshetram is associated with Dharmaputra. He was performing Rajasuya yaga [ராஜசூய யாகம்]. Many Rakshasas tried to spoil the Yaga. Heeding the prayers of Dharmaputra, the Lord took the form of a green elephant and protected the Yaga. Accepting the prayers of Yudishtra, the Lord remained here and even now is gracing as Sri Pacchai Vaarana Perumal. Sri Moolavar is in sitting pose, with left leg folded and right leg stretched. Right hand is showing abhaya and left arm is in ahvahana [welcoming] mudra. Sri Utsavar is in statnding pose. The Lord graces with Four arms, the right ones are holding the discus and showing abhaya, while the left arms are holding conch and pointing to His divine feet. He graces along with Sri Sridevi and Sri Bhudevi. The Lord and elephant are comparable: like elephant, the Lord makes people to see repeatedly; Like elephant, the Lord also can not be contolled by others; like elephant's movement is restricted by the mahout, He restricts Himself as the Bhakta desires; Like elephant carrying the chain for tieing it, the Lord also hands over Bhakti to devotee to be bound! Now we will see sloka 18. The Lord has been describing the nature of atman and how it is different from body. In this sloka 18, the Lord summarises all those He spoke about atman. Sloka 18:

iti kshetram tatha jnanam
jneyam coktam samasatah
mad-bhakta etad vijnaya
mad-bhavayopapadyate

"Thus the field of activities [the body], knowledge and the knowable have been summarily described by Me. Only My devotees can understand this thoroughly and thus attain to My nature."

Mad bhava = My [Sri Krishna's] nature, upapadyate = tries to attain, mad-bhakta = My [Sri Krishna's] devotee. The Lord says that His devotee attains His state. The Lord is Paramatma and the Most Supreme God. The devotee does not reach that state nor he becomes Paramatma. The devotee will attain that state of the Lord, of total detachment from samsaram; no longer the devotee will have birth-death cycle, an effect of past karma. This is what the Lord has been lecturing in the past 17 slokas. Iti = thus [as told in the last 17 slokas], kshetram = body [as told in slokas 5 and 6], thatha gyanam = and [then] Gyana [about attaining atman told in slokas 7 to 11, that is the 20 qualities to be acquired], jneyam = matter to be understood [atman, told in slokas 12 to 17] by Gyana. We have understood that atman is free from sorrow and happiness, residing in a body due to past karma, unaffected by satva-rajo-tamo qualities, much superior to all matters, etc. So body, the means to attain atman and atman were all told by the Lord. Etad = all these [about body, atman and means], vijnaya = having understood, His devotees try to reach His nature of free from samsaram. It may appear to us that this sloka is about those wanting to be like God. But actually it is not so. Here atman sakshatkaram is intended to be the target. That is the result and it is implied by the word Gyeyam. For this result, one does Bhakti or devotion. Is it not that one did Bhakti to attain Him? We should remember some aspects mentioned in Chapters 7,8 and 9. There He mentioned Four categories of devotees: those who desire wealth, those who desire kaivalyam and those who desire to be with Him forever. Considering these, all these devotees want to have atman sakshatkaram. But after Bhakti, if they desire to have kaivalyam or wealth, the Lord grants them, though they will lower their impressions in the Lord. This sloka deals with atman sakshatkaram alone. By attaining the state of the Lord means they avoid birth cycles and suffereings in samsaram. Attaining atman is also like the Lord having no contacts with samsaram. An atman reaching Vaikuntam and an atman having kaivalyam, have the same state that they do not have any more contacts with samsaram and are free from rebirths. This is the same state as the Lord's. Bhaddha atman has to have rebirths and suffer in this samsaram. But Mukta atman do not have this. Mukta atman are of Two types: One, attains liberation or Mukti and remains in Vaikuntam for ever serving the Lord; the other, after liberation enjoys one's own atman and remains, without going to Vaikuntam and without any more entry into samsaram. The latter is Kaivalyam and is considered inferior to reaching Vaikuntam. Here also atman is like Paramatma's nature, in the sense that this atman also does not have rebirths. We will worship Sri Pacchai Varana Perumal and Sri Amrutavalli Thayar and get their blessings.