BG 15.15

Sri Rama is our saviour and grants us Vaikuntam and relieves us from the undesirables in this World. With His bow, Sarnga, and the arrows, He is capable of destroying all our enemies. Devas prayed to the Lord to rescue them from Ravana, who was oppressing them. The Lord was born as Sri Rama to Dasaratha and destroyed 14,000 rakshasas including Kara and Dhooshana! Ravana and his army were destroyed in a great war! He rescued all the Worlds, Devas and their wives, humanbeings and all. Such a great saviour Sri Rama, did not save one person! What a pity! If that was the only atman not saved, how much that person would have suffered! If Sri Rama could not save, who else could ever save? In Srimad Ramayana, Hanuman tells Ravana that once Sri Rama decided to kill someone, no one, be he lord Brahma or lord Rudra or Indra, could ever oppose His decision. Similarly, if He decided to help us, we need the help of none else. Nobody would be able to stand and fight Sri Rama. Such Sri Rama, if He did not save one, who else could ever save that one! That one was Parankusa Nayaki and 'she' had no other way but to send messenger to Sri Rama about 'her' plight! We are in Thiruvanvandur [திருவண்வண்டூர்] and Nammalwar has praised this place in Thiruvaimozhi [6.1]. In the pasuram 6.1.10, verukondu ummaiyan...[வேறு கொண்டு உம்மை யான்...], Nammalwar says that the Lord is in Thiruvanvandur, on the North of river Pampa. 'She' tells the messenger bees, that He had forgotten to save 'her' and so requests the bees to remind Him, Who powdered the fortress in Lanka, that He had to rescue 'her' also! The Lord in this Kshetram is Sri Pambanai Appan [ஸ்ரீ பாம்பணைஅப்பன்]. He is using pambu [பாம்பு], snake, as anai [அணை], bed, and so He is Pambanai Appan. Another interpretation is since this place is along river Pampa, the Lord is Pampa[i பம்பை] river anaindha [அணைந்த], that is along or He is the Lord of the place along river Pampa! The Lord is also called Sri Kamala Nathan [ஸ்ரீ கமல நாதன்] and Sri Thayar is Sri Kamalavalli Nacchiyar [ஸ்ரீ கமலவல்லி நாச்சியார்]. Vimanam is Vedalaya vimanam. Pushkarini is Shanka Pushkarini.


This temple was reconsecrated by Nakula of Pandavas. Earlier we had seen temples reconsecrated by Yudhishtra [Thiruchitraru Thiruchengunnur திருச்சிற்றாறு திருச்செங்குன்னூர்], Bhima [Thiruppuliyur திருப் புலியூர்] and Arjuna [Thiruvaranvilai திருவாறன்விளை]. Nakula and Sahadeva were born to Madri, second wife of Pandu and are the youngest of Pancha Pandavas. One reason attributed to the name of this place is that the name Thiru Pandavanur [திரு பாண்டவநூர்] got transformed to Thirvanvandur! Another interpreattion is that when Nakula came here and enquired the name of this place, he was told by the locals that Thiruvan [திருவன்], meaning the Lord, undu [உண்டு], meaning existed! So the place got the name Thiruvan undu oor [திருவன் உண்டு ஊர்], which in due course became Thiruvanvandur! Nakula was told that the place had the glory of the Lord having appeared to Narada and Markandeya! Noticing the glory of the place, Nakula decided to stay and meditate on the Lord. Presently, we will see sloka 14 of Chapter 15. We are seeing slokas which carry very important concepts. What the Lord told in slokas 12 and 13, is continued in sloka 14 also. Sri Krishna tells Arjuna that all luminous objects like the Sun, the Moon and fire are under His control and they derive their luminescence from Him only! This theme is continued in sloka 14 also. Since we all like food, this sloka is of special importance to us! Food we consume has to be properly digested; otherwise, many body problems arise. The Lord says that He is responsible for proper digestion of food in living beings and proper distribution of energy derived from digestion! The food we eat is classified into Four types, depending on how we consume:
1. Swallowing. Like rice balls in our daily food.
2, Biting and chewing. Hard snacks like murukku [முறுக்கு].
3. Licking. Like pasty honey or payasam or lehiyam [லேகியம்].
4. Drinking. Like water and sharbet.
Whatever be the type, all of them have to be digested in stomach. The difference is only before the food enters stomach! The Lord says that He as jataragni [ஜாடராக்னி जाटराग्नी ], in the stomach, which digests and sustain living! Now, sloka 14:

ahaṃ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṃ deham āśritaḥ
prāṇāpānasamāyuktaḥ pacāmy annaṃ caturvidham 15.14

Pacamy = I [Sri Krishna] [get the food] digest, chaturvidham = the Four types of, annam = food. Pacamy [पचामि]means, normally, cooking. But here it means digesting. Aham = I [Sri Krishna], vaisvanaro = [normally it means god of Fire or Agnidev, but here it is] jataragni or the fire responsible for digestion. It is believed that in the deep ocean there is a fire called vatavagni [வடவாக்னி वटवाग्नी ] to maintain proper temperature of the ocean and is believed to have face of a horse! Similarly, in our bodies, as also in all living beings, there is a fire controlling and maintaining temperature. Praninam bhutva = in all living beings, deham asrita = in bodies [of the living beings], prana apana samayukta = with the air prana and apana [प्राण, अपान]. The Lord as the fire in the bodies of all living beings, in association with prana and apana airs, digest the Four types of food consumed. According to shastras, there are Five types of air, in our body:

• Prana, in the heart.
  
• Apana, at the seat.
  
• Vyana
• Udhana
• Samana, through out the body.

The Lord thus continues with the concept that He is the capacity in all living beings to digest what is eaten. He is in the body of every living being and tries to do good for this Universe. He is inside fire or agni; and, as agni, He digests the food eaten by all living beings and provide them with energy. This fire in us causes hungry feeling and we supply our stomach with food. Eating at unspecified times and eating improper food are to be avoided. Over eating has also to be avoided. Since the Lord is inside us to digest the food we eat, we should be careful in what we eat and eat only food offered to the Lord! We should never think that we can eat anything and at any time and expect proper digestion. Next sloka is very important. We will await!