THE GREATEST THING-2

WITH  THE  GREAT

Trichy Rock Fort and tank.

2.THE GREATEST THING-2

It is easy to talk about the greatest thing- the Feet of God. Has any one seen them?

Yes, saints assure us. Thus , Appar Swami asserts:

மாதர்ப் பிறைக்கண்ணி யானை மலையான் மகளொடும் பாடிப் போதொடு நீர்சுமந் தேத்திப்  புகுவா ரவர்பின் புகுவேன் யாதுஞ் சுவடு படாமல்  ஐயா றடைகின்ற போது காதன் மடப்பிடி யோடுங்  களிறு வருவன கண்டேன் கண்டே னவர்திருப் பாதங்  கண்டறி யாதன கண்டேன்.

(A tenth-century bronze,

Chennai Museum)

He describes how he entered the temple at Tiruvaiyaru with groups of devotees carrying flowers and water and he beheld the Lord with His consort. In the last two lines, he asserts that he saw his blessed Feet- that is rare for people to see! Throughout this poem of 11 stanzas, he repeats these lines- so that it is not a flash in the pan.

A view of the Gopuram of Tiruvaiyaru temple.

Taken from www,tiruvaiyarutyagarajaaradhana.org.

Should we all then proceed to Tiruvaiyaru? We may, if we like! But Appar also reminds us that God is everywhere, and if we do not remember this, it is no use visiting any number of holy places.

கங்கை யாடிலென் காவிரி யாடிலென் கொங்கு தண்கும ரித்துறை யாடிலென் ஒங்கு மாகட லோதநீ ராடிலென் எங்கு மீசனெ னாதவர்க் கில்லையே.	5.99.2

What is the point in bathing in the Ganga? Or in Cauvery? Or in the foaming, cool waters of Cape Comorin? Or in the other great oceans? What can they achieve indeed, who do not realise that God is everywhere?

Saint Appar goes a step further. He says he found God within his Self! That is where we have to catch His Feet!

தேடிக் கண்டுகொண்டேன் - திரு மாலொடு நான்முகனுந் தேடித் தேடொணாத் தேவனை என்னுளே  தேடிக் கண்டுகொண்டேன்.

4.9.12

For most of us, it is not easy to go within! It is said that this is the hardest journey for us to undertake! Indians are reputed for searching for the "cheap and best". So, there ought to be an easier alternative even to the greatest thing!  And Indian saints found it in the Name!

Praising God with 108, 300, 1008 etc names is the standard practice of orthodox worship. In the Veda, we have the Rudra Trisati, where we praise the Lord with 300 choice epithets, and our Rishis did not hesitate to name the Lord the Chief of thieves: Stayunam pataye! For even the least of us have a heart, and that is what the Lord demands and takes! Is he not then the best of thieves?  The expression "thousand names"-sahasra namam- especially referes to the 1000 names of Vishnu revealed in the Mahabharata by Bhishma. Even our master Arunagirinatha calls Krishna  as "Sahasranama Gopala" in his Tiruppugazh! 

Uttering the names and offering flowers- archana- is perhaps the most pleasant form of worship. But for saints, the Name itself is a flower. Thus, Sri Tyagaraja sings:

Pallavi

Nama kusumamula   che poojinche  ,

Nara janmamu   Janmamu Manasa

Pallavi

Oh mind   Those human beings who worship  ,

Using the flower like names  are  good beings .

Anupallavi

Sri man  Manasa   kanaka peeta muna  ,

Chelaka jesi  koni  , vara Shiva, Rama

Anupallavi

Making him sit on the golden pedestal called mind,

Using blessed names of Shiva   as well  as Rama

(Translation by P.R.Ramachander)

In the olden days, the name was used only for archana ie ceremonial worship. As the Yugas changed, new uses were found by Sages. It is the general Hindu belief that as the Yugas change, changes are required in the religious practices- Yuga dharma. It is the view of our Sages and sastras that Kaliyuga is the toughest, in the sense that it will be hostile to all serious religious endeavour as life becomes secular, the sacred places get commercialised, the thirthas lose their sanctity, etc. Yet, the sages found this Kaliyuga possessing one great merit: in this age, people can easily attain Liberation by uttering God's names! Intense dhyana and tapas, yajna , and visits to holy places and worship at sacred spots are all easily replaced by the practice of the utterance of the name! This is expressed in the following sloka:

Kali kalamasha chittaanaam

Papadravya jeevinaam

Vidi karma viheenaanaam

Gati: Govinda Kirtanam!

(Kali has polluted the mind. Living is secured by ill-gotten wealth. Karmas are performed without observing proper rules. In the circumstances, the only solution/way is to utter the name of God (Govinda).

We can easily verify the truth of these statements by observing things around us. In the last 1000 years, all the genuine Saints and Sages who appeared in India have only stressed Bhakti, with the chanting of holy Names as the main instrument. Those who could, sang kirtan; the others chanted the Names. Saints like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Samartha Ramdas Maharaj gave us Names in the form of mantras! It is the Names which united and saved Hindus in the last 800 years! We have a saint- who is known only by and for his adherence to Name: Sant Namdev Maharaj!

Some so called orthodox people have felt that this is a dilution of our Sanatana dharma. However, even more orthodox authorities have established that Nama Kirtan is no less orthodox, and has all the scriptural sanctions. The greatest authority in the South who established this Nama Siddhanta is Bodhendra Saraswati- the 59th Pontiff of Kanchi Mutt. He established through his monumental work " Sri Bhagavan Nama Amruta Rasodayam" the orthodox sastric base for Nama sankirtan, and he has come to be called by the title "Sri Bhagavan Nama Bodhendra", even obscuring the fact that he was a Sankaracharya!

As Hinduism is full of sects, each sect will claim its own name as the best or as the most efficacious. However, it is all petty minded.Every name is Holy and effective, and we find Saints who have used all names. Yet there is a long tradition in this country to regard Rama as the "TARAKA NAMA"  ie the Name which takes us across Samsara. Lord Shiva utters this name in the right ear of people dying at Kashi. This was actually witnessed by Sri Ramakrishna in the 19th century!. In two of his kirtanas, Sri Tyagaraja reveals the secret behind the name Rama!

Evarani nirnayinchirira -ninna

Etla aaraadhinchiri ra naravaru

Sivudano Madhavudano kamala

Bhavudano Parabrahmano...

Siva mantramunaku Ma jeevamu

Madhava mantramunaku Ra jeevamu

Ee vivarmu delisina ganulaku mrokkeda

Vitharana guna Tyagaraja vinuta

The pious people of the world- how have they determined your identity? How have they worshipped you?

Have they thought of you as Shiva? Or as Madhava (Vishnu)? Or as Brahma? Or as Para Brahmam?

In the Shiva mantra ( Nama: Shivaya), "Ma" is the essence.In the Vishnu mantra ( Om Namo Narayanaya) "Ra" is the essence. I bow to those great persons who knew these secrets, O the one with a large heart!

Here Tyagaraja Swami has indicated another secret. It was Narada who taught Valmiki the Rama mantra. But he only taught him to repeat "Mara, Mara"! Mara, mara, mara repeated becomes Rama, Rama! Tyagaraja is using the aksharas here in the same order in which Narada taught it!

This is the cover of a book published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.

There is another kriti.

Peridi ninu benchinavarevarae

Vaarini joobavae, Sri Ramayya!

Saara saara tara taraka namamu .....peridi

Sarvamadamulaku sammmada maina......peridi

Ghora paatakamula goppuna yanasu......peridi

Tyagaraju sadaa baaguga bajiyinche  ....peridi

Sri Rama! Who are the people who named you and groomed you? Please show them to me!

(The name they gave you) is the very essence of the highest- the Taraka nama!

It is acceptable to all the sects and beliefs.

It erases the vilest of sins completely.

It is what this Tyagaraja is always chanting.

Please show me the persons who named you so.

However, Saints do not hesitate to chant the Holy Name as it appeals to them and they do not make fine distinctions. They have their own Ishta devatas or Upasana murtis, but they respect all forms for they see the One in all!  There are many who are attracted to the name of Krishna, Govinda. Purandaradasa sings:

Smarane Onde Salade!

Pallavi 

Smarane Onde Salade Govindana Nama Onde Salade

Anu Pallavi 

Parama Purusanannu Nere Nambidavarige Durita Badhegala Gurutu Toruvude

Charanam 1

Kadu Murkhanadarenu Duskarmadim Todedatanadarenu
Jadanadarenalpa Jatiyadarenu Bidade Prahladanna Salahida Hariya

Charanam 2

Patakiyadarenu Sarva Prani Ghatakiyadarenu
Nitiya Bittu Duskirmiyadarenu Pritiyindajamilana Salahida Hariya

Charanam 3

Sakala Tirtta Yatreya Madidantha Nikila Punyada Phalavu
Bhakuti Purvakavagi Bidadanu Dinadalli Prakata Purandara Vittalana Namada

Thus the name of Govinda alone is enough! Remembering that with devotion alone is enough! It will ward of all difficulties , remove all sins, will give the  meritorious effects of pilgrimages.

Advaitic Sages like Sankara were devotees of all forms But  he too sang "Baja Govindam". Sadashiva Brahmendra when he came out of his long silence sang " Bruhi Mukundaeti, Keshava  Madhava  Govindaeti, Krishnananda Sadanandeti" etc.

From a book cover.

Sectarian division is very marked in Tamil Nad. But even here, Sages have gone beyond the traditions from which they sprang. Above all, Master Arunagirinatha has sung in superlative terms of all forms of God, though he was an ardent devotee of Subrahmanya-Muruga. In his very first composition in Tiruppugazh, he recorded the incidents of Ramayana, Bhagavata and Mahabharata, giving reverential credit to Rama and Krishna.

முத்தைத்தரு பத்தித் திருநகை
     அத்திக்கிறை சத்திச் சரவண
          முத்திக்கொரு வித்துக் குருபர ...... எனவோதும்

முக்கட்பர மற்குச் சுருதியின்
     முற்பட்டது கற்பித் திருவரும்
          முப்பத்துமு வர்க்கத் தமரரும் ...... அடிபேணப்

பத்துத்தலை தத்தக் கணைதொடு
     ஒற்றைக்கிரி மத்தைப் பொருதொரு
          பட்டப்பகல் வட்டத் திகிரியில் ...... இரவாகப்

பத்தற்கிர தத்தைக் கடவிய
     பச்சைப்புயல் மெச்சத் தகுபொருள்
          பட்சத்தொடு ரட்சித் தருள்வதும் ...... ஒருநாளே

Here, he refers to Rama removing the ten heads of Ravana, Vishnu helping in the churning of the ocean and Krishna driving the chariot for his devotee Arjuna and helping him by converting day into night!.

Nama siddhanta has become a strong movement. The Name is used for archana, dhyana, japa, smarana and kirtana! It is the one effective remedy for the ills of the world. It requires no elaborate arrangements, no preparations and preliminaries. Along with the Feet, the Name also emerges as the Greatest Thing on earth. 

Thus we have two strings to our bow!

NOTE:

Two of the orthodox authorities in support of Nama Sankirtan should be noted by all astikas.

1.From Vishnupuranam:

Dhyayan kritae yajan yajnai: 
Traetaayaam dwaparaerchchayan
Yadaapnoti tadaapnti kalau
Sankirtya Keshavam.

The effects obtained by Dhyana in the Krita yuga, the merits obtained by performing Yajnas in Traeta yuga, the effects attained by performing Puja in Dwapara yuga- all these are obtained in Kali yuga merely by the kirtan of Keshava.

2. Srimad Bhagavatam:

Kalaer dosha nidhae rajan
Hyasti hyeko mahaan guna:
Kirtanaadaeva Krishnasya
Muktabandha param vrajaet. 

(Sri Shuka Maharaj tells Parikshit.)

O King! Kali is full of faults. (dosha nidhi.) But even that has got  a great  merit. That is, merely through kirtana of Krishna, one gets rid of all bondages and attains Liberation.

Kritae yat dhyaayato Vishnum
Traetaayaam yajato makhai:
Dwaaparae paricharyaayaam
Kalau tat Harikirtanaat.

The results obtained by dhyana in Krita yuga, yajna in Traeta yuga, by puja (archana) in Dwaapara yuga- all those are attained in Kali yuga only by Hari kirtan.