THE GREATEST THING ON EARTH-1

WITH THE GREAT

Chidambaram temple tower and sacred tank, around 1870.

1. THE GREATEST THING ON EARTH-1

What is the greatest thing on earth?

We sure have our answers, depending upon our interests.

 The Tamils have a story relating to poet-saint Avvaiyar. Once, Lord Subrahmanya appeared before her as a shepherd boy, and  just to tease her, asked her four questions, relating to what is the hardest thing ( most difficult to bear) in the world, rare  in the world,sweetest, etc.. At the end, He asked her: Grandma, what is the greatest thing on earth? And she replied: The greatest thing is the greatness of the saints, for they have the Lord in their heart.

Periyadhu kaetkin eri  thavazh vaeloi

Peridhu peridhu bhuvanam peridhu

Bhuvanamo naan mugan padaippu

Naan mugan kariya maal undhiyil vandhon

Kariya maalo alaikadal thuyindron

Alai kadalo kurumuni yangaiyil adakkam

Kurumuniyo kalasatthir pirandhon

Kalasamo puviyir chiruman

Puviyo araviniku  oru thalaip paaram

Aravo umaiyaal siru viral modhiram

Umaiyo iraivar baagat odukkam

Iraivano thondar ullatthodukkam

Thondar tham perumai sollavum

Peridhae....

( There are several versions of this on the Net, but they are not accurate. For the correct version, see 'Thani Paadal Tirattu' edited by K.S.Pillai.)

O Lord, with the blazing spear! If you ask me what is the greatest-

This Universe is great.

But it is created by Brahma.

Brahma rose from the nabhi-lotus of the blue-complexioned Vishnu.

Vishnu rests on the milky ocean.

Sage Agastya contained the whole ocean in his palm.

Agastya was himself born in a kumbha.

Kumbha is made of a small amount of clay from the earth.

This earth is borne on but one of his (thousand) heads by Adisesha.

But Uma (Parvati) wears Adisesha as a ring in her little  finger.

Uma is but part of Lord Shiva.

But Lord Shiva is contained in the hearts of the devotee.

O Lord! The greatness of the humble saints is great beyond all expression!

This is how usually the encounter between Lord Subrahmanya as shepherd boy and Avvaiyar is depicted!

Picture taken from: www.svtemplanc.org. Thanks.

The saints may have the Lord in their hearts, but     seeking to set an example to the world, they seek 
the feet of the Lord all the time.

In the Indian tradition, the Name of Bhagavan and His Feet take precedence over everything else.The cow gives milk- the whole cow contributes to its making. But we get it only from the udder.We have many forms for our deities, but in each the Feet are invariably shown. It is to the Feet that we resort as the ultimate refuge.

Saint Arunagirinatha says:

கோழிக் கொடிய னடிபணி யாமற் குவலத்தே
   வாழக் கருது மதியிலி காளுங்கள் வல்வினைநோய்
      ஊழிற் பெருவலி யுண்ணவொட்டாது உங்களத்தமெல்லாம்
         ஆழப் புதைத்துவைத் தால்வருமோ நும் மடிப்பிறகே.   ...   

ஆவிக்கு மோசம் வருமா றறிந்துன் னருட்பதங்கள்
   சேவிக்க என்று நினைக்கின்றி லேன்வினை தீர்த்தருளாய்

O ye senseless folks who seek to spend your days on this earth without bowing to the Feet of the Lord with the cock-flag! Your powerful destiny in the form of illnesses will not let you enjoy your wealth. All this wealth that you keep buried for safety, will it accompany you when you die?

O Lord!  Even knowing that this breath will one day cease, I do not think of worshipping  Your feet! Please bless me and end my karma!

The saints thus always think of the Feet of Bhagavan as the last resort. In fact, it is the only resort for them!

Picture from Murugan .org Thanks.

 One of the ancient Tamil classics, Paripadal, says it clearly:

Lord, your Feet are greater than You! (Ninnir siranda nin taal inaiyavai.)

ஏமுறு நெஞ்சத்தேம் பரவுதும்-

வாய்மொழிப் புலவ! நின் தாள்-நிழல் தொழுதே  1.;68

நின் அடி
தலை உற வணங்கினேம், பல் மாண் யாமும்; 2.

நின்னின் சிறந்த நின் தாள் இணையவை; நின்னில் சிறந்த நிறை கடவுளவை;

3.65

These are taken from three of the 22 poems now available in Paripadal, sung by three different poets.

The first says that the poet will utter praises and worship the Lord's feet.

The second says that the poet will pay obeisance to the Feet repeatedly.

The third says that the Feet are greater than the Lord..

Tiruvalluvar, begins his celebrated Tirukkural with prayer to God and in the first ten couplets, refers to the Feet alone in seven:

கற்றதனால் ஆய பயனென்கொல் வாலறிவன் 

நற்றாள் தொழாஅர் எனின்.

Of what use is all your learning if it does not lead to the Feet of Him who is Intelligence Infinite?

மலர்மிசை ஏகினான் மாணடி சேர்ந்தார் 

நிலமிசை நீடுவாழ் வார்.

He who takes refuge in the sacred Feet of Him who is seated on the flower (of the heart)- he will live long.

வேண்டுதல்வேண் டாமை இலானடி சேர்ந்தார்க்கு 

யாண்டும் இடும்பை இல 
Those who cleave to the Feet of Him who has no likes and dislikes- the ills of life do not touch them.

தனக்குவமை இல்லாதான் தாள்சேர்ந்தார்க் கல்லால் 
மனக்கவலை மாற்றல் அரிது.

They alone escape from sorrow who take refuge in the feet
 of Him who has no equal.

அறவாழி அந்தணன் தாள்சேர்ந்தார்க் கல்லால் 
பிறவாழி நீந்தல் அரிது.

The ocean of samsara cannot be crossed except by those who cling to the Feet of the Sage who is the ocean of righteousness.

கோளில் பொறியின் குணமிலவே எண்குணத்தான் 
தாளை வணங்காத் தலை.

The head which does not bow to the Feet of Him who is

 endowed with the eight attributes- it is indeed worthless like

 the organs of sense which do not perceive.

பிறவிப் பெருங்கடல் நீந்துவர் நீந்தார் 

இறைவன் அடிசேரா தார்.

They alone cross the ocean of births and deaths who take refuge in the Feet of the Lord. The others do not.

The reverence to the feet of Bhagavan is deeply entrenched in all aspects of Indian religious and spiritual life, and reflected in every aspect of practice- in worship,iconography, literature, etc. Every Indian saint of every tradition has extolled the Feet. 

Saint Manikkavachaka, reckoned as one of the pillars of the Shaiva Siddhanta begins his famous and authoritative treatise Tiruvachakam with obeisance to the Feet.

நமச்சிவாய வாஅழ்க நாதன் தாள் வாழ்க 
இமைப்பொழுதும் என் நெஞ்சில் நீங்காதான் தாள் வாழ்க 
கோகழி ஆண்ட குருமணிதன் தாள் வாழ்க 
ஆகமம் ஆகிநின்று அண்ணிப்பான் தாள் வாழ்க 
ஏகன் அநேகன் இறைவன் அடிவாழ்க 5 

வேகம் கெடுத்தாண்ட வேந்தன் அடிவெல்க 
பிறப்பறுக்கும் பிஞ்ஞகன்தன் பெய்கழல்கள் வெல்க 
புறந்தார்க்குச் சேயோன் தன் பூங்கழல்கள் வெல்க 
கரங்குவிவார் உள்மகிழும் கோன்கழல்கள் வெல்க 
சிரம்குவிவார் ஓங்குவிக்கும் சீரோன் கழல் வெல்க 10 

ஈசன் அடிபோற்றி எந்தை அடிபோற்றி 
தேசன் அடிபோற்றி சிவன் சேவடி போற்றி 
நேயத்தே நின்ற நிமலன் அடி போற்றி 
மாயப் பிறப்பு அறுக்கும் மன்னன் அடி போற்றி 
சீரார் பெருந்துறை நம் தேவன் அடி போற்றி 15 

ஆராத இன்பம் அருளும் மலை போற்றி 
சிவன் அவன் என்சிந்தையுள் நின்ற அதனால் 
அவன் அருளாலே அவன் தாள் வணங்கி......

In the first fifteen lines, he pays obeisance to the feet. It is impossible to convey the rich allegorical and puranic implications in translation, that also conveys the full emotional fervour..  In the sixteenth line, he mentions the state of bliss that has been conferred upon him.  In the seventeenth, he states that the Lord has occupied his deeper consciousness. In the seventeenth, he says that he bows to His feet only by His grace!

Later, he composed Tiruvembavai- twenty verses that seek to awaken the sleeping spirit of devotees, making use for the purpose a practice then prevalent among the devout young. In the month of Margasirsha (mid-Dec to mid January, the young maidens used to observe a vrata in honour of Goddess, seeking worthy husbands. The girls would visit  and awaken each other, and together they would go to the river for a ceremonial bath and observances. Manikkavachaka uses this to remind us that we are all asleep in our consciousness ( we have no awareness of God)and that we should wake up- a call given in the Upanishad too: Uttishtatha, Jagratha. While concluding this section, Manikkavachaka again remembers the Holy Feet:

போற்றி அருளுக நின் ஆதியாம் பாதமலர் 
போற்றி அருளுக நின் அந்தமாம் செந்தளிர்கள் 
போற்றி எல்லா உயிர்க்கும் தோற்றமாம் பொற்பாதம் 
போற்றி எல்லா உயிர்க்கும் போகமாம் பூங்கழல்கள் 
போற்றி எல்லா உயிர்க்கும் ஈறாம் இணையடிகள் 
போற்றி மால் நான்முகனும் காணாத புண்டரிகம் 
போற்றியாம் உய்யஆட் கொண்டருளும் பொன்மலர்கள் 
போற்றியாம் மார்கழிநீர் ஆடேலோர் எம்பாவாய். 174 

Hail to your Lotus Feet, which is the Origin of everything!

Hail to your glorious Feet in which everything finally rests!

Hail to your golden Feet from which have arisen all life forms!

Hail to your flowery Feet which is the real enjoyment for all forms of life!

Hail to your holy Feet which is the final resting place for all forms of life!

Hail to your Lotus  Feet which could not be beheld even by Vishnu and Brahma!

Hail to your golden Feet which confer grace and save us!

Thus hailing the Lord, come let us bathe!

This worship of Goddess or Shakti was common. So, Saint Andal, who composed thirty verses on the same theme also refers to the Feet of Lord Krishna/Vishnu, recalling His various deeds. And though she recalls many glorious episodes from the Life of Krishna in his cowherd days, when she seeks His blessings, she refers only to His Feet.

Picture from Srimad Andavan Ashramam. Grateful thanks.

சிற்றஞ் சிறு காலே வந்துன்னைச் சேவித்து உன்
     பொற்றாமரை அடியே போற்றும் பொருள் கேளாய்!
பெற்றம் மேய்த்து உண்ணும் குலத்தில் பிறந்து நீ
     குற்றேவல் எங்களை கொள்ளாமல் போகாது
இற்றைப் பறை கொள்வான் அன்று காண் கோவிந்தா!
     எற்றைக்கும் ஏழேழ் பிறவிக்கும் உன்தன்னோடு
உற்றோமே யாவோம் உனக்கே நாம் ஆட்செய்வோம்

     மற்றை நம் காமங்கள் மாற்று ஏல் ஓர் எம்பாவாய்                   

O Lord! We have all come for your darshan so early in the morning . We hail your lotus feet! Lord Govinda! Please listen to our prayer. You are born among the cowherds How can you refuse to take our services? (We are also cowherds.) Lord, give us refuge. We are bound to you for all the births-seven times seven. We will only serve you. Please remove all our other desires.  Thus all saints of all traditions only resort to the holy Feet. We have an interesting episode in the Mahabharata. Once the war becomes unavoidable, both sides seek to enlist the  support of Krishna. Duryodhana reaches Krishna's place first. Krishna is in his bed chambers. Duryodhana goes there,  and  seeing him at nap, goes and sits near  the head.  A little later, Arjuna also arrives, and sits at the feet of Krishna. When Krishna opens his eyes, he sees Arjuna first. Then he  notices Duryodhana too. Learning their purpose, he says  he is available, and his army too could be spared. But he  would not touch any weapon and enter active combat.  He says they could choose what they want, first chance  would go to Arjuna as he was seen first on opening his eyes. (Also, he was younger of the two). Arjuna chose Krishna,  sans his weapons and his army! Duryodhana who was upset because he did not get the first chance, was relieved and  happy, because he got what he desired- the army! We may say Arjuna got Krishna and victory because he chose to sit at the Feet. The lesson is that for those who choose the Lord,  the Lord gives Himself! Thus we may say the glorious Feet of the Lord are the  greatest thing  on earth! Bengal Terracotta, depicting the scene of Arjuna and  Duryodhana  with Krishna! Gopinath temple, Dasghara. Taken from: https://rangandatta.com.
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