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   The Story of Tondar-adipOdi: Conquest of ?kaama?
   ------------------------------------------------ 
   through Reduction (?unification?) of Desire --
   ----------------------------------------------
           ?karma yOga?  (continued from Part 16)
           ----------

Tondar-adipOdi was born as ?Vipra-nArAyana? in the
county of Mandangudi in South India many centuries
ago. Descended from a devout Brahmin family, he
underwent all the proper education and ?samskArAs?
that, traditionally, Brahmins underwent those days.
Vipra-nArAyana grew up to be a handsome and
intelligent but extremely gentle youth with a rather
shy or self-effacing disposition.

One day in his youth Vipra-nArAyana visited the famous
temple of SriRangam and worshipped the Deity Lord
Ranganatha there. The experience changed the course of
his life. It was the beginning of a life-long
?love-affair? with the Lord! Bewitched by the iconic
beauty of the Almighty there, and of the temple
environs and its sylvan surroundings, Vipra-nArAyana
made up his mind to give up all the evanescent
vanities of mundane life and devote himself solely to
rendering some useful and daily service to the temple.
He took up the vocation of a garden-keeper. 

On a sprawling plot of land on the outskirts of
SriRangam, not very far from the temple, he began to
cultivate and grow a large flower-garden and
fruit-orchard. He toiled all day happily and by the
sweat of his brow and sinews daily produced an
abundant ration of floral-offerings of the most
exquisite variety --- roses, jasmine, gardenia,
hyacinth, daisies,violets, ?paarijaata?, ?sAmandhi?, 
?marikozhundhu?; and then mango, jack, fig, lemon,
pomegranate, cocoa and areca and more too--- all of
which he then offered to the temple. The fruits were
used in the temple-kitchens that served the Deity the
daily sacrament of victual later distributed to
pilgrims as ?bhagavath-prasAdam?. The fragrant wreaths
and garlands served to adorn the beautiful idol of the
Almighty there. 

Years passed by in such happy and devout labor.
Vipra-nArAyana?s work soon became the talk of the
town, so to say. The idol of Ranganatha bedecked
bright with those flowers presented a most marvelous
sight to the masses of devoted pilgrims (?tondar?)
that thronged Srirangam for worship. And
VipranArAyana?s own cup of joy simply brimmed over
with delight every time he witnessed the sight of the
Deity amongst the milling surge of adoring crowds. Not
a day passed for him without visiting the sanctum of
Ranganatha to enjoy in ?vacant or in pensive mood? the
experience of pure ?bhakti? which is ?bliss of
solitude? indeed. 

Vipranarayana's way of life was fit indeed to be
described as ?nish-kAma-karma?: the un-alloyed
pleasure (?kaama?) of the true ?karma-yOgi? -- he who
is passionately devoted to God-centric work of the
world without as much as a thought for personal
reward.
                 *************

Vipra-nArAyanan?s life at this time was truly ?a thing
of Beauty, a Joy forever?. It was filled with Elysian
innocence, happiness and tranquility. The spirit of
Beauty itself, like some sweet guardian-angel, seemed
to have wafted into his life from all quarters to keep
watch over him. 

There was beauty in his gardens, in the flowers he
grew; there was beauty in the sight of the distant
temple-ramparts emerging out of the mist on a
bright-spring morning; beauty in the sound of the
temple-bells echoing across distant fields that ringed
SriRangam; there was beauty in the gushing waters of
the River Kaveri; in the din and bustle of
pilgrim-crowds wending their way to the temple-gates;
and finally, there was strange, ineffable Beauty too
(a beauty that ?surpasseth understanding?) in the very
sight of the Lord?s idol as it lay supine and graceful
inside the blessed sanctum of SriRangam.... His was a
state of being that best characterized the memorable
phrase of the Bhagavath-Gita, ?buddhi-yogam
upâsritya?. A later poet from different times and
climes, who came long after Tondar-adipodi, might well
have described the happiness of the AzhwAr in these
words:

  ?A picture had it been of lasting ease,
    Elysian quiet, without toil or strife;
   No motion but the moving tide, breeze,
    Or merely silent God?s breathing life.

   Such, in the fond illusion of my heart,
    Such picture would I at that time have made;
   And seen the soul of truth in every heart,
    A steadfast peace that might not be betray?d.?

   ?Pleased rather with some soft ideal scene,
     The work of fancy, or some happy tone
    Of meditation, slipping in between
     The beauty coming and the beauty gone?.   
                         (William Wordsworth)

              **************

Alas, very soon the spirit of Beauty that had come
?like moving tide and breeze? into VipranArAyaNa?s
life --- the life that might well be described as ?a
soft ideal scene? --- was about to be destroyed; and
the ?steadfast peace? that had ruled so long over his
life -- ?like a fond illusion of the heart? indeed --
was going to be badly ?betray?d? too. 

The betrayal was brought about by a ?devadAsi?, a
royal courtesan of the palace of the local Chola King
of Uraiyoor country. Her name was Devadevi, a lady of
extraordinary beauty but rather easy virtue, who
hailed from a neighboring hamlet, Tiru-Karambanoor.
This lady whose clientele included the King himself,
not to mention so-called "nobles" of the royal court,
was a paragon of voluptuous Beauty. 

The moment this "Beauty" came into Vipranarayana?s
life, the other Beauty was, at once, gone.

               ***********  
             (to be continued)
Regards,
dAsan,
Sudarshan








                
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