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   The Story of Tondar-adipOdi: Conquest of ?kaama?
   ------------------------------------------------ 
   through Reduction (?unification?) of Desire --
   ----------------------------------------------
           ?karma yOga?  (continued from Part 17)
           ----------

One day while traveling on business to SriRangam in a
palanquin, the glamorous Devadasi and her entourage
rested a while on the outskirts when, perchance (or by
mis-happenstance), she espied the handsome
VipranArAyaNa working diligently in his famous garden
of flowers. Devadevi?s curiosity was aroused. Making
further enquiries from her companion, she learned of
who the handsome gardener of such noble and virtuous
bearing truly was. 

(QUOTE from A.Govindacharya's "The Holy Lives of the
AzhwArs"):

?How did Vipranarayan look to the eyes of Devadevi?
His head and beard were thick and long with hirsute
growth. His body too was downy. He was clad in 
milk-white garments. His brow and breast and arms and
neck beamed with the bright and sacred insignia of the
true Vaishnava. He wore the sacred 'tulasi' beads and
lotus gems. And he was busily employed in building
beds for the trees and shrubs, watering the plants, or
tending them in a hundred small ways, as the sole
service of God ("bhagavath-kainkarya") had fallen to
his good share. 

"The eyes of Devadevi and her companion wistfully
watched all of Vipranarayana's diligent operations in
the garden; but wondered why he never lifted his eyes
from work --- even one look for their fair face? No.
Even if he was aware of their presence he was on the
one hand deeply absorbed in his divine service
("karma-yOga"), and on the other, had no other than
notions of hate and contempt for female charms. This
to her unusual conduct on the part of a man excited
her curiosity. Was he mad? Or was he no man at all?
She wondered.

"Devadevi's companion however said, ?No, neither is he
mad nor is he wanting in manliness. His whole soul is
bent upon his Godly work (?karma-yOga?). His heart is
turned away from the world. Your charms and smiles,
your curvaceous beauty, your charming tresses, hold no
charm for him. But listen now: if you could melt the
stone of this noble creature?s heart to flow towards
you, indeed I will hold you as the best in our
profession. So let?s make a wager: If you succeed, I
will bind myself to serve you as a maid for 6 months.?
?Agreed?, said Devadevi, ?and if I do not succeed, I
will be your slave for 6 months?.

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

At once Devadevi shed all her jewels and personal
trappings and disguising herself as a common woman of
the street, she went and presented herself outside the
gates of VipranArAyana?s house. When he came out, she
rushed forth and immediately fell at his feet:

?Lord?, she cried piteously,?By birth I am mean. This
is due to my past sins. My mother makes me an object
of pleasure (?kaama?) for every male?s satisfaction of
lust. She makes much money by such base trade. I have
said enough and run away from my home. I am in fear
now. I am a destitute and have no protection. Please
deign to look upon me with pity and show me kindness
by giving me employment as a menial servant in your
house. In your absence I will look after your garden
too and bear all other daily burdens of yours. Please
do not turn me away, please?.

To a willing helper or volunteer like her to him in
divine service, Vipranarayana could not but say but
?yes?, simple and unaware as he was of the guile
behind Devadevi?s veil. His unsophisticated nature
admitted a servant, and his natural kindness to all
creatures prompted him to share with her his frugal
fare after its usual offering to his household God.

"Determined as she was to accomplish her purpose, she
was possessed with all the necessary patience, for she
toiled in Vipranarayana?s garden for 6 long months
performing every menial service, a veritable labour of
love (?kaama?) indeed!

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

"Devadevi was working thus one day when a heavy
downpour came. She was wet and shivering, but would
not cease her work. Vipranarayana was in his cottage
under shelter. Pity at seeing a creature suffer moved
him to ask her to betake herself to his shed. She
obeyed. She was instantly at his side, dripping with
her wet sari. He saw her plight and gave her his own
dry garment for her to wear. She obeyed. 

After a while, finding herself alone, half-dressed and
in the company of her master she had plotted to
seduce, the wily Devadevi saw that it was the moment
she had been waiting for all along: ?The rain is
outside; and here we are both together alone; His mind
is otherwise unoccupied. This is the moment to
seize!?. ?My Lord?, said Devadevi,?allow this humble
servant of yours to press and massage your tired limbs
until the rains abate?. IN all innocence,
Vipranararyana expressed his willingness. 

As she began to press his limbs slowly, Devadevi also
began to softly use words of endearments, coquettish
gestures and furtive glances?? these were done with
such seductive charm and adeptness, that soon
Vipranarayana?s saintliness began to rapidly melt
away. Weak nature?s erotic flame burned up his whole
frame and held him captive. His body shook with
passionate spasms and his will quickly broke:

?angArasadhrshI naarI, ghrthakUmbha sama:pumaan" is an
old saying in Sanskrit, meaning:

          ?Male and Female are Nature?s duo,
            One is Fire, the other?s wax?.

?Deft at the arts of sensuous touch and massage,
Devadevi succeeded: for Vipranarayana lent himself to
her vile embrace, and she of course lost no time in
teaching him the higher lessons in the arts of Cupid.
She improved upon the occasion too by immediately
sending for all her old jewels and apparel; decked
herself like the very peacock; she displayed her
personal charms to such great advantage that by bow
Vipranarayana became her complete slave.

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

"In an entirely new aspect now did all the garden
contrivances appear. The shades and seats, the bowers
and arches, the glens and glades, the canopies and
arcades, all invited them to repose and revel and
wallow in each other?s sensuous intimacy. No more were
these for God intended, but were all for their own
flesh and its appetites. To Vipranarayana, it all
seemed a new world unfolded, and thus tempted and
transported, he altogether lost sight of his old
world. He forgot his ?sandhyavandanam?, he ceased his
gardening, he gave up the temple services?. He knew no
other happiness in life other than what he experienced
on Devadevi?s couch."
(UNQUOTE).
                      ************* 

To describe such of Vipranarayana?s abject and venal
condition, it may not be inaccurate to once again
borrow from and paraphrase that extremely moving verse
of Wordsworth: 
       
 ?So once it would have been, -- ?tis so no more;
  I have submitted to a new control:
A power is gone, which nothing can restore;
  A deep distress has (demonized) my soul.?

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










                
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