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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00046 Jan 2008

 
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srI:
SrI  upakAra  sangraham ? 41
--- 
adikAram ? 1
poorva upakAra paramparai
(The Foremost Series of Favours) 
---   
SECTION ? 5 (8) [continued] 
(27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for
MOKSHAM)  
----- 
        We have been considering the beauty of the Lord?s
form. His form is mentioned as ?Divya MangaLa
Vigraham? in our sampradAya. It means, ?divine
auspicious body?. This is referred to here by SwAmin
Desikan as ?vadivazhku? in this sub-para: 

(8)   ?vadivazhakAlum, seelattAlum
vasheekarikkumtuvum;?

His body is so beautiful that no one can remain
un-attracted by it. This is the essential nature of
Brahman, who is no one but SrIman nArAyaNa, MahA
VishNu. The essential qualities are technically called
?svaroopa-niroopaka-dharma?, that is, the attributes
which determine the essential nature of an object.
Without these qualities the object cannot be
conceived.   

        The Purushsooktam, which is a VEdic scripture
speaking about nArAyaNa, opens with this statement:

        ?sahasrashIrShA puruShah /  sahasrAShas-sahasrapAt /
sa bhoomim vishvatO vrutvA / atyatiShThatdashAngulam
// ?
 
(PuruSha, Who is nArAyaNa, has countless heads,
countless eyes, countless legs. He expanded on all
sides of the world and established Himself in the
measureless Universe.)

        We have also seen that the Lord?s body is not made of
materials of the prakruti. That is why His body is
spoken as ?Divya Mangala Vigraham?.  It is of
auspicious nature. We have noted how SrI RAmAnuja has
described His form in his sharaNAgati Gadyam. 
        
AzhvArs have also sung about His appearance which is
beyond words. This is implied by the following verse
of SrI nammAzhvAr, in TiruvAimozhi:

?mudicchOthiyAy unathu mukacchOthi malarnthathuvO?
  adicchOthi nI ninRa thAmaraiyay alarnthathuvO?
 pdicchOthi Adaiyodum palkalanAy, nin-paimpon
 kadicchOthi kalanthathuvO?  thirumAlE  ktturaiyE.? 
(Thiruvaimozhi,3-1-1)

        AzhvAr, seeing the Lord?s divine limbs, divine
ornaments, stands wondering about their combined
brilliance. He addresses Him thus: ?Pray, answer this
question of mine, Oh Consort of Lakshmi! Does the
beauty of Your countenance bloom as the aura of the
crown on the head? Does the beauty of your feet
radiate downwards as the blossoming lotus below your
feet? Do the beauty of your golden garments and that
of several jewels all combined to project an
integrated brilliance of your form?? 
        
In the following verse, AzhvAr express inability to
describe the Lord?s beauty:
        
?katturaikkil  thAmarai nin kaNpAtham  kai ovvA,
 chutturaiththa nanpon unthirumEni oLi ovvAthu,
 otturaiththu ivvulaku unnaip pukzhvellAm perupAlum
 patturaiyAyp  puRkenRE kAttumAl paranchOthi!?

(If we state the truth, the lotus cannot come near
Your eyes, feet, and hands. The colour of the hot gold
cannot mach with Your brilliant body. All the praises
this world showers on You cannot fully match with Your
appearance. All the verbal descriptions comparing Your
beauty with familiar objects in the world are
useless!)

        When SrInammAzhvAr, who was gifted with the direct
vision of the Lord, finds himself unable to describe
the Lord?s beauty, how others can do so? But, the
message is not one of disappointment. It is crystal
clear that the Lord reveals His beautiful divine body
only with the intention of captivating more and more
devotees. 
        
The Lord doesn?t stop with using His brilliant Form,
but also has another instrument to win over the jIvAs.
 What is it? We shall discuss it next.


(To continue)
dAsan
Anbil S.SrInivAsan
---------- 
 





      
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