DEGREE OF COMPASSION
How does one measure compassion?It is a subjective
and relative one. Is it subject to comparison? It is not quanitifiable like
bananas or oranges. Hence, can be termed as compassionate, more compassionate
and most compassionate or no compassion.
Who is the most compassionate one? The Lord of
course. He is the most compassionate Supreme Being who strives for our retrieval
and again and again creates the universe and gives us opportunity directly or
through AzhwAr-AchAryAs despite our indifference. He takes pity on us and tries
to elevate us from this samsAra and grant us salvation. He resides in the
inermost of our souls and thinks and does things for our good. He is thus the
most compassionate being.
The first sUthram of AchArya hrdhayam will amply
corroborate this point.
"kAruNikanAna sarvEswaran aRivilA
manisar vuNarvenum chudarvilakku yERRi....."
The compassionate Lord bequeaths the sAsthric
knowledge for the good of the souls for discerning between good and the
bad.
He does not come in front of the soul as the soul
may reject Him outright. Notwithstanding this indifference The Lord does good
for the souls remaining in the backstage and seeing to it that the soul attains
the benefit.
Full of compassion is the attribute of the Lord.
Having said so, can His compassion be compared with Others? Is there any chance
for anybody else to near to His compassion. Being a subjective phenomenon can
this study be undertaken. After observing that He is the most compassionate
one, it can be mathematically argued that nobody else can be as
compassionate as He is.' He being less compassionate and anybody more' can be
categorised into a null set.
Nevertheless, if somebody else can shower more
compassion which in a way eclipses His, can it not be termed as less compassion
or compassionless? That is really implausible. However, thiru arangahtamudhanAr
in his 'irAmAnusa nURRandhAdhi'
has dealt this very topic in the following
pAsuram:
"vuL ninRu vuyirgaLukku vuRRanavE
seiyyum , avarku vuyavE paNNum, paranum parivu ilan Am
padi,
palluyirkum viNNin thalai ninRu vEd
aLippAn em irAmAnusan maNNin thalthudithu, maRai
nAlum
vaLarthananE" irAmAnusa nURRandhAdhi
95
The Lord is inside every soul -antharyAmi- and does
only the good for them for their betterment. However, even the Lord can be
termed as compassionless- parivu ilan Am padi
- when compared to sri rAmAnujA who by his
works and deeds granted salvation to one and all by descending to the earth from
the Lord's abode.
AzhwAr emperumAnAr jEyar thirvadigaLE
charaNam
vanamamalai padmanabhan
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