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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00078 Feb 2003

 
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Sir,
May I humbly suggest another instance? -. His staying in the abode of Akrurar 
forsaking the royal hospitality of Duryodhana and partaking the simple meal 
given by Akrurar.
Adeyan
K. Raman
sadagopaniyengar <sadagopaniyengar@xxxx> wrote:
Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:



The Simmering Sores



All are agreed that it is the KrishnAvatAra in which the Lord displayed the 
maximum degree of accessibility or Soulabhyam. There is absolutely no 
competition to the Boy Wonder from any other Emperuman, in this regard. The 
closest rival, Sri Rama, having been born a Prince and the scion of the 
IkshvAku dynasty, had little occasion to display Soulabhyam, though He did try 
valiantly many a time. Not that He was averse to exhibiting this virtue, but as 
Sri Bhattar was wont to remark, His calling did not permit a full-blown display 
of this endearing trait. Sri Krishna is thus the sole avatara, where Soulabhyam 
was the name of the game. Though every single action of the bewitching boy had 
accessibility writ large over it, yet there are some of His deeds, which have 
come in for special mention from Azhwars and Acharyas.



Take for example His growing up in the midst of lowly cowherds- would any 
Parabrahmam worth its name be willing to be seen in the company of cattle, 
leave alone tend to them lovingly? Whither His exalted stature as the Master of 
all Worlds, and whither a lowly cowherd! We are simply unable even to imagine 
the Paramapurusha, surrounded by the Celestials and basking in their adoration, 
rejoicing in the boisterous company of unlettered urchins. What a come down for 
Him, from being the object of adulation of distinguished sages and saints, to 
being called all sorts of names (" VeNnai undAn ivan endru Esa nindra 
Emperuman") by ignorant Gopis!



It doesn't stop with His just growing up among dealers in dairy products. He 
has to get tied up to the pestle by an irate mother, angered beyond measure by 
constant complaints of thievery. Again, would the Parabrahmam consent to being 
tied up to a grindstone like any mortal mischief-monger? It must indeed have 
been an ironical sight, the Liberator of all from eternal bondage, Himself 
being immobilised and imprisoned, that too by an ordinary cowherdess! "Etthiram 
uralinOdu iNaindu irundu Engiya eLivE" marvels Sri Nammazhwar, and wonders 
again at the incredible Soulabhyam of the Lord getting beaten up by Gopis for 
stealing butter-"Ayar kouzhundAi avarAl pudayuNNum en mAya pirAn".



Another endearing display of accessibility is the Lord taking on the role of a 
messenger, bearing a note from the PAndavas to the Kauravas. As a last ditch 
effort to avert war, the Pandavas' war council decides to despatch a courier to 
the Kauravas, with a final request for the restoration of their share of the 
kingdom. And whom do they chose for the "prestigious" job? None other than the 
Supreme Lord, who also willingly consents to act as a mere messenger. No job is 
too menial for the Lord, if it is on behalf of His ardent devotees. "Pancha 
PandavarkkAgi vAyurai toodu chendru iyangum en thuNai", "innAr toodan ena 
nindrAn" says Thirumangai Mannan- Instead of His original identity of being the 
Paramapursha, it appears that the Lord preferred to be known as "PAndava 
Dootan".



As if to display His readiness to perform the bidding of His devotees willingly 
and without protest, the Lord again does something which crowns all other 
displays of Soulabhyam-

Throughout the Kurukshetra war, he acts as the charioteer of Arjuna. What a 
lowly occupation to adopt-that of an ordinary driver, piloting the vehicle as 
per the master's wishes! Constantly at the beck and call of the master, taking 
the chariot from spot to spot as per his instructions, battling with the 
spirited horses, taking care of them at the end of the day by bathing them, 
feeding them and ensuring that they had adequate rest (while having little rest 
Himself), his delicate tirumEni bathed in sweat and encrusted with the dirt of 
the battle field-all these formed the daily routine of the Lord during the days 
of the Kurukshetra war. The beautiful hands, which held the divine discus and 
the milk-white conch, now had only the horsewhip to hold. The curly, jet-black 
hair, the envy of even women, was covered with a thick coat of grime. The 
normally broad, brilliant and beautiful eyes were now half-closed with fatigue 
and battle-weariness. The Paramatma, to whom the entire world offered its food 
before partaking of it, now had to feed the horses first, before He Himself had 
a few morsels. While Arjuna was ensconced regally in the chariot, the Lord 
stood on the ground holding the reins, like a lowly servant-"PArtthan tan tEr 
mun nindrAnai ...TiruvallikkENi kandEnE" says Sri Thirumangai Mannan.



It is this endearing form that the Lord sports at ThiruvallikkENi. Adding 
injury to insult, He willingly bore the brunt of almost all the stinging arrows 
aimed at Arjuna by his rivals, but for which the PAndava would hardly have 
survived the battle. He blocked many a murderous weapon aimed at the master 
with His own tirumEni, shielding Arjuna from certain death many a time, and 
acquiring innumerable indelible scars on various parts of His torso, as a 
result . 



In the process, the Lord's beautiful countenance, often compared to a lotus in 
full bloom, was riddled with arrow wounds. Even to this day, the Lord is to be 
seen with this pock-marked thirumukha mandalam at ThiruvallikkENi, bearing 
testimony to His boundless love for his bhaktas and His readiness to do 
anything, but anything, to please His devotee. The battle-scars must have been 
so severe, that they still appear to be festering, despite the passage of 
thousands of years. The beholders' eyes brim with tears whenever they look at 
the Lord's visage, with all those simmering sores attesting to His eagerness to 
protect and preserve those He loves and those who love Him, even at a great 
personal cost.



Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana 
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, sadagopan 



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