Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
A Blade of Grass
What would you say is the least valuable and most insignificant
item in the Lord's Creation? There are supposed to be 8.4 million types of
beings in the world, belonging to various species, classes and races. Lower in
ranking than the humblest of these are the inanimate objects, due to their not
having been blessed with faculties of cognizance or speech and lacking life in
general. Even among such non-living things, some items like veins of gold,
silver and other minerals and metals command good value and are deemed
precious, as are diamonds extracted from their rocky settings. Even if they do
not rate such high value, other things too are of great utility to mankind,
such as plants and trees, which provide us with precious food, fruits and
shelter. Among other types of plants, there are those shrubs which provide us
with beautiful, fragrant flowers and those with enchanting leaves and shoots,
while yet others have a medicinal value as herbs, used in various potions for
curing the sick. However, if you think of it, a single blade of grass appears
to be most insignificant and least glamorous item in the entire gamut of God's
creation, looked at from any angle. Grass may be used for landscaping and as
fodder for cattle, but notwithstanding these minor applications, it is the
oft-used simile, while a worthless being or object is compared. We often hear
people complaining that they were treated as little better than blades of grass
("pullukku samAnam"), thus demonstrating the contempt or indifference this item
raises in the minds of people. The term "Pulliyar" used to denote people of
despicable conduct and character, appears to have had its origins in the lowly
status of the "Pull" or grass. However, when we look into the Scripture, it
provides us with abundant contexts where the ubiquitous but unassuming blade of
grass has figured with distinction.
All of us are aware of the Tamizh saying, "Vallavanukku pullum Ayudham",
describing how even the humblest and most harmless of things like a blade of
grass could be turned into a weapon of destruction, in the hands of an
accomplished person. Adages such as these, we find, originate from an actual
happening, from which the saying gains popular currency. It doesn't need much
research to discover from which particular event this particular saying
emanated, for it immediately draws our attention to the KAkAsura episode in
Srimad Ramayana, where Sri Rama, enraged at the insufferable insult and
physical injury inflicted upon the Divine Mother by the misguided son of Indra,
just plucked a nearby blade of grass (dharbham) and flung it at the cursed
crow, uttering the BrahmAstra mantra.-
"Sa darbham samstarAt grihya BrAhmENAstrENa yOjayat
Sa tam pradeeptam chikshEpa darbham vAyasam prati"
This simple blade of grass turned into an extremely potent weapon and hounded
the KAkAsura wherever he flew, all over the three worlds. The renowned Creator
BrahmA, the dreaded Destroyer Rudra and the Chief of Celestials Indra, the
father of the crow-none of these worthies could save the fugitive from the
pursuing BrahmAstra. After flying in vain several times around the three
worlds, the crow fell at the feet of Sri Rama, displaying utter helplessness
and remorse-"threen lOkAn samparikramya tamEvam sharanam gata:" and was saved
by the KaruNA KAkuttsttha, even though he (the crow) deserved the most
stringent of sentences, viz., death-"vadhArham api KAkuttsttha: kripayA
paryapAlayat".
This, then, is what a blade of grass of capable of, when handled by a person of
attainment.
And we are told that when the Lord returned to Sri Vaikuntam on completion of
His mission as Sri Rama, He afforded emancipation to even the last blade of
grass in Ayodhya-"purpA mudalA narpAlukku uyttanan".
In the TrivikramAvatAra too, the Lord used a Darbham to evict ShukrAchArya,
who, assuming the form of an insect, obstructed the passage of water from the
vessel of MahAbali, who was about to grant the boon of three feet of land
sought by the wily VAmana BrahmachAri.
We might talk lightly of a blade of grass, but can you think of a single
vaidika karma, a single solitary ritual or deed, which can be performed without
adorning oneself with a "Pavitram" made of kusa grass (Darbham)? Darbham
imparts purity to the wearer and makes him eligible for the performance of the
Karma. The Shruti tells us that this type of grass is the embodiment of purity
and sanctity-
"SAkshAt pavitram darbhA:". Whether the entities to be propitiated are DEvatAs
or one's forefathers, it is Darbham which is used as a medium for conveying the
offerings to them and in which their presence is ensured, with appropriate
AvAhana mantrAs. The specific mantra which has to be uttered at the time of
plucking Darbha grass for use, glorifies this apparently insignificant object
thus-
"VirinchEna sahOtpanna! ParamEshtti nisargaja!
nuda sarvANi pApAni Darbha! SvastikarO bhava"
This grass is so ancient that it was born along with the Creator BrahmA himself
and is capable of relieving us of all sins through appropriate prAyaschitta
karmAs, says the aforesaid sloka. This grass is so potent, we are told, that
VaidikAs used it for sprinkling holy water, accompanied by the chanting of Veda
mantrAs, to protect the toddler Sri Krishna from evil influences-
"ViprA: hutvA archayAns chakru: dadhi akshata kusAmbubhi:"
says Srimad Bhagavata Purana.
Shastras enjoin BrahmachAris to wear around their waist a belt made of
"Mounji" grass, to act as a protecting and purifying agent.
Srimad Ramayana is a veritable grassy knoll, dotted with accounts of this holy
grass Darbham. When Sri Rama decides to propitiate Samudra RAja, He lies down
on a bed of Darbham-
"tata: sAgara vElAyAm darbhAn Asteerya RAghava:
anjalim prAngmukha: kritvA pratisisyE mahOdadhim"
Thus these blades of grass were as fortunate as AdisEsha himself, as the Lord
used them as His bed. To this day, the place this event was enacted stands
glorious testimony to perhaps the one and only Saranagati that the Lord Himself
performed, lying down on a bed of grass. TiruppullANai (or TiruppuLLANi as it
is known today) or Darbhasayanam boasts of a beautiful temple, where Sri Rama
can be seen in a rare reclining posture, sung with verve by Sri Tirumangai
Mannan in all of 20 pAsurams, depicting the beauty of "azhagAna PullANi".
If grass is thus dear to Emperuman, could it be otherwise to PirAtti? We find
Sri Janaki too using a blade of grass as a medium through which to communicate
with RAvaNa, when he threatens Her with dire consequences if She doesn't
cooperate with his nefarious designs-
"TriNam antarata: kritvA pratyuvAcha suchismitA".
Rather than communicate directly with the vile asurA, Piraatti plucks a blade
of grass, throws it between Herself and Her abductor and addresses only the
grass, without looking up at the asurA's face. By doing this, She signifies
several things:
1) It is not the "done thing" for chaste women to even look at other males.
2) RAvaNa was little better than the blade of grass, in view of his
absolute lack of righteous thoughts.
3) Being the distinguished daughter of the venerated Rajarshi Janaka, the
daughter-in-law of Dasarata of great renown and the beloved wife of Sri Rama of
undoubted prowess, it doesn't behove the lOkamAta to speak directly to such a
"neecha" as Ravana: hence She communicates with him indirectly, addressing only
the blade of grass.
4) She was conveying indirectly to Ravana that when Rama reached Lanka and
by the time He was done with Ravana, the latter would be trampled beneath the
former's foot like an impotent blade of grass.
This sloka is considered so significant by Sri PeriavAcchAn PiLlai that he
finds in it and furnishes to us a wealth of purport.
We are told that Sri Ramanuja was so attached to the Lord that he regarded
everything else in this mundane world as mere worthless blades of grass-
"YO nityam achyuta padAmbuja yugma rugma
vyAmOhata: tat itarANi triNAya mEnE".
Of what use is grass to anyone, except as fodder for cattle? Similar was Sri
Ramanuja's disenchantment with worldly relationships and possessions.
If such is the Bhashyakara's VairAgyam, can Swami Desikan's be far behind?
The Acharya expresses his resolve not to waste words of praise on mortal kings
for material considerations, when he has been blessed with the ultimate wealth
represented by the All -powerful Lord, who adorned the chariot of Arjuna. Swami
Desikan says he would neither seek nor accept even a worthless blade of grass
from such sovereigns-
"TriNam api vayam sAyam samphulla malli matallikA
parimaLa muchA vAchA na yAchAmahE maheesvarAn"
A meadow of fine, green grass is what constitutes the dream of every
herbivorous four-legged creature. Cows, calves, deer and other cattle relish a
meal of succulent grass and deem it a delicacy. However, if they were to pause
in the midst of grazing, abandon their favourite gourmet dish and stand
transfixed with even the imbibed, half-chewn grass sliding out of their mouths,
the diverting attraction must indeed be of considerable magnetism. This is the
effect the sweet and mesmerising strains from Sri Krishna's flute had on these
dumb animals, says Sri Periazhwar-
"Surundu irundu kuzhal tAzhnda mukhattAn
Oodugindra kuzhal Osai vazhiyE
MaruNdu mAn kaNangaL mEygai marandu
mEynda pullum kadai vAi vazhi sOra
irandu pAduntulungA pudai peyarA
ezhudu chittirangaL pOla nindaranavE"
The BhAgavata Purana too describes the same scene thus-
"VrindashO vraja vrishA mriga gAvO vENu vAdya hrita chEtasa ArAt
danta dashta kabalA dhrita karNA nidritA likhita chitram iva Asan"
A blade of grass might be insignificant in several respects: however, when we
see the potency and sanctity some of its varieties command, we are forced to
revise our unfllattering opinion about grass. So much so that a modern poet
seeks a birth as one of the humble blades of grass growing in the meadows of
BrindAvanam, so that Sri Krishna's tiruvadi would sanctify it sometime or the
other and, even if this doesn't happen, it would be trodden on at least by the
hooves of cows and calves made holy by their association with the Lord-"oru
PullAi piravi tara vENum- punithamAna pala kOti piravi tandAlum, BrindAvanam
adil oru pullAi piravi tara vENum" beseeches this poet, placing a birth as a
blade of grass much ahead of that as an exalted, erudite and devout paragon of
human virtues.
Srimate Sri LakshmINrismha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
Dasan, sadagopan
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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