Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
"All that Glitters..."
No metal is more closely associated with the human race as Gold. Diamonds may
be forever, but the lure of the yellow metal is eternal. In any comparison with
other metals or elements, Gold comes out with shining colours. There is perhaps
no sphere of human activity, which is not touched and adorned by Gold, be it
social, economic or even religious. It has been the currency of yore, which
people used to buy and sell other things. Anything valuable is said to be
"worth its weight in Gold", while we characterise anything magnificent,
splendorous or beneficial as "Golden", as for instance, the Golden Age of the
GuptAs in history. Successful passing of the midway milestone in life, 50
years of married life, even the first 50 days of a film's successful run-all
these are termed "Golden Jubilee", signifying how much we value the yellow
metal. To honour someone, we drape him with a gold-coloured shawl-a "PonnAdai".
Till a few decades past, the World Economy was on the Gold Standard, which
meant that countries could issue currency, only if it was backed by an
equivalent stock of Gold. Till today, the amount of Gold reserves a country has
is taken to be a measure of its soundness and solvency.
The yellow metal has another admirable characteristic, viz., Malleability,
which makes it the preferred metal for the manufacture of ornaments and
jewellery, thus rendering it the metal closest to the human heart, especially
the feminine one, literally and figuratively. In marriages too, even the
poorest of poor deems it a necessity to marry off their daughter with at least
a gram of gold on her person, in tune with the mantra, "KanyAm kanaka
sampannAm". It is a different matter that this more has resulted in several
cases of exploitation of the bride's parents with exorbitant demands, perhaps
based on a misinterpretation of the term "sampannAm". And when a child is born,
the mother croons to it with a loving "en thangamE!". Even at the ripe old age
of ninety, man delights in having gold showered on him by his progeny, in what
is known as "KanakAbhishEkam".
It would thus appear that Gold pervades our life all throughout, in all spheres
of human activity.
The question therefore arises as to why this yellow metal should command such
lure and love from human beings, when other, more precious elements are there
like Platinum, Diamonds etc.
Granted that these other metals and carbons do have an attraction for people,
but it is nothing compared to the widespread and mass following that Gold has.
Delving deep into the matter, we come to the conclusion that the fascination
for Gold in the secular sphere is but an extension of its glitter on the
spiritual plane. If we care to look for it, we find innumerable mentions of the
yellow metal in the Scripture, with its being used as a mode of comparison with
none less than divine personages.
Perhaps the most complimentary mention of this metal is in the context of
comparing it with the glitter, brilliance, magnificence and preciousness of the
ParamapurshA's tirumEni. "Ani sempon mEni endAi" "Sem ponnE tigazhum tiru
moorthiyAi" says Sri Nammazhwar, telling us that the Lord's complexion is that
of beaten red gold. Another Azhwar confirms this and considers the matter to be
significant enough to be catalogued in the very first verse of his
composition-"TirukkaNdEn PonmEni kaNdEn". Sri Kalian, that peerless connoisseur
of the arcchA moorthy, tells us that if we really think about it, we would find
the Lord's tirumEni to be golden-hued-
"vaNNam eNNum kAl
Ponnin vaNNam maNiyin vaNNam puraiyum tirumEni
Inna vaNnam endru kAttIr IndaLooreerE".
As we know that every word and syllable of Azhwars' outpourings are based on
the Shruti, we search for confirmation from the Vedas for this conception of
the Lord's complexion and we do find it in the Upanishad, which goes a step
further and tells us that even the hair atop the Lord's head, His moustache,
other facial vegetation and all the magnificent parts of His splendorous torso,
including His nails, are gloriously golden. Here is the relevant quote-
"Ya EshOntar AdityE hiraNmaya:Purusha:drisyatE
HiraNmaya:smashru:hiranmaya kEsa:AprNakhAt sarva Eva
suvarNa:"
For good measure, the Shruti reconfirms the Lord's golden complexion
thus-"Hiranya varNam rugmAbham". Emperuman's association with gold doesn't stop
with His complexion. When He is born as Sri Krishna, He arranges for AdisEsha
too to descend to Gokulam, in the form of a golden cradle. The conscientious
chronicler of Krishna's childhood, Sri PeriayAzhwar, confirms that Sri Krishna
slept in a golden cradle, the ardent offering of a devoted BrahmA-
"MANikkam katti vayiram idai katti
ANi ponnAl seida vaNna siru tottil
PENi unakku Piraman vidu tandAn"
The Lord is so enamoured of gold that even His spittoon is made of the yellow
metal, which Sri Kulasekhara Perumal wishes to hold forever-
"Venkata KOn umizhum pon vattil piditthu udanE pugapperuvEn AvEnE".
Another indication of His infatuation with the yellow metal is His sporting a
"golden" tirunAmam, at one of the TirunAngUr divyadEsams, as "Sempon sei
Arangan" (HEma Rangan).
We are told by Sri Valmiki that the Royal court of Ayodhya was all done up in
glittering gold-"SabhAyAm hEma kliptAyAm". And on the occasion of Sri Rama's
coronation, Brahmins holding auspicious things in their hands walked ahead of
Sri Rama, on His way to the Royal court, and predictably, one of the mangala
dravyAs they held was gold-
"akshatam jAtaroopam cha gAva: kanyA: tathA dvijA:
narA mOdaka hastAscha Raamsya puratO yayu:"
When holy water is to be brought for the PattAbhishEkam from sacred rivers and
oceans, it is brought in golden pots-
"sauvarNAn vAnarEndrANAm chatuNAm chaturO ghatAn".
And on the joyous occasion of the Coronoation, Indra, the Chief of the
Celestials, offers with devotion a glittering golden garland to the
Paramapurusha-
"MAlAm jvalantIm vapushA kAnchanIm shata pushkarAm
Raghavaya dadou VAyu: VAsavEna prachOdita:"
And when Sri Rama thinks of offering a tribute to VadikAs on the occasion of
His coronation, it is Gold that He plumps for, in the form of 300 million gold
coins-
"Trimsat kOtI: hiraNyasya brAhmaNEbhyO dadou puna:"
According to popular accounts, all SAlagrAma shilAs, in which the Lord's
presence is constant and eternal, are said to contain a streak of gold inside
them, giving such moorthies (especially those which do not have a vadanam or
chakram) the name "HiraNya garbha:" (pregnant with gold). It is interesting to
note that the Lord Himself is referred to as Hiranyagarbha by the
Shruti-"HiraNya garbha: samavartata agrE bhootasya jAta: pati: Eka Aseet". This
term is also used to denote the four-headed BrahmA.
The Golden Connection doesn't stop with the Lord. Predictably, His Consort too
sports a golden hue, as She is in every way a perfect match to the
Paramapurusha. This is confirmed by the Sri Suktam, which adds that, in the
manner of our own women folk who have a penchant for matching colours, Sri
Mahalakshmi too wears garlands of a golden hue-
"HiraNya varNAm HariNIm suvarna rajata srajAm"
Not only the Divine Duo, but also their devotees have an abiding connection
with the yellow metal, we find. For instance, Parama BhAgavata Sri Shankara too
sports a golden complexion, according to Azhwars-"Pon tigazhum mEni puri sadai
am puNNiyan". Confirmation of this is available from a NayanmAr, an exclusive
devotee of Rudra too, who describes the deity as "PonnAr mEnianE!".
VaruNa, the presiding deity of all waters, be they rivers, oceans, ponds or
wells, is reported to have a golden horn-"Hiranya shringam VaruNam prapadyE"
says the aghamarshaNa SUktam.
Not only the Lord's votaries, but some of His sworn adversaries too have a
golden name, like HiranyAksha and Hiranyakasipu, to quote a couple. Azhwars too
refer to these asurAs as "Pon peyarOn".
While in one of the yagyAs, a golden vessel full of honey is supposed to be
given away ("HiraNya pAtram madhO: pUrNam dadhAti-madhavyOsAnIti"), in another,
the performer of the yAga gains bricks made of gold-"hirayNyEshatakO bhavati"
Gold not only serves the Lord in the myriad modes mentioned above, but is also
eminently suitable for worshipping Him with, as flowers made of
gold-"SwarNapushpam"-- make for an admirable adornment to Him. Additionally,
during the alankArAsanam, we are supposed to submit (as part of the 32 types of
"upachAram" to be offered to Him) gold too, as "MAtrA dAnam", according to the
Pancha kAla kriyA Deepam-
"tila taNdula tAmbUla tapanIya dhritAmbarai:
pooritAm darsayE mAtrAm pAtrENa PraNatArtihan"
Continuing the saga of ceaseless association of the Lord with the precious
metal, we find that even the river, which laps gently at His tiruvadi and forms
a glorious garland to Sri Rangaraja, is called "Ponni". Not only is the river's
name golden, it brings gold from various underwater mines and offers it as an
ardent tribute at the feet of the Lord of Srirangam-"Pon alaikkum KAviri"
Is it any wonder therefore, that stealing of gold ranks among the most heinous
of misdeeds? Theft and robbery are bad enough when they involve other items of
property, but when it comes to gold, ShAstrAs are especially severe in
prescribing penalties for "SvarNa stEyam".
However much we may tout Gold to be the best of riches, Sri Nammazhwar tells us
that even the most precious of ornaments made of the purest of gold, would not
equal one sincere and devout folding of the palms in a gesture of "anjali", as
an offering to Emperuman-"dEsamAna aNikalanum en kai kooppu seigayE". Having
compared the Lord's brilliance to beaten gold, Azhwar is eaten away by remorse,
for likening Him to after all an inanimate object, the glitter of which would
not equal a billionth of the Lord's, and comes out with a
clarification-"Sutturaittha nan pon un tirumEni oLi ovvAdu".
Having traversed the golden trail so far, we find that there are several other
items that are as precious and splendorous as Gold, with their glitter however
hidden from the undiscerning observer. For instance, Sandhyavandanam is indeed
a Golden Ritual, conferring upon us immense and precious benefits, but its
brilliance is not immediately perceptible to the uninitiated. It is only when
one adopts and continues its "upAsanA", that it reveals itself in all its
magnificence, inculcating in us devotion and dedication to the Ultimate. There
is similarly a "Golden Strategy" which leads us unfailingly to the gates of
Paradise, viz., Prapatti, which too remains invisible to our eyes, till we
apply the magical mascara of Acharya upadEsam.
Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
dasan, sadagopan
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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