Sri Parthasarathi thunai Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha Srimad Vara Vara MunayE namaha Sri Vanachala mahA munayE
namaha Gratefulness “kruthaknadhai” is very important for any
human being. Our sastras declare
that the worst of sins is forgetting gratitude. It is similar to acting unfaithfully to
a friend. (“mitra drOhE cha pAthakam”) Andal who started the marghazhi nOmbu to attain the
divine krishnAnubhavam suddenly in the third paasuram prays for the welfare of
the place “vAnga kudam niraikkum vallal perum
pasukkal neengAdha selvam niraindhu” Why does she ask for all
these? For any Srivaishnavite/prapannan attaining emperuman’s divine feet is the
only goal. All other lowkika palans
(pleasures) are ignored. Is
attaining emperuman the primary goal and the others the secondary goals? No for
Srivaishnavas primary, secondary everything is only emperuman and his
anubhavams. Then why is andal
talking about attaining nourishment of cows and other wealth? It is to show her
gratitude to the elders who have allowed their union with krishna. The elders wanted the welfare of aiypadi
and hence for the sake of the elders andal also prays for the same as a sense of
gratitude. Our acharyas have given very special importance to
this sense of gratitude. Once a
king with his army proceeded towards south to win over another kingdom. On the way a Srivaishnavite in Srirangam
helped the king and his army with rice, grains and other ingredients. The king accepted the same with
happiness and continued his journey.
After winning over the war the king returned back to his kingdom and on
the way back met this srivaishnava once again and asked what he could do to him
in return to his timely help? The
Srivaishnava replied, “You have already done everything to me” The king was
taken by surprise. He asked, “I
have met you only once in my life and that was the time when you helped me
giving the grains and other ingredients when did I do anything to you?” The
Srivaishnava replied, “My acharya Sri Parasara bhattar used to tell about you
with great gratitude. While swamy
was suffering in thirukottiyur without being able to have the divine darshan of
his dear namperumal you were only instrumental of bringing him back to srirangam
under the divine feet of emperuman.
So swamy used to remember that incident quite often and show his
gratefulness for your help. A
service done to satisfy my acharya is the greatest help you can do to me. So adiyen reserves my gratitude towards
you for all my life. I have now
done only a small drop as a token of my sense of gratitude.” Thus was the extent of gratefulness and
acharya bhakthi our acharyas had.
Shouldn’t we hold atleast one percent of the same feeling calling us also as Srivaishnavites. In the next posting we will see one instance where swamy emperumanar, elder brother of soodhikkoduththa sudarkodi showed his gratefulness towards a small girl. (To be
continued) Azhvar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE
sharaNam Adiyen ramanuja dAsee Sumithra Varadarajan
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