Sri:
Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:
One time Bhattar was giving a discourse during which he
mentioned that Lord Sriman Narayana does suffer in the
matters of his devotees.
After the discourse was over, two scholars who were in
the audience were walking in the streets of Srirangam
talking about the upanyasam.
They were saying "Bhattar said today in his upanyasam
that the Lord has suffering. Yet the Upanishads say
that He is 'Anandamaya:' - that is, He knows nothing
but joy. Bhattar is a great scholar and no doubt has
full knowledge of all sastras. So, why would he say
that? Is what he said correct?".
One of Bhattar's disciples known as Panditha who had
been listening to Bhattar's upanyasams for many years
overheard this conversation. He was greatly saddened
by it and went and told Bhattar about it.
Bhattar asked him "O Panditha! You have listened to
me for many years. Why do you come and tell me this?
Could you not have clarified their doubts there
itself?"
Panditha replied "O Bhattar! I could have explained
to them what you said based on your discourses.
However, they were scholars and would not be
satisfied by explanations alone. They would expect
proof. As I could not remember any pramANas, I did
not say anything".
Bhattar then told him "When Dasaratha decided to
crown Sri Rama as the king of Ayodhya, he first
asked his courtiers about it. They unanimously said
that they wanted to see it done right away. So much
so, they asked Dasaratha to run away and get the
coronation done immediately.
Dasaratha told them that he was happy to see their
interest in Sri Rama's coronation, but why did they
ask him to run away. Was not his rule governed by
dharma, did he not treat his subjects well?
The courtiers replied that while Dasaratha had ruled
properly, they were pushed to say what they had by
Sri Rama's divine and auspcious qualities.
Dasaratha then asked them what noble qualities they
had seen in Sri Rama. They went on to describe Sri
Rama's many wonderful qualities at the end of which
they mentioned one thing - if any subject of Ayodhya
were to suffer for any reason, then Sri Rama would
suffer even greater than that person."
Bhattar then asked "O Panditha! Why did you not ask
the two scholars whether Sri Rama's suffering was an
auspicious quality or if it was a lowly quality?"
Bhattar then said "If they want proof from the
sastras and not just the itihasas, do not the
Vedantas say that He is alone and that He is not
happy ('na rameti'). How can He, who is surrounded
by shrI, bhU and nILa devIs, by nityasUris and by
muktAtmas, be alone. And how is He unhappy.
We find in this world that if we get attached to
someone through marriage or other reasons, then we
suffer for them when they are hurting. If this is
the case for a relationship that came in the middle,
how could He, who is related to all the jIvas since
time immemorial and who is the father of all these
souls, not be worried when they are suffering in
this world? He feels lonely because not all of His
children are with Him in His abode and enjoying
Him and He is unhappy for them."
Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam
A Day in the Life of Our Acharyas:
http://www.acharya.org/articles/aditlooa/index.html
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