You are here: SriPedia - Ramanuja - Archives - Nov 2003

Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00042 Nov 2003

 
Nov 2003 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


 WITNESS-2 -MARKANDEYA MAHARISHI AS A WITNESS


Is the term "kari" used by nam AzhwAr. Thamizh is a very rich language.Each 
word has several meanings. "kari" is one such word. 
It means coal. It refers an elephant. Here it alludes to sAkshi-witness.

swAmi nam-AzhwAr has used this word in poliga-poliga padhigam. He has referred 
to mArkaNdEya maharishi as a witness.

"niRuthi num vuLLthuk koLLum dheivangaL ummai vuyyakkOL,
maRuthum avanOdE kaNdEr mArkaNdEyanum kariyEa,
kaRutha manam vonRum vENdA kaNNan allAl dheivam illai,
iruppadhellAm avan mUrthiyAya avaRkEA iruminEA" thiru voi mozhi 5-2-7

It may be thus observed that mArkaNdEyan has been cited as a witness here in 
this pAsuram. What for? This is being discussed in the context of, whether 
other demi-gods can rescue us? For this AzhwAr summons this muni and recalls 
that event. This pAsuram read with another will throw light on that event. In 
thiru voi mozhi 7-5-7 

"...vaNduN malarth thongal mArkaNdEyanukku vAzhu nAL, iNdai sadai mudi Esan 
udan koNdu vusAch chella
koNdanguth thannodum koNdu, vudan chenRadhuNarndhumEA" AzhwAr has referred to 
the same event.


It is well known that mArkaNdEayn's parents were granted a boon that they will 
be granted a wise son but his longevity will be limited. The son was a devotee 
of shivA. When parents grieved that the death for their son was nearing, 
mArkaNdEayn told them not to worry and appraoched shivA, whom he had been 
worshipping all along and requested for further lifetime. shivA displayed his 
long hair in private, thus enunciating to mArkaNdEayn that he is also a soul 
like mArkANdEyan and the only person who can rescue him, grant him salvation, 
full of auspicious qualities is sriman nArAyaNA. The Lord granted him his wish, 
as if he had been recommended by pirAtti. Edu vyAkyANam is wonderful:
"oru nALilE vandhavARE, thalaik kadaiyum puzhaikkadaiyum adaithu, jadaiyai 
virithuk kAtti,......vunakkOr Asrayanam kAttap pArAi! enRu, avan saulabhyAdhi 
gunangaLaiyum, mOksha parathvathvAdhi gunangaLaiyum vusAvik koNdu, sarva lOkan 
pakkalilE chendRAn,.... oru pirAtti purushakAramaga varuvAraik kaik koLLimAp 
pOlE, kaik kONdu..."

The idea here is that the demi-deities cannot help the souls. They cannot grant 
mOksham or greater long term benefits. They are subservient to the Lord like 
other souls. For this, the aforementioned mArkaNdEyan's experience is called as 
a witness.

Here the supremacy of the Lord is established and counselling is done by AzhwAr 
which is aptly mentioned by mAmunikal as
"vulagil thirundhAdhar thammai thiruthiya mARan sol" 
(to be continued)
vanamamalai padmanabhan






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
ramanuja-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list