>From: sadagopaniyengar <sadagopaniyengar@xxxxxxxx> >Subject: The Ubiquitous Umbrella >Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 20:37:57 +0530 > > > Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama: > > > > The Ubiquitous Umbrella > > >For long, whenever a caricature is drawn of a Londoner, he has always been >picturised with a bowler hat on his head and an umbrella under his arm. He >may forget even his preferred breakfast of bacon and eggs in the morning, >but not to carry his umbrella, we are told. London weather is said to be so >nasty that precipitations occur frequently and without notice-- hence its >residents' attachment to the umbrella. We in India too like to carry an >umbrella during the monsoon season (which, alas, has become almost >non-existent during the last couple of years). And ladies prefer the >umbrella during rain or shine, to protect their lily-white complexions from >the Sun. This applies especially to Japanese ladies, whom you always find >(at least in movies) sporting trendy umbrellas in their hands-so much so >that it appears to be as much a part of Japanese traditional costume, as >the Kimono. However, as you would have observed, the umbrella appears to >be on its way out during recent years, replaced by Raincoats, Duck-back >wear and such-like, which provide comprehensive and body-length protection >against a downpour. The younger generation perhaps considers the umbrella >unfashionable and prefers to cover itself with shiny plastic, leather and >vinyl, as its answer to rains. Before it becomes extinct, let us capture a >few glorious glimpses of the umbrella's hoary history. > > > >The Lord appears to have created us in His own mould, perhaps in the fond >hope that we would be as good and holy as He is. Though we have belied His >expectations, we do stick on to things that remind us of our origins and >parentage. We find, thus, that in carrying an umbrella too, we are only >copying Him. > > > > My ever-critical daughter, peering over my shoulder, remarks, "You have >got away with quite a few wild statements in the past. You have linked the >most insignificant of things to the Lord, like a speck of dust, a blade of >grass, a strand of hair and even a piece of stone. This time, however, you >are going too far by trying to connect a mere umbrella with Emperuman and >are surely going to fail! Let me see how you do it!" > > > >Ruing the misfortune of having to answer to mere infants with pretensions >of being literary critics at sixteen and spurred on by the compulsion of >having to prove her wrong, I lay the following lines before you, who are >the final arbiters in the matter. > > > >To repeat, it is very much the Lord who first held an umbrella. Whenever >you see sculptures of the DasAvatArAs, you find that each avatAra is >depicted with distinct items in the Lord's hands. For instance, you are >able to recognise Sri Rama instantly by the bow and arrow He holds >stylishly, Sri Krishna by His flute, Sri Balarama by the Plough and Sri >Parasurama by the murderous axe slung over His shoulder. Similarly, the >observant among us would have definitely noticed the distinctive feature of >the VAmanAvatAra-the Umbrella. > > > >When the Lord makes His appearance at MahAbali's asvamEdha yAga in the form >of an enchanting BrahmachAri, short and sweet, radiating wisdom and >penance, His attire is completely in tune with the role adopted. As a >BrahmachAri, He holds a Dandam (a stick of the PalAsa tree) in His hand, >has a belt of darbha grass, a yagyOpaveetam sprawling resplendently in His >chest and holds a Kamandalu or water-container in His other hand. His chest >is covered by deerskin, which the Lord uses to hide the presence of the >inseparable Sri Mahalakshmi. Onlookers are so astounded by the beauty and >splendour of the small boy, that they rise to their feet automatically. >They wonder whether it is verily the Soorya BhagavAn who has honoured the >sacrifice with his presence, or the illustrious Agni himself. Such was the >impressive entry made by Emperuman at Bhrigukaccham on the banks of the >Narmada, where the asvamEdha yAga was in progress. > > > >The point of this lengthy description is that the BhAgavata PurANa tells us >of one very important item held in the Lord's hand, viz., an Umbrella- > >"Cchatram sadandam sajalam kamandalum vivEsa bibhrat hayamEdha vAtam". One >wonders-against which element did the Lord need protection, that He carried >an umbrella? Was it against the blazing Sun? It could not be, for the >timely rise and set of the Sun is attributed to his fear of the >Lord-"bheeshOdEti Soorya:" says the Taittiriyopanishad. Could it have been >against pouring rain? This again was not possible, for Varuna the Deity of >Waters, VAyu the Windgod and Indra the Chief of celestials, all of whom >jointly send down rains, are in equal fear of the Lord, says the same >Upanishad-"BheeshAsmAt VAta: pavatE, bheeshAsmAt agnischa indrascha". > > > >We are told that the umbrella was a gift to the Lord by the heavens above, >just as the Yagyopaveetam was gifted by Brihaspati, the belt of Munji grass >by Kashyapa Maharshi, the kamandalu by BrahmA and so on-"koupeenam >AcchAdanam mAtA dyou: cchatram jagata: patE:" > > > >Does the umbrella's association with the Lord stop with the VAmanAvatArA? >Not at all, as we shall see presently. > > > >During the Ramavatara, in describing Sri Rama's return from His father's >palace without any of the trappings of the YuvarAjA due to KaikEyI's >machinations, Kamban says, > > > >"kuzhaikkindra kavari indri, kottra veN kudayum indri > >azhaikkindra vidhi mun chella, Dharumam pin irangi Ega" > > > >To Kousalya, who had been expecting Her darling's return with all the >trappings of power like acolytes fanning Him on both sides, a courtier >holding aloft a decorated umbrella made of the purest of white silk and so >on, Sri Rama's return unaccompanied by any of the aforesaid adornments >comes as a severe disappointment. > > > > We see thus that the Umbrella has for long signified power, prestige and >honour. That this is true today too, even at much lower levels, is seen >from the lackey following the village landlord, holding an umbrella over >his head. And we find Emperors being described as "Eka CchatrAdhipati", >indicating that their umbrella of power extends over the whole world-this, >however, is a misnomer, for it is only Emperuman who could truthfully claim >this title, being the Supreme Lord of all the universes. > > > >After His triumphant return from Lanka, Sri Rama accepts the throne of >Ayodhya at the request of Bharata. At the Coronation, signifying His >overlordship over all, a beautiful white umbrella is held over the head of >Sri Rama. The good fortune of holding the same falls to the lot of >Shatrughna-"Cchatram tu tasya jagrAha Shatrughna: pANdaram shubham". > > > >If Sri Rama was accorded the honour of a ceremonial umbrella only at His >coronation, Sri Krishna managed to corner the same on the very first day of >His birth. It is raining cats and dogs, the precipitation coming down in >torrents, when Sri VasudEva leaves KamsA's prison for the safety of >NandagOkulam, bearing the just-born Krishna. He is worried what would >happen to the infant, if it were to be drenched in the downpour. He need >not have been concerned, for, the moment he stepped out of the prison, >there was AdisEsha, holding his hoods protectively over the Lord, ensuring >that not a drop of rain fell on the Paramapurusha's tirumEni. > > > >It is perhaps from this episode of the Strange Snake functioning as the >Lord's umbrella, that Azhwars, come up with the following formulation- > > > >"chendrAl kudayAm irundAl singAsanamAm > > nindrAl maravadiyAm-neeL kadaluL endrum > > puNayAm maNi viLakkAm poompattAm, pulgum > >aNayAm TirumArkku aravu" > >. > >Here too, the primacy of the Umbrella is evident from its being mentioned >ahead of the Lord's throne, footwear, boat, luminous lamp and the softest >of beds. > > > >We have seen that others hold an umbrella over the Lord's head, as a >measure of protection, honour and adoration. Is there any instance of >Emperuman holding an umbrella over the heads of others? Yes, indeed there >is. He is so accessible and likes so much to mingle with us, that He >doesn't shrink from performing even the most menial of services for His >ardent devotees. > > > >The residents of Gokulam had the practice of performing poojA every year to >Indra, the Chief of Celestials, who ensured timely rains, so essential for >the sustenance of both man and cow. Sri Krishna, intent on teaching >arrogant Indra a lesson, convinced His father and GOpAs that worship ought >to be performed to the actual benefactors of Gokulam, viz., the cows which >showered wealth through their munificent flood of milk, Brahmins who >performed VEda pArAyaNam for universal welfare and to the Govardhana hill, >which was responsible for the cows' well being. The GOpAs, impressed by Sri >Krishna's well-reasoned arguments, agreed and performed worship to the >aforesaid, ignoring Indra. Indra was furious at this and to teach the >ignorant cowherds a lesson they wouldn't forget in a hurry, sent down >torrential rain, accompanied by terrifying claps of thunder and continuous >flashes of lightning, enough to blind the eye. Due to the incessant rain, >the entire Gokulam was almost submerged in floods, with men, women and >children shivering in the sharp wind and drenched to their skins, not to >speak of the cows and calves. And there was absolutely no sign of the >downpour letting up. All the Gopas ran to Sri Krishna for succour. And the >Lord came to their rescue by holding up a huge umbrella, under which all of >them could stay safe and secure against the onslaught of rain and hail. And >what was this umbrella, which could accommodate hundreds of cowherds and >their families, along with the innumerable cows and calves of Nandagokulam? > > > >Assuring the shivering Gopas of immediate protection and to send a strong >signal to Indra, Sri Krishna, barely into His teens, just plucked up the >massive Goverdhana mountain with little effort (as if it was just a >toadstool) and held it up with a single hand for seven continuous days, not >even shifting a foot, affording protection to all the residents, man and >beast, of Nandagokulam. And Indra, having found out to his chagrin that his >powers were nothing before Sri Krishna's, stopped the rains and restored >normalcy. > > > >It is this episode, of the Lord having held a huge umbrella over His >devotees, which comes in for generous praise from all Azhwars. > > > > Listen, for instance, to Sri Andal-"kundru kudayAi edutthAi guNam >pOttri!" > > > >Azhwars are so enamoured of the episode, of the little Lord having held a >massive mountain with His single palm for seven days together, to protect >unlettered cowherds and dumb cows and calves, that they recount it time and >again in their outpourings. > > > >"malayai edutthu kal mAri kAtthu pasu nirai tannai > >tolaivu tavirttha PirAn" says Sri Nammazhwar too. > > > >However, I am forgetting the most obvious thing that comes to our mind, >when we talk about Umbrellas-they are the ones that Sri Varadaraja sports >magnificently over His majestic head, on the day of the GarudOtsavam. These >umbrellas are indeed stately specimens of their species-- broad, wide and >fitting in every way to the Paramapurusha they serve. We are told by Sri >DoddayAchAr Swamy that these umbrellas are studded with precious stones, >with their sides decorated by pearls. It is indeed a great sight to witness >Sri Devadiraja adorned by these umbrellas. > >A great roar of devotion rends the air, as Sri TEpperumAL , in all His >majesty and splendour, with a prasanna vadanam, with >the chAmarAs waving gently, resplendent under the >famous umbrellas adorned with pearls and precious >stones, appears at the temple entrance, ensconced on >Sri Garuda. > > > >It would appear that there is close competition between Sri Adisesha and >Sri Garuda, as to who would serve as an umbrella to the Lord. For, during >Sri Krishnavatara, Sri Andal tells us that VainatEya circled overhead when >the little Lord was tending to cows in the meadows of Brindavanam, >protecting the Paramatma from the blazing Sun and thereby preventing His >already dark body from acquiring a deeper shade of black- > > > >"mElAl paranda veyil kAppAn Vinatai siruvan siragennum > > mElAppin keezh varuvAnai VirundAvanattE kaNdOmE" > > > >It goes to the credit of the Umbrella that it is one of the items to be >offered to the Lord during daily worship or TiruvArAdhanam. > > > >All of us may be having any number of umbrellas at home: we need, however, >to acquire one more-one which would afford us comprehensive protection >against a heat more cruel than that generated by the Sun and more >penetrating than mere torrents of rain. This is the unbearable heat spawned >by SamsAra, the unending and vicious cycle of births and deaths. > >Prapatti or Saranagati is the only umbrella, which can afford us the shade >of comfort against this heat. Once we surrender ourselves heart and soul to >the Lord, He gifts us this protective umbrella of "abhayam", providing us >safety and security while we are in this mundane land and unimaginable >bliss at the end of this birth. > > > >Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana >Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama: > >Dasan, sadagopan > > > > > > > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > >Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka >Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama: >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Yahoo! 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