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----- Original Message ----- 
From: sadagopaniyengar 
To: SriRangaSri ; J.Srinivasan ; radha jagannathan ; rajamragu@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2005 4:39 AM
Subject: Instructive Inaction


                                      
Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

                                   Instructive Inaction
 

 

           What is the image we have in our mind of the Divine Consort? What 
qualities do we normally associate with Her? How do we expect Her to act in a 
particular situation? 

 

       These may appear to be rhetorical questions, for which everyone knows 
the answers. The picture we have etched in our consciousness about Piratti is 
one of an extremely merciful and considerate Mother, ever ready to forgive the 
offences of Her errant progeny, endowed with an apparently boundless fund of 
Mercy and Compassion, to whom anger and punitive measures are total strangers. 
A picture of boundless Beauty and radiating absolute Peace, ready without even 
a request to bestow on us bounties-unimaginable riches, blemishless wisdom and 
ultimately Liberation itself-this is what we think of Tirumagal, the 
inseparable Consort of Sriman Narayana the Supreme Being.

 

The Scripture tells us that the traits, looks, glory and other attributes of 
Sridevi, the Principal Consort, are every bit in conformity with those of Her 
distinguished Husband-"Bhagavan Narayana abhimata anuroopa svaroopa roopa guna 
vibhava aishwarya seelaadi anavadhika atisaya asankhyeya kalyaana guna ganaam" 
says Sri Ramanuja, paying glorious tribute to Sri. What this boils down to is 
that the characteristics of Sridevi are every bit a match to and as splendorous 
as those of the Lord. There are some like Sri Bhattar who in fact place Her on 
a higher pedestal than the Paramatma Himself, as far as compassion is 
concerned. She is eternal, as is the Lord. She is all-pervasive, as He is. She 
is all-powerful too and omniscient, matching Emperuman perfectly, aspect to 
aspect. If He is the Bhagavaan, the possessor of the six major attributes of 
Gnaanam, Balam, Ishvaryam, Veeryam, Shakti and Tejas, She too is Bhagavati, 
equally endowed with these traits.

  

It follows from all the above that Piratti is as powerful, strong and capable 
of annihilating adversaries, however tough they be, as the Lord Himself is. 
There is no limit to Her potency, might, force and command. It is not for 
nothing that the Shruti describes Her as "Duraadharshaam" (Srisuktam), 
referring to Her invincibility. If only She so wishes, She can destroy evil 
forces with as much ease and facility as Emperuman. One might suppose, albeit 
mistakenly, that Balam or Strength, being a masculine trait, must be the sole 
preserve of the Lord. However, the episode (from Paadma Puranam) of Sri Sita 
lifting the box containing the Shiva dhanus casually (in the process of 
retrieving Her ball which had fallen behind the same) makes us believe that Her 
strength is no less phenomenal than the Lord's, though She doesn't choose to 
display the same.

 

Let us take the instance of Sita Piratti's abduction by Ravana. None can doubt 
that that the apparently delicate-looking Princess of Mithila was indeed 
endowed with strength enough to ward off the worst of attacks by the mightiest 
of foes. She had too the power to reduce the abductor to ashes, with a mere 
look of anger from Her normally merciful eyes. She was a true "Pativrata", who 
could make the elements dance to Her tunes. More than anything, She was the 
Divine Consort, who could destroy a million Ravanas with Her mere will. 

 

The question arises, therefore, as to why Sita Devi chose to meekly let Herself 
be spirited away, without defending Herself effectively. Had She done so, She 
could have saved Herself, Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana a lot of misery. Rama need 
not have searched for Her over hill and dale, seeking the assistance of monkeys 
and bears in the process. 

 

She too need not have endured so much depression, desolation and gloom, which 
almost drove Her to take Her life. Tears spring to our eyes when we read 
descriptions of Piratti's travails while in the custody of the vile Ravana. 
Valmiki describes Her as having lost all Her splendour, tortured constantly by 
unthinkable thoughts and worry plaguing Her mind. She suffered in silence like 
a Chakravaaka bird cruelly separated from its mate. It breaks Sri Hanuman's 
heart to witness Sita's plight at Lanka.

 

With all this, why, indeed why did Piratti choose not to destroy Her abductor 
with a fiery glance? Why did She choose to spend a gruelling year in captivity 
at the Asoka Vanam, surrounded by terrifying Rakshasis and constantly being 
threatened by Ravana? With all the wherewithal at Her command, why did She not 
rid Herself of Her tormentors in a trice?

 

We have an answer to this riddle, in the words of Piratti Herself. Says She, 
addressing Ravana with revulsion-

 

" asandesaat tu Ramasya, tapasascha anupaalanaat

  na tvaa kurmi Dasagreeva! bhasma bhasmaarha! tejasaa"

 

Sita tells Her abductor-"I am entirely capable of reducing you to a mere heap 
of ashes, with just a glance from my normally compassionate eyes. My power and 
luminescence are such that you would perish like an insignificant speck of dust 
caught in an inferno. And that is what you richly deserve too! However, I spare 
you because I do not want to expend my divine energy on a non-entity like you. 
Further, I do not have the requisite authority from my distinguished husband to 
do this to you. You are soon going to see for yourself the destructive powers 
Sri Raghava can wield, once angered. And since you would be meeting your 
miserable end at His glorious hands, I spare you now".

 

When we scour the Scripture, we find that this is not an isolated instance of 
Piratti refraining from protecting Herself from an asura's onslaughts, though 
fully capable of doing so. 

 

In the very same Epic, we find the same Piratti patiently bearing the injury 
inflicted by the vile Kaakaasura, who pecked at Her breast and drew blood.

 

When the dreaded Hiranyaaksha, the brother of Hiranyakasipu, spirited away the 
Earth and hid it in the depths of the ocean, Bhoomi Piratti was indeed capable 
of annihilating the asura. However, we find Her docilely submitting to the 
persecution and remaining hidden ("paasi toorthu kidanda Paar Magal"-Sri andal) 
and uncared for beneath the deep waters, till the Lord took the form of a giant 
boar, the Yagya Varaha Murthy, and rescued Her after fierce battle with 
Hiranyaksha. 

 

Enquiring into this repeated phenomenon of Piratti refraining from any action 
in self-protection despite being eminently endowed therefor, Swami Desikan says 
there is indeed an excellent reason behind this enigma.

 

"Aashvaasanaaya jagataam Purushe parasmin

  Aabaddha rakshana dasaam abhinetu kaame

  Antarhita itara gunaat abalaa svabhaavaat

  Oudanvate payasi majjanam abhyanaishee:"

 

How do ordinary people develop confidence in a Protector? Only by seeing Him 
extend the umbrella of safety and security to those in distress. And the more 
powerful the distressed person, the greater is the assurance generated in the 
onlooker that the Lord is indeed a Protector par excellence, capable of saving 
us from any type of danger or threat. It was just to foster in people's minds 
such an unshakeable confidence in the Lord as the Universal Guardian, Defender 
and Trouble Shooter, that Bhoo Devi subjected Herself to all the tribulation of 
abduction by Hiranyaksha. When the Lord is seen to be capable of affording 
protection to even the mighty Piratti, it generates in the onlookers' minds an 
indestructibly sturdy faith that He is capable of shielding us from any 
onslaught from any source. However much the Scripture may wax eloquent about 
the Lord's capabilities as the Sarva Rakshakan (Universal Saviour), for the 
uninitiated, "seeing is believing". And this is why Piratti meekly accepted the 
abduction, rather than destroy Hiranyaaksha with Her mere glance, says Swami 
Desikan. 

 

Further, it would appear that though the Lord and His Lady share all the 
auspicious attributes, they have entered into an inter se agreement that each 
would predominantly demonstrate only certain of the attributes. Going by this 
formula, Piratti appears to have entirely forsaken any punitive action, 
preferring to deal with Her errant progeny with the extremely potent weapon of 
Mercy. "Nityam agyaata nigrahaam" is how Swami Desikan describes Her, telling 
us that She is, by nature, incapable of doling out retribution, however richly 
deserved. She is the Universal Mother ("Samasta loka Janani"), who would not 
take a stick to Her children, however grave be the provocation.

 

Another reason appears to be to demonstrate the paramount trait of 
Paaratantryam or Dependence. We know only too well that we are incapable of 
protecting ourselves. Not only is self-protection an ineffective strategy, it 
also indicates inadequate faith in the Universal Protector and His capability 
to shield and shelter us. "Aham mad rakshana bhara:.na mama, Sripate: eva" says 
Swami Desikan, squarely placing the responsibility as well as fruits of 
protecting us at the doorsteps of Emepruman. It was to demonstrate to us this 
sterling concept of Paaratantryam or sole dependence on the Lord for our 
protection, that Piraatti, though eminently capable of defending Herself from 
the vilest of asuras, refrained from doing so and awaited succour from the 
divine hand.

 

The glory of Srimad Ramayanam is such that we learn a lot from not only the way 
each of the characters act, but also from their inaction. Piratti's conduct on 
this occasion, that of refraining from protecting Herself, also aids the story 
line, we must say. For, had Sita Devi annihilated Ravana the moment he 
approached her in the garb of a Sanyasi, Ramayanam would have come to an end 
then and there. We would have had no occasion to learn about such sterling 
characters as Sabhari, Sugreeva and Vali. We would never have been aware of the 
glory of Hanuman or of Vibhishana.

The vast clan of Rakshasas would have remained undestroyed, continuing to cause 
incalculable harm to the rest of humanity. The efficacy of the supreme strategy 
of Sharanagati, its modes and requirements, would have remained undemonstrated, 
since Vibhishana sharanagati would not have come to pass.

 

We thus find that every minute action or abstention of characters in the Epic 
is extremely significant, everything apparently timed to perfection and enacted 
under the able tutelage of the Master Choreographer.

 

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana 
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

dasan, sadagopan

 



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