Pasuram-23
23/2/2015 was day-43 at Tirukudanthai Andavan Manimandapam where Ubha. Ve. Adoor Asuri Madhavachariar swami is giving upanyasams on Tirumangaiazhwar’s Tirunedunthandakam. Pasuram 23 was chanted and explained by swami. Parakala nayaki is happy to have found a good friend with whom she shares her divine experiences. A good friend is a treasure. A good friend shares one’s joys and sorrows. Good company is necessary for spiritual progress. A friend should be free from jealousy and should be a well-wisher. When Vaali dies Sugreeva is grief stricken and cries. Rama also cries with him . Again when Vibhishana hesitates to do the last-rites for Ravana, Rama scolds him and tells him that all enmity ends with death and is ready to do the final rites for him. Dhushanams (talking ill) should never be done about the dead. Rama thus revealed the behaviour of a good friend. Parakala nayaki’s friend helps her by making her reveal her spiritual experiences. On hearing about it she undergoes sorrow when Parakala nayaki is sad and gets happy when Parakala nayaki is joyous. In the previous pasuram Perumal calls Himself as the resident of Tiruvali Tirunagari. He sings a captivating note which makes Parakalanayaki mesmerised. Ranganatha comes in Parakala nayaki’s dream and ties her up with His Beauty and sweet talk. All her indiriyas (sense organs) refuse to be under control. Her eyes thirst for the sight of Ranganatha,her ears long to listen about Ranganatha, her head rests on His Feet and her mind is lost in Him. Like Tirumazhisaiazhwar who declares”I studied Buddhism, Jainism and all other philosophies and the realization dawned that the master of Brahma and Shiva is Sriman Narayana.” Having reached the zenith the mind does not settle for small pleasures. Once the ruchi (taste) for Narayana is evoked the mind does not agree to devathanthara worship. Just as a bee will seek only nectar-laden flowers a Srivaishnava will seek only Sriman Narayana. Parakala nayaki’s friend asks her,”did you ask Him His name?” Parakala nayaki says “He said Srirangam is our town but being lost in His Soundaryam ,I could not speak at all.” The smell of Tulasi permeated my dreams for is He not sarva gandha:(possessing all perfumes)? Is He not sarva rasa:(the Essence of essences)? He asked me to go to Srirangam and even as He was talking He left on Garuda. He is the cause of my illness. Parakala nayaki is constantly thinking about Him, she is always worshipping Him and talks about Him for is He not the karpagam who has given Himself to His bhakthas? Parakala nayaki tells her friend that He has robbed her of everything. She sees Him in her dream and calls Him”kalva”(oh thief!)
In Krishnavatharam He told each gopi that He loved her the most. He promised to come to the banks of the Yamuna and kept a gopi waiting with dew-drops falling on her head and never turned up. Parakala nayaki’s friend tells her it is true He did not ask you to accompany Him but He never said Srirangam is My place, He said it is our place so He has included you. Parakala nayaki does not want her dream to end but dreams are short-lived. The falling  off of Brahma’s kapaalam ( head) from Shiva’s finger takes place only after Sriman Narayana fills it up with amrutham. Shiva’s ordeal ended like a dream. While praying to Him asking for Vishnu-bhakthi, Bhaaghavatha sambandam, good health to go to temples and to listen to kalakshepams , to visit divyadesams can be sought. Parakala nayaki asks “could He not have given me some Tulasi to keep? During Krishnavathara while doing “rasa krida” some Tulasis must have fallen from your garland and the gopis must have stepped on them. “Wish I could have those Tulasi leaves! “Prasadam should be craved for and taken with respect. “Don’t leave me”  says Parakala nayki and the dream gets over. Parakala nayaki is shattered and her friend cries too.16,000 gopis earned Krishna’s love because they had pure hearts. He does not distinguish between the learned and the ignorant. Gopis neared Him because of their bhakthi(devotion) . Yashoda kept tying knots to existing ropes but could not tie Krishna up but the moment she said ‘Krishna I am not able to tie You He yielded . ‘He got tied by Yasodha’s love. Inorder to test the gopis He vanished from their vision and they shared their viraha taapam with each other and derived solace. Parakala nayaki tells her friend hat she is happy to have atleast one friend to share her sorrow with.
Writeup & Video :Â Vyjayanthi & Sundararajan
