Amalanadhipiran Upanyasam by Dr. S. Lakshmi Kumar Tatachariyar (Pudukkottai Vasudavan) Day-16 Pasuram-8 (contd……)
On 29/4/2015 Ubha.Ve. Dr.S.Lakshmi Kumara Tatachariyar (Pudukottai Vasudevan) took up pasuram-8 which describes Ranganatha’s Eyes. Like Laksmipathithvam ,Perumal’s Pundarikakshatvam is exclusive to Him. Attractive Eyes are attributed to Nrisimha, Rama and Krishna. This pasuram is dedicated to Sri Nrisimha .Nrisimhavatharam is talked about in Tirupallandu and in Tiruvaymozhi immediately after ‘kangulum pagalum’ we have Hiranya-vadham indicating that Nammazhwar saw Nrisimhan in Periya Perumal When Hiranyakasipu walked it looked as if Mount Meru was walking. With his strong shoulders and sturdy body he was the personification of tamas. If Sukha Brahmam terms Krishnavathara as ‘adbhutham’ Nrisimhavatharam is termed ‘athyadhbhutham’. He assumed a form that was neither animal nor human. The Nails did the job of weapons and tore off Hiranyakasipu’s chest like a plantain stem. These Nails are offered namaskarams because they protected a prappana. He was ‘sweccha kesari'(He took the lion form out of His freewill).When Hiranyakasipu was torn off blood flowed all over ,Nrisimhan saw His own form reflected in the blood and got angry because Nrisimha thought another lion had come to protect Prahladan.Azhwars call Him Handsome. This was an avathara where ‘bhaktha-rakshanam’ is manifest. The devas got frightened, Brahma and Shiva shivered on seeing Nrisimha deva and yet Prahladha was cool. This was because one Eye was the scorching sun and the other the cool moon. The One who cannot be understood by the celestials was understood by a five year old bhaktha.
Was it right to kill a father infront of his son? This father was an enemy, he made every possible attempt to kill his child. Again a father is a foe if he does not impart proper education to his child and true vidhya is ‘adhyathma vidya’. Hiranyakasipu instructed Chanda and Amarka not to teach ‘mukthi-vidya’ to Prahladan Hiranyakasipu qualifies as an’ athathayi’. An athathayi is described as one who sets fire to property, one who poisons someone . grabs land or wrongs a married woman. An athathayi deserves to be killed. Perumal therefore did no wrong. He is a ‘paropakari’ He tore Hiranyakasipu and put an end to his doubts.(Where is He?) He put an end to his births and took him to moksham. In Srimadh Ramayana Rama tells Sugriva that He needs no weapons to vanquish His enemies, His Nails alone will do the job, reminiscent of His Nrisimhavatharam .As Yasodha’s child He is Krishnasimham. As Rangasimhan He resides in Srirangam and also in our hearts.He takes residence in our heart surrounded by blood and bones yet His purity is in no way affected. He is ‘Amalan’. Nrisimhan took avatharam in Hiranyakasipu’s arangam(sabhai) Hiranyakasipu’s blood splashes all over His vastram but that only Beautifies Him, there is no disgust. Tiruppanazhwar says Srirangasimhan shows us His Eyes, which make us fall at His Feet after tearing our doubts. His Eyes are like the moon and the lotus coexisting. Perumal’s Eyes are said to be red because He is always seeing Piratti. Her Eyes are black because She keeps looking at Him. Everytime He sees a devotee He gets happy and His Eyes widen and beckon the devotee to come closer. Because of the eyelids which act like a fence they are unable to grow wider. The Eyes express ‘prasannam'(happiness) and are sheetalam (cool). to those who have surrendered to Him. His Eyes are Chandra and Adithya. They protect the bhaktha and scare the non-believer. When Tiruppanazhwar says ‘apperiyavaya kangal’ he is refering to those large Eyes which can be seen through ‘the sastras’.’ Chakshushruthi'(hearing eyes) also refers to serpents whose eyes do the job of listening too and the lord of serpents is Adiseshan on whom Ranganatha reclines. These Eyes have made me their slave exclaims Tiruppanazhwar.
Writeup & Video : Vyjayanthi & Sundararajan
