In the last blog, we sampled the கார்வண்ணம் திருமேனி பாசுரம் and ended the blog by talking about the பகவத் விஷயத்தின் இனிமை - திருமேனி as described by the நாராயணாய பதம்.
Sri paramahamsethyaathi U.Ve Tridandi Chinna jeeyar swami was here in NJ for the last 10 days and on the way during his travels, visited the home of one of the bhagavathas here in the US. We were graciously invited by them to get blessings from Jeeyar swami and we jumped at the offer to get a relatively personal audience with him.
Post the initial obeisance, pleasantries and sripada theertham, a request was placed to Swami - to give few words on emperumaanar (special request by the lady of the house). Swami obliged and started the conversation on "the concern emperumanaar had for everyone and everything". He touched the topic by illustrating two episodes (1) The episode involving நாவல் பழம் as thaligai for periya perumal which resulted in emperumaanar provisioning medicine - and the fact that during baala bhagam, sukku, vellam and pepper is provided to him even today (2) The famous episode involving Swami Pillai urangaavilli dasar. Jeeyar swami essentially covered that emperumaanar had concern for periya perumal as well as a mere mortal normal human being.
This is where jeeyar swami veered into philosophy. Considering that the audience consisted of kids with ages ranging from 2 to 80, this was a very remarkable exchange. He managed to address every one in one session!!
For my own introspection, I classified the key topics into two parts (1) On the alleged weakness of human beings (2) Beauty of bhagavan's thirumeni
On the alleged weakness of human beings
Swami basically said that emperumanaar looked at the alleged weakness of Pillaiurangavilli dasar (as alleged by others in srirangam) as "passion" and redirected that passion to what mattered - Periya Perumal. Weaknesses galore - We all have weaknesses for food, drinks, cloths, movies, TV, money etc etc. The underlying attribute is the passion for such things. If that gets redirected by acharya, then the passion takes the right route. As swami was speaking, I was recalling the below thiruvali pasuram by thirumangai azhwar
மின்னின் மன்னு நுடங்கிடை மடவார் தம் சிந்தை மறந்து வந்து
நின் மன்னு சேவடிக்கே மறவாமை வைத்தாயால்
His alleged weakness or the real passion for women was redirected by perumal to his thiruvadi. How did perumal achieve that - as we saw in the previous blog - using his own divya mangala thirumeni.
Now swami asked a very important question of the day. Everyone knew the story of how emperumanaar transformed Pillai urangaavilli dasar. By showing him the divine eyes of periya perumal. So thirumeni changed villi dasar as well. Swami asked "How did emperumanar do this". Some of the answers were as follows:
Sri paramahamsethyaathi U.Ve Tridandi Chinna jeeyar swami was here in NJ for the last 10 days and on the way during his travels, visited the home of one of the bhagavathas here in the US. We were graciously invited by them to get blessings from Jeeyar swami and we jumped at the offer to get a relatively personal audience with him.
Post the initial obeisance, pleasantries and sripada theertham, a request was placed to Swami - to give few words on emperumaanar (special request by the lady of the house). Swami obliged and started the conversation on "the concern emperumanaar had for everyone and everything". He touched the topic by illustrating two episodes (1) The episode involving நாவல் பழம் as thaligai for periya perumal which resulted in emperumaanar provisioning medicine - and the fact that during baala bhagam, sukku, vellam and pepper is provided to him even today (2) The famous episode involving Swami Pillai urangaavilli dasar. Jeeyar swami essentially covered that emperumaanar had concern for periya perumal as well as a mere mortal normal human being.
This is where jeeyar swami veered into philosophy. Considering that the audience consisted of kids with ages ranging from 2 to 80, this was a very remarkable exchange. He managed to address every one in one session!!
For my own introspection, I classified the key topics into two parts (1) On the alleged weakness of human beings (2) Beauty of bhagavan's thirumeni
On the alleged weakness of human beings
Swami basically said that emperumanaar looked at the alleged weakness of Pillaiurangavilli dasar (as alleged by others in srirangam) as "passion" and redirected that passion to what mattered - Periya Perumal. Weaknesses galore - We all have weaknesses for food, drinks, cloths, movies, TV, money etc etc. The underlying attribute is the passion for such things. If that gets redirected by acharya, then the passion takes the right route. As swami was speaking, I was recalling the below thiruvali pasuram by thirumangai azhwar
மின்னின் மன்னு நுடங்கிடை மடவார் தம் சிந்தை மறந்து வந்து
நின் மன்னு சேவடிக்கே மறவாமை வைத்தாயால்
His alleged weakness or the real passion for women was redirected by perumal to his thiruvadi. How did perumal achieve that - as we saw in the previous blog - using his own divya mangala thirumeni.
Now swami asked a very important question of the day. Everyone knew the story of how emperumanaar transformed Pillai urangaavilli dasar. By showing him the divine eyes of periya perumal. So thirumeni changed villi dasar as well. Swami asked "How did emperumanar do this". Some of the answers were as follows:
- Emperumaanar was a Yogi and so he could do it
- Swami had so much bakthi that perumal did this
- Swami prayed to perumal
- Emperumanaar as acharya made dasar see the true form
- And so on so forth
Jeeyar swami asked again - How did Emperumanaar know? Finally he pulled the answer out of us. Because he has seen bhagavans thirumeni (as in பாட்டினால் கண்டு வாழும் பாணர்)- which is the entire Universe and has appreciated the beauty. Unless one has seen and experienced it , they cannot convince others. Jeeyar swami went on to give a few examples (as in context for the NJ dwellers :-))
- it snowed when swami was here. The beauty of the landscape when it was filled with snow
- The ocean and sea shore
- The night sky
- Spring
- Fall colors
- trees during winter - This raised an interesting discussions. Many kids felt the trees looked actually sad without leaves (including senior kids in their mind). Swami said thats also a beauty
- Finally he said - when you feel the breeze on your body - isnt this bhagavan hugging you!!
So the entire universe is bhagavan's thirumeni and that beauty is what emperumanaar saw in periya perumal and so he was able to convince Dasar by showing him that beauty. Jeeyar swami then encouraged everyone to see the "beauty" of bhagavan all around and not just in our thiruvaradhana perumal. Jeeyar swami was using simple words as he was explaining this and suddenly referred
திட விசும்பு எரி வளி நீர் நிலம் இவை மிசை
படர் பொருள் முழுவதுமாய் அவை அவை தொறும் - திருவாய் மொழி (1-1-7)
so his body is everything and anything in this universe and so we should learn to see him in everything. And always remember that no matter where we are and what state we are in, we are always with him! Emperumanaar was able to show concern to everyone because of this.
Coming back to our thread ... isnt this நாராயணா? As I recall in one of the Srivaishnava websites - The one in whom all beings rest or should I say "The one in whom everything resides" !!
I am sure this must be coincidence ;-) How can the thirumeni thread continue like this? No wonder azhwar started his thirunedunthaandagam with மின்னுருவாய் , பின்னுருவாய் , பொன்னுருவாய் - After all பொன்னுரு திருமேனி has மின்னுரு and பின்னுரு!
And on we march.....
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