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Spirit of compassion religion

CHENNAI: The Vedas admit their inability to give adequate expression to the auspicious attributes of the Lord, endorsing His infinite glory. If human beings are able to relate to Him, it is because of His merciful benevolence that saints, preceptors, Azhwars and others have experienced and internalised with great sensitivity. Their compositions and interpretations of scriptures and various hymns reflect this feature of the Lord’s magnanimity manifesting as compassion (Karuna), patience (Kshama) and parental love (Vatsalya).

Uttamur Sri Rajagopalachariar pointed out in a lecture that Vedanta Desika’s hymn to Goddess Lakshmi, the Sri Stuti, celebrates this unique attribute of the divine couple (Divya Dampati) that stands revealed in the way they come forward to guide the Jivatma towards liberation. Even while incarnating, they come to earth together to fulfil the purpose of incarnation.

The Jivatma is not aware of its creator to whom it belongs and falsely thinks that the Atma belongs to itself and due to this ignorance it is lost in the cycle of Samsara.

The Divine Mother’s name Sri signifies Her inherent nature as the ultimate refuge for all Jivatmas. Being an embodiment of patience and motherly concern, She lends a patient ear to the difficulties of the Jivatmas, and influences the Lord to forgive and lead them in the right path. Since She resides in the Lord as the Srivatsa mark, She constantly pleads on our behalf to the Lord and helps to absolve us of the faults that prevent us from attaining the goal.

A verse in Sri Stuti describes the divine couple as engaged in the game of dice, when the Srutis, the Vedas and the Nitya Suris stand witness to their play as they disburse the fruits of action to all beings right from Brahma according to their individual karma. The three Gunas that bind all aspects of the entire universe become the board on which this game is played.

While the Lord is keen on impartial distribution of the fruits of every individual’s karma, the Divine Mother forgives, corrects Her children and leads them into the right path. In this manner she becomes the goal and the means to liberation as far as Jivatmas are concerned.

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