Miscellaneous - Religion   

Bounteous grace

CHENNAI: Spiritual tradition accords the pride of place to the Guru as it is through his grace that a seeker of liberation can attain his objective. The term “Guru” means one who dispels his disciple’s ignorance. In his hymn Dayasatakam, Vedanta Desika states that the Lord is the first Guru as He not only revealed the Vedas at the time of creation but also taught the truth for the sake of humanity during His incarnation as Krishna to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita.

In his discourse, Utthamur Sri Rajagopalachariar said after the Lord the Azhwars were the Guru in tradition and their hymns canonised in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham were a guide to spiritual aspirants. After them the Acharyas (preceptors) continue to nurture the tradition from generation to generation.

Bhutatazhwar while describing the Lord’s manifestation as Trivikrama in his hymn Irandam Tiruvandadi declares that it is not possible to fathom the Almighty’s greatness and His deeds during His incarnations. First He incarnated as the younger brother (Upendra) of Indra in a dwarfish form (hence known as Vamana) and in order to bless Bali He sought three paces of land from him. The Azhwar asks, “You said ‘three feet of land’ and took the Earth! But why ask for three, when two would have sufficed?” for Vamana transformed into Trivikrama, and measured the entire Earth in two strides and then asked Bali where He should measure the third one. Desika in his hymn Dehalisa Stuti, in praise of Trivikrama, describes that the stars which appeared first like a pearl canopy over Trivikrama’s head then adorned His neck like a string of pearls as He shot up and finally encircled His waist like a girdle.

The Azhwar hints that it is His benevolence which was the reason by addressing Him as the “Lord of ocean-deep hue”. Like the dark clouds shower bountiful rain on hills and plains without partiality, so also, the Lord’s dark blue colour is often mentioned by these mystics to indicate His all-encompassing grace towards one and all without any discrimination. He who is the omnipotent Lord of the entire creation deigned to beg for three feet of land and thereby blessed the entire world by leaving His footprints on it.

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