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Pinnacle of devotion

CHENNAI: Devotion to God is the most popular path to liberation adopted by spiritual seekers as it can be followed by all. The Supreme Being is the dispenser of man’s Karma and devotion is the way a human being can express his gratitude to God for all that he enjoys with the knowledge that he owes everything to Him. As devotion takes root, a devotee begins to see the Lord as the very basis of his existence and it finally blossoms into love of God for His own sake and gets expressed as service to Him. The Azhwars were such exalted devotees and their hymns in the Nalayira Divyaprabandham afford insight into the heights of devotion they reached.

In his discourse on the Tiruppavai, Sri M.V. Ananthapadmanabhachariar said the people of Gokul by any reckoning were simpletons as they tended cattle for their livelihood. But, they were singularly blessed as the Lord chose to live among them during His descent as Krishna.

They became great because they were the Lord’s kinsmen and also due to the fact that they performed their duty (Svadharma) — looking after the cows — well. Krishna Himself has taught in the Bhagavad Gita that performance of one’s Svadharma was the best way to progress spiritually, which is the secret of Karma yoga. Scholars point out that when Rama’s coronation was announced the people of Ayodhya worshipped different gods for its success (when the Supreme Being Himself was amidst them), whereas the people of Gokul considered Krishna the be-all and end-all of their lives. It was their exceptional love for Him that made them so privileged.

For Andal, the only lady among the Azhwars, the Gopis became the leitmotif of devotion, so much so, She imagined Herself to be one of them. Being the foster daughter of Periazhwar, whose original name was Vishnuchitta meaning “he whose mind is centred on Vishnu”, Andal naturally imbibed his devotion. While all the Azhwars also pined for the Lord (He being the only Purusha) on the lines of the Gopis, being men they could only imagine themselves as women (bridal mysticism), but Andal alone was fortunate in that this emotion came naturally to Her, and She eventually married Him.

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