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Spiritual wealth

CHENNAI: The hallmarks of true devotion rest on truth and sincerity and this is exemplified in the hymns of the Azhwars. Their devotion to the Lord is such that they consider it a great privilege to serve Him. They ask God to make them render selfless service to Him at all times with no trace of ego. The meaning of wealth in spiritual parlance refers to this blessing or grace by which one is entitled to offer dedicated service to the Almighty, and Lakshmana, who is believed to be an incarnation of Adisesha, symbolises this wealth, said Kalyanapuram Sri R. Aravamudhachariar in a lecture.

Similarly, Vibhishana acquired special wealth and was called as Sriman by Valmiki when he surrendered himself at Lord Rama’s feet. Gajendra, who had been struggling for ages to free himself from the clutches of the crocodile, realised that neither friends, family, nor kingly patronage can be of any help, and decided to invoke the primordial force to relieve him from the suffering.

Kulasekhara Azhwar typifies the truth that it is not his royal lineage that is his wealth but his unflinching love and devotion to the Lord, especially towards Lord Rama. Amidst his kingly duties, he entertained the devout in his court and would listen to the exposition of the Ramayana by expert scholars. It is said that he would empathise with the events in the Ramayana to such an extent, that he would imagine himself to be part of them and even order his army to assist Lord Rama in His battles. His regard for the devout equalled his devotion to God.

Hence it is wise to seek the Almighty with single minded determination for one’s salvation and Andal shows the way in simple terms. Should not the women in Ayarpadi get enthusiastic to sing the Lord’s infinite auspicious qualities? Is He not in their midst and should not this be enough reason for them to seek Him? What is the need for further sleep when one has to wake up to the truth of one’s purpose in life? By raising such questions Andal shows the urgent need to seek God and obtain the exclusive right to serve Him at all times, since each individual Jivatma is bound to the Lord on a permanent basis that cannot be broken or destroyed.

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