GITA 1.17

GITA 1.17
Vaikuntethupareloke sriya sardyamjagatpati:
Astevishnuraachintyatma baktai hibhagavatasa:

This is a purana sloka which says the Lord is gracing in Vaikuntam with all devotees who have reached Vaikuntam. It is not possible for us to view Him with our present body and eyes. That is why, out of mercy, the Lord has come down to earth and graces as Sri Ranganatha here. Sri Utsava Murthy, Sri Namperumal is gracing in standing pose. Sri Moolavar, Sri Ranganatha is gracing in a reclining pose. 

iruL iriya chuDar maNihaL imaikkum neTTri inattutti aNi paNam AyirangaL Arnda
aravu araSa perunSOdi anandan ennum aNi viLangum uyar veLLai aNaiyai mEvi |
tiru aranga peru naharuL teNNeer ponni tirai kaiyAl aDi varuDa paLLi koLLum
karu maNiyai kOmaLattai kaNDu koNDu en kaNNiNaihaL enru kolO kaLikkum nALE|| 

Like this by Kulasekara Alwar, many Alwars have yearned to visit Srirangam and have darshan of the Lord. Sri Ranganatha is no different from Sri Krishna. Tiruppanalwar, in his Amalanadipiran, says in the last hymn:

Kontal vannanaik kovalanay vennai
Untavayan ennullam kavarntanai
Antarkon Aniyarangan ennamutinaik
Kanta kankal marronrinaikkanave. 

Here, he says Sri Krishna is Sri Ranganatha. It is said that  one can carefully notice the smell of dairy products near Sri Ranganatha!
Sri Krishna is, along with Arjuna, seated in the grand chariot, in Kurukshetra battlefield. Bheeshma and others blew their conchs from Kauravas side; and, Sri Krishna, Pandavas and others also blew their conchs. In the next sloka 19, the effect of blowing of Panchajanya by Sri Krishna is described:

sa ghoso dhartarastranam

hrdayani vyadarayat 

nabhas ca prthivim caiva

tumulo 'bhyanunadayan

The blowing of these different conchshells became uproarious, and thus, vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarastra.

Nabhas ca = the sky and, prthvim = the earth, tumulo 'bhyanumadayan =  echo of collective noise of (all conchs on Pandavas side), dhartarastranam = (heard by) sons of Dridarashtra, hrdayam vyadarayat = shattered their hearts. The collective noise from Panchajanya and others reverberated in the sky and earth and were heard by sons of Dridarashtra. Their hearts were shattered. Commentators have given beautiful explanation here. When Sri Krishna blows His Panchajanya, will it arouse happiness or fear? Normally, one should feel happy. Then why the hearts of Duryodana and others were shattered? The God graces us according to our mind in approaching Him. If we approach Him with love, He responds with love. But if we approach Him with hatred, He also shows His anger. Nammalwar says in his Tiruvaimozhi:

agalil agalum * aNugil aNugum *

pugalum ariyan * poruvallan emmAn **

nigaril avan pugazh * pAdi iLaippilam 

pagalum iravum * padindhu kudaindhE 

                                                                                        (1.7.10)

If we try to be away from Him, He also goes away from us; but if we want to be near Him, He also comes forward to us. Alwar says in another poem, that the Lord tries to be near us and so takes a step forward to meet us. He is so great and superior. Should not we immediately take four steps to approach Him? On the contrary, we go backwards by four steps! Normally, we should try to stick to Him, ourselves. We do not do that and even when He approaches us, we try to go away! Like this we have been behaving over so many lives. We have seen mother cat, transfering her kitten from one place to other. We are kittens and the Lord is Mother Cat. So, when the Mother Cat comes to us, we do not think we are kitten, but we think we are mice and so run away. Here also, the sound of Panchajanya gives happiness to many, but a few are scared. Those who are happy are those liking Sri Krishna. Those who find Panchajanya dreadful, are those hating Sri Krishna.  

Sri Koorattalwan, in his Atimanushya Stavam tells something from Ramayana. Sri Lakshmana is lying on the ground unconscious, after hit by Indrajit. Ravana thought that if Sri Lakshmana was taken away, Sri Rama would not bear that separation and that way Ravana would have won. So, he tried to lift Sri Lakshmana with all his Twenty hands, but could not lift an inch. Ravana then felt that he could lift Humalayas and Mount Kailash, but unable to lift Sri Lakshmana. He then abandons that idea and goes away. Next, Hanuman arrives at the scene. Seeing Sri Lakshmana on the ground lying, Hanuman lifts him like a flower and takes him to Sri Rama!  Valmiki while describing this says that what could not be lifted by Ravana, was simply carried away by a monkey! After all Sri Lakshmana was unconscious and he could not change his weight for different persons, himself. The truth is that Ravana came with evil intention and so he could not lift Sri Lakshmana. While, Hanuman came with love and bhakti, and so he could easily carry him. Similarly, here the sons of Dridarashtra found the sound of Panchajanya dreadful. Like Sri Rama was able to pierce the Seven great trees with one arrow, in Ramayana, the one blow of sound rattled all the Hundred sons of Dridarashtra! 

We know that Sri Rukmini was in love with Sri Krishna. But Her brother Rukmi had arranged for marriage with Sisupala. Sri Rukmini, knowing this wicked design of Her brother, sent an old brahmin to take a message to Sri Krishna in Dwaraka. She sent a message in 7 lyrics requesting Sri Krishna to come to Her place and take away Her and marry Her. She had also written that on the previous day to marriage day, She would be visiting the temple and Sri Krishna should come and give indication about His arrival. Sri Krishna accordingly came on the appointed day and blew His Panchajanya to indicate His arrival. That sound was welcome for Sri Rukmini and She heaved a sigh of relief! Thus the sound of the same Panchajanya created different feelings to different persons. 

The sound of the conchs reverberated in the sky and on the earth! 

                                                                  (continued)