GITA 3.31

GITA 3.31

We are at the sannidhi of Swami Nathamuni near the South gopuram. To preach the people, the Lord took various avatars. Then He ordered the birth of various Alwars, who were immersed in the devotion to the Lord. After this, Acharyas came on the scene to explain the Nalayira DivyaPrabandham of the Alwars. Among the Acharyas, Swami Nathamuni is the first. He was born in 823 A.D., in the Tamil month of Aani and in the star Anusham. Born as Ranganatha, he brought to light all the 4000 verses of Divya Prabandam, by meditating on Nammalwar and chanting Kanninunsiruthambu, 12000 times at the tamarind tree in Alwar Thirunagari. He taught these to his nephews Melaiagathualwan and Keelaiagathualwan, to be sung in proper metre. In this sannidhi, Sri VeeraNarayana Perumal of Kattumannar koil is the moolavar. Swami Alawandar and Swami Thiruvarangaperumal Araiyar also are in this sannidhi. This sannidhi is maintained properly by Sri Poundareekapuram Srimad Andavan and his disciples. We will see 31st sloka:

ye me matam idam nityam
anutisthanti manavah
sraddhavanto 'nasuyanto
mucyante te 'pi karmabhih

One who executes his duties according to My injunctions and who follows this teaching faithfully, without envy, becomes free from the bondage of fruitive actions.

"Those persons who execute their duties according to My injunctions and who follow this teaching faithfully, without envy, become free from the bondage of fruitive actions."

Here the Lord praises the one who realises that the Karma yoga is propounded by vedas and shastras, and practices this Karma yoga sincerely. ye manava= these persons, itam me matam = in this My (Sri Krishna's) faith, nityamanustinthi = continuously follow and practice. Matam does not mean the normal Vaishnavam or Saivam, but His religion or faith of Karma yoga. Here He talks of the person who practices the Karma yoga which is mentioned in Vedas, which are the Lord's commands, and Karma yoga now mentioned to all of us in Gita using Arjuna as an excuse. Arjuna felt that he, on behalf of all of us, may not be in that category to follow and practice Karma yoga in the daily routines, and so he showed disinterest. So Sri Krishna tells another category of a person who has faith in Sri Krishna, but unable to practice. This is sraddha. A desire to practice. Arjuna feels this type of person also is difficult to find and so Sri Krishna tells a third category of a person who is at least not jealous or have aversion for Karma yoga. All these three categories - one who practices, one who is desirous of following and the one who is not envious of Karma yoga- will be relieved of the papa and punya acquired over so many births. How is this possible? We may ask. By not being envious appears to be easier and so why not do that and get the reward of Moksham? There is also another question. How can the reward be same for all the three types? Practically rewards are granted according to the efforts put in. But these are all examples of this world where rewards are ordered by human beings . In the Order of Sri Krishna , He has full rights to award as He wishes and there is none to question, and worldly rules do not apply. So we have to find a way to be in anyone of these three categories. Actually by remaining nonenvious, slowly we will get a desire, and later on, we will also practice. His blessings are for all of us to adopt any of these. In Ayarpadi, that is Gokulam, during Sri Krishna's avatar, all the gopikas [milk maids] fasted and followed rituals. Whereas Sri Andal, Who did not live in those days, imagined Her to be a gopika and in Her imagination did those rituals. We, on the other hand, know only recitation of the Thiruppavai of Sri Andal. All the three - Gopikas, Sri Andal and ordinary persons like us who only recite Thiruppavai- get the same blessings from Sri Krishna. This is how Swami Parasara Bhattar explained. This is like Dharma, whether done or spoken or heard, will grant equal benefits. It is also like the Ganges, whether bathed or drunk or seen, removes all our sins. On these lines Swami Alavandar also in his Sthotra Rathnam says that he should be rewarded not by seeing his actions but because he is the grandson of Swami Nathamuni, who is connected with Nammalwar, Viswaksena and Sri Lakshmi.

                                                                                                  (continued)