GITA 8.10

GITA 8.10

SRI VALVIL RAMA (in picture) 

We are studying the slokas in Chapter 8. Thiruppullamboothamkudi is on the banks of Kollidam river. Moolavar in this temple is Sri Chakravarti Thirumagan, Sri Rama. In the main sannidhi He is gracing in a reclining pose with two arms; with lord Brahma on the lotus emanating from His navel;and, with Lakshmana, Hanuman and Jatayu nearby. He is called Sri Valvil Rama. Val = strong, vil = bow, in Tamil. Thirumangai Alwar has dedicated ten songs in Periya Thirumozhi, 5.1 decade. He says this is the place where Sri Valvil Rama, Who cut off all the twenty arms of Ravana, lives. Poet Kamban also in his epic Ramayana, mentions the name, Sri Valvil Rama. We are also dependent on His strong bow, for our protection. Moolavar is reclining with right arm as the head rest and left arm on His lap. Utsavar is gracing with four arms. Here, Sri Rama appears with discus and conch. It appears when Thirumangai Alwar came to this place, seeing the Moolavar with just two arms, he thought it was some ordinary king lying and thought of leaving without any song on Him. But the Lord immediately appeared in the Utsavar form with four arms and the Alwar also composed ten songs. This incident, he narrates in his poem and says the Lord has enslaved him. While recording the lecture it was Sri Rama Navami festival here and H.H. Srimad Azhagiyasingar, the pontiff of Sri Ahobila mutt was also present.
Srimad Azhagiyasingar praised the noble work done by U.Ve. Sri Velukkudi Swami [lecturer].
Sri Thayar here is called Sri Potramaraiyal or Sri Hemabjanayaki Thayar. The greatness of this Kshetram is the Lord performed the last rites for Jatayu. We may have a doubt as how when the Thayar was not there this could have been possible. It appears when the Lord thought that Sri Thayar should also be present, Sri Thayar appeared as Sri Potramaraiyal here.

 We will now see the 9th sloka. Slokas 8,9 and 10 describe what an Aiswaryarti should do and what are his rewards. In sloka 8, the Lord said that such a person should continuously think of Him, without the mind wandering outside. Now, He says what benefits are reaped by this person. Every word of this sloka describes the greatness of the Lord.

kavim puranam anusasitaram
anor aniyamsam anusmared yah
sarvasya dhataram acintya-rupam
aditya-varnam tamasah parastat

"One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is inconceivable. He is luminous like the sun, and He is transcendental, beyond this material nature."

Kavim = knower of all things or sarvagna, puranam = very ancient, anusasitaram = commander of all, anor = more minute than, aniyamsa = minutest [the Lord resides in atman, minutest], yah = whoever, anusmared = remembers continuously [with these qualities mentioned]. These last two words are to be linked with this and tenth sloka. Sarvasya = for each and everything, dhata = creator, acintya = unimaginable, rupam = image, aditya varnam = brightness like [thousands of] sun, tamas = moola prakruti, parastat = beyond. Aiswaryarti also has to perform Bhakti and worship the Lord. By pondering over every aspect of the Lord mentioned in this sloka, an aiswaryarti will think of the greatness of the Lord, and this may induce him to divert his desire from mere wealth and with detachment, he might desire to serve the Lord. Kavi is normally thought as meaning poets. In Sanskrit, kavi means prantha darshi, one who understands all deeply and beyond. The Lord is called sarvagna, Knower of past, present and future of everything. Such is His knowledge. So, He not merely knows what the aiswaryarti desires now, but He knows when this person is going to upgrade and seek service of the Lord. Puranam means ancient, but He appears afresh every time we look at Him. So, many people would have worshipped the Lord here and some of us might have worshipped earlier also; but whenever we visit to worship, we find Him ever fresh and enchanting. Many things in life become stale after seeing or experiencing a few times. But the Lord remains new every time we see Him and is captivating. Alwar says appodhaikkappodhu aravamudha [அப்போதைக்கப்போது ஆராவமுதா!]. He commands everything from within and without. He resides in an atman, at the same time controls the Universe also. He is smaller than the smallest. He creates everything in this Universe. That is, He creates this wealth; He creates the aiswaryarti and He created this desire for wealth. Once aiswaryarti thinks of these, he will be tempted to desire the Creator of all these. His image is beyond our imagination. We can not perceive Him easily. Millions of Suns' brilliance will fade away in front of His brilliance. We have already seen that this Universe is created from prakruti. He is beyond this prakruti or aprakrutham [अप्राकृथं ]. Person remembering thus....The sloka is not yet completed and is continued in the next sloka.

                                                                                                   (continued)