GITA 8.26

GTA 8.26

SRI KOMALAVALLI THAYAR

We are now at the Dakshinayana gate of Sri Sarngapani Perumal Sannidhi. Dakshinayanam is from Tamil month Aadi to Margazhi (mid-July to mid-January). The Lord is reclining with His Divine Head on this side. Opposite this gate is the Sannidhi of Sri Thayar. Sri Komalavalli Thayar is waiting to grace all devotees, on the banks of Potramarai kuLam. Komalavalli means very soft creeper. Creeper has to be on a tree. Sri Sarngapani Perumal is gracing as the tree for this Creeper. 

SRI ARAVAMUDAN

The right lower arm is in Abhaya mudra and left lower arm is holding the mace. Upper arms are holding the discus and conch. As told, many Alwars have sung in praise of this Lord. The Dakshinayana gate and the 25th sloka have similarities. In Nammalwar's pasuram, ' kalaivai thunbam [களைவாய் துன்பம்...Truvaimozhi 5.8.8]' he says that as a person is in his death bed, the body is out of control, the mind is tired, the eyesight is blurred, the speech is ineligible, etc. Atman is to depart the body. All sense organs have to subside. Where is that atman to go? If that person has done the required things for reaching Vaikuntam, with the Lord's blessings, that atman departs as mentioned in sloka 24. This meaning is brought in by Alwar. He says,"You should remove my miseries. Others do not have the capacity to do so. In case You decide not to help me, none can help me. You, the great Mystic in Thirukkudanthai! Always holding discus..." We have seen that Sri Chakrapani temple and Sri Sarngapani temple are separately located. But during the 10 day festival of Sri Sarngapani, Sri Chakrapani arrives at this sannidhi and remains here all the ten days. Everyday, both grace the procession together. It is a feast to the eyes we should never miss.

SRI SARNGAPANI AND SRI CHAKRAPANI

 Alwar says further: " At that time I do not want to cause trouble for anyone. You should bless me to have unwavering faith in You and hold on to Your feet". We are seeing the same current of ideas in Gita. One atman departed via the Archiradhi marg and reached the Vaikuntam, and never returns. Another atman might have departed via the dhoomadhi marg to reach heaven or pithru lok or chandra lok. These are going to be explained in sloka 25 and we will see those from the Dakshinayana gate. On this side of this Chariot here, we can see Sri Narasimha in four forms.

SRI NARASIMHA

 In one, He comes out of the pillar. In another, He runs after Hiranyakasipu. He then places him on His lap and kills by tearing his body. Finally, He appears as Sri Yoga Narasimha. These are on the South side of the chariot. Further, we can see the sculpture of Meivasal udayar [மெய் வாசல் உடையார்].

MEIVASAL UDAYAR

 This great man brought out the Lord in this temple to public view. When alien forces invaded this place, this person who had hundreds of cattle, hid the entire sannidhi by husks. He is honoured in every festival for his noble deed. We can also see the idol of Swami Lakshmi Narayana.

SWAMI LAKSHMINARAYANA

 His parents did not have any issue for long and prayed to the Lord here. As promised after the child was born they left the child for the service of the Lord. After serving the Lord, one day his soul departed. Sri Rama had performed the last rites to vulture Jatayu and Sri Krishna to Vidhura and Dharmaputhra. The Lord here, similarly, performed the last rites for Swami LakshmiNarayana. The Lord with wet clothes, just like any son would perform, did the apara karma. This incident is even now followed here.
 Now sloka 25:

dhumo ratris tatha krsnah
san-masa daksinayanam
tatra candramasam jyotir
yogi prapya nivartate

"The mystic who passes away from this world during the smoke, the night, the moonlight fortnight, or in the six months when the sun passes to the south, or who reaches the moon planet, again comes back."

By this sloka, dhoomadhi marg is explained. Those travelling by this route, return back to the samsaram. That is, this route leads to other worlds from where the atman will have to return. This is not the route for Naraka or hell, also. It takes the atman to worlds in higher planes. We saw archiradi marg has light in the beginning. Dhooma means smoke. So this route has smoke and darkness in the beginning. First palce is, therefore, darkness and smoke. Second place is night. Third place is the krishna paksh or wanining period of the moon. Fourth is Dakshinayanam, the Six months when the Sun travels from Tropic of Cancer to Tropic of Capricon. These are all opposite of what we saw in the last sloka. [As mentioned in Upanishads] The Fifth place is Pithru loka [world of deceased ancestors]. Sixth place is Akash or space. Seventh place would be chandra loka. Here also, the Lord says yogi reaches Chandraloka. But the yogi mentioned in the last sloka is the one who had realised the Brahmam, or Gyani. But here, the yogi mentioned has performed lots of good deeds and wants to reach worlds of higher planes. He would have performed good deeds like building temples, creating ponds for public welfare, etc. Yogi = person who has performed such noble deeds, prapya = after reaching Chandra Loka, nivartate = returns back to this karma bhoomi [Universe]. 
There are some called Ahivahikas [आही वाहिका]. These details could be seen in Chandokya Upanishad. Nammalwar's Thiruvaimozhi is considered to be equvalent of Chandokya. In 10-9 decade, soozh visumbin [சூழ் விசும்பின்], he says how the atman travels in Archiradi marg and how at each place the atman is welcomed and honoured. One person called Amanava [அமானவன்] will be accompanying this atman through out the journey. He will accompany upto Viraja river and after getting the atman bathed, he will hand over to the other side of the river. He will wait for the next jeevatman to come in this Archiradi marg. This is the arrangement the Lord has established so that such atman are very courteously treated and brought up to Him.
                                                                                             (continued)