GITA 8.28

GITA 8.28

tiruvezhukUtrirukkai - Rathachitrabhandam

The last among Alwars, Thirumangai Alwar had composed Thiruvezhukottrirukkai [திருவெழு கூற்றிருக்கை] on the Lord of Thirukkudanthai, Sri Aravamudhalwan. It is an artful poem in that the poem when written will appear as a picture. Alwar had composed this to appear as a chariot. Chariot and Thirukkudanthai are closely connected. The Lord appeared in a chariot to marry Sri Komalavalli Thayar. Garbhagruha is a stone chariot. In the Tamil month Chithirai and in star Chitra, the Lord appears in procession on a chariot. That chariot is of wood. What we see now is chitra roopa [image][சித்திரம்] of Alwar's poem, depicting a chariot. The design of a chariot is, at the bottom it is narrow and expands to the seat of the Lord and then again from the ceiling of the seat it narrows to the top. Alwar's poem starts with numbers. At the bottom most it is 1,2,1. Next level of the chariot base is 1,2,3,2,1 and then 1,2,3,4,3,2,1, etc. At the seat it is 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,6,5,4,3,2,1.
A sample is shown below:

orupE runthi yirumalarth thavisil,

orumuRai ayanai yeenRanai, orumuRai

irusudar meethini liyangaa, mummathiL

ilangai yirukaal vaLaiya, orusilai

onRiya IreyiR Razhalvaay vaaLiyil

attanai, moovadi naanilam vEndi,

muppuri noolodu maanuri yilangum.

maarvinil, irupiRap porumaa Naagi,

orumuRai yeeradi,moovula kaLandhaanai,

In the first line oru perunthi = one great navel [of the Lord, in which lord Brahma emerged], yiru = [though by reading, number 2 is indicative, actually it means ] glorious, malarth thavisil = in the petals of [lotus] flower, oru murai = once, ayanai = lord Brahma, yeenranai = was created [by You, the Lord]. Note the numbers 1, 2 and 1. Similarly all other lines of the poem. One interesting feature is that the only Lord, Who appears in Thirumangai Alwar's all Six compilations, is Sri Aravamudhalvan. In the slokas 24, 25 and 26 of Chapter 8, we have to observe that we should seek refuge in Him and wait with eagerness to reach archiradhi marg. Like the Alwar, we should concentrate only on that. Thirunedunthandakam [திருநெடுந்தாண்டகம்] was his last [6th] compilation. In this, in the end, he mentions the Lord of Thirukkudanthai and it is said that after this only the Alwar departed his life in this world. It is to be mentioned that the wooden chariot used in the procession was presented by this Alwar. The chariot like poem also was presented by the Alwar and it is called the chariot of gyana. In the pasuram kudanthaimeya [குடந்தைமேய] in Thirukkurunthandakam [திருக் குறுந்தாண்டகம் ], he says that a gold basket of precious stones will be nothing before the Lord of Kudanthai. The Lord is the repository of all literature, raw honey and pure gold.
 We will now see the 27th sloka:

naite srti partha janan
yogi muhyati kascana
tasmat sarveshu kaleshu
yoga-yukto bhavarjuna

"Although the devotees know these two paths, O Arjuna, they are never bewildered. Therefore be always fixed in devotion."

Arjuna = Arjuna, tasmat = therefore, sarveshu kaleshu = at all times and always, yoga-yukta = associated with yoga, bhava = be. Here yoga does not mean either Karma yoga or Gyana yoga, nor Bhakti yoga, but it means one should always be thinking of archiradhi marg. So, archiradhi marg should be our objective and we should do all to travel by that route. Kascana yogi = any yogi, ete = these two, sriti = krishna and shukla routes, janan = knowledgeable, na muhyati = will not be worried. By knowing the two routes and their destinations, any yogi will never worry. He will know which is to be preferred. We have seen the Lord in more than 40 kshetrams and we would have realised what value it is and the inferiority of all the pleasures of the world. We will, therefore, choose shukla or archiradhi marg and reject the dark or krishna marg. Once we decide the greatness of archiradhi marg, we can pray the Lord for good health and with thoughts on Him at the time of death, our souls will depart by that 101st nerve [sushumna nadi] and the Lord will lead us in His light along the archiradhi marg. We will travel and see all the 12 places mentioned and everywhere we will be welcomed as the servants of the Lord and honoured. Then after taking a bath in the Viraja river, we will go to the other side of the river. There 500 apsaras women will decorate us with garlands, beautiful robes, sandal paste, precious ornaments, etc. We reach Thirumamani mandapam and from a distance we will have the view of the Lord seated on the serpent Adisesha, along with His consorts Sri Sridevi, Sri Bhudevi and Sri Neeladevi. We will be brought forward near the Lord. We have travelled a journey and will never have to return to the sufferings of this world. The Lord with affection will lift us up and get us seated on His Lap [as a child on its father's lap] and with a hug and kiss on our forehead, would enquire where we had gone all these days. In this great moment of happiness, we will find difficult to express and narrate. With a form similar to the Lord's, we will then be introduced and joined in the company of other Mukthas to have everlasting happiness. So this should be the only thought of any devotee always.

                                                                                                  (continued)