GITA 11.15

GITA 11.15

We are in Parameswara Vinnagaram. The canopy is called Mukunda Vimanam, capable of granting Moksham. Besides, the Lord is Sri Vaikuntanatha Perumal. He graces as He graces in Sri Vaikuntam. Sri Thayar is Sri Vaikuntavalli Thayar.She is also as in Vaikuntam. Thus all - the Vimanam, Sri Thayar and the Lord - are creating an atmosphere of Sri Vaikuntam. Associated with these is the pushkarini - Airamvada Pushkarini [ஐரம்வத புஷ்கரிணி].

A VIEW OF THE PUSHKARINI

 It is full of lotus flowers. Upanishads praise Airamvatam. A Jeevatman, departing via Sushumna Nadi [சுஷும்னா நாடி] and in the archiradi marg [அர்ச்சிராதி மார்க்கம்] goes to Vaikuntam. Before reaching Vaikuntam, it has to cross Airamvadam pond and Viraja river. To remind us that, this pushkarini is here. Sprinkling some water from the pushkarini, we can enter the sannidhi of the Lord. Just like an atman on its passage to Vaikuntam, immerses in river Viraja before entering Vaikuntam, an unfortunate atman, if it has to go to hell, it also crosses a river called Vaitharini [வைதரிணி]. It will be full of blood and pus. Whereas Viraja river will have beautiful flowers and fragrance. Body could be sthoola [visible] or sookshma [microscopic]. What we have now is sthoola sariram [body]. After discarding this only, atman can depart for paramapadam [Vaikuntam]. Atman has to travel a long way in the archiradi marg and so the Lord provides the atman with a microscopic or sookshma body. With that body, the atman nears Vaikuntam and reaches Viraja river. The atman with that sookshma body immerses in the river, when that sookshma body is cast away. When it reaches the other side of the Viraja river, it gets an aprakruta [அப்ராக்ருத] body. We have already seen the difference between prakrutam and aprakrutam. Prakrutam emerges from Prakruti. Vaikuntam is aprakrutam. This aprakruta body will be divine and will be comparable to the body of the Lord. Our present body is Pancha bowthika [பஞ்ச பௌதிக] one; while the body in Vaikuntam will be Pancha shakti [பஞ்ச சக்தி] one. It is pure sattva or suddha sattva body. To get this, therefore, one has to cross airamvatam. Thus after seeing Airamvatam pushkarini, if we enter the sannidhi of the Lord, it is same as reaching Vaikuntam. Every Ekadasi day many devotees assemble here. The Ekadasi in the month of Margazhi is called Vaikunta Ekadasi. In a year, there will be 25 Ekadasis. Every Ekadasi has a name. In Periya Thirumozhi [பெரிய திருமொழி], Tirumangai Alwar has composed 10 verses in 2.9. He says in the last verse (2.9.10), with the blessings of Sri Vaikuntavalli Thayar, one can have comfortable life here and then reach Vaikuntam.

SRI VAIKUNTAVALLI THAYAR

She is gracing with Abhaya Mudra and directs the devotee to surrender.

 We will now see sloka 14 of Chapter 11. The Lord displayed His Viswaroopam. Sanjaya explained what he saw in Five slokas. Now sloka 14:

tatah sa vismayavisto
hrsta-roma dhananjayah
pranamya sirasa devam
kritanjalir abhasata

"Then, bewildered and astonished, his hair standing on end, Arjuna bowed his head to offer obeisances and with folded hands began to pray to the Supreme Lord."

It also looks like what Sanjaya saw and narrating to Dridarashtra. Till sloka 13, Sanjaya told what he saw as Viswaroopam. This sloka mentions that Arjuna prostrated to the Lord in Viswaroopam. From sloka 15 to sloka 51, a perplexed Arjuna praises the Lord. This Chapter is almost the praising words of Arjuna. In the First Four slokas, Arjuna expressed his desire to see Viswaroopam. In the next Four slokas, Sri Krishna told Arjuna that He would equip Arjuna with divine eyes to view Viswaroopam. In the next Five slokas, Sanjaya narrates the Viswaroopam, Arjuna was able to see. In this sloka, Arjuna is astonished to see the Viswaroopam and feels goosebumps on his body [hair raising emotion] and prostrates in reverence to the Lord. Then he starts speaking. Tata = then or after seeing the Viswaroopam, sa dhananjaya = that Dhananjaya [Arjuna]. Dhananjaya means amassing wealth after a victory. Earlier he was Dhananjaya only in name, but now after seeing Viswaroopam, Arjuna is real Dhananjaya! By seeing the Lord in His True form, Arjuna had acquired the greatest wealth. Swami Alavandar says that the Divine feet of the Lord were his wealth. Swami Desika in his Vairagya Panchakam says that the wealth, we try to acquire in our life by praising and serving mortals, so as to quench the ever demanding hunger in our stomach, is useless. Real wealth is only the Lord. Vismayavista = wonder-struck or astonished, hrsta-roma = hair raised [goosebumps] [மயிர் கூச்செறிதல்]. Arjuna was wonderstruck and in emotion his hair all over the body raised. Pranamya = falling flat or prostrating, sirasa = with head on the ground [ as a mark of respect to], devam = to the Lord, in Viswaroopam. Whenever we see great people or we see the Lord, we have to prostrate by falling at their feet as a mark of respect. When we prostrate eight things have to touch the ground or have to fall - Two arms, two legs, one head, intellect, mind and ego [ahankaram]. Thus, Arjuna was so much awed to see Viswaroopam, that he fell down to show his respect. Devam means brilliant, and also playful. Playful, because Arjuna wanted to run away from the battle and was confused, and now He stands in total astonishment of the Lord's creation. Kritanjali = with folded hands, abhasata = [Arjuna] started to speak. Arjuna saw Viswaroopam and awed, emotion made his hair to raise and he fell down with head touching the ground, in respect. Then he got up and with folded hands, as we say Namaste or namaskaram, he started speaking. What made Ajuna wonder? We have seen supporting objects. But the object and the supporter are totally separate and can exist independently. But here, the Lord supports by being their antaratman or the inner soul, and at the same time, he was able to see all those objects on His body. Everything is His body and He is able to command, control and sustain. This is something Arjuna had never heard of and so he was perplexed. We will now take leave of this Kshetram.

                                                                                                  (continued)