GITA 11.17

GITA 11.17

We worship Sri Gitacharya in Tiruvallikeni [Triplicane]. Here, in Tirupadakam, He graces as Sri Pandavadhoota. Utsavar also is Sri Pandavadhoota.

UTSAVAR SRI PANDAVADHOOTA

 He is gracing along with Sri Sridevi and Sri Bhudevi, with the right hand in Abhaya mudra and the left arm is holding the mace. Nearby is Sri Rukmini Thayar.

SRI RUKMINI THAYAR 

SRI THAYAR SANNIDHI

 She is in a separate sannidhi and today's [ 20^thOctober 2008] lecture is from this sannidhi. After the marriage of the Lord with Sri Rukmini, one day She was on a swing and Sri Krishna was moving the swing. Casually Sri Krishna wondered that though He had nothing nor His devotees had any, yet She, being a Princess, married Him, Who was, after all, a messenger to Pandavas and a chariot driver! Hearing this Sri Rukmini swooned and fell down. Sri Krishna sprinkled water on Her face and slowly brought Her to conscience. Puzzled, He asked Her, what made Her to swoon. Sri Rukmini replied that everything was His, as confirmed by Arjuna when he saw the Viswaroopam. Sri Krishna consoled Her that He did not mean that way. He meant that there was nothing more to be gained. His devotees also having got Him, did not expect anything else. By falling at the Feet of Sri Rukmini, we can easily reach Him. This Kshetram has been praised by Boothathalwar, Peyalwar, Tirumazhisai Alwar and Tirumangai Alwar. Tirumazhisai Alwar says that the Lord was standing in Ooragham, reclining in Vekkha and sitting in Tiruapdakam, and praises that He is gracing for all to worship Him (Tiruchanda viruttam 64). Tirumazhisai Alwar says that before He was blessed with Gyana, he thought that the Lord graced standing or sitting in Kshetrams like this place or other places; but once he acquired Gyana, he realized that the Lord was standing or sitting or reclining in his mind! How could such a large Lord stay in the miniature mind of the Alwar? That is His unimaginable Power [அகடிதகடனா சக்தி]. He is microscopic in micro items and larger than mammoth items [अणोर अणीयान, ..]. In this Sri Pandavadhoota form only He finished the wrestlers in Duryodhana's court. Swami Pillai Lokacharya says that to save the mangalya sootra in the neck of Draupati, the Lord did so many acts like Parikshit being saved, acting as messenger of the Pandavas, etc. When Parikshit was in the womb of his mother, the Lord saved his life. Again when Parikshit was delivered by his mother, he laid lifeless and at that time the Lord brought back him to life. All these He did because a helpless Draupati cried to protect her virtue.

 Now we will see sloka 16:

aneka-bahudara-vaktra-netram
pasyami tvam sarvato ’nanta-rupam
nantam na madhyam na punas tavadim
pasyami visvesvara vishva-rupa

"O Lord of the universe, O universal form, I see in Your body many, many arms, bellies, mouths and eyes, expanded everywhere, without limit. I see in You no end, no middle and no beginning."

We should have noticed that in today's sloka or the previous one, the syllables are more than the usual. Most of the slokas in Gita are in the anushtup [अनुष्टुप] metre. Every sloka will have four pada [पाद feet]. If the sloka has 32 syllables it is in anushtup chandas [metre]. That is, every pada will have 8 syllables. In this sloka, we find 11 syllables, per pada or 44 syllables per sloka. Sloka in Gayatri chandas have the least syllables of 6 per pada or 24 per sloka. Today's sloka is in Thrushtup chandas [44 syllables]. Arjuna says that he was seeing more. Pasyami = [I, Arjuna] am seeing, tvam = You [Sri Krishna] with, aneka = countless, bahu = hands, udara = stomach, vaktram = faces or heads, netram = eyes. Ananta rupam = omnipresent or spread everywhere, sarvata = from all sides or directions, Arjuna was seeing. Arjuna saw everywhere the Lord. He could not see the beginning or middle or end of the Lord's images. Na pasyami = [I, Arjuna] am not seeing, adi = beginning, madyam = middle, antam = end. Visveswara = the Lord of Universe, viswaroopa = Universe as body or image. Arjuna first says what he saw. He saw countless shoulders, faces, stomachs and eyes of the Lord. In Purushasooktam, it is said that the Lord has thousands of heads, thousands of eyes and thousands of feet [sahasraseersha purusha: sahasraksha sahasra pad..]. Thousands mean countless, here. Our eyes can see things in one direction. But due to the special eyes provided by the Lord, Arjuna is able to see in all directions. Arjuna was able to see the Lord pervading all and everywhere. He says he could not see the beginning or middle or the end of the Lord. Why? Because it is not there. When we say we could not see horn of a rabbit [முயல் கொம்பு], it is because there is no such thing as a horn of a rabbit! We may be ignorant of all things in this world, and so one might not be able to know or see; but here, it is not that type. There is no beginning or middle or end to the Lord and so Arjuna could not see. Viswaroopa means the Lord has this Universe or prapancham as His image.

                                                                                                           (continued)