GITA 11.27

GITA 11.27

pitaram mAtaram dArAn * putrAn bandhUn sakhIn gurUn |

 ratnAni dhanadhAnyAni * kShEtrANi cha gruhANi cha ||

sarvadharmAmshcha samtyajya * sarvakAmAmshcha sAkSharAn |

 lOkavikrAnta charaNau * sharaNam tEZvrajam vibhO || 

This sloka emphasises the need to surrender unto the Lord. We should free ourselves from all our relatives and freinds, discard all our movable and immovable properties and cut-off all our attachments and surrender unto Him. Alwar also says the samething. The Lord as Sri Trivikrama measured all this Universe and we should surrender unto Him. That is the best way to cross this ocean of samsara. 'Loka vikrantha sharanau' - surrender unto Him, Who measured all these worlds. 

SRI ULAGALANDA PERUMAL TEMPLE

We are at present touring the Kshetrams of Tondai mandalam (தொண்டை மண்டலம்). We have now come to Ulagalanda Perumal temple today (3rd November, 2008). In this single temple we have Four Divya Desams -Ooragam, Kaaragam, Neeragam and Kaarvaanam! The temple history is from the well known Sri Vamana and Sri Trivikrama Avatars of the Lord. When the emperor Bali took away all the worlds from Jndra, he approached Sriman Narayana and requested to get his kingdom of the worlds redeemed. Accordingly, Sriman Narayana took the form of a dwarf and the day He appeared is celebrated as Sri Vamana Jayanti. Sri Vamana appeared in the Tamil month Aavani (ஆவணி August- September) in an Abhijit Muhurtam on a Dwadasi Tithi day and in the Sravan star constellation (திருவோணம்). That day is celebrated in this Kshetram by taking the Lord in a grand procession to bless all devotees. Sri Vamana went to the place where Bali was performing a grand Yagna and begged for a land measuring Three strides by His Feet. Why should the Lord beg? He did not beg Ravana or Kamsa. He could have forcibly got what He wanted by even destroying Bali. But there were two compulsions for the Lord not to resort to force to get from Bali. First was that Bali was a great philonthropist, and would donate anything asked for. Secondly, Bali was the grandson of Prhalada. Prahalada's son was Virochana and Bali was son of Virochana. The Lord as Sri Narasimha, while slaying Prahalada's father Hiranyakasipu had promised that he would not kill anyone else in Prahalada's family.  That is why He requested for land from Bali, who also promised to give and instantly Sri Vamana took a gigantic form of Sri Trivikrama and by two steps covered all the 14 worlds. By the first Right step He measured all the Seven nether worlds and by the next Left step measured all the upper worlds.

SRI ULAGALANDHA PERUMAL

 While doing so, we can see that the Lord has slightly shifted His Right Foot to His right and has lifted His Left foot up, so as to keep balance for stability! Like the gigantic form He took to measure the Universe, here also the Lord's image is gigantic. Here the Lord appears with only Two Arms. He showsTwo fingers on His left hand, to indicate, He had measured Two steps and shows one Finger in the Right hand, asking Bali where to have His remaining one step, to get the Three Feet of land! Thus He humbled Bali and removed his ego! 

We are also seeing such a gigantic Viswaroopam in Gita. We will now see 26th and 27th slokas together. In fact we have to see also the next Two (28th & 29th) slokas also together. Because Arjuna is asking in fear so many things.:

ami ca tvam dhritarashtrasya putrah

sarve sahaivavani-pala-sanghaih

bhismo dronah suta-putras tathasau

sahasmadiyair api yodha-mukhyaih (26)

vaktrani te tvaramana vishanti

damstra-karalani bhayanakani

kecid vilagna dasanantaresu

sandrsyante curnitair uttamangaih (27)

"All the sons of Dhritarashtra, along with their allied kings, and Bhishma, Drona, Karna—and our chief soldiers also—are rushing into Your fearful mouths. And some I see trapped with heads smashed between Your teeth. I see that some are being crushed between Your teeth as well."

avani-pala-sanghaih = groups of ruling kings, bhismo dronah suta-putra = Bheeshma, Drona and Karna, dhritarashtrasya putrah = the sons of Dhritarashtra, sarve saha= all together,sahasmadiyair api yodha-mukhyaih = together with some important persons from our (Pandava's) side. Arjuna mentions all from Kauravas' side and only some from Pandavas' side. He mentions the names in the same order as these people were Commanders in Kauravas' side. The word 'tvam' indicates that all these people are going into 'You' (Sri Krishna), but this has to be linked with the next sloka. 

Now we should see the next (27th) sloka. Sandrsyante = all these people are seen, curnitair uttamangaih = with all their important organs crushed, te= Your (Sri Krishna's), vaktrani = mouths, tvaramana = hurriedly, vishanti = entering, damstra-karalani bhayanakani = very fearful canine teeth. Kecid = some, dasanantaresu = between teeth, vilagna = hanging. Thus Arjuna sees all these people entering the Lord's various Mouths hurriedly and getting their heads crushed by the frightening teeth and bodies hanging out between teeth.  

                                                                                                                       (continued)