GITA 11.32

GITA 11.32

TIRUKKAARAGAM PERUMAL SANNIDHI

Clouds shower rain anywhere and do not need anyone's permission. Before raining, the clouds are black and become white after the shower. Rain-bearing cloud will be steady or slow-moving to shower and after raining will move away fast out of shy that it has no more rain to be showered! The Lord is compared to the rain-bearing cloud and He is said to have dark blue or black hue, like the cloud. But unlike cloud, which after raining has nothing more to offer, the Lord's mercy is never exhausted. The Lord remains same in spite of many Avatars, in spite of finishing any number of wicked persons, in spite of making available any number of shastras, and His mercy is never reduced. We are now in the sannidhi of Sri Karagatthan [ஸ்ரீ காரகத்தான்], Lord of another Divya Desam in the compound of Sri Ulagalanda Perumal temple, in Kanchipuram. This Divya Desam is called Tirukkaragam [திருக் காரகம்]. We have already seen that Four Divya Desams are in this compound. This Kshetram also finds a place in the same Tirunedunthandakam pasuram of Tirumangai Alwar.

 The Lord is seated on Adisesha. The right lower arm is showing Abhaya and left arm is pointing to His divine feet for us to surrender. Alwar addresses Him as Karagatthai [காரகத்தாய்!] [pasuram 8]. Kar + agam = Karagam. Kar means rain-bearing dark cloud and Agam means place of dwelling. Like cloud, the Lord is bountiful. He is not Karmegavannan [that is, He is with the hue of cloud]. But He is Sri Karagatthan, meaning that like the cloud, the Lord showers His mercy always. In this pasuram, Tirumangai Alwar addresses the Kshetrams without any adjective. But for this Kshetram he adds an epithet, Ulagametthum karagatthai [உலகம் ஏத்தும் காரகத்தாய்!]. All in this world are worshiping the Lord is Sri Karagatthan, says the Alwar. We had seen the qualities of Sri Trivikrama in the Lord in each of these Divya Desams here. In Sri Uragatthan we saw the quality of souseelyam. In Neeragam, the Lord displayed the quality of being the life saving for all, like water. In Tirukkaragam, the quality of Sarva samasrayaneeyatvam [सर्व समाश्रयनीयत्वं -ஸர்வ சமாச்ரயணீயத்வம்] is displayed. The Lord is approachable for everyone or the Lord is asylum to all. Hunters, animals, males, females, Devas, Nityasuris, anyone, could seek the Lord's Divine feet. This is possible because of the bountiful mercy of the Lord. He never considers the status of the person surrendering. Many rivers merge in the ocean; and, it never considers the status of the river or the color of the river water. Similarly, the Lord never considers the level of the seekers. Hunter Guha, huntress Sabari, monkey Sugriva, rakshasa Vibheeshana, cannibal Ghantakarna, dairy vendor Dadipanda, Draupati, etc., sought the Lord's Divine feet and were blessed by the Lord, never considering their status. This quality of Sarva samasryaneeyatvam is exhibited. Sri Trivikrama was approached by Maha Bali, Prahalada, all Devas, Indra and Rishis. The Lord is praised as ripunamapi vatsala: [रिपूनामपी वत्सला:]- even enemies like Him. He finds good qualities in His enemies also. His enemies also praise His valour and strength. Thus Tirumangai Alwar says he saw the Lord worshipped by the world.

 We will now see sloka 33. The Lord is showing His Viswaroopam to all without any discrimination. Viswaroopam is seen by Kauravas, Pandavas, Devas, Yakshas, Gandharvas, etc. Many see with fear and some try to run away from Him. Some prostrate and worship Him. Earlier Arjuna asked Who the Lord in Viswaroopam was? Sri Krishna replies in slokas 32, 33 and 34. He said that He was the Destiny deciding on the fate of these wicked persons. Even if Arjuna were not there the Lord had decided to finish off these persons. Arjuna got a doubt and so thought that he might as well leave, as he has no role to play. He felt he was unnecessary, once the Lord had decided to kill all these persons. To avoid such thinking the Lord tells that He wanted Arjuna to remain in the battle and the Lord would use Arjuna as a tool for His purpose. It is like this. If Arjuna were to defeat Bhishma, he needed bow and arrow. Arjuna shoots the arrow and Bhishma is pushed down by the arrow. Can we say Arjuna defeated Bhishma, or the arrow? Like that, it is the Lord Who is going to kill all these persons; but He uses Arjuna as a tool. Sloka 33:

tasmat tvam uttistha yaso labhasva
jitva satrun bhunksva rajyam samrddham
mayaivaite nihatah purvam eva
nimitta-matram bhava savya-sacin

"Therefore get up. Prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasaci, can be but an instrument in the fight."

Savya-sacin = Arjuna, capable of shooting arrows by the left hand also. Tasmat = therefore, tvam = you [Arjuna], uttishta = get up, yaso = fame, labhasva = acquire, jitva = by winning, satrun = enemies, samruddham = full of prosperity, rajyam = kingdom, bhunksva = enjoy. The Lord tells Arjuna to, therefore, get ready and fight his enemies to win them and acquire fame and enjoy the ever flourishing Kingdom. Purvam eva = long ago, maya eva = by Myself [Sri Krishna], ete = all these [kings and warriors], nihata = were killed or destroyed, nimitta - matram = only a tool, bhava= you [Arjuna] are. 'Therefore' means, the Lord has already decided on the fate of these kings and warriors, and Arjuna has to understand this. The Lord by His willpower decides on everything be it creation or destruction. His willpower is also to use Arjuna as a tool to kill them. Therefore, Arjuna has to get up and fight only. Arjuna who had dropped his bow Gandeepa has to now get ready and take the bow and fight. Arjuna by now would have understood Who the Lord was and what His determination was. Arjuna should now fight so that others do not ridicule him as a coward, but praise him as a hero. He will also enjoy Royal life. He acquires fame and enjoyment. By telling that the fate of these kings had already been decided, it is implied that Arjuna would be beating a dead snake [செத்த பாம்பை அடிப்பது!]. It clearly implies that Arjuna is needed to kill them as the Lord had already decided. He had decided long back when Draupadi was humiliated. Just for Arjuna to get name and fame, the Lord had allowed them to live this long, else He could have finished them off then and there itself! Thus the sin of killing them would not be on Arjuna. Nor it would affect the Lord. The past karma of these people would be responsible for their destruction. Arjuna need have no fears - of getting defeated as the Lord has already decided on his victory, of affected by sin, as he is not killing but decided by the Lord, of any adharma as Arjuna is going to be only a tool in this war game. Arjuna has to just dedicate his great skills to the Lord. That is all. 

                                                                                                   (continued)