GITA 11.34

GITA 11.34

We worshiped Sri Ulagalanda Perumal, Who lifted His left foot up in the sky and with the right foot paced entire Universe. By stretching Two fingers, He points out in the left hand that He had measured all the Universe and upper worlds in Two steps and by showing one finger in the right hand, He is asking where was the place for the remaining one step. Upanishads say that only the Lord knew where the Third step was placed. We also worshipped Sri Ooragatthan nearby. The Lord appeared as a great serpent with Five hoods. His body is curved many times. The Lord thus appears in the form of Adisesha. Adisesha is a servant of the Lord. Why should Lord take up the form of His servant? Seshi means Master and sesha means servant. Adisesha serves the Lord at all times: while standing as sandals [paduka], or while sitting, as a throne, or while reclining, as a bed, or while walking, as an umbrella. Then why the Master [seshi] takes up the form of the servant [sesha]? In Badarikashram [Badrinath], the Lord appears as Sri Narayana and Sri Nara [human form]. Sri Narayana teaches Sri Nara, the significance of Ashtaksharam. Thus there the Lord is both Teacher [Acharya] and Student [Sishya]. Swami Pillai Lokacharya enquired into this double role of the Lord. It is OK that the Lord appeared as an Acharya. But why should He appear as a disciple? It is to teach the world how an Acharya and how a sishya ought to behave. Both are the forerunners for all Acharyas and disciples to follow. Similarly, here also the Lord wanted to teach how a servant was to behave and so took the form of Adisesha. The Master is Sri Ulagalanda Perumal and the Servant is Sri Ooragatthan. As told earlier, offering pal payasam [பால் பாயசம்] to the Lord would make our life happy and prosperous. We have worshipped nearby Sri Neeragatthan, Sri Karagatthan and Sri Karvanatthullan.

THE LORD ON SESHA VAHANAM

 Here, there is a Sesha vahanam [vehicle or mount used in festivals]. That also proves that He is both Seshi and Sesha! He is carried by Himself! Seshi Ramanujam and Sesha Ramanujam. The latter is Swami Ramanuja of Sri Perumbuthur; and, Seshi Ramanuja means, the brother of Sri Bala Rama, Sri Krishna!

 Now we will see sloka 35. The Lord showed His Viswaroopam, and now only Arjuna realizes that he was a disciple. Because, till now the Acharya, Sri Krishna, was sitting in the driver's seat in the chariot. This seat is lower in level to the seat of Arjuna. So, disciple Arjuna was seated on the elevated seat, with his feet almost near the shoulder of the Driver, Sri Krishna and his Acharya! Normally, a disciple should place his head near Acharya's feet and humbly request for teaching. Here it was the reverse! Seeing the Viswaroopam, Arjuna asked Who the Lord was? The Lord replied in slokas 32, 33 and 34. He told Arjuna that He had already decided to kill those wicked persons and that Arjuna was a mere tool in the process. Out of mercy and affection, the Lord had decided that Arjuna would fight and obtain fame, and so the Lord asked Arjuna to get up and fight. This sloka 35 is from Sanjaya. From sloka 36 to sloka 46, Arjuna is going to praise the Lord. In this single sloka, Sanjaya narrates the actions of Arjuna and his submission to the Lord paying respects. Sanjaya tells Dridarashtra. The significance of this is that Arjuna, who was very close to Sri Krishna, now understood the glory and greatness of the Lord, and prostrated respectfully to Sri Krishna; but Dridarashtra and his sons did not understand either Sri Krishna or Arjuna. Did not this - Viswaroopam exclusively to Arjuna - reveal the deep consideration the Lord had for Arjuna? At least this should change Dhritarashtra's mind. But this also goes in vain. If Dhridarashtra had understood even a little bit, he could have prevented the battle. Why did he not understand? The Lord told in the earlier slokas that He had already decided that these people would be killed in this war. So, their end was certain and so Dhridarashtra did not stop the battle. If Kaikeyi had agreed to Dasaratha's request, Srimad Ramayanam would not have come up! Similarly, if Dhridarashtra had understood Sri Krishna properly, perhaps, this epic and Gita would have ended with the 11th Chapter! But the Lord had destined for the war to be fought for 18 days and so Dhridarashtra did not have a change of mind.

 Arjuna prostrates to the Lord and in undulating voice pays his respects to the Lord. Now sloka 35:

sanjaya uvaca
etac chrutva vacanam keshavasya
kritanjalir vepamanah kiriti
namaskritva bhuya evaha krishnam
sa-gadgadam bhita-bhitah pranamya

"Sanjaya said to Dhritarashtra: O King, after hearing these words from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the trembling Arjuna offered obeisances with folded hands again and again. He fearfully spoke to Lord Krishna in a faltering voice, as follows."

Aha = [Arjuna] told, sa gadgadam = in wavy or undulating voice, pranamya = prostrating, kesavasya = Sri Kesava's [Sri Krishna's], eta = these, vacanam = speech or replies [to slokas 32, 33 and 34], chrutva = after hearing, kritanjali= with folded hands, vepamana = trembling, kiriti = the crowned [Arjuna]. There are three words kritanjali, namaskritva and pranamya. All these indicate paying respects. Do these mean that Arjuna prostrated to the Lord Three times? Swami Desika says in Tatparya Chandrika that as soon as he heard the reply of the Lord, he fell down to prostrate and this is indicated by the word pranamya. Getting up, he wanted to say a few words. Normally, it is the practice to prostrate before one speaks and so Arjuna prostrates again and this is indicated by the word namaskritva.While talking he is keeping his hands folded and this is indicated by the word kritanjali. Namaskritva = prostrating, bhuya = again, krishnam = to Sri Krishna [spoke with undulating voice]. Kesava means the Lord of ka = Brahma and isa = Shiva. Arjuna listening to the words of the Lord in Viswaroopam, commanding everyone, realized the eminence of the Lord and so fell instantly on the ground to prostrate. Getting up and with shivering body, he wanted to say to the Lord and so again fell down to prostrate and then with folded hands spoke to the Lord. A [अ ] indicates the Lord. So anjali means by our action of anjali or folded hands, the Lord melts like water [jalam]. The Lord's mercy is invoked. We will now take leave of this Divya Desam.

                                                                                                        (continued)