GITA 11.35

GITA 11.35

ENTRANCE ARCH

gita sugita kartavya kim anyah shastra vistaraih
ya svayam padmanabhasya mukha-padmad vinihsrita

The Lord Himself took the Avatar of Sri Krishna and gave us the Gita shastra. Many Alwars appeared to propagate the substance of Gita in Tamil. Tirumangai Alwar had sung in praise of many Divya Desams in Kanchi mandalam [region]. In many such Divya Desams the Alwar had composed poems as a male devotee. Now we have arrived at a surprise place to worship. Tirumangai Alwar coming to this place asks in surprise Who the Lord here was? In Ten pasurams the Alwar asks this question as to Who He was and the Lord replies him. To that extent the Alwar was surprised and to that Kshetram we have arrived now.

TEMPLE GOPURAM

 The Lord here has a feature not found anywhere in India. We have worshipped the Lord with Two hands; also, worshipped the Lord with Four hands. But here the Lord is gracing with Eight shoulders [எட்டு திருத் தோள்கள்] and Eight hands. He is called Sri Attapuya Perumal [ஸ்ரீ அட்டபுய பெருமாள்]or Sri Ashta Bhuja Perumal [ஸ்ரீ அஷ்ட புஜ பெருமாள் अष्ठ भुज पेरुमाळ]. Tirumangai Alwar has dedicated entire Ten pasurams [Periya Tirumozhi 2.8] to the Lord here. Peyalwar has praised in one pasuram. Thus we have come to worship the Lord praised by Two Alwars. This place has many unique features. We are at Vaikunta Neel vasal [வைகுண்ட நீள் வாசல்] [long corridor].

VAIKUNTA VASAL

 Why? All temples have Vaikunta vasal [வைகுண்ட வாசல்] [gate]. Is it unique here? In Kanchi mandalam, in no other temples is Vaikunta vasal. Only here Vaikunta vasal is available. Apart from that, Vaikunta vasal is just opposite the main gopuram. As we enter the gopuram, we reach Vaikunta vasal. Why Vaikunta vasal is here and what is the connection between the pushkarini, just opposite? We have heard of the Purana tale of Gajendra elephant, who was rescued by the Lord hurriedly arriving on Garuda. Here this tale is told in a different way. Here it is Sri Attapuya Perumal, Himself saved Gajendra. Once a sage desired to become Indra. He meditated vigorously. Indra wanted to disrupt that meditation and so sent Apsara damsels to divert the meditation, but none could disrupt sage's meditation. Later, with the Lord's willpower, the sage happened to see male elephants and female elephants in happy surroundings, and his attention was diverted. He also took an elephant form and happily lived with female elephants. As time passed, once the sage, in elephant form, realized that he was wasting his time, he met another sage, who advised the sage, in elephant form, to go to this place and worship the Lord here, when he would regain his earlier form and continue his meditation. He came here and worshipped the Lord with 14,000 flowers. Once, he could not get any flower and on seeing a lotus in a pond, the Pushkarini here, he entered the pond to pluck the flower.

THE PUSHKARINI

 As he stepped in, a crocodile grabbed his foot and so the sage, in elephant form, shouted the name of the Lord and cried for help. The Lord Sri Ashta Bhuja Perumal came and rescued. Peyalwar says (3rd Tiruvandadi- 99) that the Lord with Eight weapons in the Eight arms, cut off the crocodile's neck. Thus, the Lord protects the devotees of this Kshetram with Eight arms. But the Lord in Viswaroopam has Thousands of arms and faces. He appeared in many colours. To some extent, we can say that in this Kshetram also the Lord is like in Viswaroopam! 

We will now see sloka 36 in Chapter 11. In sloka 35, Sanjaya told Dhritarashtra that Arjuna fell down to prostrate to Sri Krishna and with folded hands and body shivering, spoke to Sri Krishna with undulating voice. Now sloka 36:

arjuna uvaca
sthane hrishikesha tava prakirtya
jagat prahrsyaty anurajyate ca
rakshamsi bhitani diso dravanti
sarve namasyanti ca siddha-sanghah

"Arjuna said: O master of the senses, the world becomes joyful upon hearing Your name, and thus everyone becomes attached to You. Although the perfected beings offer You their respectful homage, the demons are afraid, and they flee here and there. All this is rightly done."

Arjuna says that Rakshasas were running helter-skelter in all directions in fear of the Lord. Groups of Siddhas were worshipping with folded hands. It is understandable and the Lord deserved this, says Arjuna. Hrishikesa = Lord Sri Krishna. Hrishikesa means controlling the sense organs. That is controlling His senses and the devotees' senses. Tava = Your [Sri Krishna's], prakirtya = seeing this greatness, eminence, jagat = people of the Universe, prahrsyaty = are happy, rajam means love and anurajam means enormous love, anurajyate = [people] are in great love or devotion for [Sri Krishna]. Seeing the eminence of the Lord, all people are happy and devote themselves to Him. Though all people are mentioned, we have to interpret this to mean only good people. Evil-minded persons will neither be happy nor would devote, seeing the Lord. Rakshamsi = Rakshasas [demons], bhitani = scared of, diso dravanti = running away in all directions, sarve = all, siddha sangha = groups of Siddhas [accomplished persons], namasyanti = with folded hands pay respects and chant in praise [of the Lord]. We see Two types of people, who see the Lord. One is the Demons in great fear. The other is Siddhas worshipping the Lord. Siddhas are meant in the word Jagat in the first half of the sloka. These are the people happy about learning the eminence of the Lord and they praise the Lord and worship. Those who do not like the greatness of the Lord, who are jealous of the Lord and who think the Lord as their enemy, they are all running away in fear on seeing the Viswaroopam. Hrishikesa means control of senses. The Lord is in control of His senses; but, He controls the senses of all good people and so Siddhas are able to praise and worship Him. Others, with uncontrolled senses, are Rakshasas and they run away in fear. Ravana was a scholar. His valour was great. Yet, he could not control his senses. In Srimad Ramayana, Ravana is lying on the ground killed by Sri Rama. His wife Mandodari comes running and cries. She sees Sri Rama and tells that she had recognized Who Sri Rama was. He is 'anadi madya nitana: srivatsa vaksha: nityasri: saswata: ' - He is the One with no beginning or end or middle, having Sri Maha Lakshmi on the right chest, always auspicious and permanent, etc.. She further says that in spite of all such eminence Sri Rama could not have won Ravana, if only he had controlled his senses. So Ravana was defeated by his own uncontrolled senses. Had he controlled his lust, none could have vanquished him, says Mandodari. Those succumbing to sense organs are Rakshasas and are destroyed. Surrendering the organs at His Divine feet and enjoying His eminence is divine quality. Such people are considered as Devas. Devotion to Sri Vishnu is the character of Devas and the likes. Others are all Asuras or Rakshasas. Such people are running away in fear. Once we realize that the Lord is doing good for us, we worship and praise Him. We have to fall in love with the Lord and this is indicated by anurajyate. Other than the Lord, we should never desire for. Listening to His names and stories, we should feel happy and contentment. Arjuna speaks of such persons joyous on seeing the greatness of the Lord. Others are running away. Sthane = deserve [the praise by Siddhas and devotees, and Rakshasas running away]. Thus Arjuna starts his praise, which continues in 11 slokas up to sloka 46.

                                                                                                 (continued)