GITA 11.37

GITA 11.37

Lakshmyasaha rishikesa: devya karunya rupaya|

Rakshaka traya siddhante vedante pi cha diyate ||

From this sloka we understand that the Lord along with Sri Maha Lakshmi protects us. Without Sri Lakshmi, the Lord could punish; but if Sri Lakshmi is with Him, the Lord always saves. Alwar says the Lord's nature is to protect us. Vali thinks why Sri Rama hit him unseen? After a search, he tells Sri Rama that since Sri Sita was separated from Him, He was not aware what He was doing. That is why He lost His balance and hit Vali, says Vali. From this, we should know that the Lord kills someone, only when His Consort Sri Thayar is not near Him. If He has to save devotees, then certainly She must be along with Him. So, when She is nearby, the Lord protects. To save devotees, enemies have to be killed. When She is nearby none can be killed. Here, we may get confused and raise a doubt. Is Sri Lakshmi encourages Him to kill or is She inducing Him to protect? To know the answer we have to come to the temple of Sri Ashtabhja Perumal. Here we should worship Sri Thayar, called Sri Pushpavalli Thayar [ஸ்ரீ புஷ்பவல்லி தாயார்].

SRI PUSHPAVALLI THAYAR

 She is seated and beckons the devotees to come and surrender at Her Divine feet. The Lord carries weapons in His arms.

SRI ASHTABHUJA PERUMAL

 Seven of them are recognized as weapons. But why should He hold a Lotus flower? Is lotus a weapon to kill anyone? The Lord is symbolically having Sri Pushpavalli Thayar in one of His right Hands. Is She then a weapon? We might think. But Sri Thayar is certainly needed to protect anyone. The Lord carries Seven weapons to kill enemies and in one hand He is carrying the flower to protect devotees. Tirumangai Alwar imagined himself to be one of His Consorts and composed 10 pasurams [Periya Tirumozhi- 2.8]. 'She' asks who was the Person, like the ocean or like the lit lamp, etc? And, for every question, the answer is the Lord Sri Ashtabhuja Perumal. Thus the hymns are composed. In one pasuram [2.8.9], Parakala Nayaki worships the Lord. Admiring 'her' beauty, the Lord says something. Commenting on this pasuram, Swami Periyavacchan Pillai enquires what the Lord could have told. Why Alwar did not elaborate on what the Lord told? Reasons could be many. Parakala Nayaki was mesmerized by the beauty of the Lord and so could not grasp what the Lord told. Or, though 'she' knew what He told 'her', since it was the exclusive secret between the Lovers and so 'she' preferred not to reveal what He said. 

SRI UTSAVAR

But, Swami Periyavacchan Pillai further probes and says that since 'her' waist was so narrow and fragile, the Lord asked 'her', whether He could hold and support 'her'! The Lord is with Eight hands and so support could be secure! Does it mean this pasuram is about lust and passion? The waist is called idai [இடை] in Tamil. Idai also means middle. In Ashtaksharam mantra, pranavam [AUM ஓம் ॐ ] and Narayanaya [नारायणाय] are at the ends and nama: [नम:] is in the middle or idai. Nama: that protection of the self is only by the Lord and one cannot protect oneself. Seeking His feet alone as the refuge or saranagati is meant by nama: and for that, He is the means [upaya उपाया]. So here when Alwar has clear perception of the idai, the Lord has to support 'her' only!

 We will now see sloka 38. In sloka 37, Arjuna wondered who would not worship the Lord with folded hands? As told in Alwar's pasuram, the Lord protects all who worship Him with folded hands. Arjuna says further that the Lord is antaryami in everything:

tvam adi-devah purushah puranas
tvam asya vishvasya param nidhanam
vettasi vedyam ca param ca dhama
tvaya tatam vishvam ananta-rupa

"You are the original Personality of Godhead, the oldest, the ultimate sanctuary of this manifested cosmic world. You are the knower of everything, and You are all that is knowable. You are the supreme refuge, above the material modes. O limitless form! This whole cosmic manifestation is pervaded by You!"

Ananta-rupa = (The Lord) with infinite image, tvam = You [Sri Krishna] are, adi-deva = very First Deva, purusha = grants whatever is prayed, purana = very Ancient but appearing ever fresh [pura + api navam = puranam], asya = to this, vishvasya = Universe, param = most superior or the highest of all, nidhanam = basis, tvam = You [Sri Krishna] are. Sri Krishna is the basis for all this Universe, for origin and support. Vettasi = knowledgeable, vedya = to be understood, param = most superior, dhama = abode. That is the Lord is to be attained or to get the result of reaching Vaikuntam. Dhamam is also called purushartam or the ultimate objective. He knows all and all have to know Him, to reach Vaikuntam. Tvaya = by You [Sri Krishna], tatam = pervaded, vishvasya = this Universe. The Lord is pervading the entire Universe, He knows everything and all have to know Him to reach Vaikuntam, the basis for entire Universe, Origin of everything, the First among Devas and Ancient, but always afresh, He grants anything prayed for. Who would not respect the Lord with such eminence? Is there any deficiency to protect us? Arms are eight. Is He lacking in weapons? Are there no predecessors, who have been rescued by the Lord? Lord Brahma and Gajendra are standing examples. Is He frightening with all dangerous weapons? Like Sri Pushpavalli Thayar, He is holding a flower, symbolic of mercy. Is He ugly that we can not approach? The Lord is radiating like a lamp with the hue of the ocean. So. what deficiency we can find to avoid respecting Him? To the Lord, Who is having all matters in this Universe or in Moolaprakruti, and all souls whether baddha or mukta, as His body and pervading everything without any exception, Arjuna offers his obeisance. We now take leave of this Divya Desam.

                                                                                                       (continued)