GITA 11.43

GITA 11.43

Swami Koorattalwan in his Varadaraja stavam tells why the Lord appeared as Sri Narasimha. Though Hiranyakasipu infuriated the Lord by his misdeeds for many years, the Lord never appeared to kill him; but, when he started torturing His devotee Prahlada, He appeared with enormous anger. Sri Narasimha is gracing in Tiruvelukkai Kshetram in Kanchi mandalam. After destroying Hiranyakasipu, the Lord wanted to practice Yoga in a good place. In His search, He found Kanchi as most suitable and so arrived at the place and is gracing. Also, when Saraswati wanted to spoil the yagna of lord Brahma, she sent many Asuras and to eliminate them the Lord appeared here. Avatara nakshatram is Chitra - Swati [சித்திரை சுவாதி]. Earlier we saw that in the Tamil month of Chitra on various stars the Lord appeared in various temples - Revati : Sri Deepaprakasa [ரேவதி - ஸ்ரீ தீபப்ரகாசர்], Rohini ; Sri Ashtabhuja Perumal [ரோஹிணி - ஸ்ரீ அஷ்டபுஜ பெருமாள்], Punarvasu: Sri Yatoktakari [புனர்வசு - ஸ்ரீ யதோக்தகாரி] and Hastam : Sri Varadaraja [ஹஸ்தம் - ஸ்ரீ வரதராஜர்]. Amidst these, the Lord appeared in Swati in Tiruvelukkai. Swami Koorattalwan says that just to make His devotee's statement true, the Lord appeared from a pillar. Swami Vedanta Desika says that the Lord appeared as a combination of animal and man. We can now worship the Utsavar of the Lord. In this Kanchi, one can find that all the idols of the Lord and the Alwars and Acharyas are very beautifully maintained, by the Archakas.

SRI UTSAVAR

 Unlike in other places where the Lord would be holding a mace, here the Lord is showing Abhaya by the right hand and the left hand points to His divine Feet. Those who surrender at His feet would be protected. That is, all have to surrender to the Lord. Along with the Lord, we can see Sri Krishna also. On one side we see Sri Nara Singam and on the other side, we see Sri Yadava Singam! Viswaroopam itself is like a Lion! That is He is the King. Here the Lord Sri Krishna appears as Sri Vennaikkadum Pillai [ஸ்ரீ வெண்ணைக்காடும் பிள்ளை].

DANCING SRI KRISHNA

 Seeing the Lord dancing on the hoods of Kalinga, one is tempted to address Him as Sri Krishna and Sri Yadava; but seeing the Sri Narasimha form, one respectfully addresses as Sri Paratpara! The Lord is appearing in gigantic Viswaroopam; at the same time, just for a handful of butter, the Lord dances at each gopika's house! We have thus worshipped the Sri Yoga Narasimha Moolavar as well as Utsavar with His Ubhaya Nacchiyars and Sri Krishna, Who can be praised as dancing on Kalinga or dancing for butter.

 Arjuna repents for having addressed Sri Krishna by such insignificant names. So, he addressed the Lord as Father and requested that he might be pardoned. Who else could be a Guru like Him? None was equal or greater than Him. Now sloka 44:

tasmat pranamya pranidhaya kayam
prasadaye tvam aham isam idyam
piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyuh
priyah priyayarhasi deva sodhum

"You are the Supreme Lord, to be worshipped by every living being. Thus I fall down to offer You my respectful obeisances and ask Your mercy. As a father tolerates the impudence of his son or a friend tolerates the impertinence of a friend, or a wife tolerates the familiarity of her partner, please tolerate the wrongs I may have done You."

In this sloka, Arjuna further states why the Lord should pardon him and what other relations exist between them. Tasmat = therefore. The relationship between them or as just now Arjuna has realized the Lord's eminence and so, he uses the word, therefore. Or, he has fallen at the feet of the Lord and so He has to pardon him. Pranamya = prostrating, pranidhaya = shrunk, kayam = body. When paying respects one normally shrinks one's body and salutes. Nama: implies the head is bent in sheer respect. When paying respects to the Lord and His devotees, the body should bend, the mouth should say 'nama:' and mind also should respect. In bhakti, paying respects [vanakkam in Tamil] is very important. In Chapter 9, in the last sloka - manmana bhava mat bhakta... mam namas kuru, the Lord says that mind should be thinking of Him, bhakti should be for Him and always prostrate to the Lord. Earlier Arjuna also prostrated many times and told Namo Nama thousand times. Nama: means the teller has nothing to possess and praying to accept the teller as His. Nama: also means saranagati = ultimate surrender. Here, Arjuna uses the word pranamya instead of nama:. All the three - body, word and mind- should be engaged in prostrating to the Lord. Isa = Iswara [Leader], idyam = Praised by all. We may praise mortals, but they might not fit into such praisings. We address a person who has never visited a school as Doctor, we call someone, who has never seen a battlefield, as a Lion; and call a miserly person as bountiful! But the Lord fits into every praise we make. Tvam = to You [Sri Krishna], aham = I [Arjuna], pay respects and so He should, prasadaye = bless. Arjuna is already scared of the Viswaroopam and so He should take pity and bless him; or, Arjuna has realized his mistakes and so He should bless him. Now Arjuna tells the relationships and reasons why the Lord should bless him. Piteva = like a Father, putrasya = to his son, sakheva = like a friend, sakyu= to another friend, priya = like a lover with affection or a lover, priyaya = with love or to his darling. Arjuna says like the relationship between father and son, or between friends, or between lovers, the Lord should pardon him. But the Lord is Paramatman, and why should He pardon Arjuna? Sodhum = for pardoning, arhasi = [Arjuna] deserves, deva = embodiment of mercy [the Lord is]. In the last sloka, Arjuna told the Paratvam or the Most superior nature of the Lord. It is not enough to show only anger. To Hiranyakasipu, He showed His extreme anger; but at the same time, He showered kindness on Prahlada. So, here he prays for the kindness of the Lord. Swami Vedanta Desika [in Kamasikashtakam] tells - tvayi rakshati rakshati kim anyai? Tvayi sa arakshati rakshati kim anyai?'- If the Lord decided to protect, who else is needed? But, if the Lord decided not to save, who else can protect? When father deserted the son, Prahlada, it was the Lord Who protected the child. Elder brother Ravana did not save Vibheeshana. Vali did not protect Sugriva. But the Lord assumed all those relationships and protected His devotees.

                                                                                                  (continued)