GITA 11.50

GITA 11.50

Tirumangai Alwar, last among Alwars, had visited 86 Divya desams and had composed Six prabhandams. He had composed 10 pasurams on Tiruvidavendhai, usually referred to as Tiruvidanthai [திருவிடந்தை]. The Alwar is gracing in his sannidhi in the temple with right hand holding a sword and the left hand holding a shield.

TIRUMANGAI ALWAR

 He lost his valour for the love of the Lord. In the pasurams of this Kshetram, he laments in the guise of the 'mother' of the 'sweetheart' of the Lord. Do we get results because of our efforts or because of the Lord's grace? It is only His grace that is responsible for the results. In that case are we to keep quiet and do nothing? If one wants to be successful in exams, one has to attend the exams. But, the result of his writing the exams, is the Lord's will.

SWAMI PILLAI LOKACHARYA

 Swami PillaiLokacharya says that the Lord is both the means [உபாயம்] and result [பலன்]. We may do anything but finally what the Lord decides only happens. Our aim and effort might be to get Moksham, but it is not the upayam. The Lord's mercy is alone the upayam. This is the substance of the pasuram on this Kshetram. One can not find a reason for His mercy. In that case, can we simply keep quiet and not even visit the temple? No, we have to continue with our efforts and pray for His mercy. Our action should be only as service [கைங்கர்யம் or தொண்டு] to the Lord. We have to do our service and pray for His mercy. Our determination to obtain result hardly matters. Swamy Pillai Lokascharya establishes this theory that for the result of our efforts, His mercy alone is the upayam, citing the keywords in the pasurams on Tirvidavendhai by Tirumangai Alwar.  Mahabharata war was decided by Sri Krishna. The result of the war also was decided by the Lord. Arjuna saw in the Viswaroopam of the Lord, all being destroyed and getting into His body. That is, the result of the war was shown to Arjuna even before the war started. That is, Sri Krishna decides the result of any action. We are to see sloka 51:

arjuna uvaca
drstvedam manusam rupam
tava saumyam janardana
idanim asmi samvrttah
sa-cetah prakritim gatah

"When Arjuna thus saw Krishna in His original form, he said: O Janardana, seeing this humanlike form, so very beautiful, I am now composed in mind, and I am restored to my original nature."

In the last sloka, Sanjaya narrated that the Lord displayed His usual beautiful form and assuaged Arjuna. Now Arjuna tells the Lord his reaction on seeing the Lord in His usual form. Idam = this [the Lord's original image], dristva = seeing, tava = You [Sri Krishna], saumyam = very pleasant, manusam rupam = human form, idanim = now, asmi = I [Arjuna] am, samvrtta = composed in mind. Arjuna's fears were gone on seeing the original and beautiful human form of the Lord and he regained his composure. The Lord is in His usual beautiful form as in Tiruvidavendhai. Though Viswaroopam was frightening, the Lord is the same in Viswaroopam and now. If we approach the Lord without Bhakti, He will appear frightening. At the same time, just because the Lord appeared like any human being, we should not consider He is like us. He is beautiful, incomparable. Swami Ramanuja says that the Lord displays soundaryam, lavanyam, saukumaram and mardhavam at the same time. Soundaryam means every organ of the Lord is beautiful. Lavanyam means the image as a total is beautiful. Saukumaryam is His image is as soft as a flower, and mardhavam is His nature of whithering at the slightest separation of His devotees.  The Lord is saddened when Bhaktas are separated from Him. He has the human form, without the defects we notice in normal men. He attracts anyone seeing Him. Our mind goes after Him. Arjuna thus returns to his self.

                                                                                                (continued)