SRIMAN NARAYANA, SRI LAKSHMI AMMA (DAYA DEVI) AND THE HOLIEST OF HOLY WORKS OF THE REVERENTIAL AZHWARS ( MYSTIC SAINTS ) OF THE SOUTH OF INDIA. ( Part 17 / 21)
Sri Thondar adi podi azhwar Part 17 of 21
- Our dearest Sri Thonda adi podi azhwar has conveyed the highest importance of NAAMA SANKIRTANA ( continuous chanting of the holiest of holy names of our beloved Lord Sriman Narayana.). As mentioned in our most revered scriptures, by all our most reverential azhwars, all the srivaishnava gurus, mahatmas in kali yuga, where life is highly fast paced, the only recourse left to human kind is chanting of the holiest of holy names of our Lord Sri Krishna, the holiest of holy name Sri Govinda ( one who tends to our holy mother cow) is so much loved by our lord SriGovinda himself, that the moment ,even if one mentally thinks of SriGovinda , our lord Sri Govinda comes running to us.
SRIRANGA, SRINAMO NARAYANA, SRI KESHAVA, SRIMADHAVA, SRI BANKE BIHARI, SRIMURALIMANOHARA, SRIDAMODHARA, SRI ACHUTTA, SRIVITHALA, SRI RAMA, SRI NAARSIMHA ETC , COUNTLESS HOLIEST OF HOLY NAMES OF OUR LORD SRIMAN NARAYANA WHEN CHANTED WITH DEVOTION, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME AND AT ALL TIMES IS CONFIRMED THAT OUR DIVINE PARENTS WILL VERY CERTAINLY COME AND RESIDE IN OUR HEARTS AND WHEN THEY ARE SO CLOSE TO US , THEN, CAN THERE BE EVEN ONE SMALL EVENT WHICH WILL BE TAINTED OR STAINED IN OUR LIFE?, JUST NOT POSSIBLE AT ALL, AND IF OUR ACTION GETS TAINTED EVEN AFTER RECITING HIS HOLIEST NAME SRI GOVINDA, OUR LORD SRI KRISHNA WILL BURN TO ASHES OUR KARMIC RESIDUE.
OUR DEAREST LORD SRIMAN NARAYANA AND OUR MOST BELOVED MOTHER LAKSHMI AMMA WILL FULLY TAKE CARE OF US , SO THE QUESTION OF GOOD AND BAD DOES NOT ARISE AT ALL, ONLY AUSPICIOUSNESS AND PERMANENT SALVATION IS THE RESULT OF THEM BEING OUR IN DWELLER (ANTARYAAMI) AFTER WE HAVE DONE PRAPATI.
- It is mentioned in our most holy scriptures, that our lord SriRanganathar of Srirangam, Sri Govinda of Tirumala, Sri Vithala of Pandarpur and the various Srivaishnavite holy places are ALIKE AND ONE AND THE SAME as our lord residing at Sri Parmapadam and hence each one of us, surely must make it a point to visit these highly revered holy places existing for centuries, the positive energies coupled with our lord Sri Govinda and our most beloved Lakshmi amma's celestial presence there , enables us to experience the most divine consort here itself on our dearest mother earth .
Who knows what our next birth would be ? Except our Lord SriGovinda only, who is fully aware of all his creations entire evolution, their karmas (past, present and future) etc and when this is very sure and completely accepted by us, then we should not waste one second and with our entire family, the young and the old, in very big groups, with all the srivaishnava devotees and friends visit our holiest places of worship where our Lord Sriman Narayana and Lakshmi amma reside.
Our Srirangam is known as Bhuloka Vaikuntham (Sri Parmapadam on earth). Our lord Sri Ranga has left his celestial abode to enable us to adoringly capture him permanently in our hearts and please believe me, our very lovingly captivating "THEM THE DIVINE" IS excellent but beyond excellence is when "THEY THE DIVINE" lovingly tie us ETERNALLY WITH THEM, with a very beautiful silken thread and forever reside in our heart , this transcendental understanding is to be self experienced to be believed and YES, IN KALIYUGA ALSO IT IS POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHEST MEASURE, NOT AN IOTA OF DOUBT AT ALL.
- Our dearest Sri Thondar adi podi azhwar ( he is popularly called this because Thondar in TAMIL language means the divine srivaishnava bhaktas who live and breathe only Lord Sriman Narayana and Mahalakshmi amma, adi means steps of a person, podi means the dust when these sri vaishnavas walk on our dearest mother earth). Our adorin Thondar adi podi azhwar's ,humility touches its zenith, when everyday, he smears their dust on to his holy body where these divine srivaishnava bhaktas have walked.
IS THERE ANY MORE NECESSITY TO EVEN LEARN ABOUT OUR DEAREST SRI THONDAR ADI PODI AZHWARS LOVE FOR THE DEVOUT SRIVAISHNAVA. IT IS VERY WELL KNOWN THAT OUR LORD SRIMAN NARAYANA AND MAHALAKSHMI AMMA RESIDED IN HIS HEART ETERNALLY BECAUSE OF THE HEIGHT OF HIS LOVE AND DEVOTION TOWARDS THEM BUT HIS LOVE FOR ALL OF US SRIVAISHNAVAS IS WORTH EMULATING COUNTLESS TIMES. THE PRIDE WITH WHICH HE MENTIONS THAT HE SMEARS THE DUST WHERE THE SRIVAISHNAVA'S WALK IS AN INDICATION OF HIS HUMILITY, KINDNESS, COMPASSION, LOVE AND CARE AT ITS SUPERLATIVE ,ONLY AN EVOLVED MAHATMA CAN BE A PART OF SUCH AN ACTION. HAIL HAIL COUNTLESS PROSTRATION AT THE HOLIEST OF HOLY FEET OF OUR DEAREST SRI THONDAR ADI PODI AZHWAR.
- Our most beloved Sri Thondar adi podi azhwar lovingly maintained and tended a divine garden at our Sri Rangam temple. Our holiest Srirangam temple has a very unique distinction, everything in and around the temple is very huge and hence in Tamil ,it is called peria which means big. Our holiest of temple in Srirangam is called Peria perumal koil ( perumal in Tamil is used for Lord Sri Govinda ,koil means temple hence Srirangam temple is called our big Lord Sri Ranga's biggest temple).
Our divine Srirangam temple is one of the biggest temple in the whole world and to have darshan of all of the sannidhis (sanctum sanctorum ) without hurry or rush one has to take out minimum of three whole days and yet few of the sannidhis will not be covered, so big is our temple just like the vast expanse of Sri Parmapadam. A devout Sri Vaishnava devotee at least once in his life time should definitely fall at the divine most beautiful pink lotus feet of our lord Sriranga and Sri Ranga nayaki amma at Srirangam for his beauty , splendour is beyond any description(MATCHLESS TO THE SUPREME MOST), our lord Sri Ranga and Sriranganayaki amma can be worshiped with beautiful fragrant flowers, dancing and singing his divine holiest of holy names SRIRANGA SRIRANGA SRIRANGA SRIHARI SRIGOVINDA SRI GOVINDA.
Even if a devotee lovingly utters once in his life time SRI RANGA, SRI GOVINDA SRIVITHOBHA MAULI HE IS EVER REDEEMED FOR HE HAS CONVEYED TO OUR MOST LOVED LORD SRIMAN NARAYANA TO COME AND RESIDE IN HIS HEART.
It is said, in our divine scriptures, that the worst cruel asuras like Ravana, Hiranyaakshan, etc too have attained our Lord Sri Krishna's pious lotus feet for they unknowingly and with a lot of anger and negative emotions always wished our lord Sriman Narayana very bad ,yet they were blessed with Sri Parmapadam because unconsciously they kept thinking of our lord Sriman Narayana and this thought ensured them a place at his lotus feet, such is the power of our lord Sri Govinda's divine name, even only once in our life time, even subconsciously or even unconsciously , if we utter his divine name SRIRANGA SRIGOVINDA , our lord Sri Krishna draws us close to him. THIS IS SATYAM SATYAM SATYAM.
Our dearest Sri Thondar adi podi azhwar used to wake up during very early hours before dawn, have his holy bath on the banks of divine mother Cauveri at Srirangam, then reach the most stunning garden nurtured by him, very tenderly pluck holy Tulasi , various scented beautiful flowers like rose, jasmine, lily etc and weave beautiful garlands for our lord Sri Ranga, then he very lovingly assembled all the divine wonderful garlands in a very big basket and reached to pray to lord SriRanganathar.
Our dearest of dear Sri Thondar adi podi azhwar, with the highest attachment ,sang devotional hymns written by himself and very gently, fully filled with superlative love and care, used to wake our lord SriRanga from his shaynam (deep sleep) in the midst of wonderful very soothing veena and other musical instruments with very soft and melodious tune ( our lord Sri Ranga needs to be woken up with the highest warmth in an atmosphere of total serenity and in a very tranquil surrounding without causing him any disturbance that too after waking from his divine sleep where he experienced total silence , one has to very careful not to walk speedily with loud sound , not to speak loudly and definitely the music should never be jarring for our lord is the softest of soft and hates, everything sentient and in sentient, that are harsh).
Our dearest Sri Thondar adi podi azhwar, then conveyed , to our lord the most fantastic scene outside at the very early hours, when beautiful birds were chirping, when nature was at its supreme most best and also our dearest of dear azhwar mentions to our lord that all his most loving devotees are waiting very eagerly for his divine darshan and the very best part is our most beloved Sri Thondar adi podi azhwar is so minute in his detail, he also conveys to our dear most Lord Sri Ranga that few more new devotees too have come to seek his darshan , such is his love for our lord , he keeps on searching for many devotees to join in gently waking up our lord Sri Ranga.
Is there even one word that is further required after such a holiest of holy service of very gently waking up the unparalleled king of our cosmos Lord Sri Ranga and also weaving day in and day out without a break, most beautiful colourful fragrant garlands weaved intermittently with divine tulasi which our dear most lord Sri Ranga so happily and lovingly adorns ? If one sits mentally conjuring this beautiful events in total silence ,not only can one experience the divinity of such a holy service but one surely will be ever blessed by our lord Sri Ranga for even being a part of our azhwars loving service through our divine thoughts if not through actual physical service. MARVELOUS TO THE CORE!
- As with, all our adoring azhwars, our dearest most Sri Tondar adi podi azhwar too shuns everything that is materially contaminated, he vociferously proclaims that he would avoid a non srivaishnava who does not yearn to live for our most beloved Sri Ranga, like a poisonous rattle snake and would never ever associate himself with "NON VAISHNAVA"/WORLDLY MATERIALISTIC PEOPLE FOR THEY KNOW NOT THE DIVINE MOST GLORIES OF OUR LORD SRI RANGA AND THOSE NOT INTERESTED IN OUR LORD SRI RANGA, OUR DEAREST OF DEAR SRI THONDAR ADI PODI AZHWAR IS ABSOLUTELY NOT CONCERNED ABOUT AND DOES NOT WANT THEIR BLACK SHADOW TOO TO FALL ON HIM. SUCH IS OUR DEAREST AZHWAR, HE WILL NOT HESITATE TO DO ANYTHING FOR OUR LORD SRI RANGA FOR AFTER SEEING OUR LORD SRIRANGA'S MOST ENCHANTING LOTUS DIVYAMANGALA VIGRAHA SWAROOPA HE DOES NOT WANT TO SEE ANYTHING ELSE AT ALL IN ALL THE WORLDS.
- Few of his disciples used to convey to our dearest Sri Thondar Adi podi azhwar that to meditate on our lord Sri Krishna is much more easy than on our Lord Sri Rama although both are the divine manifestation of our dearest sole creator of the entire cosmos our very own LORD SRIMAN NARAYANA. Our azhwar used to inform them not to worry and that they can concentrate on exclusively lord Sri Krishna too for his divine avatara is an embodiment of closeness, of deepest friendship , of very light and pleasurable feelings like one experiences with ones closest whereas when few think of Lord Sri Rama a bit of seriousness springs up for our dear most Sri Rama himself is very aloof, extremely introspective, although both our Lord Sri Rama and our dear most lord Sri Krishna are the kings of the entire cosmos their divine persona is very different .
Our lord Sri Rama is very subdued and very quiet and our lord Sri Krishna on the other hand ,is very playful, mischievous, wants to be closest to each of his friend be they a gopika or a gwala, he never likes to leave them in peace for a second, nor does he like when they leave him alone, his wonderful pranks captivate us to him so immensely that we forget that he is our creator, we think of him as our dear most. Hence our dearest azhwar confirms to us that we may worship our most loving , most gracious lord Sri Rama or our most beloved, most closest friend lord Sri Krishna , in whatever ways we worship we are praying to our dearest creator THE ONE AND ONLY ONE OUR VERY OWN Lord SRIMAN NARAYANA , SOLE CREATOR OF THE ENTIRE WORLDS.
With such divine thoughts may we all in the highest prapati join both our hands and raise it very high above praying for the greatest happiness of our dearest Sri Thondar adi podi azhwar. May his divine glories , reverberate in the entire cosmos , for he is the faultless one, he is one of the greatest mahatma , a holiest of holy srivaishnavite whose only goal is to unconditionally serve unto the divine most lotus feet of our lord Sri Ranga and our most beloved SriRanga nayaki amma and for him our holiest of holy place is Srirangam , he never craved to reach Sri Parmapadam too ,for our King of Sri Parmapadam our dear most Sri Ranga and Sri Ranganayaki amma have come to permanently settle and be an integral part of each one of us on our dearest mother earth,
SRIMAN NARAYANAM CHARANAM SHARANAM PRABHADYE , SRIMAN NARAYANA NAMAHA.
SRI THONDAR ADI PODI AZHWAR NAMASTE NAMASTE NAMAHA.
OM TAT SAT.
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE HARE RAAMA HARE RAAMA RAAMA RAAMA HARE HARE.
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