Thirumaalai(45)

Sri Parthasarathi thunai,

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

 

“ Mattrondrum vEinda Maname Madhilarangar

  Kattrinum meitha kazhalinai keezh- uttra

  Thirumaalai paadum seer Thondaradipodi Emperumaanai

  Eppozhudum peesu”

 

“ Srimat Krishna samahvaya Namo yaamuna soonave

  yetkadAkshai kalakshyAnAm sulabha: Sridara: sadaa”

 

Pranams, 

Paasuram-27(contd) 

Before doing anything we all think twice.  Is it really beneficial to
us?  Is there going to be some advantage for us because of the work we
do? All our actions are based on the result and hence even while doing
thiruvArAdanam or kainkaryam to bhagavan we expect something as the
result of it.  Even while helping others we see to that, that there will be
some use from the other person later, else we never even look at the
person crying for help.  But the small tiny squirrel did Rama kainkaryam
just for the sake of doing it and never thought about the result.  The
squirrel was a true Srivaishnava which did kainkaryam for the happiness
of the bhagavan and for nothing else.  Atleast in the case of the
monkeys they were grateful to the lord for killing the arrogant king vAli,
who was a terror to all of them and blessing them with a satvika king,
sugreeva.  But the squirrel had no such reason.  And even after the
construction, the squirrel is not going to get the lanka kingdom like
vibheeshana.  Still the squirrel did a non stopping
kainkaryam(“Dharmaprochitha kaitapa: says Srimad Bhagavatham).  So this pure minded kainkaryam
did surely attract chakravarthi thirumagan and he sent lakshmana to
fetch the squirrel to him.  Even when lakshmana tried to catch the
squirrel, it still rushes out of his hands busy with its kainkaryam.  But
still lakshmana caught it and brought it to perumal, who with love kept the
tiny creature on his lap and with pity massaged its body appreciating
it for its wonderful tireless kainkaryam.  He placed his fingers at the
back of the squirrel and told it to stop the kainkaryam, as it has been
too much strain already for the small squirrel.  But by then the whole
bridge had been constructed.  Many people will join to do a kainkaryam
but the base strength behind the kainkaryam will be just the tears of a
true bhakthan who wishes for the kainkaryam to be done.  Here though
many big monkeys involved themselves in the kainkaryam still the small
squirrel’s part was an atmost essential thing to finish the construction
quickly. 

marangal pOl valiya nenja vanjanEn, nenju thannAl:  Alwar now feels bad
that he doesn’t have the kainkarya buddhi like the squirrel.  Instead
he is hard at heart.  Our mind is like a unmoving tree, so hard. 
Inspite of hearing about the kainkaryam of the squirrel without even a little
bit of tiresome(salamilA anil), still our mind is hard that even now we
don’t get ready to do kainkaryam to the bhagavan, who is filled with
krupai. 

  aranganArkku AtseiyAdhe aliyeththEn ayarginrEnE:  Even after all
these I still don’t go and fall under the feet of the lord ranganatha and
beg for his service.  Others may think probably it is my svabhavam to
laze out.  But ‘NO!’.  When it comes to lowkika activities I am the most
active person.  I want to earn, live a lavish life but when it comes to
bhagavat/ bhAgavata kainkaryam l become lazy and both physically and
mentally tired.  I claim myself to be very poor and physically weak when
it comes to bhagavat vishayam and when it is lowkikam it is totally
reversed, says alwar(All these suite us exactly but alwar is talking due
to his naichyam).  ‘Anna pannagaluku agrakanyarAgi’ says dasar(We are
all so active when it comes to eating and drinking). 

Thondaradipodi alwar in this prabhandam repeatedly talks about the
importance of nAma sankeertanam and bhagavat/bhAgavata kainkaryams which
alone can show us the path to the divine feet of emperuman in this gOra
kali yugam.  So let us all join to do what ever kainkaryam possible by
us with the repeated chanting of the bhagavan nAma.   When we say
possible kainkaryam we shouldn’t choose the minimum limit we should do
kainkaryam like the squirrel without thinking of any of the consequences or
results and do kainkaryam just for the sake of pleasing bhagavan. 
Bhagavan doesn’t need our kainkaryam but then we will miss the joy of seeing
his smiling face when we do kainkaryam with love(padiyai kidandhu vun
pavala vAi kAnbEnE).  So let us all pray to him to bestow us with his
kainkaryam day in and day out and remove all ahankara mamakArams from our
mind and make us all pure in thought, body and speech. 

AzhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigaLE saraNam

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai

Sumithra Varadarajan