Guest guest Report post Posted February 13, 1995 In this continuing series of twelve posts, twelve of the many guNaas that are innate to Brahman is discussed with illustrations from aazhvaar paasurams. These twelve guNaas demonstrate God's eternal love for us jeevaathmaas. They are sowseelyam, vaathsalyam, mardhavam, aarjavam, sowhaartham, saamyam, kaaruNyam, maadhuryam, gaambeeryam, owdhaaryam, chaathuryam, and sthairyam. The subject of this post is vaathsalyam. Vaathsalyam: The love that is blind to our sins and imperfections, much like mother's love that is blind to the flaws of her baby. (kaakkaikku than kuncu pon kuncu.) When vibeeshaNan came to sri raamaa, starting with sugreevan many argued against granting refuge to him. They elaborated vibeeshaNan's many defects. But our Lord was blind to all of them. Earlier, He was blind to even kaakaasuran's sins and granted him refuge. It is this vaatsalyam that Seethai had in mind when she advised raavaNan to give up his folly and take refuge at the Lords lotus feet. Thirumangai aazhvaar describes this vaatsalyam in the first thiru mozhi of the periya thiru mozhi. In the first 8 paasurams he details all his faults and sins and in the ninth he declares that in spite of all these sins, our Lord will grant whatever we wish. With "peRRa thaayinum aayina seyyum," aazhvaar asserts that our Lord's vaatsalyam is even greater than that of one's own mother. >From this first thiru mozhi, only the 8th and 9th paasurams are given here. \bt kaRRilEn kalaigaL aimbulan karudhum karutthuLE thirutthinEn manatthai, peRRilEn adhanaal pEdhaiyEn nanmai perun^ilatth aaruyirk ellaam, seRRamE vENdith thiritharuvEn thavirndhEn selgadhik kuyyumaa ReNNi, nRRuNaiyaagap paRRinEn adiyEn naaraayaNaa vennum naamam. 1.1.8 \et "I have let my mind firmly into sensual pleasures of the five indhriyams. With ire in my mind I have been callous towards all the beautiful fellow creatures of this great world. But now, full of desire for deliverance into the other world, I have abandoned my old ways and seized upon the ashtaaksharam (Om namO naaraayaaNaaya) as the means of liberation." \bt kulamtharum selvam thandhidu madiyaar padu thuyaraayina vellam, nilandharancheyyum neeLvisumbaruLum aruLoduperu nilamaLikkum, valandharum maRRunthanNdhidum peRRa thaayinu maayinaseyyum, nalandharunchollai naan kaNdukoNdEn naaraayaNaa vennum naamam. 1.1.9 \et "Our Lord NaraayaaNaa will grant us whatever we wish, even more than one's own mother; these are high status, wealth, freedom from sorrow, eternal moksham (neeL visumbu), this earth if you so wish, the strength to rule over the earth, etc., etc." Our Lord's vaatsalyam is manifest in His benevolence in spite of all our faults. ..... to be continued ---------- This and other posts to follow in this subject are based on the aruL mozhigaL of the 45th azhagiya singar of sri aHObila madam, sri vaN satakOpa sri naaraayaNa yatheendhra mahaa dEsikan, published in sri nrusimhap priyaa starting with bava varusham, chitthirai maasam, (April 1994), and commentaries of aazhvaar prabhandams published by The Visishtadvaita Pracharini Sabha, 27, Venkatesa Agraharam, Mylapore, Madras, 600 004. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
