Guest guest Report post Posted March 1, 1995 9/12 gaambeeryam ---------------- 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, maardhavam, aarjavam, sowhaartham, saamyam, kaaruNyam, maadhuryam, gaambeeryam, owdhaaryam, chaathuryam, and sthairyam. The subject of this post is gaambeeryam. Several interpretations are given for gaambeeryam. I feel they fall into two groups as given below. gaambeeryam: Asymmetry between what devotees offer to the Lord, and what the Lord gives in return to them; nonchalantly overlooking our failings Even in material terms, what we offer pales in comparison to what our Lord grants us in return. The well known story of kusElar illustrates this. thirumangaiaazhvaar expresses the same sentiment in this paasuram. (This was presented once before in vaatsalyam.) \bt kulamtharum selvam thandhidu madiyaar padu thuyaraayina vellam, nilandharancheyyum neeLvisumbaruLum aruLoduperu nilamaLikkum, valandharum maRRunthanNdhidum peRRa thaayinu maayinaseyyum, nalandharunchollai naan kaNdukoNdEn naaraayaNaa vennum naamam. -- periya thirumozhi 1.1.9 \et In return for chanting "Om namO naaraayaNaaya" we get in return every material thing we may desire, and on top of it all, we get mOksham (neeL visumbu) as well. The second part of gaambeeryam has to do with the Lord not minding our faults without so much as a hint that the all knowing Lord knows of our transgressions. thirumangai aazhvaar lists all his perceived sins in the first thirumozhi of the first patthu of his periya thirumozhi. I give below the eighth one. kaRRilEn kalaigaL aimbulan karudhum karutthuLE thirutthinEn manatthai, peRRilEn adhanaal pEdhaiyEn nanmai perun^ilatthaaruyirkellaam, seRRamEvENditthiridharuvEn thavirndhEn selgadhikkuyyumaaReNNi, nRRuNaiyaagappaRRinEn adiyEn naaraayaNaavennumn^aamam. -- periya thiru mozhi 1.1.8 The aazhvaar feels his faults are many. He lists them as, lack of learning (kaRRilEn kalaigaL), inability to control the mind from going behind the five senses (aim pulan karudhum karutthuLE thirutthinEn manatthai), causing pain and suffering to all kinds of beings of this world (peru nilatthu aaruyikkellaam seRRamE vENdi thiritharuvEn). But, aazhvaar is confident that Lord naaraayaNaa will overlook all these faults and provide him with precious mOksham (selgathi). So he chants "Om, namO, naaraayaNaaya." .... 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
