Namasthe- Agre Pashyami

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

 

There is a famous story about the Naaraayaneeyam author Melpatthoor Bhattathiri and another great Bhakthakavi Ezhutthacchan. When Melpatthoor became disabled with severe arthritis at the age of 26, he tried all kinds of treatment to get some relief. Once he went to see Ezhutthacchan and asked his advice to get relief from his excruciating pain. Ezhutthacchan told him " Mathsyam thottu koottanam " . (it is almost impossible to explain this in English. But I will try. Just like one person touches some pickle with each mouthful of rice to make the rice tasty, Ezhutthacchn asked Melpatthoor to write the stories of Matsyam, Koorma, varaaham, etc along with his spiritual foods that he feeds the soul. But he told him as if he was asking Melpatthoor to touch fish and eat his meal.)

 

Melpatthoor immediately understood the symbolic meaning that he should write the stories of Bhagavan starting from Mathsyaavathaara to fill his own soul with Easwara chaithanyam and then he would get relief from the sufferings of the body. He knew that by fixing the sookshma Shareeram or subtle body, his sthoola shareeram or gross body will be automatically fixed and Ezhutthacchan was indirectly advising him to write about Bhagavan. So he wrote Naarayaneeyam, which is a condensed version of Bhagavatham and was completely cured of his debilitating disease.

 

Now I am going to tell the story of a contemporary devotee. A devotee went to his very knowledgeable and pious Guru and asked him : " Guro, I have a doubt. You were talking about reading Naaraayaneeyam to get relief from all sufferings caused by body, mind and by others. Now my question is how many times I have to read Naaraayaneeyam for that? "

 

Guru always used very few words for communication. He said: " Bhaktha, read until you reach " agre pashyami " . " Agre Pashyaami " is the the first two words of the last or 100th chapter of Naaraayaneeyam. This devotee was unfortunately not as spiritual or knowledgeable as Melpaatthoor and could not understand the symbolic meaning of what his Guru said. He was relieved to hear that he had to just read the Naarayaneeyam once and reach the last chapter and finish with that and this will clear him of all his paapaas or sins.

 

He did not know or did not try to understand the meaning of the two words " agre pashyaami " or the deep meaning of what Guru told him. Agre pashyaami means " seeing in front (of me) " . What one should see in front of him? The rest of the sloka describes Guruvayurappan's beautiful, enchanting and illuminating form. That is what one should see in front of him. So the Guru actually asked the devotee to read, read, read and read until he was able to see Guruvayurappan in front of Him in the form described by Melpatthoor. He should not stop reading until this happens. He did not mean him to read 99 chapters once and end with the chapter starting with " agre pashyaami " .

 

After some time he came back again to Guru for relief and with the same doubt of how many times he had to read. Seeing the devotee's inability to grasp the inner meaning of what he told him, this time Guru took time to educate and enlighten him. (Guru felt the devotee was ready for that.) After that he never stopped reading Naaraayeneeyam, still he is reading to get the darshan of Gurvayurappan in front of him as described by Melpatthoor!

 

May Guruvayurappan bless all devotees to read Narayaneeyam and reach the state of " agre Pashyami "

 

agrae pashyaai thaejo nibidathara kalaayaavale lobhaneeyampiyushaaplaavithoham thadanu thadudarae divyakaishoravaeshamthaarunyaarambharamyam paramasukha rasaasvaada romaanchithaangyairaaveetham naaradaadyairvilasatupanishath sundaree mandalaishcha

 

Sreekrishnaarpanamashtu

 

Regards and prayers

 

savitri