ThiruvallikkENi-ThiruAtthiyur-ThiruviNNagar-Ahobilam

From the Bhakti List Archives

• August 14, 1998


                          Srimathe Narayanaya Namaha :


On Date:    8/13/98 9:40 PM

Sri Ramesh SaarangapaNi wrote,

     Quote _______________
Kaliyan while singing the glory of Azhagiya singar (at
Tiruvalikani) narrates succintly the avathara rahasyam
of Lakshmi Narasimhan and says "Angu Appoyude avan viya
thondriya en singapiran perumai"...meaning "that day
when his parama bhakta, Prahaladan, was in distress,
our Lord came to his rescue in an instant".
     Unquote ______________

     Well first of all this paasuram is from NammazhwAr's Thiruvaimozhi 2nd
     patthu, 8th padhigam, 9th paasuram. However, let us ignore that. As
     pointed out by Sri Ramesh, Narasimhar did not come  down to save His
     bhaktha immediately.  Like Varadhar made Gajendran wait, KrishNa made
     Draupathi wait and Rama made VibheeshaNa wait even PrahlAdan had to do
     the Sriman Narayana japam and had to undergo a lot turmoil before one
     fine day Hiranyan asks him sarcastically, "Is your Narayana in this
     Pillar".

     Prahlada says "Yes. He is there, He is in you, He is in me, He is in
     this thooN (pillar) and He is also in a thurumbu (rust)". Then Hiranya
     breaks the pillar to see the most gorgeous form of Sri Narasimhar.

     Now here is the Narasimha avatara mahimai :-

     Our poorvAcharyAs say that PerumAL was in a state of agony on
     listening to the conversation between Prahaladan and Hiranyan. He was
     not sure where he has to show his form to Hiranyan. When Hiranyan went
     to the chairs and asked whether Hari is here PermAL entered the chairs
     thinking that he should show Himself out from there, but immediately
     Hiranyan went on to all the other articles and PerumAL kept on jumping
     from one place to another and he was fed up and decided to enter each
     and everything present in the mandapam. Thus during the Narasimha
     avataram, He was in everbody and everything and existing in every
     possible thing that was present there as unlike other avatarams.

     However as stated earlier even Narasimhar made Prahalaadhan wait. He
     did not come instantly to save Prahalaadhan, when he was poisoned or
     when he was sent rolling down the hill or when he was thrown in to the
     sea on when he was about to be stamped by elephant.

     Well, what is the reason that all these PerumALs made their Bhakthas
     wait. It is for them to completely surrender. Prapatti or SaraNaagati.

     In the case of Gajendran, first he was fighting the crocodile on his
     own thinking that he can get rid of him with his gigantic figure. But
     when figured out that it is not possible then only he made the
     SaraNagathi and PerumAL came and save him.

     In case of Draupathi, when she was dragged to the court, she was
     always trying to free herself from Dushchaasnan, and calling Paandavas
     for help. But when the most worst thing was happening to her, it is
     only then she called KrishNa and even let her hold on the saree go,
     thus totally surrendering herself. Instantly after the SaraNAgathi
     KrishNa came down to her help.

     Most and real unfortunate one was VibheeshaNA as he had to wait
     inspite of his SaraNAgathi to Rama, just because Rama was engaged in a
     debate with others as to accept him or not. Probably learned scholars
     in the list can throw light on this.

     So it is total SaraNAgathi which our PerumAL expects from us to
     instantly save us.

     "Sarva dharmAn parithyajya mAm Ekam saraNam vraja
      aham tvA sarva pApEpyO mOkshayishyAmi mAsuchaha:"

     Who said this? Sri Parthasarathy. So is ThiruvallikkENi not taking the
     advantage over Ahobilam. Also the same Azhagiya Singan is in
     ThiruvallikkENi.

     Who has the above gita slokams on their abhaya hastams? The emberumAns
     of ThiruviNNAgar (mAm Ekam saraNam vraja - this you can see in his
     abhaya hastam) and Atthigiri (mAsuchaha - this you can see in his
     abhaya hastam). So these two Divya DEsams also take the advantage over
     Ahobilam.

     vAsaka dhOsham kshandavyaha

     adiyEn RAmAnuja dAsan

     Thirumalai Vinjamoor Venkatesh