Ayyappa’s dilemma

There are several stories that have pitted the staunch vaishnavite #tathachariar with sri #appayyadeekshitar. As the story goes the King (possibly Chinna Bommu Nayaka) finds a rather strange depiction of dharma #shastha (#ayyappa) in a temple. The moorthy was depicted with a finger on the nose as if in doubt dilemma or deep thought. When the king enquires and old man says – one day a learned man will come here and will explain the real reason for shasthas dilemma; if that explanation is correct the finger of shastha will go back to a normal positionThe king summons thathachariar and deekshitar. Thatachariar composes this couplet in a manner as if shashta himself is expressing his dilemma:

I am the son of Vishnu and therefore equal to brahma

विष्णोः सुतोहं विधिना समोहं

Therefore I am fortunate because i am worshiped by all the devas

धन्यस् ततोहं सुर सेवितोहम् ।

Nevertheless I am also the son of the ishwara of the bhutas (Shiva)

तथापि भूतेश सुतोहम्

Therefore I am surrounded by bhutas

एतैर् भूतैर्व्त

Sastha is thinking thus

चिन्तयतीह शास्ता ॥

The finger didnt moveAppayya

Dikshitar takes a crack at it. He also composes a couplet in a manner as if shastha is expressing his dilemma

I address Gowri as mother

अम्बेदि गौरीम् अहम् आह्वयामि

(Since) all the wives of father are (addressed as) mother (only)

पत्न्य पितुर् माता एव सर्वः ।

(But) how will I address Lakshmi

कतम् नु लक्ष्मीम्

Thus (he) wondered

इति चिन्तयन्तम्

I venerate shastha who confers all purusharthas

शास्ताराम्

ईडे सकलार्थ सिद्ध्यै ॥

Needless to add the Murthy of sri dharma shashtha removed the finger from its nose as an acknowledgement of its dilemma

atma ramas and indriya ramas

sadhA Atma dhyana niratam – our acharyas are verily AtmaArAmas. They have no need for karmas – but they participate in karmas and do the #chandramouLiswara puja every day. Ever wondered why?

The answer lies in the karma yoga of the #bhagawatgita. Sri Krishna says:

What a great person does the world follows. What he exemplifies by his actions people adopt

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः ।

स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥ २१

So

reason 1. To set an example

The lord adds his own example – I have nothing that has not been attained or need to be attained in the three worlds but I perform karma. If I falter from this won’t people also follow?He further adds

The person who has atma jnana must perform karma for the welfare of the world with the same zeal as some one who does not have atma jnana performs karma for its fruit!

सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत ।कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसङ्‍‍ग्रहम् ॥ २५ ॥

So reason 2 – welfare of the world

Indeed the samkalpa of the chandramouLiswara puja is for the welfare of the people aasetu himachalam Further

The realised should not create buddhi bedha in the one doing karma

न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम् ।जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान्युक्तः समाचरन् ॥ २६

Reason 3. To not create buddhi bedha

#Shankara adds in his bhashya that he must do the karma that is prescribed in the shastras with enthusiasm and encourage the others (unrealised souls) to perform them. Their holiness perform puja and other outward forms of worship not for themselves – they are already atma ramas they do it for our welfare we the indriya Rama’s🙏🙏 #sringeri

taaraka naama

काये सीदति कण्ठरोधिनि कफे कुण्ठे च वाणीपथे।जिह्मायां दृशि जीविते जिगमिषौ श्वासे शनै: शाम्यति।।आगत्य स्वयमेव न: करुणया कात्यायनीकामुक:।कर्णे वर्णयताद्भवार्णवभयादुत्तारकं तारकम्।।

Melpathur #NarayanaBhattathri s guru was on his death bed. He went to see him. As he entered he heard his gurus entreaties to the lord as a shloka

The throat is blocked with phlegm

काये सीदति कण्ठरोधिनि कफे

Voice is also failing

कुण्ठे च वाणीपथे।

Life is in a dilemma to stay or not

जिह्मायां दृशि जीविते जिगमिषौ

Breath is subsiding

श्वासे शनै: शाम्यति।।

(Therefore)Come (here) because of your‌ own compassion (not because I deserve it)

आगत्य स्वयमेव न: करुणया

(lord) who is desired by kAtyAyani

कात्यायनी कामुकः

Whisper in my ears

कर्णे वर्णयतातद्

The remedy that will lift me from the fear of janma

भवार्णवभयाद् उत्तारकं

…Here three letters short of completing the shloka his voice fails him ..Bhattatri who has understood the import of his gurus entreaties completes the verse for him …

tArakaM

तारकं

the taaraka naama rAma राम ராம

(Pic bilwa with rAma nAma written that is offered to viSwanatha in kASi)

merging into the pada padma

Sri #AppayyaDikshitar was spending his last days in #chidambaram getting a daily darshan of ananda #nataraja. He sensed that his end was near. His family was near him and in particular his brothers grandson the 12 year old nilakanta (to be the famous nilakanta deekshita). To his family who ask him share his thoughts he says:

The city of chidambaram is a famous holy place

चिदंबरमिदं पुरं प्रथिमेव पुण्य स्थलं

You my children shine forth with your humility

सुतश्च विनायोज्वला: 

I too have rendered a few good works

सुकृतश्च कृतश्च कश्चित् कृताः।

My age is over seventy

वयांसि मम सप्तेरुपरि

I have no desire for (worldly) pleasures

नैव भोगे स्पृहा

I ask for nothing else

न किञ्चिदहमर्थये 

(except) to see the feet of the supreme shiva

शिवपदं दिदृक्षे पदं।।

Following this he breaks out in to this last shloka

Manifest is the lotus feet (that dances in the) golden sabha

आभाति हाटकसभानटपादपद्म

in its efflugence it has risen like the sun in my mind

ज्योतिर्मयो मनसि मे तरुणारुणोऽयम्।

And he speaks no more

The 12 year old nilakanta understands the experience of his grandfather and adds two lines to complete the shloka

Definitely this night that is samsara with the pishachas of birth old age suffering and death has ended because the sun has risen

नूनं जरामरणघोरपिशाचकीर्णा

संसार मोहरजनी वार्तां प्रयाता ।।

It is said that as this unfolded on that chitra pournami day the #deekshitars at the chit sabha saw a vision of sri appayya deekshitar walk up the #panchakshara steps enter the sanctum and merge with #nataraja