sarva saranyan

 Thirumangai Azhvar describes the plight of the asuras after the death of Ravana. The asuras want to seek forgiveness from Rama and save their lives. They are not like Vibhishana, whose purpose in joining Rama’s camp was not to save his life. His motive was a higher one. He wanted to do Saranagati — total surrender. In the case of the asuras, their concern is to ensure that they are not killed, said Akkarakkani Srinidhi in a discourse.

The asuras had been pushed into a tragic situation because of Ravana’s sinful ways. The Sastras say that the body is given to an atma to help it to liberate itself. The very purpose of birth is to seek moksha. Our hands are given to us to do anjali to the Lord. Ravana had twenty hands. Imagine how many anjalis were possible for him at a time. Unfortunately, he never used his hands to do an anjali to the Paramatma. A devotee of the Lord, on the other hand, is never satisfied no matter how long he worships the Lord. He wants to worship the Lord more and more in every possible way.

Tirumangai Azhvar expresses such a sentiment beautifully when he says that the Lord likes Hiranykasipu better than him! Describing the killing of Hiranyakasipu by Narasimha, Vedanta Desika says that His two hands vied with each other in tearing up the wicked demon and saving Prahlada. How can a wicked demon like Hiranyakasipu be liked better by the Lord? Thirumangai Azhvar explains why Hiranyakasipu was lucky. He had the boon of lying on the Lord’s lap, a boon which he (Thirumangai Azhvar) did not have! A devotee will be indifferent to worldly pleasures, but will love to worship the Lord. But in Ravana’s case the opposite was true. He did not control his senses, and as a result he paid little attention to the Lord. His mind was drawn to sinful activities.

The Lord imparts to Arjuna the essence of Raja Vidya that is the most profound of all esoteric truths. He adds that this innermost secret of the knowledge of God is accessible to those with implicit faith in scriptures. Such believers can strive to attain salvation, while those who tend to doubt the teaching that proclaims the Supremacy of the One Brahman cannot be relieved from the cycle of birth. Though generally it is possible for at least those committed to scriptural study to have an idea of these deep truths, and also believe in them, it is most difficult to experience it in one’s inner self at all times, pointed out Sri B. Sundarkumar in a discourse.

The Lord explains the divine mystery as “all beings are in Me but I am not in them.” He is ‘sarva loka saranyan,’ the sole refuge and protector for all. He says He is the yagna; he is the Pita, Pitamaha, Omkara, Sarva sakshi, etc. He is the essence of all auspicious vastus, etc. He is the seed for all. He is both ‘sat’ and ‘asat.’ The same truth of His all pervasiveness is proclaimed in the Rudra Trishati comprising the 300 names of Rudra.

The Lord says that maybe only very few souls have internalised Him as the primordial ever-existing Supreme One without a beginning and end. Most of us accept this knowledge, but are unable to constantly reinforce this truth in practical life. This is the case even with sages steeped in meditation and renunciates alike. That is why the samhitas that prescribe rules and duties for the sanyasi and grihastha have laid down that the sanyasi, though exempted from the karmas and yagnas, has to include reciting the Upanishads relevant to the respective branch of the Vedas to which he belongs, and the chanting of Rudra Trishati and the Bhagavad Gita in his daily routine.

It is very clear from the scriptures, puranas, itihasas, etc, that many great devotees and tatva jnanis have sought God and attained Him, though His undoubted Supremacy puts a distance between Him and the entire creation, pointed out Sri B. Sundarkumar in a discourse. Vibhishana, a true bhakta, aware of Rama’s Paratva, seeks refuge in Him. To him, Rama is a Mahatma and the ‘Sarva Loka Saranyan.’ Sugriva initially sees Rama as a friend but becomes a bhakta in due course. The simple folk such as Guha, Sabhari, Jatayu, also have an innate sense of Rama’s Paratva. The rishis in Dandakaranya surrender to Rama and seek His protection.

The same epic shows that even one who deserves to be punished is pardoned and graced by the Divine Dampati. This is the case of Kakasura. His act of unpardonable transgression against Sita incites Rama’s ire to aim an arrow at him. Chased by it, he runs from pillar to post through all the worlds and is unable to find any help. He comes back to Rama and lies prostrate at His feet. Sita intercedes and positions the bird’s head to face Rama’s feet to indicate the act of surrender. Rama lets him off by taking away one eye.

Smritis proclaim the supremacy of Narayana and explain it in two ways etymologically. It is shown that the term Narayana is a compound word, comprising ‘Naara’ and ‘ayana.’ In one sense, the word ‘Naara’ refers to water and ‘ayana’ to abode. Water has its origin from ‘Nara’ the Lord. The water became His abode the ‘ayana,’ and hence He is known as Narayana. ‘Naara’ has another sense as well in that it refers to the entire multitude of jivas. The term ‘ayana’ in this context is interpreted as ‘ultimate goal’ for all the jivas; also that the whole host of jivas has its abode in Him, indicative of His all pervasiveness.  

Scriptures proclaim that all beings are innately divine because the Supreme God dwells equally in each and every aspect of creation. But sadly, the jivas, though always associated with the Lord, are prevented from perceiving and experiencing this divine indwelling presence owing to the karma vasana that envelops all of us from time immemorial. In every birth, this ignorance gets strengthened and more deep-rooted. 

Vedanta Desika, in his philosophical treatise, Rahasya Traya Sara, shows that this primordial ignorance in every jiva can be overcome by the grace of an acharya, with an illustrative story, pointed out Asuri Sri Madhavachariar in a discourse. Once, a young prince accompanies the king, his father, on a hunting expedition and enters the forest. He gets lost and is brought up by a tribe of hunters. He grows up in this atmosphere in total ignorance of his original identity as a prince and heir to the throne. After some years when he is grown up, by chance, it so happens that some people belonging to the royal court identify him as the lost prince. They explain the antecedents and bring him back to the king. Whatever he is entitled to as a prince is restored. This reunion was made possible by some good-natured people.

Likewise, the acharyas in the spiritual tradition are aware of the three truths, Tatva, Hita and Purushartha, the knowledge of which alone can dispel the ignorance of the true identity of the soul of every jivatma. By God’s grace, and by the jivatma’s past samskaras, if by chance, the jiva gets drawn into the association of a committed acharya well versed in the sastras, he becomes keen to know about his real self and the purpose of his existence in this world. This divine intervention makes the jiva aware of his roots and guides him to seek his rightful place in Moksha through Bhakti or Prapatti.