Freedom from bondage: Srimad Andavan's advice

The grace of Bhagawan alone can release a person from the shackles of samsara. True knowledge about paramatma liberates the jiva from all kinds of bondage. On the other hand, avidya (maya) gets the jiva engulfed in samsara.

In the discourse Tirukkudanthai Srimad Andavan Swami said, this truth was exemplified in Krishna Avatar. When the Lord was born as the eighth child to Vaudeva and Devaki, who were held in captivity by by kamsa, the locks of the prison broke down to enable the divine child to be carried to Gokulam as ordained by Bhagawan Himself. However, when Vasudeva, after leaving Sri. Krishna in Gokulam brought back a female child born to Nanda (cowherd chief) to take the place of Sri. Krishna, the doors of the jail got closed and locked of their own accord. This was symbolic of the fact that when jiva was associated with Bhagawan and had knowledge of him, it would be freed from all bonds. But as soon as avidya (maya), commonly represented by a female of the species, entered, the jiva would get involved in samsara.

The relationship between jiva and avidya is comparable to the one between the fire and smoke, mirror and dust, and foetus and womb. Just as smoke envelopes fire, avidya clouds the jiva. Though carefully protected and cleaned constantly, a sheet of glass becomes dusty in no time. Even so, with the best efforts, a person may not succeed in getting rid of avidya, which has a tendency to attach it self to jiva again and again. It is only with the grace of god, that the foetus gets separated from the mother's uterus, to which remained attached for months, and is delivered into earth. Similarly, the jiva, which has intimately attached itself to avidya, requires the grace of god to free itself from it.

Though there are many differences between Krishna Avatar and Rama Avatar, there is one element in common. In both the Avatars, the lord first kills women (Thataka in Rama Avatar and Putana in the Krishna's Avatar) illustrating that avidya is the first enemy to realization of God.

According to Visishtadwaita, the lord showed his full form (with four arms, the conch, the mace, etc.) to a true devotee. Yasodha saw lord Vishnu in miniature in child Krishna and called the women folk of Gokulam to share her joy and have dharshan; but, to others Sri Krishna was visible in the ordinary human form.
                                                                       June 19, 1964

Expiation of sin

To repent for a sin is itself an expiatory act. Only persons who are inherently good will have the patient attitude. They will be pleased to suffer any punishment that may be inflicted on them for the wrongs they may have done, as that will relieve them of the mental torment. Parikshit was not at all angry when he was told of the curse that he would die on the seventh day from then, bitten by the serpent-king Takshaka. This, he felt, he deserved for the sin he had committed in throwing a dead serpent around the neck of the sage in meditation.

In his discourse, Sri Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshithar said, though an ardent devotee of Sri Krishna and a great respecter of  Dharamam, Parikshit committed the grievous mistake in a week moment, impelled by anger and vanity. Ruminating over the incident at leisure, the king was greatly distressed that he, the guardian of the people, should have wronged a Bhagavata an act only a knave is capable of. He feared some catastrophe would befall his kingdom because of this. While the king himself felt the deserved the plenty, the sage blamed his son (who gave the curse), for imposing a severe punishment on a god-fearing virtuous king for a small error. He prayed to god that his son might be pardoned for his act.

With only seven days left for his death, Parikshit realized that he should devote himself to the means of reaching God's feet. Immediately he renounced everything, went to the southern bank of the ganges, sat on kusa grass and resolved never to take food. Suka, son of the sage vyasa, arrived there and related to him the purana, srimad Bhagavatam, in the presence of an august assembly of sages. To Parikshit, who asked if seven days were enough to attain moksha, Suka said even a muhurta was sufficient and cited thr instance of Katvanga to instill confidence in him.
                                                                       January 9, 1965

Pathway to everlasting bliss

Desire is the prime motive force for human actions. Any appeal to an ordinary man to give up desire, do the karmas without longing for the fruits and surrender himself to god will not carry conviction easily. The karmas (desire impelled acts) are intended to create faith in god and initiate a person into the path of devotion. Gradually, he would himself realize the fleeting nature of worldly pleasure and be inducted to cling to the lord's feet and aspire for everlasting bliss by doing nishkamya karmas.

Sri Umayalpuram R.Sivarama Sastrigal said that the provocation for Dhruva resorting to penance with a remarkable tenacity was the denial by his stepmother (Suruchi) of his right to sit on the lap of his father (king Uthanapada). The self-concieted Suruchi told him that, to become eligible for it, he should perform tapas, obtain god's grace, and be born to her. Urged by the desire to win his rightful status, dhurva was determined to seek his benignancy. His mother (Suneeti) also blessed him for success in his effort, as advised by method of doing tapas. At the end if the five months of rigorous penance Sri Narayana granted Darshan to him.
                                                                       April 24, 1965

Triple pathway to salvation

Unswerving devotion, characterized by unflinching dedication and absolute faith in god's unbounded power will take one towards goal of salvation. Remembrance of god's supremacy and offering prayers to him even for a few minutes at the time of once last breath will fetch him redemption.

Sri G.N.Jayathirthachar in his discourse said Sukacharya answered a number of queries of king Pareekshit, before he commenced recieting Srimad Bhagavatham. Since the time at an individual's disposal during his existence in the world  was very little, he should choose the path of devotion even from the early stages. He has to develop the quality of detachment to wordly pleasures. A wife was not a companion for ever since none knows who she was in her previous birth nor guess who she would be in her next. Suka recalled the episode of a king, who aware of his death in a few hours, started concentrating on God and got Moksha. To practise concentration, one should snap all earthly ties, control his thoughts and worship Him constantly either through His gigantic idol forms (Sthoolarupa) or by "imprisoning" His dazzling figure (Sookshamarupa) within one's tiny heart. Even in a short time after Bhagavatham was chanted. King Pareekshit experienced the presence of God inside him. The proof of His having entered our hearts would be reflected by the ecstacy and thrill obtained and the attainment of a state of bliss where external influences would not affect us and our thoughts would remain fixed.

In each of His incarnations, God's multitudinous qualities such as valour, knowledge, benevolence, etc. would shine but one among them would shed greater lustre. As Kapila, God showed His intellectual superiority by expounding the Sankhya philosophy which in essence highlighted the value of association with good men, the need to cut off wordly bonds and the efficacy of chanting God's glory, through which one could attain mental peace. 
                                                                       September 22, 1965

Spirit of devotion necessary to cultivate Bhakti

Let not the power of speech be wasted showering undeserved encomiums on ordinary human beings either in anticipation of or in return for small favours. The tongue should be employed in chanting incessantly the glorious names of God and offering garlands of praise Him, after receiving instruction from one's acharya. Knowledge of the Vedas and the scriptures, acquired solely through books without the aid of a teacher, will only lead to misunderstanding and perversion. It will be as meaningless as music learnt by postal tuition. As a purana which speaks of nothing but the Paramatma, His incarnations, His attributes, and the method of reaching Him -Srimad Bhagavatham occupies the pride of place.

In his discourse Sri Manjakkudi Rajagopala Sastrigal said the first three verses contained in a nutshell the subject matter and the greatness of the Purana. The first sloka, the corner-stone on which the entire edifice has been built, describes by way of paying respect to Him, the Almighty as a Satya Swarupa who has neither origin nor end, in Whom resides the sentient and non-sentient creatures of the universe and Whose association makes everything appear real. It is the writing of this scripture -juice from a ripe of fruit in the tree of Vedas-that gave mental tranquility to the disturbed mind of Sage Vyasa.

A person maybe well-versed in the Vedas and the Shastras, meticulous in performing the rituals stipulated in the scriptures and also be a storehouse of all virtues -truthfulness, charitability compassion, righteousness, etc. But if he lacked the spirit of devotion, all of them would be shorn of their glory. Sky-high temple towers, rich in architectural beauty and aesthetic excellence, will at best serve as show-pieces, if there is no deity in the sanctum sanctorun. It is the presence of God's image that lends meaning, significance and importance to a temple and makes it a place of worship. So is Bhakti to other rituals.

To bring out the greatness of devotion, Narada narrated to Vyasa his own story -how in his previous birth he imbibed the spirit of bhakti by listening to the exposition of the Lord's stories while assisting his mother. Even a recluse will eagerly lend his ears to anecdotes relating to God. Suka, a sanyasi to the core, who used to be always on the move, heard from his father, Vyasa, the entire Bhagavatham and in turn related it to King Parikshit for seven days.
                                                                       January 29, 1966