Salvation request from a great devotee

Salvation   request from a great devotee

By

P.R.Ramachander

(This is based  on two postings  by Halasya Sundaram Iyer   under the title “Kurai ondrum illai”. The devotee/priest   mentioned here   was “Pillai Perumal ayyangar “  who was  the disciple  of “Parasara  BHattar   “and who was   engaged  in the worship of Lord Ranganaha of Sri Rangam. He was  a very great poet himself  and a very   staunch Vaishnavite , who refused  even to utter the name  of any other  God  except  Lord Ranganatha. )

A priest of   the temple of  Lord  Ranganatha ,

One day  kept down , the plate containing  materials  for  worship,

And requested  the Lord  with great   devotion,

“Please   grant me  salvation    Oh Lord Ranganatha”

The Lord  started   talking to his   very dear devotee ,

And asked, “Why do you want it today?”

And the devotee   replied  ,”I feel  that I should go today.”

And then the lord    with   a very serious  tone asked.

“Have you done Karma yoga?”  and he said “No”,

“Have you done Jnana  Yoga?”  and he said “No”

“Have you done Bhakthi yoga?”  and he said  “No”,

“Have you attempted Saranagathi*?  And he said  “No”

     *absolute  surrender

The God continued “Have you given food  to my devotee?”

“Have you given my devotee    shelter   at any time  ?”

“:Have you   heard my story   being  told by a Pundit?”

And the devotee  said  “Not at all ”  to all his questions.

Suddenly  Lord Ranganatha   got up and sat  ,

With great anger and  shouted at  his devotee,

“your answer is “No”  to everything  I ask,

Making  that devotee only one who saw  lord sitting up.

The Lord continued.”Perhaps you   think  that,

Salvation   is  a very easy thing    to get  ,

Had you answered “yes”  to at least  one question,

I would have possibly thought of giving you salvation.”

It was  the turn of the  devotee  to get angry,

And he said , “Had  you not  given salvation ,

To a pot   along with Dadhi Panda ,

Who both  helped you to hide from  angry Gopis.”

He continued , “did the pot know  “Karma   Yoga”,

Or  “Jnana Yoga”   or  “ Bhakthi yoga”  or “Saranagathi”?

Did the pot gave    any food    to any devotee,

Or did it give   home  for any devotee  of yours?”

He said further  “Did the pot have  hands to worship you?,

Did it  have any mind    that  could salute   you?

And in spite  of all that , you gave it salvation,

And I do not understand, why you hesitate now.”

Lord Ranganatha     who was sitting to talk,

Was shocked   very greatly   by these questions,

And decided    to lie down  then and there,

And has never got up  to sit and stand ever since.