Thus Spake the Divine - Why Have Ego When There is Ambal?

Thus Spake the Divine

Why Have Ego When There is Ambal?

Being devoid of ego is the most virtuous characteristic of human beings. Poojyasri Maha Periyava draws parallel with Sri Ram, who was the epitome of humility, and advises His devotees to shun their egos. Maha Periyva also beautifully brings out the modesty of Bhagavadpada through his own composition Saundarya Lahari.

There is absolutely no justification in claiming anything as an accomplishment, which is out of our efforts. From where did we get the physical energy or intellectual power to achieve anything? Thus, all accomplishments emerge from only one Super Power. Without that Supreme Power, can we even exhale one breath? One who claims to have achieved many things will not even realise that his breath has left his body! Are we capable of holding that breath for one extra micro- second?

Thus, all our energies and intellect used are like a dream. When we contemplate in depth, we will realise that everything happens only with the Power of Ambal. When we know that all activities are carried out with the tiniest of Her Grace, we will feel ashamed of our own ego and pride. Once we recognise that we are a tiny iron particle in front of Ambal, then, we will be blessed with Her enormous grace.

Holy Avataras of God as a human have lived the most humble life only to educate us on how to be humble. An example is Sri Rama, who lived such a life, while adhering to the norms of Dharma, Satya and Shastras to their last syllable. If I express the modesty I see in Him, you might wonder. Many people feel sorry that they have not been born during Sri Rama’s period. I feel it is in a way good that I was not born then. Sri Rama was a warrior (Kshathriya). He would do namaskaram to Rishis, Acharyas and Veda scholars when he came across them. If I were a Head of Mutt then, he would have done namaskaram at my feet too. How embarrassing it would be! Now, I do namaskaram to Him and adore Him.

Why I am saying all this is that Sri Rama, who is the incarnation of Narayana, has been the epitome of humility and modesty. He did not try and stand on a higher pedestal just because he was an avatara. He took up the role as a human being and performed his role to its fullest. He acted as though he also experienced all sorrows and difficulties as ordinary people do. He was depressed when

Sita was abducted by Ravana; he lamented when Lakshman swooned during the battle; he was furious with the King of Sea while building the bridge to Lanka.

All these aspects of Rama were only to demonstrate that He was also one among the people. Men of Avataras express feelings of anger, fear and sadness occasionally, but internally they are devoid of emotions. They do realise that they possess godliness, but yet externally, they live as normal human beings. They are humble and modest only to preach and spread the qualities of humbleness and modesty among humans. While Rama is highly modest in nature, Hanuman, who is all powerful, became the disciple of Sri Rama and accomplished all impossible missions with utmost ease.

Our Bhagavadpada is also similar to Sri Rama and Sri Hanuman. I wonder whether there was any other Avatara greater than Acharya. Though Acharya lived for a very short span of time on this earth, he had accomplished spectacular tasks, which could not have been done even if the entire world joined hands together. He travelled across India from Kanyakumari to Kashmir alone, refurbished the scriptures and revived the Vedic Religion. He established Advaita institutions and Shan Matha worship. He has lived several roles, such as a Jnyani, devotee, poet, great intellectual scholar, outstanding accomplisher of multifarious achievements and, above all, he has been an epitome of compassion.

A Cambodian inscription reads that “Heads of all Jnyanis were at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavadpada and it looked as if they were buzzing bees”. That inscription describes him as God. Such a great saint exhibited Bhakti towards Ambal with highest humility and as a normal human being. This is beautifully described in his own composition of Saundarya Lahari in its 100 th Shloka.

There is every justification for a person of calibre like Bhagavadpada to possess any magnitude of ego and pride for having composed an eternal manuscript called “Saundarya Lahari”. Neither before nor after the creation of this Universe has there been such a beautiful composition. More so, nothing of this kind will ever emerge in the future years to come. Irrespective of the number of times one listens to Saundarya Lahari, the listener will never tire. However, Acharya, who composed such a marvel, is never even conscious that he is the one who has composed it. This is amply clear in its 100 th Shloka, which is elucidated as follows:

“Amma! You are the origin and foundation of all words; and I am praising You using Your own words! How does this look? It appears as showing karpoora Harati (camphor light) to Sun Himself! Compare the radiance of sunlight with that of blurred karpoora Harati! The very camphor is inflammable only with the heat of sun; if there is no sunlight for a couple of days, camphor becomes damp and fails to ignite. On Sankaranti (Pongal Festival), we show karpoora Harati to the radiating sun! At that time, do we show light to sun? No. We only see the dimming effect of camphor in the presence of radiating sun light! Praising Ambal with words is similar to that”, says Acharya.

He also brings out another metaphor. He says, “Praising Ambal using some words is like offering holy water with Chandrakanta stone (also known as moonstone; believed to have emerged from moon) to moon itself!” Chandrakanta stone is said to absorb moon in the form of water with the rising of Full Moon and later it spits the water back. We don’t know whether this happens in reality. But poets for poetic beauty use such metaphors. It is like offering holy water to moon from which the very liquid has been absorbed by the stone.

One more example, “Like how bathing the ocean with its own water, I am praising you using few words”, says Acharya. In Rameshwaram, it is customary to do pooja to the ocean. There, as part of pooja formalities, ocean is bathed with sacred water (Abhishekam). Handful of water is taken from the ocean and dropped within the ocean itself! Similarly, Acharya says, he is praising Ambal with few words, which he has taken from Her own ocean of words!

Acharya is so modest that he has composed these verses using words obtained with Ambal’s own grace and there is nothing that he has done on his own. Like how Chandrakanta stone cannot secrete water without the moon being the source, words cannot exist without Her grace. Like taking a handful of water from ocean, we take a few words from Ambal, who is the ocean of words. If these acts are capable of bringing out the greatness of Ambal, then, it is like highlighting the sunlight with mere camphor light. When even great Avataras have totally surrendered to Ambal, what justification is there for us to possess any ego? People around us praise us that we write well, we sing well, when we accomplish something and so on. That is the time when ego would start blooming in our heads. However, we should think whether we deserve all these praises. We must realise that we have no merit at all in having any kind of ego when there is Ambal from whom all our energies have originated. We should surrender all praises at the feet of Ambal. By doing so, our heart becomes light.

Even the very thought, “I am devoid of any ego” is ego in itself! Howsoever cautious we are, a minute crack within us would make us egoistic. We should seek Her grace even to eradicate this ego. If we surrender all our fame and praise at Her Feet, we will obtain Her grace forever.

This article is a snippet from the Book Thus Spake the Divine, is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.