Continued From: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2015/09/venkatanathanum-thiruvenkadamudayanum_19.html
The Lord’s Thiruvadi – Our Sole Refuge
“kaNNan adiyiNai emakku kaattum veRpu”
The holy hills of Tiruvenkatam are praise worthy because,
they reveal to even people like us (emakku) who are sinners, the divine feet of
our dear Lord. Swami has used the words “adiyiNai”. Although, the words are
interpreted as “feet – pair of feet”, the word “iNai” here is used to compare
two objects. With which item are the divine feet of our Lord compared? The
Lord’s feet are often likened to lotus but, Swami Desikan is not happy with
this comparison. While a lotus bloom is soft and fragrant like the Lord’s feet,
it does not have everlasting freshness. The bloom wilts after sometimes.
Therefore, lotus cannot be compared to the divine feet of the Lord which never
wilt. We then wonder if it would be okay to equate the Lord’s feet with
gold; like gold, the Lord’s feet are attractive and priceless but, the Lord’s
feet are soft while gold is hard. The Lord’s feet are softer than lotus. They
are so delicate that, they even bruise when Goddess Sridevi touches them with
her gentle hands. Could we then liken the Lord’s feet to a golden lotus?
A golden lotus is attractive, doesn’t wilt, soft and fragrant like the
thiruvadi of Perumal but, it would still lack the quality to purify a person
which is exclusively present only in Perumal’s thiruvadi. Therefore, the only
equal we can find for the Lord’s feet are His thiruvadi. Swami Desikan
concludes by declaring that, the left thiruvadi is equal to the right and vice
versa. Such is the quality of the priceless thiruvadi which are revealed to
even sinners like us by the holy hills of Tirumala.
Sri Uttamur Swami has provided an alternate explanation for
the line “kaNNan adiyiNai emakku kaattum veRpu”. The line
can be interpreted to mean that, Lord Kannan Himself shows to us His beautiful
thiruvadi at Tirumala where He divulges to us that, His thiruvadi are our sole
refuge to escape the ocean of samsara. The Lord of Tiruvenkatam does abhinayam
to indicate to us the power of His divine feet which can cut the bonds of
samsara. At SriRangam, Lord Ranganatha is seen in a reclining posture with one
hand placed near His crown and the other hand pointed at His feet. The Lord
through this beautiful posture, draws our attention to His tall crown which
reveals to us that, He is the Supreme Being; at the same time, with His other
hand, He directs our attention to His divine feet to urge us to seek refuge in
Him. Likewise, at Tiruvenkatam, Lord Srinivasa stands with His right hand
pointed towards His feet while His left hand is placed near His calf. The Lord
through this posture explains to us that, if we surrender ourself to Him, He
will make the depth of the fearsome ocean of samsara ankle deep so that, it is very
easy for us to cross this terrible ocean. Lord Srinivasa in the above manner
shows us His divine feet at Tirumala as the only refuge which can deliver us
from samsara .
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