A good doctor works towards a gradual and long-lasting health benefit than a temporary relief. God goes by the same plan for all of us. Nammalwar is regarded as one of the greatest devotees of God who surrendered to him flawlessly. Nothing disturbed him from the state of a perfect devotee. Yet, he had to go through the pain of separation from God for quite some time! Why did God allow him to suffer?
When one is in extreme pain, it is healthy to be relieved from pain gradually. When one is over-weight, it is healthy to lose weight gradually than an unhealthy faster approach. God is a great doctor too! When Nammalwar is in great pain of separation from him, God lets him relieve his pain through verbal outpour steadily. This resulted in gradual pacification until one final day when Nammalwar reached the state of eternal bliss, the Paramapadam.
Until one reaches Paramapadam, the absolute eternal space where one enjoys the same stage as that of God, the experience of togetherness with God lies in one’s heart alone and not at physical plane. The only exception is when one serves God in Archa (deity) form or when one serves God in Vibhava form (examples: Rama, Krushna..)
In this Kali Yuga, when Nammalwar lived – the only way to experience God and his traits was within the heart. When the experience reached an extreme state, Nammalwar longed to extend the experience with physical body, such as: he longed to touch God’s feet, embrace him etc. That wish however could not be satisfied! Then came the absolute grief, where he began to approach various ways of communicating with God.
One such messenger chosen by Nammalwar is a pair of Swans! Nammalwar’s love for God overtook his wisdom. He neither thought about how Swans would understand his language, nor about how Swans would reach God! He only looked at the ability of the birds to travel and take his message! He looked at how the birds are together, indicating that they know how hard it is to be in separation from loved one!
In a pasuram, anjinara maranaadaay – Nammalwar imagines a conversation between the chosen messenger, Swans (a female and a male pair) and himself..!
Nammalwar speaks to female Swan: Oh dear, could you show some compassion and reach out to God and remind him of me?
Swan: How do we recognize God? Can you give me a unique mark? What do we do if he ignores us?
Nammalwar: God can be seen by the presence of Garuda (one who has fierce and cruel wings)!
(The mention of ‘cruel’ in this instance depicts how upset Nammalwar is because Garuda is not doing his part in taking him closer to God. Garuda is a very keen-eyed devotee of God who observes Love for God in us and puts in a word with God)
Nammalwar: If he ignores you, could you not take that pain for the sake of me? Being able to help someone in pain is the rarest virtue. Please take that as an opportunity and continue to approach him. Anyway, God will not ignore you because you are carrying a message from me!
Remember, when Sitha Devi sent a message through Hanuma to Rama – He got treated with the most absolute treat that one can ever ask for! The divine Hug from Sri Rama Chandra himself!
Nammalwar: Why are you still not leaving? Are you worried that God will not pay attention to you because I have committed any mistake or sin?
Nammalwar: Remind him of his unique quality, ‘aparadha sahatvam’, bear the sins committed by us considering the immaturity, ignorance and all other inabilities!
There are no Swans in real – but the intense admiration for God brought out several such conversations in the form of his pasurams, which reveal eternal secrets about the relation with God, the path to reach His abode, the helpers in the path etc.!
– Excerpt from the Bhagavad Vishayam discourse of Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami at JIVA, 14th May 2018
