Periyazhvar Think of and Thank God

When we are healthy, there is an opportunity for us to think of God and seek his blessings

Remove all Negative Thoughts from your mind: Perform Selfless Service

 HOLD YOUR FOLDED HANDS WELL ABOVE YOUR HEAD AND PRAY

In a later decad in the Periyazhvar Thirumozhi, he requests the Lord to consider today’s prayer as a prayer in advance and to help him in the future when he might be beset with problems and at a time when he may not remember the Lord.

However, in this earlier decad( in the fourth Canto), he reminds the devotees that there is still enough time for us to remember the Lord and invoke his blessings. If you are healthy today, think of him and thank him.

Periyazhvar showcases the importance of calling out for the God’s name at all times in life, especially when we have strength in our body. Most of us are interested only in our close ones so much so that even in most testing of times, we call out only for them to be by our side.  He says that now is the time for us when we are hale and healthy to be offering our sincere prayers to him and to be thanking him for all the things that he has embellished us with. Most of the time we do not see what he has given us and only think of what in our view is the missing piece.

It is a beautiful set of devotional verses providing great insights into the fact that we are missing out on thanking God for all the great things he has provided us ( Instead we are seeking lot more from him all the time).

'Grow up' and think of the Lord

Even when death is upon us, most of us call out only for our close ones – Father, Mother, Son, Daughter and Wife. But there are those who chant the Lord’s names and praise him. Unfortunately, today, it is not within us to even talk about the greatness of such people. The day we ‘grow up’ to speak about them, we will be truly blessed.

We should aim to reach a stage where we can think and dedicate everything to the Lord.

Healthy People

There are lot of health issues we might encounter in life. Puss oozes out of wounds. We will have bed sore. There will be worms and germs that will be around the wounds. Ants will start biting. And finally the mind is likely to go into a coma.

சீயினால் செறிந் தேறிய புண் மேல் 

செற்ற லேறிக் குழம்பிருந்து எங்கும் 

ஈயினால் அரிப்புண்டு மயங்கி 

எல்லை வாய்ச் சென்று சேர்வதன் முன்னம் 

Before that happens, there is an opportunity to chant his name all through the day, holding our folded hands well above our head and seek his blessings. If we do that, we are likely to not get entry into this world again. You can be assured of that.

வாயினால் நமோ நாரயணா வென்று மத்தகத் 

திடைக் கைகளைக் கூப்பி போயினாள்

பின்னை இத்திசைக்கு என்றும்

பிணை கொடுக்கிலும் போக ஒட்டாரே 

Wealthy People

For those who have amassed huge wealth, it is likely that all your relatives will surround you and enquire about you and the location of the wealth. But since you have already got into coma, you will not be able to provide any answers to them.

Before such a situation arises, there is an escape route for you when you are in the pink of health. Make the Lord reside in your heart, recite the name Madhava and shower flowers of love on everyone. If you can achieve this state of mind, you may be in the good books of Yama and his agents. 

When death arrives, legs and hands will start to tremble. And we will be shivering. Much before that time, when there is an opportunity to at least chant that one letter ‘Om’ repeatedly.

 

Perform Selfless Service today

There will come a time when our life will go and there will be others who will check our nose for signs of life. And out of frustration will throw up their hands and lower their head in sadness.

 But well before that we have an opportunity in this life time to completely and unconditionally surrender to the Lord and perform selfless service to him.

வங்கம் விட்டுலவும் கடற்பள்ளி மாயனை

மது சூதனை மார்பில் தங்க விட்டு வைத்து

ஆவதோர் கருமம் சாதிப்பார்க்கு என்றும் சாதிக்கலாமே

Remove all Negative Thoughts

Our days are counted. There will be a time when Yama, the king of Southern most point, and his colleagues will come to bind us with their rope. Much before we reach that time zone, we have an opportunity today to sing praise of his name, fame and deeds. We can take him in our hearts and invoke his blessings to rid ourselves of all the negative thoughts in our minds. If we do that we could be considered for service at Vaikuntam.

இன்னவன் இணையானென்று சொல்லி எண்ணி உள்ளத்திருளற நோக்கி 

மன்னவன் மது சூதனன் என்பார் வானகத்து மன்றாடிகள் தாமே

Do you want Yama's Dogs to bite you

In this verse, Periyazhvar reminds us as to what could be the consequences if we do not lead a noble life.

If we do not want the dogs of Yama, the king of death, to bite our thighs or his assistants to pierce us with their spikes or for us not to lose our clothes as we are dragged along mercilessly, we have an opportunity right now to think of Lord and to invoke his blessings for a noble life.

தொடை வழி உம்மை நாய்கள் கவரா சூலத்தால்

உம்மைப் பாய்வதும் செய்யார்

இடை வழியில் நீர் கூறையும் இழவீர்

There is a SOLUTION to prevent another Mundane Life

After our death, our relatives are likely to sing praise about our virtues. And our negatives are likely to be forgotten by them. And the body will be covered with a new cloth. It would make sense for us to seek his GRACE well before that if we really wish to avert another mundane life.

The scene around our death

Father and mother and wife are likely to be in tears weeping and crying aloud. And the fire will be placed on our chest and we will be up in flames. Before such a thing occurs, it is within us to find an escape route by holding HIM alone in our minds every day, steadfast without thinking of anyone else. And if we do that, we will probably give ourselves an opportunity to stand apart.

வாயொரு பக்கம் வாங்கி வலிப்பா வார்ந்த நீர்க் கண்கள் மிழற்ற

தாய் ஒரு பக்கம் தந்தை ஒரு பக்கம் தாரமும் ஒரு பக்கம் அலற்ற

தீ ஒரு பக்கம் சேர்வதன் முன்னம்

செங்கண் மாலொடும் சிக்கெனச் சுற்ற

மாய் ஒரு பக்கம் நிற்க

வல்லார்க்கு அரவு தண்டத்தில் உய்யலு மாமே