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Title: "Prapannãmrutam"
Author: Sri Vaishnava Sudarsanam
Publishers:
Sri Krishnaswamy Iyengar, M.A., B.L.
3B, Puthur Agrahãram,
Tiruchirapalli - 620 017

'Prapannãmrutam' speaks of the glory of Sri Ramanuja - the Vaishnava Ãchãrya and the founder of Visishtadwaita philosophy - and innumerable other Vaishnava Ãchãryãs. The book describes the various incidents in the lives of Mahans, their Guru Bhakti, their one-pointed devotion to Bhagavãn, humility and their 'rasika swabhãva'. This book is in two volumes. They have been published by Sri Krishnaswamy Iyengar, M.A., B.L. (Author, 'Sri Vaishnava Sudarsanam' 3B, Puthur Agrahãram, Tiruchirapalli - 620017).

The Mahãtma Thirukkanna Mangaiyãndan lived in the Holy Place Thirukkannamangai. He had developed a Tulasi garden for Sri Bhaktavatsala Perumãl and served the Lord through the daily offering of Tulasi mãla strung with his own hands.

One day, two men came to the Temple for the Perumãl's darshan. Their two pet dogs came with them. The two dogs stood at the gate guarding their master's footwear. When the two men came to the gate after the darshan of the Lord they found one of the dogs dead. While the men were inside the Temple, one of the dogs bit the footwear of the other's master. This brought about a fight in which one of them died. The dead dog's master at once killed the other dog. The master of this dog was provoked to anger; he drew out his sword and the two men began to fight each other. Ultimately, both men died in the fight.

The Mahãtma who stood watching this began to think, 'if these mere men of masters possess so much compassion for their dogs how deep the compassion of Bhagavãn should be for me!' After this incident, the Mahãtma gave up all his sadhanas. Walking on fours like the dog he would bathe in the village pond and lie down under the 'magizha' tree in the Temple.

When he was given the Temple 'prasad' he ate it just as dog eats the food. He remained without doing any work. People began to look at him with wonder. Many thought that he had gone mad. Some thought he had been caught in the net of Maya.

But, one day, Bhagavãn the compassionate Lord appeared in everyone's dream and announced, "Come to the Temple in the morning and witness the Moksha I will be bestowing on my Bhakta." The whole village gathered at the Temple as ordered by the Lord. Bhagavãn had informed the Mahãtma also of this matter. Even as people watched, a blinding lightning appeared near the Temple 'bali peetah' and the Mahãtma mingled in the lightning.

The Mahãtma witnessing the compassion that the master had for his dog felt that the characteristic of 'the surrendered' ('sharanagata lakshana') was only to await the Lord's grace and imagining himself to be a dog of His great Master (the Lord) stopped performing all sadhanas and remained awaiting only the Lord's grace. This incident depicts the characteristics of the 'surrendered' and the compassion that Bhagavãn has for 'the surrendered'.

-Dr.A. Bhagyanathan

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