Kulasekshara Azhwar wonders at the propensity of people to pass their time in this world casually , when there are so many numbers of the Lord’s Holy names to chant … (Appearance day March 9 th 2025 )

The revered Azhwars and Acharyars take up upon themselves the burden of saving men who LORD gives up hopelessly for the reluctance in seeking HIM .

Do Acharyars really possess these virtue ?

An example is quoted from scriptures

By a Rishi’s curse a saint was consigned to the nether region , the hellish planets . The saint he was continued to follow his devotional practices with all sincerity .

The demons noting that the person could be a faction from devas , harassed him with their weapons . But as he was a devotee of LORD Sriman Narayana he proved invulnerable to them .

The worried demons approached their guru Shukra for a suggestion to wound the arrived devotee .

Shukra suggested ,

My dears !!

Begin by abstracting his love for Sri Hari and rest is assured for him to be in your grip …

The demons put on the disguise of devotees and making friendship with the saint practically explained that Sri Hari had neglected him so far even down to his confinement in the nether regions and hellish planets , and thus could certainly not be worthy of worship .

They spoke ill about Sri Hari relating to his deep misfortune .

All the efforts to rob his love to Sri Hari proved futile , but parallel y the saint exhibited a great compassion in his heart for the demons at sight of the profundity of their sinfulness.

The saint supplicated LORD to exhibit his abundant mercy on these sinful men for their offenses . The saints prayers had instant effect .

The demons turned into friends and were anon taken to Lord’s abode of bliss .

Thus the power of salvation vested in LORD manifests itself with redoubled vigor in the members of HIS holy abode …

Kulasekshara Azhwar wonders at the propensity of people to live lives steeped in sin, when there is any number of the Lord’s names, which one could chant and think about, capable of instantly cleansing of them of all sins.

Why could one not say

“Ananta”,

“Vaikunta”,

“Mukunda”,

“Krishna”,

”Govinda”,

“Damodara”,

“Madhava” and several holy names ……

which are incredibly sweet on the tongue and also act as purifiers, wonders Azhwar in the verses of ” Mukunda mala”

“ananta Vaikuntta Mukunda Krishna GOvinda DAmOdara MAdhava iti

vaktum samartthOpi na vakti kaschit ahO! JanAnAm vyasana abhimukhyam!”

We have seen how terrifying hell and the demons were in the episode ..

Azhwars speak of an occasion when the entire hell was transformed into a heavenly abode.

How could this be possible ?

Azhwar elaborates in the following “TirumAlai ” pAsuram—

“namanum Murkalanum pEsa, narakil nindrArgaL kEtpa

narakamE Svargam Agum nAmangaL udaya nambi

In a glowing tribute to the glory of the Lord’s holy names, Sri Tondarappodi Azhwar recounts the episode of a conversation between Mudgala and Yamadharma raja. Mudgala was a wicked person, guilty of several sins.

On one occasion, unknowingly , he gifted a cow to a brahmin , accompanying it with the words,

“Let this be for Krishna” (“KrishNAya nama:”) as he heard this verse many times from others .

When he left his mortal coils , and reached YamalOka, Yamadharmaraja received him with all respects and honour .

Mudgala was surprised and sought the reason for the unusual reception given to him .

Yamadharmaraja replied , the single word “Krishna” uttered by you during the “GodAnam” , had got rid him of all the evil.

The beneficial effects of the single utterance of the Krishna nAma did not stop with Mudgala.

Those residing in the hell who listened to the conversation between Yama and Mudgala, and heard Krishna nAmA, were instantly absolved of their sins. What is more, the entire hell was immediately transformed into heaven, lock, stock and barrel.

Such indeed is the efficacy of the holy name of the Lord, which is capable of benefiting even those who utter or listen to it, by sheer accident, without any instinct of devotion or adulation.

For those who are unable even to utter the short and sweet names of the Lord, Azhwar has another prescription for saving them from the fires of hell.

A mere mention of the hallowed abodes of Emperuman would, by itself, ensure that none goes to Hell , indeed, if everyone were to just say the name of a divyadesam once, it would render the hellish worlds uninhabited and desolate, says Azhwar in the following pasuram—

“arivilA manisar ellAm arangam endru azhaippar Agil

poriyil vAzh narakam ellAm pullezhundu ozhiyum andrE”

Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

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Video Credits : manumithra and singer sri Udayalur kalyanaraman