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.
வங்கம்விட்டுலவும்கடற்பள்ளிமாயனை
மதுசூதனைமார்பில்தங்கவிட்டுவைத்து
ஆவதோர்கருமம்சாதிப்பார்க்குஎன்றும்சாதிக்கலாமே
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.
இன்னவன்இணையானென்றுசொல்லிஎண்ணிஉள்ளத்திருளறநோக்கி
மன்னவன்மதுசூதனன்என்பார்வானகத்துமன்றாடிகள்தாமே
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.
தொடைவழிஉம்மைநாய்கள்கவராசூலத்தால்
உம்மைப்பாய்வதும்செய்யார்
இடைவழியில்நீர்கூறையும்இழவீர்
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.
வாயொருபக்கம்வாங்கிவலிப்பாவார்ந்தநீர்க்கண்கள்மிழற்ற
தாய்ஒருபக்கம்தந்தைஒருபக்கம்தாரமும்ஒருபக்கம்அலற்ற
தீஒருபக்கம்சேர்வதன்முன்னம்
செங்கண்மாலொடும்சிக்கெனச்சுற்ற
மாய்ஒருபக்கம்நிற்க
வல்லார்க்குஅரவுதண்டத்தில்உய்யலுமாமே