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Meaningful conversations

May 14, 2013 10:44 pm | Updated 10:44 pm IST - CHENNAI:

Gnanis always have meaningful conversations. It is said that gnanis talk about a thief and about women! It does sound contrary to what we believe, doesn’t it? But it is not about an ordinary thief that they talk. They talk about the One who stole butter, and in the process, stole the hearts of the Gopikas too. In other words, they think and talk about Lord Krishna. Kooratazhvar, in his Adimanushyastavam, says that though Krishna might claim He came to steal butter, the truth was that He came to capture the hearts of the Gopikas. The women that gnanis talk about are the virtuous ones like Sita, Draupadi and Ahalya.

Do people always have meaningful conversations? Most of the conversations people have are of no use to them, leave alone to others. But there have been instances, in which conversations have had a lasting impact, conversations that are remembered thousands of years after they took place, said Kidambi Narayanan, in a discourse. Sage Narada approached Valmiki, and the world got the Ramayana. Suka and Parikshit had a conversation, which resulted in Srimad Bhagavatam. Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam, His Consort and Acharya Ramanuja had a conversation, which resulted in Saranagati Gadyam. When Lord Varadaraja of Kanchi spoke with Tirukacchi Nambi, we got six words of advice. Vaisampayana narrated the Mahabharata to Janamejaya. When Vidura and Dhritarashtra conversed, Vidura gave wise advice to Dhritarashtra. Thus, the world got the Vidura Niti. When Yudhisthira approached Bhishma, the world got the Vishnu Sahasranama.

Where those devoted to the Lord are concerned, their being in each other’s company has always resulted in good. Scholars observe that four got together, and the result was one. In another case, four got together and the result was four. Six got together and the result was 1,000. The solution to this puzzle is: Krishna had two sets of parents. So Devaki, Vasudeva, Yasoda and Nandagopa — these four had one child. Dasaratha, and his three wives — these four had four sons. The Pandavas, and Bhishma together made up six people, whose getting together resulted in the Sahasranama.

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