Summer heat for the soul

We do know scorching summer heat in our tropical weather. Sometimes in heat waves people swoon and get dehydrated. This burning of summer heat affects the body and drains all our energy. In the same way there is a scorching heat, heat waves for the soul. It is worldliness, losing oneself in the worldly things and losing sight of values. Generally we all place our body safely in air-conditioned atmospheres. Body should be in a convenient place, where it is not bothered. But we do not so much worry about keeping our soul in cool shades or convenient cabins. We generally put our soul in too much 'summer heat', i.e., too much worldliness, care of money, pleasures, comforts and things. We even tend to measure our soul and that of others only by these external things. But our soul is all the more internally weeping and panting and suffering this over-heat and our utter negligence about it. It does plead with us in all subtle ways but we are stone deaf to all its fine tones and tears. And Tirumangaiyalwar was one such person who put his soul in the scorching heat of worldliness and his body in cool shades of comfort. But the reasonless grace of Ranga won him over from the side of worldliness to divine sensibilities. That is how the commentary of Sri Periyavachanpillai beautifully introduces the subject of Alwar while commenting upon Periya Thirumozhi. 

But the Divine grace to operate upon the human soul requires some qualities, some attitudes at least on the part of the human being. Here in the case of Tirumangal Alwar, Sri Ranganatha could find some such qualities and attitudes. One was the no-compromise attitude of Kaliyan (Tirumangai Alwar) towards anything he chose to enjoy. If Kaliyan decides upon something to enjoy it will be the best of its kind or value. Anything less than the very best cannot attract Kaliyan. Another aspect of Kaliyan was his attitude of receptivity. When something very best was being shown to Kaliyan, or something very best thoughts being said to Kaliyan, he would never be slackening in receiving that or appreciating that.
These aspects and qualities were enough for Sri Ranganatha to win him over to the adhyatmic side. When the first word, the divine name was heard, Kaliyan reached the acme of realisation. The worldly life was gone and what remained was life in Tirumal. This sudden transformation, one moment this, the next moment totally changed, what kind of power, energy should have been at play.! Such is the power of mantra and the efficacy of divine names. Tondaradippodi Alwar says that in the hell when somebody by chance utter the divine name of Sri Ranganatha, the very hell is totally changed to swarga. But in the life of Bilwamangal, is it not the same thing that happened?
Srirangam Mohanarangan
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