Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya

nama:
The Throne
Sadagopan Iyengar, Coimbatore
Stop right there! said the dancing figurine sculpted on the first step to the
throne. The great Bhoja Maharaja, renowned monarch, poet par excellence, the
darling of his subjects adoring eyes and just and fair arbiter, who was eagerly
about to ascend the ancient throne of Emperor Vikramaditya, stopped in
midstride in wonderment and annoyance and asked the impudent figurine why
she had impeded his ascent. The figurine said, This is the throne occupied by the
greatest of all Emperors, Vikramaditya Maharaja, whose valour, wisdom and
generosity are incomparable. I shall recount to you a tale depicting just one of the
inimitable qualities of the Emperor: if, after hearing it, you still feel you are
qualified to ascend this haloed throne, you may do so. The patient, persevering
and amicable Bhoja Raja had to listen to no less than 32 stories from 32 protective
figurines adorning the steps to the throne, before he could occupy the venerated
seat.
Though it would indeed be interesting to hear the 32 stories, our aim here is not
to repeat the age-old Vikramadityan Kathai, but to throw up some interesting
aspects of The Throne.
The Throne is known as the Simhaasanam in Sanskrit. Have you ever wondered
why it is called thus and not as Gajaasanam or Shaardoolaasanam? The answer is
not far to seek: just as the lion is the king of the forests and of the vast animal
kingdom, so too the King is the leader of all men and is hence likened to a lion. He
is also supposed to possess bravery, ferociousness while dealing with enemies
and majesty, all qualities found in a lion. It is therefore no wonder that the
monarch is called a lion (Rajasimha, Narasimha, etc.) and his distinguished seat
known as a SimhaasanamSimhasya aasanam Simhaasanam. It is also known
variously as Bhadraasanam (auspicious seat), Varaasanam, Peetam, etc.,
according to the Varahopanishad

Veeraasanam Svastikam cha Bhadram Simhaasanam tathaa
Muktaasanam Gomukham cha keertitam yogavittamai:
The Simhasanam, as you would have discovered, is no ordinary chair: for all its
ornamental looks, it is also the seat of power, of justice and fair play, of
administration without fear or favour. It symbolizes the great power of the
Sovereign and the dynasties of great rulers. And ultimately, it symbolizes the Lord
Himself. This is no idle claim, but based on what Sri Mahabharata tells us.
Emperuman Himself tells us that His constant and glorious presence is to be
found, inter alia, in Simhasanams
Visteerna koola hrada sobhitaasu tapasvi siddha dvija sevitaasu
Vasaami nityam subahoodakaasu simhai: gajaischa aakulita udakaasu
Matte gaje go vrishabhe narendre Simhaasane sat purushe cha nityam
The moment you think of a Throne, your mind inevitably conjures up the image of
Pattabhi Raman, that Magnificent Monarch of Treta Yugam, whose exploits
continue to enthrall us till today, billions of years after their enactment.
Abhishekam tat arhasya, says Sri Valmiki, averring that if ever anyone deserved
anointing as an Emperor and to be seated on a distinguished throne, it was Sri
Rama. Though the throne of Ayodhya eluded Sri Rama initially due to His own
divine will, it served faithfully as His distinguished seat of power later, for eleven
thousand long years, we are told.
And the throne of the Ikshvakus was no simple seat, but a magnificent one made
of pure and glittering gold and studded with priceless gems of a stunning variety.
It was on this magnificent seat of power that Vasishtta, Vamadeva and other
seers ensconced Sri Rama with His Divine Consort on the occasion of His
coronation, says Srimad RamayanamRamam ratnamaye peete saha Sitam
nyavesayat. The throne was bedecked with colourful and fragrant flowers of a
wide variety, adding to the festive atmosphere. Here is the beautiful slokam in
our daily repertoire, which describes the grandeur and magnificence with which
Sri Rama occupies the throne with His beloved Mythili
Vaidehi sahitam sura druma tale haime maha mandape
Madhye pushpakam aasane manimaye veeraasane susthitham
Agre vaachayati prabhanja sute tatvam munibhya: param
Vyaakhyaantam Bharataadibhi: parivrutam Ramam bhaje syamalam
The scene depicts the magnificence of not only the throne, but also its environs:
the haloed throne of the Ikshvakus is placed in the shade of the divine tree Kalpa
Vriksham, capable of granting everyones wishes. Commensurate with the glory of
the Simhaasanam, it has been placed in the centre of a great golden hall. And
Ramas companion on the glittering golden throne is none other than Sita Devi,
who too sports a golden hue, acclaimed by the Shruti as Hiranyavarnaa. The way
Chakravartthi Tirumagan sits on the throneVeeraasanam-- is at once majestic
and endearingwith one knee folded and the other stretching down. His adoring
acolyte Anjaneya stands in the front with folded hands, drinking in the boundless
beauty of the Divine Duo, while Lakshmana, Bharata, Satrughna and others stand
around in silent adoration, made speechless by the overpowering magnificence of
the spectacle. (Incidentally, if you would like to see a faithful depiction of the
above scene, you would have to visit the Ramaswami Temple at Kumbakonam,
where the life-like arccha images of Sri Rama and His brothers along with Sita Devi
capture your eyes, heart and all your faculties at very first sight).
And on the occasion of Sri Ramas coronation, vassals from far and wide assemble
and pay obeisance to the Divine Duo, with their gem-studded crowns touching
the foot of the great Simhasanam on which Raghava is ensconced. The foot of the
throne is extremely broad, as broad as the Maha Meru, (says Swami Desikan),
with the cumulative light emitted by the gems in the crowns resembling a
Neeraajanam or Mangala Haarati to the lotus-like feet of the new Emperor. Here
is the beautiful choornika from Sri Raghuvira Gadyamhaataka giri kataka
ladaha paada peeta nikata tata parilutita nikhila nrupati kireeta koti vividha
manigana kirana nikara neeraajita charana raajeeva!
Even prior to His ceremonial occupation of the Ayodhya throne, Rama was no
stranger to thrones, being a natural occupant of the Simhaasanam. On the
occasion of Sita Kalyanam, considering the stature of his son-in-law, Janaka
Maharaja had arranged for a magnificent throne on which the Divine Couple were
seated during the wedding ceremony, says the Sri Rama Karnamritam.
Maithilyaa nagare vivaaha samaye kalyaana vedyantare
Saamante vimalendu ratna khachite peethe vasantou subhe
Shrunvantou nigamaanta vedi vidushaam aaseer girou raajitou
Paayaastaam su vadhoo varou Raghupatee Sri Janakee Raghavou
The throne placed on the wedding dais was a magnificent one, made of flawless
gold and studded with the most precious and purest of gems, inset with pleasing
Chandrakaanta stones. It was on this lustrous seat that Sri Ramachandra and His
bride were seated, hearkening to the blessings of elders steeped in the Shruti.
The throne of Ayodhya was never vacant, even during Sri Ramas sojourn in the
jungles for fourteen long years. As His representatives, His golden sandals
adorned the seat of power at Nandigramam and ensured that the administration
of the vast kingdom was carried out in a faultless and efficient manner. This must
have been the one and only occasion in recorded history, when a throne was
occupied not by a monarch, but by His sandals. And a formal coronation was held
for these distinguished occupants of the Ayodhya throne by the devoted Bharata,
we are told by Sri ValmikiPaaduke tu abhishichya atha Nandigraame avasat
tadaa.
There was however an occasion, when even the glorious throne of Ikshvakus
could not retain Sri Ramas interest. Listening to Kusa and Lava singing His story in
lilting metres set to poignant tunes in the royal court among a great and
discerning crowd which had assembled to hear the wonderful tale from the gifted
twins, Sri Rama, who was originally seated regally on His throne, as behooved an
Emperor, could no longer remain aloof. Little by little, He descended gradually
from His seat to join the crowd, wishing to be part of the enthralled company
rather than remain seated on His high perchivargal taazha irukka taam uyara
irunda idam tamakku anabhimatam simhaasanattinindrum mella izhindu
teriyaadapadi ivargal naduve pugundirundaar.
The Throne thus appears to be an inseparable adjunct of the Lord, both in His
presence and in His absence. This is so not only of the Ramavataram, but in Sri
Krishnavataram too. The Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram exhorts us to meditate on
Sri Krishna ensconced on a magnificent golden throne, set in the shade of the
divine Paarijata tree, with the complexion of a dark, rain-bearing cloud, adorned
from head to foot with glittering ornaments, with Sri Rugmini and Sri Satyabhama
resplendent on His either side on the throne
Chaayaayaam Parijatasya hema Simhaasanopari
Aaseenam ambuda syaamam aayataaksham alankritam
It is in this posture, seated on the throne, that Sri Andal wants Krishna to listen to
and redress the grievances of Gopisseeriya singaasanattirundu yaam vanda
kaariyam aaraaindu arul. Why should the Lord listen to the entreaties of the
Gopis seated on the throne? Commentators point out that Sri Krishna had
acquired widespread notoriety as a phenomenal fibber (Poi Nambi) and one who
specialized in untruth. This is why Gopis want Him to sit on the great and glorious
throne and promise to redress their grievances. Their thinking is that the
magnificence of the Simhaasanam would impart sobriety to Sri Krishna and that
formal promises made from the seat of power, justice and administration would
be more likely to be honoured than those uttered casually. The beautiful
commentary on this is given below for your enjoyment
Pengalukku poi kurikkum Krishnane aagilum ivvaasanatthil irundaal poi solla
onnaade! Pengal tiralile divya simhaasanatthile irundu Poi Nambi aana Krishnan
sonnade aagilum aasana viseshattaale pazhudu pogaada padiyaay irukkum.
Idhu taan Dharmaadi Peetam ire! Dharmaasanatthil irundaal tottrittru solla
onnaadire! Because this is the seat of justice, even Krishna cant very well say
whatever comes to His mind when He sits on the glorious throne, says Sri Andal.
It is interesting to note that in this paasuram, both the Lord and His throne are
described as seeriya. Maari malai muzhanjil manni kidandurangum seeriya
singam and seeriya simhasanattirundu. This implies that the Simhaasanam is as
great and glorious as the Lord Himself, fit for Him in every wayseeriya
singatthukku sadrusamaana aasanam.
If such is the glory of His seats during avataras, how boundlessly glorious would
be His simhaasanam in Sri Vaikunttam? We are eager to find out how beautiful
His throne looks at His permanent abode. In the famed thousand-pillared hall at
Sri Vaikunttam, the Lord is seated on a glorious throne--though it is known as
Paryankam or bed, it is nonetheless a throne on which the Lord sits and
administers the billions of universes under His control. This is borne out by Swami
Desikans wordsamitoujassaana divya simhaasana roopa divya paryankattai
anugi. This beautiful throne has no less than eight legsDharmam, Adharmam,
Jnaanam, Agyaanam, Vairaagyam, Avairaagyam, Isvaryam and Anaisvaryam. And
on this glorious throne is seated the Lord, with His left leg stretched, the right one
slightly bent, one hand placed on His handsome knee, two holding the Shankham
and Chakram and the fourth placed on the snake-bed. Sridevi, Bhoodevi and
Neeladevi are seated regally on the same throne, says the dhyaana slokam to the
Ashttakshara Mantram
Savyam paadam prasaarya, srita durita haram dakshinam kunchayitvaa
Jaanunyaadaaya savyetaram itara bhujam naaga bhoge nidhaaya
Pashcaat baahu dvayena pratibhata samane dhaarayan sankha chakre
Devi bhooshaadi jushta: janayatu jagataam sarma Vaikuntta Naatha:
We are curious to know of what material the Lords throne at Sri Vaikunttam is
made. Does He sit on a golden throne as He did during several of His avataras or
does He favour some other element?
Gold may glitter and diamonds throw lustre far and wide: however, they are
admittedly hard and unsuitable for the delicate constitution of the
Paramapurusha. Soukumaaryam or delicateness is a trait of the Lord, with His
tender feet acquiring reddishness even when pressed with utmost gentleness by
the extremely caring and soft palms of His Consorts. Hence Emperumans
personal servitors do not permit Him to sit on hard metal. Instead, Adisesha, the
Lords principal acolyte, fashions himself into a soft, supple and fragrant throne
for the Lord, which glows a pure white and represents wisdom in its most
unblemished form. The beauty of this magnificent throne is that it doubles as
footwear when the Lord steps out, as an umbrella protecting Him from rain and
shine, as a glowing lamp lighting up His way and as a comfortable bed when He
prefers to sleep
Chendraal kudayaam, irundaal simhaasanamaam
Nindraal maravadiyaam, neel kadalulendrum
Punayamaam mani vilakkaam poompattaam pulgum
Anayaam Tirumaarkku aravu
Leave alone glittering thrones made of gold and gems: Swami Desikan offers a
unique throne to the Lord of Learning, Sri Hayagriva. He prays to Emperuman to
make his (Swami Desikans) tongue tip His preferred Simhaasanam
Viseshavit paarishadeshu Naatha! Vidagdha ghoshtee samaraanganeshu
Jigeeshato me kavi taarkikendraan jihvaagra simhaasanam abhyupeyaa:
And it is indeed evident from subsequent happenings that the Lord did grant the
distinguished devotees demand and ensconced Himself on the tip of the gifted
poet-philosophers tongue, making the latter always victorious in debates with
opponents.
Though the Divine Couple occupy the same haloed throne, there are occasions,
especially during avataras, when they opt for separate ones. In Ramavataram, we
are told that when Sri Janaki parted for the final time from Her beloved Raghava,
a beautiful throne of unparalleled magnificence and divine origins rose up from
the earth to carry Her, lovingly sent by Bhooma Devi to transport Her ward to the
worlds below. Here is the Uttara Kaanda slokam:
Tathaa sapanthyaam Vaidehyaam praaduraaseet tat adbhutam
Bhootalaat utthitam divyam Simhaasanam anuttamam
And when She emerged from the Milky Ocean, Sri Mahlakshmi occupied a unique
and auspicious throne made entirely of blooming lotuses, which tried in vain to
compete with Her softness and fragrance, says Swami Desikan in Sri StutiAgre
bhartu: sarasijamaye bhadra peete nishannaam. This is in tune with the Sri Sukta
dictum prescribing lotuses as the natural seat of Sri MahalakshmiPadme
stithaam. Her natural habitat and permanent throne, however, is the broad and
beautiful chest of Her beloved, from which She is loathe to descend even for a
second.
Being the universal Inner-dweller, the Lord makes everybodys heart his preferred
throne and reigns resplendent there, ours to commune with at will. However, the
Guru Geeta tells us that more than the Lord, we should offer a throne in our heart
to our Acharya, enshrining him forever in our soul with ecstasy and meditating on
his glorious form which is capable of conferring all our spiritual desires
Hridambuje karnika madhya sansthe simhaasane samstthita divya moortim
Dhyaayet Gurum chandra kalaa prakaasam satchit sukha abheeshta varam
dadhaanam
Any mention about a Guru automatically brings to our mind the Mahaguru to
whom we owe our spiritual traditionSri Ramanuja. Befitting his stature as the
Emperor of all AsceticsYatindra:--Sri Bhashyakara too adorned a unique throne.
This Simhaasanam was however not made of mundane materials like gold and
silver, but consisted of the three Vedas themselvesbhajati Yatipatou bhadra
vedeem trivedeem (Yatiraja Saptati). Glorifying his master, Swami Desikan tells us
that due to the incomparable favour that Sri Ramanuja rendered to the Shruti by
elucidating its correct purport, the three Vedas themselves formed a wonderful
throne for Emperumaanaar. There is also a version that takes Trivedeem (in the
aforesaid verse) to mean not the three Vedas, but the three types of formulations
found in the Shruti, viz., 1. Bheda Shruti (those parts which clearly advocate
dualitydifference between the individual soul and the universal soul, 2. Abheda
Shruti (Veda Vaakyas which apparently subscribe to the identity of the Jeevatma
and Paramatma) and 3. Ghataka Shruti, which offers a reconciliation between the
aforesaid opposing schools of thought by explaining that while the Parabrahmam
is indeed one, Jeevatmas and Insentient Matter do exist, but as modes of the
Paramatma.
Let me conclude this piece with a sobering homily from the Epic. We may not
currently be living in the age of Kings and Emperors and hence Simhasanams may
be irrelevant at present. However, on the rare occasions when elders, seers and
sages do visit us, they should be offered seats befitting their stature. The
Mahabharata tells us that one who doesnt do so attracts exemplary punishment
for the sin that results
Apare stambhito nityammaanina: papato rata:
Aasanaarhasya ye peetam na prayacchanti achetasa:
Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Ranganatha Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama: