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In krishNAvathAra pastimes, many delightful experiences and amazing principles are shown. Among those, there is a wonderful pastime in which krishNa grants mOksham to a potter and his pot. We are unable to trace the origin of this incident in ithihAsas and purANas. Still, in a couple of important granthams of our pUrvAchAryas, this incident has been shown. Let us first see the incident.
In vrindhAvanam, once krishNa was as usual running away to avoid getting caught after stealing butter. At that time, yaSOdhA was chasing him. krishNa entered a hut which was present there. A person who is known as dhadhipANdan,, a potter, was living there. He became very joyful seeing krishNa. krishNa was searching for a place to hide, and finding a big pot, entered into it and hid in it. He told the potter “Let anyone come and ask. Don’t tell that I am here”. The potter agreed to it. yaSOdhA came there and asked “Did krishNa come here?”. He said “No one came here” and sent her away.
Subsequently, krishNa tried to come out. The potter told “If you want to come out, you have to agree to grant mOksham for me from this material world. Only if you agree to it, will I let you out”. krishNa told him “I don’t know anything about mOksham. I am a small boy. If you want, I can give some butter”. The potter insisted saying “I have realised your true identity. You have to grant me mOksham”. krishNa became joyful and said “Alright! Granted!”. The potter did not stop with that. He further asked “Not just for me. You should grant mOksham to my pot in which I keep curd as well”. krishNa responds “I cannot do that. How greedy are you! If I grant mOksham to you, you are asking mOksham for all”. But he insisted “This pot is very dear to me. I will let you out only if you grant mOksham to the pot as well”. Finally emperumAn agreed and said “Alright! We grant mOksham to your pot as well”.
This incident is shown in thirukkOLUr peN piLLai vArththai as “ingillai enREnO dhadhipANdanaip pOlE” (Did I say “He is not here” as dhadhipANdan did?). Apart from this, in AchArya hrudhayam which was mercifully composed by azhagiya maNavALap perumAL nAyanAr, in the 228th chUrNikai, while showing that emperumAn grants mOksham to many different kinds of entities, he has shown “idaiyar thayirththAzhi” (Cowherd person, Pot to keep curd). While explaining this in the commentary, maNavALa mAmunigaL has explained it a little differently. His divine words are “veNNey kaLavu kANap pukkavidaththE thoduppuNduvandhu thammagaththE pugap padalaith thirugi vaiththu mOksham thArAvidil kAttikkoduppEn enRu mOksham peRRa dhadhipANdar” (After stealing butter, krishna being chased, came running and entered the dhadhipANdar’s house; the potter closed the latch and got mOksham saying “I will open the latch only if you grant mOksham” – mAmunigaL has explained it as potter locking krishNa inside his house instead of inside his pot).
Thus, this dhadhipANdan’s incident is an amazing pastime. It is unfortunate that we are unable to trace the source in ithihAsas and purANas. Still, by the grace of our preceptors, we have learnt about this incident to some extent.
Essence in this incident:
- Irrespective of how simple bhagavAn presents himself, his devotees will identify his true identity/nature.
- Noble devotees will desire to seek mOksham from emperumAn to engage in eternal kainkaryam only.
- We can understand krishNa granting mOksham to dhadhipANdan. But the pot is an insentient entity. How did it get mOksham? maNavALa mAmunigaL has given a beautiful explanation for this question in his commentary for AchArya hrudhayam. Let us see that. Any entity having name and form will be controlled/possessed by an AthmA. Due to the insistence of the potter, the AthmA of that pot got mOksham. Note – It is also said that AthmAs who committed great sins will acquire bodies such as tree, plant, creeper, rock, cloth etc.
Source – https://granthams.koyil.org/2023/09/08/krishna-leela-10-tamil/
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