The beauty and Mahatyam of Lord's Lotus Feet

The beauty of Lord's Lotus feet

If you ask any Vishnu Baktha, if there is any thing beautiful than the Lord's Lotus feet and anything more enjoyable than writing / reading / talking / thinking about Lord Sriman Narayana, his or her immediate response would be NO. We all live a materialistic life in this world. We go out, work and earn money. Some are fully aware that all these are maya and Vishnu is only Real and attaining or reaching the abode of Vishnu is the real goal of human life, but still we are unable to shake off all our responsibilities in this world and seek divine refuge. This is Kaliyuga where lord himself has said that people will not be able to do tapasya, yagnyas and havans as in Dwapara or Tretha yuga. So the remedy that lord has given is to chant his name, talk about him, love him, find pleasure in talking / reading about him.

We even have instances in past, where people in Gruhasthashrama (leading a family life) were blessed by lord for their deep devotion. For instance, Guha in Tretha yuga, was very much a family man, and because of his infinite love and affection to the lord, he was able to meet Sri Rama and in fact was able to do padha pooja to sri rama and even embrace sri rama. Such is the power of devotion. And what can be even more greater, Krishna himself washed the feet of his friend Kuchela, when he came visting krishna to seek some help. Lord Srinivasa, Govinda, Krishna, Rama, Vishnu, however you call him, melts for sincere bhakthi.

It is with this love for Govinda, that i am writing this article on the beauty of Lord's Lotus feet.
Again I ask the same question What can be more beautiful than worshipping / having a darshan of the Lord's lotus feet?

That holy feet, which is very large, blue in color, decorated with parani(henna), decorated with rings on all the fingers, his ankle having a big anklet, set with precious jems and diamonds, his golden peethambaram touching those feet. Just close your eyes and meditate upon those holy feet. As you medidate upon his feet, dont tears of joy and ecsatay swell up in your eyes, mine do.

This is the same feet that Lord Brahma washed, when Lord Vishnu measured the Sky with his one feet, when King Mahabali offered him 3 foot steps of land as biksha. This is the same feet from where the holy river Ganga was born. That is when Vishnu measures the heaven, Brahma Loka, and the skies with his one foot, Lord Brahma washes Vishnu's leg and from these waters is born the sacred river Ganga, which was later brought to earth by Bhagiratha.

This is the same holy feet, worshipped by many great sages, Lord Shiva, Brahma, devatas and they have found true joy and happiness in worshipping the Lord's holy feet.

Padha Pooja at Alipiri (Tirumala-Tirupati)

Many of us would have been to the Kaliyuga Vaikunta Kshetram, Tirumala-Tirupati, some of us would have gone up the sacred hills by walk, a few of us would have performed Padha-pooja to the Lord's lotus feet at Alipiri(the foothills). If you have performed the padha pooja, you should have experienced a divine feeling, in doing the padha pooja, the priest actually gives a bronze-padham, which is kept in the sanctum santorum of the Padham temple and worshipped. You will have to keep these bronze padham on your head and do pradakshina to the padham-temple for three times. This is a divine feeling. It is said and believed that Lord Srinivasa, in keeping of his promise to Bhaktha Chinappa, actually wears one of those slippers daily on his way to Tiruchanooru from Alipiri, and when you keep the same slippers on your head, touch it with your hands, what else you need in life.

In most of our hindu rituals, we do padha pooja to a senior couple, wash their feet, do pooja using flowers and sprinkle that water on our heads. It is said that the senior couple, symbolises Adhi-Dhampathalu(the first couple) -Lord Shiva and Shakthi. When such water which is a result of doing pooja to human beings is considered to be very holy, then imagine the power of the tirtha(abhishekam water) which is used to wash the lord and his lotus feet. A lot of Puranas, like the Brahmanda Purana, Skanda Purana have explained this in detail. I will highlight a few of those in this article.

VILAYAM YANTI PAPANI PITE PADODAKE HAREH

KIM PUNAR VISNU PADODAM SALAGRAMA SILACYUTAM

VISESENA HARET PAPAM BRAHMA HATYADIKAM PRIYE

PITE PADODAKE VISNOR YADI PRANAIR VIMUCYATE

HATVA YAMA BHATAN SARVAN VAISVAVAM LOKAM APNUYAT

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/68,69 from SKANDA PURANA conversation between Siva and Uma)
Whoever drinks the water emanated from the Deity of Lord Sri Hari, all of his sins are removed. I say, oh dear wife, what more can I say about the water emanated from the bathing of Salagram Sila of Lord which actually cuts the sin acquired by killing a brahmana. Anybody who quits his body while drinking the water which has emanated from the lotus feet of Lord Hari, the messengers of Yamaraja run away from him and he attains the abode of Lord Sri Vishnu.

As per Hindu dharmic traditions, if we eat anything, we are supposed to wash our hands(before and even after eating), we often hear this from elders at home. In olden days, if you eat / drink any thing, you are supposed to wash your hands and feet and again perform achamanya. That is why in our hindu poojas, once we offer naivedya to gods, we also do achamanya to god, we often use this mantra, "Naivedyaanantaram Achamanyam Samarpayaami..." That is after naivedya do achamanya to god. But Agasthya Samhitha says,

SRI VISNOR VAISNAVANANCA PAVANAM CARANO DAKAM

SARVA TIRTHA MAYAM PITVA KURYAD ACAMANAM NA HI

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/91 from AGASTYA SAMHITA)

The water which has washed the feet of Lord Visnu and Vaisnavas (real devotees) is equal to all the places of pilgrimage together. After drinking such water, one does not have to take any acamana or to wash his hands or mouth.

VISNOH PADODAKAM PITVA PASCAD ASUCI SANKAYA

ACAMATI CA YO MOHAD BRAHMAHA SA NIGADYATE

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/92 from SKANDA PURANA spoken by Lord Siva)
Lord Siva says, "Any person, due to bewilderment, after drinking water emanated from Lord Visnu, thinking that he has become unclean, he washes his mouth, he becomes the killer of a brahmana."

BHAGAVAN PAVITRAM BHAGAVAT PADAU PAVITRAM, BHAGAVAT

PADODAKAM PAVITRAM, NA TAT PANA ACAMANIYAM. YATHAHI SOMA ITI.

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/93 from SRUTI SASTRA)
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is all pure. His two lotus feet are all pure and water emanated from them is all pure, therefore, after drinking that water emanated from Him, one should not take any acamana because it is as best as a soma.

VISNU PADODAKAM PITVA BHAKTA PADODAKAM TATHA

YA ACAMATI SAMMOHAD BRAHMAHA SA NIGADYATE

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/94 from SAUPARNA SAMHITA)
If due to bewilderment, somebody washes his hands after drinking water which has emanated from the lotus feet of Lord Visnu or of His devotee, he becomes the killer of a brahmana.
There are some other stotrams from Brahmanda Purana, and Skanda Purana, which highlights the mahatyam of taking the water which has washed the Lord's feet.

TRIBHIH SARASVATAM TOYAM SAPTAHENA TU NARMADAM

SADYAH PUNATI GANGEYAM DASANAD EVA YAMUNAM

PUNANTI ETANI TOYANI SNANA DARSANA KIRTANAIH

PUNATI SMARANAD EVA KALAU PADODAKAM HAREH

ARCITAI KOTIBHIR LINGAIR NITYAM YAT KRIYATE PHALAM

TAT PHALAM SATA SAHASRAM PITE PADODAKE HAREH

ASUCI VA DURACARO MAHA PATAKA SAMYUTAH

SPRSTVA PADODAKAM VISNOH SADA SUDHYATI MANAVAH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/27-30 from PADMA PURANA conversation between Pulastya and Bhagiratha)
Water from the Narmada purifies after one week, but Ganges water immediately purifies. Just by taking darshan of the Yamuna, one becomes purified. These rivers all purify one by seeing them, bathing in them or by chanting their names, but in Kali-yuga, one becomes purified just by remembering the water which has washed the lotus feet of Lord Sri Hari. Therefore, if someone drinks the water which has washed the lotus feet of Lord Hari, he gets more than 100,000 times more merit than by worshipping ten million Siva lingas. If a person is impure, has unlimited bad habits, or is implicated with previous sins, simply by touching the water which comes from the lotus feet of Lord Visnu, he becomes purified. If somebody, at the time of death, touches to their head or other parts of the body, the water which has washed the lotus feet of Lord Hari, even if he is implicated with millions of sins, he does not go to the hellish planets, the abode of Yamaraja.

HITVA PADODAKAM VISNOR 'NYATITHANI GACCHATI

ANARGHAM RATNAM UTSRJYA LOSTRAM VANCHATI DURMATH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/38 from PADMA PURANA conversation between Pulastya and Bhagiratha)
If a person gives up the water emanated from the lotus feet of Lord Sri Visnu (caranamrita from the bathing of the Lord), and goes to other places of pilgrimage, he is like a person who gives up unlimitedly valuable jewels, desirous of obtaining a lump of mud.

NA ROGASYA BHAYANCAIVA NASTI VIGHNA KRTAM BHAYAM

NA DUSTA NAIVA GHORAKSAH SVAPADOTTHA BHAYAM NA HI

GRAHAH PIDAM NA KURVANTI CAURA NASYANTI DARUNAH

KIM TASYA TIRTHA GAMANE DEVARSINAM CA DARSANE

YASYA PADODAKAM MURDHNI SALAGRAMA SILODBHAVAM

PRITO BHAVATI MARTANDAH PRITO BHAVATI KESAVAH

BRAHMA BHAVATI SU PRITAH PRITO BHAVATI SANKARAH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/42-44 from PADMA PURANA conversation between Pulastya and Bhagiratha)
One who drinks caranamrita (water emanated from washing the body of the Lord) he becomes free from all kinds of diseases, and all kinds of obstacles and the fear of ferocious cobras and ferocious beasts. He does not have the eyes of bad planets upon him. He becomes free from the fear of theft. What is the need for him to go to the places of pilgrimage, seeing the demigods and great sages (if he has taken the water which has washed the body of the Supreme Lord)? If he has the water which has washed the Salagram Sila above his head, the sun, Kesava, Lord Brahma, Sankara (Lord Siva) become greatly happy with him.

PRAYAS CITTAM YADI PRAPTAM KRCCHRAM VA TU AGHAMARSANAM

SO'PI PADODAKAM PITVA SUDDHIM PRAPNOTI TAT KSANAT

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/46 from BRAHMANDA PURANA conversation between Lord Brahma and Narada Muni)
If somebody has to go through unavoidable abominations, or if it is necessary for him to chant strong hymns as japa (silent chanting), even to that person, if he takes the water which has washed the lotus feet of the Lord, he becomes immediately purified.

APAVITRA YADANNAM SYAT PANIYAN CAPI PAPINAM

BHUKTVA PITVA VISUDDHAH SYAT PITVA PADODAKAM HAREH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/50 from BRAHMANDA PURANA conversation between Lord Brahma and Narada Muni)
If someone has eaten impure foods from someone or has drank water left from a great sinner, the sins which are derived from such eating and drinking, can become nullified just by drinking the water which has emanated from the lotus feet of Lord Sri Hari.

SADYAH PHALA PRADAM PUNYAM SARVA PAPA VINASANAM

SARVA MANGALA MANGALYAM SARVA DUHKHA VINASANAM

DUHSVAPNA NASANAM PUNYAM VISNU PADODAKAM SUBHAM

SARVOPADRAVA-HANTARAM SARVA VYADHI-VINASANAM

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/57,58 from VISNU DHARMOTTARA)

Water which has emanated from the lotus feet of Lord Sri Visnu immediately gives purification, removes all kinds of sins, it is more auspicious than the most auspicious ingredients, it removes all kinds of miseries, it removes one from having bad dreams, it helps one become meritorious, it is all auspicious, it removes all obstacles, and it removes all kinds of diseases from a person.
Let us all pray to the universal father, Sriman Narayana, meditate upon and worship his lotus feet, love him, surrender completely to him and attain happiness and joy.

Sarvam Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu