Nellikai / Gooseberry
Gooseberry (Nellikaai) is the most underrated fruit in the history. It's history is as rich as its nutrients. Go ask a doctor what are the benefits of having a nellikai once a day. A true doctor's face would glow after hearing this question and would go on and on. However, not many people know its benefits. It should be a celebrated fruit and a common houselhold name but just that its not.
Adiyen went to buy vegetables and also included Nellikai in adiyen's mixed bag. Adiyen was surprised that the vendor does not even charge for nellikai. It is regarded as dead cheap or worthless that they even give it away for free. But the effects of it are tremendous and no one fruit can even match it nor come close to it. It has all 6 tastes in it namely saltiness, sourness, bitterness, spiciness, tanginess and sweetness. Perfect balanced fruit. After eating it, drink some water. The saliva after eating nellikai and water when they combine, produces the sweetness.
The legend has it that the reverred thamizh poet Avvayar was a frequent visitor in the court of King Adhiyamaan. The king was regarded as one of the 7 most magnanimous donor in history. He and his troops, when they went for hunting, learned about a special variety of nellikai that gives extraordinary longevity to whoever eats it. It blooms only one at a time and not very frequently. It was not an easy task to get it as it was located in a dense forest and in the hill that was very steep and guarded by poisonous insects and the like. With great heroics, the king finally got it and took it home. He was thinking to himself, "Hmm. Whom should I give? Should I eat it myself".
At that time, Avvayar visited the court. He was pleased with his luck. He gave the Avvayar the special fruit and requested her to eat it fully and immediately. Without saying a word, Avvayar consumed it. When inquired about the speciality of it, Adhiyaman replied that it is a very special type of nellikai and that those who has it will live longer. Taken aback by this reply, Avvayar asked why the king could not eat it himself for the kingdom would be ruled nicely him for a long time. Adhiyaman, out of his love for thamizh and the society at large replied "If I take it, only the kingdom that I rule will prosper. But if you eat it, the whole world will prosper forever through your words and widsom". Avvayar blessed the king abundantly and was awestruck with his magnanimity.
There are lots and lots of proverbs in thamizh with Nellikai. For example, "mUthOr sollum mudhir nellikaniyum munnar kasakum pinnar inikum". This would mean that the words of elders and the first taste of nellikai would both sound bitter. Eventually, it would prove to be sweet and do a world of good who takes it. Another one "Kai ilangu nelli kani". If we hold the nellikai in our hand, it will be very much explicit. It is as clear as it gets. So, people use it to mean something that is strikingly clear and explicit.
Now let's go on a Srivaishnavic tanget and take this "kai ilangu nelli kani" and see how it is being used in Srivaishnavam. Swamy Thiruvarangathu amudhanar, who regarded Swamy Emperumanar at the highest pedestal, in his Iramanusa Nootrandadhi #104, says "kayil kani enna kannanai kaati tharilum, undhan meyil pirangiya seer andri vendilan yaan". Swamy Thiruvarangathu amudhanar exclaims, "Hey Emperumaanaare! Krishna is characterised by his sowlabhyam, the quality of HIS by which he mingles freely with the lowest of the lowest. But, even if you show that Krishna to us, akin to a nellikai in our hand, we will not be desiring HIM. Even if He is so explicit to us, we will just be desiring the beautiful, divine and auspicious qualities that are resplendent in your diving body of yours only and no one else.
Such is the regard our poorvacharyas had on one's Acharya that even Perumal Himself pale in comparison. It is like a mountain to an atom comparison. To put things in perspective, first lets take the case of a person who wishes to see and interact with the divine (Perumal). Shastras say that the places where Perumal manifests are
(a) Paramapdham - it is not very easy to go there, we can go there when we get moksham.
(b) Vyooham (Thiruparkadal or Milky Ocean) - It is for devas and the like where they met Perumal and register their complaints and Perumal take avatharams to kill their enemies. It is not easily accesible to us.
(c) Antharyami - it is our own heart where HE manifest but not all can realise HIM this way. It is for the specially priveleged souls.
(d) Vibhava - These are the incarnations or avatharams of Perumal but only people who were there at that time could have seen HIM
(e) Archavatharam - This is the most easily accesible where HE manifests HIMSELF in temples and houses. However, HE does not talk to devotees very easily at all.
Now what will the person who wants to see and interact with the divine do. For him, his Acharaya is everything as he is the one who is going to take him to moksham eventually. For him, his Acharya becomes utterly important as Acharya can reply to him, wears dhotis like him, eats like him, sweats like him, sleeps like him, yet HE is divine. What more can a person want. Our Acharyas say, when you have an Acharya like this readily available, why are you trying to search that Perumal who is somewhere in Parampadham that is not at all reachable. Why are you searching for the unknown treasure that is buried in the ground when you have cash readily available at your disposal. On a funny note, he is our real ATM (Any time Moksham). It is like "kai ilangu nelli kani pol acharyan". He is explicitly available for us, for us to see, ask questions, clarify them, talk to him whatever we want to and get divinity. When such Acharyas are there, why would someone go for something like a buried treasure (Perumal) who is very difficult. Why eat Dragon fruits when we have our own nellikai in abundance.
