Musings on garUda/mantrA etc.-8C

[Guest guest]

srimathE lakshmi-nrsumha parabrahmaNE namaha

sri vedanta desika guravE namaha

 

Dear "bhAgavatOttamA-s",

 

Just one more little post, please, on the idea of "reflectivity" and then we

will move on to the subject of Swami Desikan's "garUda" hymns and "mantrA".

 

 

In the last post on "reflectivity" we stated the following :

 

--

A : ".....the species HOMO SAPIENS somehow has been deeply ingrained by

nature --- or "programmed" if you like --- to always suspect everything

thing else other than "visual" modes ("pratyaksham") of validating the

truths of the experiential world."

 

B : ".....that "vEdic" experience of Truth becomes possible for us only IF,

and only AFTER, we have overcome our "reflexive" (and excessive, too!)

reliance on "pratakshyam" and, indeed, have switched to "aural" modes of

PERCEPTION/COGNITION prescribed in the vEdAs."

 

--

 

The point I was trying to make in the 2 statements above was that as long as

we are unable to shake-off the "reflexivepratyaksha"-bias in our

spiritual enquiry, we will always be sceptical of the truth of "vEdic"

experience distilled in a "mantrA". We will continue to struggle in life

with wonted and "visual" ways of thinking about Narayana and simply get

nowhere !

 

Without the "acoustic-key" of "mantrA" it will simply be impossible for us

to unlock the "doors of true perception" and begin to really "take in" Truth !

 

The above idea I have explained, I confess, is actually derived from the

wonderful words of our great Saint Tondar-adi-podi AzhwAr in Verse #15 of

the "tirUmAlai" :

 

meyyarkkE meyyanAgUm vidhiyilAv-ennaippOla

poyyarkkE poyyanAgum putkodi-yUdaiya kOmAn,

uyyappOm uNarvin-Arkatkku oruvan-enru uNarnda pinnai

aiyappAdurruthu-thOnrUm azhaganUr arangam-anrE ?

 

(My free Tamil translation -- how "free" it is is up to you to judge):

 

"The Lord, whose flagstaff carries the insignia of Garuda, is REAL for those

who "know" Him to be Real (i.e. for those who have overcome "reflexivity"!)

 

"The Lord is 'UNREAL' to those who lead "unreal" existence themselves (i.e.

are unable to "break-free" from their world of "visuality" and enter into

the world of 'vEdi-c' experience and "aurality" !)

 

"The Lord readily reveals Himself to those who aspire for "UjjIvinam" by

cutting asunder their delusion and doubts (i.e. by throwing open the Doors

of Perception) and granting them Supreme Knowledge of Himself !"

 

 

The above verse of Saint Tondar-adi-podi is an extremely significant one in

the context of our current discussion, dear "bhAgavatOttamA-s", because as

you will notice, it makes a specific and pointed reference to

"putkodi-yUdaiya kOmAn" --- a clear reference to "peria-tirUvadi" !!

 

The question to ask about this verse is : "Why should there be a specific

reference to "putkodi-yUdaiya kOmAn" by the AzhwAr while talking about the

delusion of disbelievers ("visual-centred seekers"!) ?

 

The answer, I strongly believe, must lie in the possibility that

Tondar-adi-podi-yAr is hinting to us how importanct GarUda or the

"Garuda-mantrA" is to visual-centred "poyyarkkE-s" who wish to turn into

"mantrA-orientedmeyyarkkE-s" !!

 

 

srimathE srivan satagOpa sri narayana yathindra mahadesikaya namaha

sudarshan