language and spiritualism

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavadhotamas,

I have a few thoughts about the recent discussions about

'comparison between sanskrit and tamil' which I would like to

share with the members. I request Bhagavadhotamas to pardon me

if I am wrong or diverting anywhere.

 

o The Lord stands transcending all barriers and discriminations

with His immeasurable mercy for whoever sheds his mortal bondages

and realises whole-heartedly that his inner Atman is nothing but

the manifestation of the ParamAthman, the Lord Himself and merges

in union with the Supreme Purusha. The Lord doesn't care what method

his devotee is employing in realising Him.

 

o If we realise the Lord's divine nature and then come to analyse

our mundane activities, we can only feel guilty at the way we are

attaching significance to them. These mundane activities include

all our customs, traditions, language etc.,

 

o There is no language that can express a Bhakta's feeling when he

is in union with His Lord. At this point any language will fail

pitifully to express the transcending feelings that emanate from

the innermost heart of the realised Bhakta.

 

o A language is only a "upakaranam" to attain the Lord's feet. It

would be a waste of time and intellect to attach even a wee bit of

importance to these 'instruments' in our journey toward the Supreme

Lord.

 

o Did not the epitome of Spiritual wisdom, Lord Dhakshinamurthi

himself remain blissfully silent and still pass his Supreme knowledge

to his divine disciples viz., sanaka, sanandhana, sanathsujAtha? This

more than assures us that language is only redundant to realise the

Para Brahmam. [ But for us mortals, the divinely merciful sages had to

put the knowledge in words in order to be better propagated and

understood ].

 

o Language is basically a worldly knowledge and is not to be counted

as anything spiritual though it is used for conveying our feelings

partially. When the Supremely pure Azhwars praise the glories of the

Lord, it is only for the Lord and not for making tamil flourish as a

better medium. And Saint Thyagaraja, if he had composed thousands of

songs in praise of His Lord, it is only for the Lord and not to show

his fluency in his mother tongue. So when a Bhakta is using this instrument

namely language to praise His Lord, it is only to try to reach the Lord's

Heart through some mortal means, but, which never counts for him.

 

o There is an interesting anecdote from Sri Adi Sankharacharya's

sojourn in kAsi.

 

- He finds a very old man on the banks of Ganges where the

man is reading very vigorously something as though he were

doing that for some serious cause. The old man, Sankhara

discovers, is reading "Pannini's Sanskrit Grammar". Sankhara

couldn't resist his pity for this old man who is wasting his

precious life in learning something which is not going to lead

him to his ultimate goal. He composes his philosophical "Bhaja

Govindham" at that instant to record a lesson for the worldly

souls who are attaching undue importance to the mundane knowledge

and advises,

 

"O ignorant mind! Chant the name of the Lord...

That alone can save you from this samsAra sAghara...

All the remaining worldly talks and knowledge will

never show any light during your journey towards the

Supreme goal"

 

 

 

adiyArkku adiyEn,

 

-chandrasekaran.