ashtAksharam & dvayam - 3

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Sri:

Srimate Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Para Brahmane Namaha

Srimate Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Divya pAdukA sevaka Srivan shatakopa -

Sri NArAyana Yateendra MahAdesikAya namaha

 

Dear Sri Ram GopalswAmy & other bhaktAs of Sriman NArAyanA ,

 

Namo NArAyanA . kindly accept adiyen's pranAmams .

 

---cont --

 

We shall relish some more glorifications of ashtAksharam

now .

 

HaritAsmruti ( 3.65) declares " Whatever a man ought to know is

all contained in ashtAksharA , that is the VedAs viz. Rg ,

Yajur , sAmam & the atharvan and other collection of words ".

The meaning(s) { whether considered as one sentence , two or

three etc etc } that arise out of ashtAksharam is the final

essence of all vedAs . All the tattvA , hitA & purushArtA is made

crystal clear by it . One will remain in peace & with ecstacy

be performing the kainkaryams to the Divya Dampati , since all the

ignorance , confusions etc arising out of studying the views of

various philosophers ( vedic / non-vedic ) on one^Òs own accord &

building castles of ignorant speculatons being wiped off by the

esoteric meaning(s) of ashtAksharam - the nectar (amrutam) of

knowledge churned from the sea of upanishads . Thats why sAstrAs

glorify ashtAksharam to such an extent .

 

NAradIyam ( 1.10) says " Whatever fruit is gained by those who

repeat the Rg , Yajus & sAma vedAs many times - that fruit is

gained by one who utters the ashtAkshara mantrA only once " .

The glories of ashtAksharam are beyond words. The comparison

shown here is not something ordinary . One has deeply from the

depth of one's heart should understand the esoteric nature of

ashtAksharam & more importantly about its meanings .

 

The meanings of ashtAksharam once understood will yield the

faultless jn~Anam. The true knowledge with no doubts whatsoever

, with unshakable faith & with ample clarity on UpAyA ( means)

& Upeyam ( goal to be attained ) will surely evolve out after

understanding the divine meanings of ashtAksharam . That most

glorifiable ashtAksharam finally leads one to "prapatti" . The

glories of prapatti even surpasses the glories of ashtAksharam ,

or in other words , ashtAksharam is glorified mainly because

it explains the esoteric doctrine of prapatti .

 

Thats why MahAbhArathA ( sAnti parvA 150.11 ) says :

" He has mounted the ( top most ) storey of the palace of

knowledge of Tirumantra and has obtained freedom all anxiety (

about himself) . The wise man looks down ( from there) at

ignorant people suffering for lack of this knowledge , like a

man on the top of a mountain looking at people standing below

(it) " .

 

Yes! Yes!! Yes !!! Its verily true that those who have

obtained the topmost knowledge delineated by the thirumantrA has

nothing more to be learnt, for he knows what needs to be known

.. But , a prapannA shall not look down upon others for he

knows that it is only the mercy of his AchAryA that has made

him acquire that stage & thus would pray for the upliftment of

all other jIvAtmAs also . vyAsar says like that to only make one

understand the unparalled supremacy of the knowledge obtained

from thirumantrA .

 

The reason for Thirukkoshtiyoor Nambi gaurding the sacred

meanings of the mantrAs , the upadesam of which came down from

Sriman NArAyanA ( Divya Dampati implied in this name itself ) ,

Vishvaksenar , NammAzhvAr , NAthamunigaL , UyyakkondAr , ManakkAl

Nambi & ALavandAr , is evident from many pramAnams cited above .

NammAzhvAr's upadesam on the three rahasya mantrams & their

meanings ( ie. Prapatti in essence ) to Sriman NAthamunigaL apart

from the Divya Prabandham of AzhvArs & yoga ( bhakti yoga) sAstrAs

, is an atmost merciful act that guides the jIvAtmAs here even

till today .

 

The seeker of eternal communion with Sriman NArAyanA is known

as mumukshu (desirous of moksham) . His only aim is moksham & builds

a burning desire to know the way in which he can possibly

achieve it. The feelings are so intense that he feels himself

either caught in the midst of a great forest fire ( anyway it is

true. MumukshUs realize it ) or being in the state of sinking

into the deep sea etc. This is the mood which one has to

develop very deeply before listening to esoteric matters. AchAryAs

tend to develop these feelings into their disciples & wait patiently

till they really attain the stage wherein the disciple can no

longer sustain the pain . At that stage AchAryA delivers the

upadesam on rahasya meanings of ashtAksharam & the like .

 

The ardent mumukshu having got the greatest of all treasures in

the true mindset , is simply transformed into the most ecstatic

state & that true jn~Anam disposes off all the ignorance . His mind

then becomes steady & unshakable by any amount of disturbances that

might occur in whatsoever angles . That jn~Anam will stay for ever

& result in his mahA visvAsam & the prapatti will be fruitful . If

someone reads the meanings like a novel in his whims & fancies at

whatever time he likes , that won't cause the intended result of

mahA viswAsam & the like in the mumukshu ; rather he will be put

into confusions etc & will still be wondering about tattva , hitA

& purushArthA . Thats why , AchAryA's upadesam is powerful for

NArAyanA reveals to the mumukshu truly about the esoteric

meanings in that case.

 

If someone reads on his own ( nowadays almost all meanings are

published ; originally intended for sishyAs having undergone

upadesams to keep on reading them , thereby doesn^Òt miss/ forget

the nectar etc & also for the help of future AchAryAs etc ) it

won't be fruitful for it is finally NArAyanA who reveals it & not

we know it out of our efforts . Atleast , one can read esoteric

aspects of sampradAyam ( for that matter , any granthA of our AchAryAs

) with atmost sincerity ie. After performing anushtAnams like

SandhyAvandanam , Bhagavad ArAdhanam etc & recite taniyans , meditate on

AchAryA's mercy etc & start reading the granthA . Atleast , one can

hope to gain steady & true devotion & knowledge by the blessings

of nArAyanA for atleast showing this much sincerity ( since one

is not serving AchAryA at his thirumALigai & securing his

katAksham through direct upadesam ) .

 

The whole of Divya Prabandham is nothing but the explaination

of AshtAksharam with each 1000 ( not literally 1000 pAsurams though

it is customary to call that way ) bringing out the meanings of

pranavam , nama: , nArAyanA & the dative suffix respectively . The

scriptures themselves talk about the meanings of these sabdAs

though at different places . Our AchAryAs have collected them

together in the first place & gives more esoteric insight into the

meanings . Whatever vedAs & allied pramAnAs says can be easily

shown (rather our AchAryAs have shown) to be within ashtAksharam .

Anyway , this is a ocean in itself .

 

Essence : sarvam ashtAkshara mayam .

 

-- to be cont---

 

Namo NArAyanA

adiyen

anantha padmanAbha dAsan

sarvam sri krishnArpanamastu