Musings on "sitA's agni-pravEsam" #20

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Dear members and friends who are following this thread,

 

In the last post, through narration of the dramatic scenes leading to the

"agni-pravEsam", we came to appreciate how even the instrumentality of the

"veda-sabda-pramANa" fails us in the revelation of Truth ....just as the

"vAkya-vAriNa" of HanumAn as conveyed to Lord Rama in the "sundara-kAnda"

....how even that hallowed Vedic "pramANa" failed to reveal the stainless

Truth of Sita to the "lesser mortals" gathered there in Kishkinda.

 

It must not be forgotten that the same majority of "lesser mortals" in the

"sundara-kAnda"......

"vAnarA-s", "rAkshasA-s" and ordinary humans untutored and inept in Vedic

practice or wisdom... it was much the same motley crowd too which in

substantial numbers filled the assembly that witnessed the famous encounter

between Rama and Sita in the "yuddha-kAnda".

 

It was the same undiscerning assembly for whom "pratyaksham", "anumAnam"

and "sabda-pramANam" had all failed to reveal the Truth.... it was for the

edificatory benefit of the same assembly that the whole drama of the

"agni-pravEsam" was enacted by Lord Rama and Sita.....

 

We shall come to that particular matter in later posts.... but in this

present one (and perhaps the next one too) let's first briefly turn out

attention to a rather philosophical matter viz. the nature and uses of

"sabda-pramANa". I would actually skip altogether this brief diversion into

"heavy stuff" if I was not otherwise convinced that it is wholly necessary

for obtaining a proper appreciation of the underlying Vedic import of the

"agni-pravEsam" episode.

 

********** ************ ****************

 

If you reflect deeply about the matter you will have no trouble in

accepting that all our knowledge of what we "truly know" has actually been

secured for us, as we have already explained, principally through

 

(a) the instruments of our senses -- "pratyaksha-pramANam"

(b) the instrument of our mind/intellect complex -- "anumAnam"

 

In the special branch of Vedic inquiry known as "meemAmsa" there are also

other instruments of "pramANa" known variously as

 

©"upamAna" --- knowledge of things or truths hitherto unknown gained

through a "process of comparison" with things known

 

(d) "arthApatti" -- inference of an hitherto unknown truth gained through

knowledge of its "exact opposite or contradiction"

 

(e) "anupalaBDhi"-- knowledge gained of things in their state of "absence

or non-existence"

 

It is really not relevant for the purpose of our present discussions to

examine the above in any more frightening detail than to know that all of

them are really only finely-honed instruments of logical/intellectual

inquiry that help us travel the arduous route from the "Darkness of

Unknowing" ("agnyAnam")... which is our spiritual nativity ... to "the

Light of the Real" ("mOksham") which is our ultimate destiny. They are the

journey's "pathways" and through which indeed we can and do understand the

World around us in its state of physical as well as ideological existence.

 

When we know we have reached such intuitive "understanding" within our

being, it is then we exclaim to ourselves,"Ah, I have seen the truth!" or

"I know this to be the truth!" or "This is really the truth about this or

that!".

 

Now in addition to the 5 'pramANa-s" above there is a sixth one called

 

(f) "sabda-pramANa" --- the "word" and "sound" of the Vedas

 

Now what is the use of this instrument ? What does it achieve for us that

the other 5 cannot?

 

Now, if you recall we saw how the Rg veda hymn, the "purusha-suktam", cried

aloud: "vEdahamEtam purusham mahAntam, aaditya-varnam tamasas

parastAt....!"

 

What the above hymn tells us essentially is that beyond the 'truths' of the

"known world" there is a yet Higher Order of Truth called the "purushA"....

the eternal Principle of All things!

 

This "purushA" is an Order of Truth that cannot be apprehended in "physical

or ideological" terms. It is Truth which cannot be known by employing the

instruments of "pratyaksha", "anumAna", "upamAna", "arthApatti" or

"anupalaBDhi". It is an Order of Truth existing beyond the frontiers upto

which our senses, our intellects or our minds can travel..... The hymn

makes a wry, metaphorical comment in this regard when it says "athyaThishTa

dashAngulam...." i.e. "this Truth, this "purushA" lies at least 10 feet

beyond wherever, whatever limits of knowledge that the other 5 brave

"pramANa-s" or intrumental bases of knowledge can take you!".

 

To know this Order of Truth, this "purushA", there is only one "pramANa",

it is thus said, which we can profitably employ and that is : the Vedas

themselves.... their "sabda" (sound) and their "vAkya" (the character of

expression)!

 

We will continue this little "philosophical diversion" in the next post

after which we will move to the culminatory portions of our discussion on

Sita's "agni-pravEsam".

 

adiyEn dAsAnu-dAsan

sudarshan