saundaryalaharI - 9 (part 2)

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Our sages have explained the microcosm and the macrocosm in terms

of what we may call the Eternal Verities.

 

An Eternal Verity may be defined as that which gives scope for

functioning of all orders of creation, from birth, sustenance,

until their final dissolution. These Eternal verities may sometimes

be classified into three groups: the Atma-tattvAs, the vidyA-tattvAs,

and the shiva-tattvAs. The Atma-tattvAs comprise the jaDatva, the

non-sentient; the vidyA-tattvAs comprise jaDatva and prakAshatva,

i.e. both non-sentient and the sentient; and the shiva-tattvAs

comprise of prakAshatva, the sentient. Twenty-four fall under the

first group, seven under the second and five under the third and

may be arranged as below.

 

1. pR^ithvI - the earth, possessed of solidity

2. ap.h - water, possessed of fluidity

3. tejas.h - fire, possessed of heat

4. vAyu - air, characterizing perpetual motion

5. AkAsha - ether or sky, with character of space

6. gandha tanmAtra - smell in the form of subtle earth

7. rasa tanmAtra - taste in the form of subtle water

8. rUpa tanmAtra - form, in the form of subtle fire

9. sparsha tanmAtra - touch, in the form of subtle air

10. shabda tanmAtra - sound in the form of subtle ether

11. shrotra - the auditory sense that perceives sound

12. tvac - the tactile sense that perceives touch

13. cakshus - the optic sense that perceives form

14. jihvA - the gustatory sense that perceives taste

15. ghrANa - the olfactory sense that perceives smell

16. vAc - speech, the motor organ of articulate expression

17. pANi - the hand, the motor organ of grasping and leaving

18. pAda - the foot, the motor organ of locomotion

19. pAyu - the motor organ of evacuation

20. upastha - the motor organ of generation

21. manas - the mind, the inner sense that is attained, when rajas,

the mobility of misery is more dominant over sattvA, the rhythm

of happiness and tamas, the inertia of delusion [we can say manas

is the root of all volition)

22. buddhi - the intellect, the inner sense that is attained when

sattvA (the rhythm) is more dominant than rajas (the mobility)

and tamas (the inertia). [we can say buddhi is the root of all

conviction.]

23. ahaMkAra - the ego, the inner sense that is attained when tamas

(inertia) predominates over sattvA (the rhythm) and rajas (the

mobility). [we can say that ego is the root of all fancy and

converges towards the self.]

24. citta - which is attained by the equipoised state of sattvA,

rajas and tamas.

25. puruSha or the jIva (of the microcosm) - this is, although full

in itself, commands only to a limited extent the five powers

that are detailed below.

26. kalA - the kriyA shakti - the power to do things but to a limited

extent, inherent in the jIva

27. avidyA - also called vidyA, the jnAna shakti - in a veiled form

and thus limited in its operation, inherent in the jIva

28. rAga - the icchA shakti, perpetual satisfaction, which operates

only partially and thus limited in operation, also inherent in

the jIva.

29. cit shakti - perpetuity inherent in the jIva, when limited by

the operation of the six changes ('exists', 'takes birth', 'grows',

'ripens', 'wanes', and 'perishes')

30. niyati - that which causes avidyA to veil the Anandashakti, the

sat-cit-Ananda, inherent in the jIva

31. mAyA - the condition operating upon the Ishvara, causing it to

look upon the phenomenal world as 'this', i.e. an entity separate

from itself

32. shuddha vidyA - the condition operating upon the sadAshiva,

causing it to identify itself with the phenomenal world with

the impression, 'I am this'

33. maheshvara - that which is operated upon by the mAyA

34. sadAshakti - that which is operated upon by the shuddhavidyA

35. shakti - the desire which is but the impression of the world

to be created

36. shiva - the absolute non-differentiated existence, when

conditioned by the shakti

 

>From the Vedic standpoint, the five elements, the five tanmAtrAs,

the five organs of perception, the five organs of motor action,

the mind, the mAyA, the shuddhavidyA, the maheshvara and the

sadAshiva (totalling twenty-five) explain the microcosm and the

macrocosm. The thirty-six given above are the latter additions

to give a more complete description. Quite often, fifteen more

Eternal Verities are added to the thirty-six for further elobaration

thus making fifty-one in all, probably corresponding to the fifty-one

letters of the sanskrit alphabet. The additional fifteen are

tvac (the external sheath of organs), asR^ij (blood), mAMsa (flesh)

etc.

 

Verse 9 then deals with the functioning of the microcosm (jIva)

as kunDalinI is awakened and raises from the mUlAdhAra to the

sahasrAra (through sAdhana). KunDalinI shakti, by which the

jIva functions, is explained next.

 

 

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

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