Sridakshinamurti stotram V verse Part II reproduction

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This is the part II, continuation of what appeared in the yesterday's List:

8.9.3 The Great Among Women etc., Hailed and Pointed to as Exemplary

 

When women, children, the blind and the dunce, are referred to by way of

illustration, Sri Sri Acharyapada does not mean to deride them. Says the

Sruti itself (the Krsnayajurvediya-taittiriya-aranyaka) and the Sri

Vidyaranyabhashya thereon (1-11-3-14)-

StriyaH SatiiH…..

 

[Women who have realised Brahman-Atman by the grace of the Guru

are truly men-purusaaH-in spite of their outward womanly form, since they have

secured enlightenment worthy of a purusha. Those men who have not secured

Self-realisation are considered by the wise as women in spite of their male

appearance. Similarly the terms 'blind' and 'non-blind' also have meanings

which are entirely contrary to the common meaning attributed to them. He who

sees things only through his physical eyes and does not attain Self-realisation,

is called the blind one. On the contrary, a person who, though deprived of

physical eyes, attains the true knowledge of Atman is considered to be endowed

with the faculty of 'sight'. In the same way father-hood and son-hood are

distinguished extraordinarily. A boy who is able to see Atman in all things and

does not perceive difference is really the 'father' to his father, if the latter

has not attained Self-realisation, since such a son is able to

save the father by imparting true knowledge. What more! The purport is that

Self-knowledge is the supreme, all other knowledge is inferior.]

 

Also Sruti (Br. U. 6-5-1) refers to Maitreyi as a Brahmavaadini –

Elaborating on this, the Atmapurana(7-83 to 86) says –

Dvitiiyaa apyasya bhaaryaa….

 

[The other spouse of Yajnavalkya, well known as Maitreyi, was like

one who is indifferent and anxious; overpowered by grief and always

contemplating on questions such as 'Who am I?' 'Of what nature?', 'From where

did I come into this world?', 'Where am I?', 'Where am I to go after death?',

'Who is this that is spoken of as husband?', 'Who are these sons and

daughters?', 'What is sorrow?', 'Likewise what is my happiness?', 'What are

these-eyes etc.?', 'Who are these people that I see?' etc. Thus grief-ridden

she was suffering silently like unto a cow with its calf no more.]

 

The Brhadvaartika (2-4-67, 68, 69) says that, commending her on

her stand, sage Yajnavalkya gives expression to his appreciation of her thus-

Moksham yaantam naram sarve ….

 

 

[All including one's own brothers desert one who takes to the path

of liberation. But you, out of extreme devotion, do not wish to be separate

from me even in liberation.

As though you cannot bear separation from me, because of your deep

attachment to me, you are following me even in liberation wishing to merge in

me.

Uma, overpowered by Her supreme love for Her consort, Shuulin, was

united with Him, becoming half of His body. You, however, want to become

entirely one with me by pervading me completely-by becoming my very Atman.]

 

By way of Yajnavalkya's instruction to Maitreyi, the profoundest

of truths are revealed by Sruti. On enlightenment, what she does after

Yajnavalkya's renunciation is described by the Atmapurana (7-538, 539)-

Maitreyi sakalam tvetadveda…

 

[Having learnt all these from her husband and securing

enlightenment, equipping herself with brahmacarya etc., she led the life of

renunciation and wandered about in the world, the difference between Yajnavalkya

and Maitreyi being only in this that he held the insignia of samnyasa, and not

she. Otherwise, in their internal make-up, there was no difference whatsoever.]

 

Again, the well-known case of Vaacaknavi Gaargi who plays a

leading role in the discussions of the Brahmanas, the erudite Vedic scholars,

with sage Yajnavalkya in the court of King Janaka, is mentioned by Sruti (Br. U.

5-1-1). Sri Sri Acaryapada makes references in the Sutrabhas ya (3-4-9-36) to

Sruti which mentions Vacaknavi Gargi as a knower of Brahman –

Raikva-vaachaknavii-prabhRtiinaam-evambhuutaanaamapi

Brahmavittva-shrutyupalabdheH.

 

Also the instance of Sri Ubhayabhaaratidevi, the erudite umpire presiding over

the discussions between Sri Sri Acaryapada and Sri Visvarupacarya

(Mandanamisra), may be recalled. Thus in the manner of Sruti, no irreverence is

meant when a comparison with women is made in the hymn. Similarly in the case

of comparison with children, the instances of Naciketas, Dhruva, Prahlada, Suka

etc., and above all, Sri Sri Acaryapada Himself, are well known. Taking the

case of the blind, even a born-blind, a person like Dhrtarastra, far from being

neglected, was favoured with the faculty to see the Visvarupa by Lord Krsna

Himself. Noteworthy among the people previously regarded as dunces and later

becoming famous as jnanis due to the grace of the Guru are Jadabharata, the boy

Sri Sri Hastamalakacarya, Sri Sri Totakacarya etc. These famous cases also

indicate that what are considered 'deficiencies' ordinarily, stand sublimated in

the enlightened who is wedded to and therefore confined to his

Self alone, who enjoys sporting in Atman alone – (Mu. U. 3-1-4)- AtmaratiH

AtmakriidaH, shuts his eyes to the non-Self-

Yaa nishaa sarva-bhootaanaam.. (Gita II 69)

..

and who is silent in respect of and impervious to the tales relating to

non-Self – (Mu. U. 3-1-4) Naativadi; thus there is an inversion. So it is that

Sruti ordains – Paandityam nirvidya.Baalyena tishthaaset. (Br. U. 5-5-1). The

topic discussed in the Bhasya on the Sutra – (3-4-15-50) (Childlike, without

display of wisdom, learning etc., in accordance with the context) wherein is

quoted-

Yam na santam…

[He whom nobody knows as either noble or ignoble, as either

ignorant or learned, as either well-conducted or ill-conducted, he is a

'Braahmana'. Devoted quietly to his pursuit without ostentation, let him go

about in the world like the blind, the unconscious and the dumb.]

 

This childlike unconcern, stems from the strength, that is that

total elimination of the vision of objects, by Self-knowledge- balam naama

aatmavidyaa….

(Bhas ya on Br. U. 5-5-1)

 

These characteristics of the enlightened are necessarily to be acquired

through steadfast effort by seekers as per the dictum- (Gitabhashya II-55)

KRtaartha-lakshanaani yaani…

 

The direction is provided as done by Bhagavan Srikrsna to the gopis and

cowherds who realised that their familiar Srikrsna is not merely the child of a

gopi but the inner perceiving Self of the embodied – (Bhagavata 10-31-4). It is

not infrequently that people lose sight of the importance of what is most

familiar taking it to be normal and usual, without anything extraordinary in it,

and are swayed by the lure of what appears as abnormal and extraordinary. The

Sun, for example, which is so well known to all (women, cowherds etc., even to

animals) and enables all parlance, is hardly realised as such, much less as

Bhagavan, the Saviour, who presents Himself in the Orb in this form in His

infinite mercy, to those who are not fortunate enough to realise either the

Absolute, the Nirguna, by Jnana, or the Saguna as revealed in Kailasa etc., by

upasana. When this familiar Sun is enquired into and the True Nature realised,

It confers Bliss. So says the Sri rudradhyaya-

Utainam gopaa…

 

In the same manner, all creatures are familiar with the Innermost Lord only as

'I', without realising, because of Maya, that He is the All-pervasive Brahman,

Lord Siva Himself-

(Sutasamhita 1-8-36, 37)

 

End of Part II

 

 

 

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