[t'vengadam] Additional reflections on "Soonya"

[Guest guest]

Dear SrImAn Sadagopan,

 

Thank you so much indeed for those valuable and insightful additional

references to 'shoonyah' you have gathered from so many scriptural

and non-scriptural sources! That note on "tAnam" in Carnatica music

was a real eye-opener for me! (My mother, the late Smt.Mani

Krishnaswami, who was proficient in rendering 'rAgam-tAnam-pallavi'

never once revealed to me about the 'sUkshma' behind 'tAnAm'!).

 

It is discussions like these, with many members, we have had in the

T'vengadam list during the past week that truly enhance one's

understanding and enjoyment of the 'nAmA-s' in the

Vishnu-Sahasranamam.

 

Let us pray to the Almighty that we will all continue in this same

spirit of true 'satsangham' for many more years to come!

 

Regards,

dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

--- Sadagopan <sgopan wrote:

> SrI:

>

> The wise author of ThirukkuraL has given us

> an Upadesam , which is valid for all of us:

>

> YepporuL yArr vaai-kEtpinum

> apporuL meypporuL kaaNpathu aRivu

>

> (Meaning):Discriminating Intellect (Jn~Anam) is

> that when You discover the true meaning of any

> word (Tatthvam) as you hear(learn) it from

> any one (independent of his age or other status).

>

> It is in the spirit of search for the true meaning

> of the word or tatthvam we strive after definitions .

> It is not easy some times but our AchAryaas have helped us

> immensely to get a grasp of fundamentals .

>

> In this context , Let us have some additional thoughts on

> the word "Soonya" and its ramifications. It is indeed

> a powerful word/concept as discussed by SrIman Sudarshan.

>

> This essay is a light hearted and incomplete

> attempt to comment on the word "Soonya" and the world

> (non-illusory , real world) that it connects to

> in our multi-tiered philosophical systems.

>

> A true understanding of the word in the context of

> Tatthva Thrayam ( the three doctrines of Jeevan, Prakruthi

> and Iswaran) has to rely on the powerful insights of

> Swamy VedAntha Desikan as outlined in Tathva Muktha KalApam,

> SarvArTa Sidhdi and Para matha bhangam , which are tightly

> linked to and based on Bhagavath RaamAnujA's siddhAntham.

>

> Here are Ten stray reflections to experience

> the multi-faceted aspects of Soonyam to stimulate

> our thinking :

>

> (1) NAME: Cipher is an Arabic word for Soonyam.

> Poojyam/Soonyam are a sanskrit words for Cipher or Zero.

> Tamil word for Zero is "Suzhi". The immediate

> word collection that comes to the TamiLian mind is

> PiLLayAr Suzhib written for invoking auspiciousness.

> Neer Suzhi is PraLayam , when all nAma Roopa Prapancham

> is destroyed and the stage is set for samashi-Vyashti

> creation by our Lord. .

>

> 2) MEANING:Soonya is translated as "nothingness or void".

> Nothing can be farther from truth as we discern

> from the thread of discussions so far.As SrIman

> Krishnamacahri pointed out Sookshmam is different

> from Soonyam.

>

> 3)LORD'S MESSAGE AT PURI JAGANNAATH:

> There is Soonya Samhithai is in Oriya language.

> Back at Puri JagannAth temple , there is an enactment

> of "Soonya mahari" by temple dancers(Mahaaris).

> This is a conversation between the Lord and the Man .

> It is like the Thirumanjana Kattiyam for Lord RanganAtha,

> where the Lord has a conversation with an egotistic jeevan.

> This Soonya Mahari is however derived from Butrik tradition of

> Buddhism. The Lord says: If you want to experience bliss ,

> stop your nervous chattering and let me guide you to

> the physical and metaphysical state of SamAdhi (Savikalpa and

> nirvikalpa)". This leads us on to Yoga Systems and the cultivation

> of

> the process of " emptying the mind " and the ritual of

> BhUtha Suddhi in the daily AarAdhanam for the Lord .

> Latter ( Bhagavath AarAdhanam) is a vast subject in itself.

>

> 4)PHILOSOPHY 1: One of the ShaNN mathams, GaaNapathyam sees Soonyam

> in the context of one who sees and the one who oversees(Dhrisya

> and Dhrashta). That which is seen is the Universe(Dhrisya)

> and the one who is the witnes or the see-er is Dhrashta.

> This view is not confined to GaaNapathyam.

>

> 5)PHILOSOPHY 2: another of the ShaNN mathams(Saaktham)

> dealing with Sakthi understands Soonyam this way as seen by

> an UpAsakan of Devi:

>

> " ManthrANAm MaathrukA DEvi

> SabdhAnAm Jn~ana RoopiNi

> Jn~AnAm ChinmayAtheethA

> SOONYAANAAM SOONYA SAAKSHINI"

>

> (meaning): In all manthrAs , You reside as letters

> (BhijAksharams); in all words , You are the meaning

> and wisdom; in wisdom , You reside as consciousness

> AND IN THE GREAT VOID , YOU REMAIN AS THE ONLY WITNESS".

>

> This view (Witness to"Soonyam")need not be confined to

> SaakthAs.

>

> 5) There are whole systems of philosophy to comprehend

> this relationship between Universe (that which is seen )

> and its creator (dhrashtA , NiyanthA and Sarva Saakshin).

>

> 6) There is also Soonya Vaadham (nihilism , a doctrine

> advocated by the Maadhyamika Buddhists stating that nullity is

> the ultimate nature of the Absolute. VedAs and Vaidhika

> mathAs reject this doctrine unequivocally. Buddhism

> and Jainism are considerd as Veda-Baahya mathams

> since they are not rooted in Vedic teachings .They

> reject latter.SarvArTa Sidhdi is an excellent source to

> understand Swamy Desikan's rejection of the different

> kinds of Budhdistic views .

>

> 7) For Vaidhika MathAs , Brahman/Isvaran is not nullity;

> Brahman is the material cause of the Universe ( UpAdhaana Kaarana).

> The subject of how this Brahman " evolves itself(ParinAma)

> into the universe without affecting its Svaroopa(essential

> nature)" is the crux of VedAntha . Brahman is hence not Soonya.

>

> 8)The description of Brahman as Ubhayalinga or as having

> the two fold characterstric ( Perfect and free from

> imperfections)rejects soonyam . This is a central doctrine of

> Vedantham although Sankara and RaamAnuja explain it differently.

>

> 9)For VisishtAdhvaithins , non-existence or nullity

> (abhAva) is not " a separate entity". It is only another

> form of existence (bhAvanthara), existence none the less.

>

> 10) NAADHOPAASANA: Let us take the elaaboration known

> as Thaanam (Raagam-Taanam-Pallavi) in musical concerts .

> Here is an excerpt on Taanam quoted from SrI M.Nageswara Rao

> (VeeNai VidvAn) and Mr.John Barlow on the topic. "The word Taanam

> is related to Anantham Thvam " meaning endless Thou art.

> The endless reflects that manner of reciting a chant ,

> which involves the breaking up of a text into syllables

> and the subsequent rendering of them in all combinations ,

> both as a means of obtaining the mastery over the sound system of

> the chant and acquiring insight into the truths behind the text.

> This technique is also known as Ghanam ( Ghana Paatam in Vedic

> rendering)practised by Ghana PaaDis.

>

> Since the Sanskrit vowels are Quantitative( long and short in

> the temporal sense), the application of Ghana produces chains of

> rhythmic units ( different groups of longs and shorts ) of

> a non-repetitive nature... The (individual) phrases , when

> properly ordered , acquire a vector-like quality , which points

> towards silence. This silence is a positive rhythmic entity ,

> somewhat akin to a cadence, but with its temporal force removed:

> the silence is both the end of the preceding line/section

> and the beginning of the following , just as the ultimate in

> musical comntrol is the Mastery of silence , is the endles

> resolution of the endlessness(anantham) of Taanam .. There is

> a point , where movement ceases , where sound fades into

> silence , part of the state of an equalibrium".

>

> (PraNavam) SoonyAya nama:

>

> RaamAnuja Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan

 

 

 

 

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