"Is Ignorance really bliss?" (Part 7): Essay on VII.15 of Bhagavath-gita

[Guest guest]

(continued from Part 6)

----------------------

 

NammAzhwAr was the foremost among the mystical saints

of South India, the AzhwArs. He rendered the essence

of meditative passages, or "brahma-kAnda", in the body

of all the 4 Vedas in an outpouring of 1000 verses in

exquisite Tamil called the "tiruvoimOzhi". In another

work of 100 verses, called "tiru-viruttam", he

captured the essence of the "karma-kAnda", or

sacramental aspects of the 4 Vedas. Together, these

two works of NammAzhwAr constitute the Tamil Veda.

 

It is significant that in the very opening verse of

the "tiru-viruttam" -- a wonderful verse indeed! --

NammAzhwAr prays to God for salvation not in terms of

Bliss, Enlightment or Knowledge, but in terms of

deliverance from what he calls "poi-ninra gnyAnam..",

meaning "false or perverted knowledge" - the

"vipareeta-gnyAna" of Ramanuja and the exact Tamil

equivalent of the "mAyaya-apahruta-gnyAna" the

Bhagavath-Gita speaks about:

 

"poi-ninra gnyAnamUm, pollA-ozhukkUm,

azhukk-udambammUm,

in-ninra neermai ini yAm uravAmai uyir aLippAn,

en-ninra yOniyUmaay pirandhaay! imaiyOr talaivA

mEyy-ninru kEttarULaay, adiyane seyyUm vinnappamE!"

 

(NammAzhwAr's "tiru-viruttam" - Verse#1)

 

 

O Lord of the Celestials,

You that willed your

many births in the wombs of the world --

 

Pray hear this petition of your humble servant:

 

Grant me re-birth never again --

Not another filth-ridden body, please,

Nor more of earthly misdeeds,

 

And, Lord! please above all

Save me forever

from the false-knowledge of this world!

 

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

 

(to be continued)

 

Regards,

 

dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

______________________

India Matrimony: Find your partner online.

Go to http://.shaadi.com