geethA sAstramum nedunthAndaka sAstramum-15

[Guest guest]

Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Sri Vara Vara munayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

 

We have already seen that our sampradayam is a tattvatraya

sampradayam. That is we accept that there are three tattvas viz.,

achit, chit and Ishvaran. Thirumangai azhvar started the prabhandam

with the tattva vivEkam as done by bhagavan Sri Krishna in the

starting of bhagavat geetha chapter 2. Till now we have seen about

the achit that is seen before us with our eyes –minnuru. Now azhvar

starts to talk about the next tattva that cannot be seen with our

eyes but has to be visualised within us (through Athma sAkshAtkaram).

The ways to attain this athma sAkshAtkaram has been largely explained

by geethAcharyan in the first six chapters (“jnAnakarmAthmikE nishtE

yOgalakshE susamskruthE I AthmAnubhoothi sidhyarthE poorvashatkEna

shOdhithE II” declares aalavandaar the essence of the first six

chapters in his geethArtha sangraham). Is attaining the Athma

sAkshAtkaram the final result? No. Bhagavan Sri Krishna further

continues with the next stage of development that is the bhakthi yoga

in the 7th chapter. As an introduction to the same (avadhArikai)

bhagavan ends the sixth chapter with “yOginAmapi sarvEshAm mathgathE

andharAthmanA I shraddhAvAn bhajathE yOmAm samE yuktha thamO matha:

II” [More than the earlier said yogis and tapasvis that person who is

mentally involved with me and he who whole heartedly strives to attain

me by worshiping me with love (bhakthi) that upAsakan (bhakthan) is

considered closer to me].

 

After attaining the athma sAkshAtkaram, (thingal thAnAi) one comes to

know about the soul well. What is the nature of the soul?

 

(pinnuruvAi) The soul is different from that we see with our eyes. It

is beyond the 24 tattvas that come under the category of achit. Like

the front end and back end in the modern computer world there is one

tattva that is see in front of us but the actual tattva that governs

is at the back (inside, pinnuru). This is shown by the “makAram” in

the omkaram.

 

(munnuruvil pinimoopillA pirappiliyAi) We see that the body takes

birth one day and it dies one day. In between in the lifetime many

doubles like happiness-sorrow, victory-defeat, good health-disease

etc are all faced. Does the soul or the body experience all these?

Many of us have an illusion that the body and the soul are same and

hence we call ourselves to be the body and concentrate most of the

time in taking care of our body. But none of us care about the

upliftment of the soul. (athmAvai vaiyililE vaiththu vudambai

nizhalilE vaiththal). Now azhvar clarifies this doubt and declares

that the soul that is the 25th tattva is not affected by anything

that is faced by the body (munnuru). All the pini (sorrow –indicates

to all the ignorance,agyAnam), mooppu (old age)- pirappu (birth) etc

(indicates the shatbhAvavikAram (six stages of changes in anybody)

are only for the body, the soul is not affected by any of these. It

just moves on from one body to another. This has been explained

beautifully by geethacharyan in 2 slokas.

 

“dEhinOsmin yathA dEhE gowmAram yowvanam jarA I

tathA dEhAntara prApthi: dheerastatra na muhyathi II” [2-13]

 

dEhina: -For the athma;

asmin dEhE – (Inside) this body;

gowmAram – teens;

yowvanam - youth;

jarA-old age;

yathA (bhavanthi) –how it happens; (the change is only to the body but

the soul remains without any change, but it appears to have changed

due to its existence inside);

tathA – similarly;

dEhAntara prApthi: - (it leaves this body) and attains another body

dheera: - One who is intelligent;

tattra na muhyathi- doesn’t get confused (mayakkam adaivathillai)

about leaving this body and taking another.

 

The same meaning has been indicated by thirumangai azhvar’s words,

“pinimoopillA”. Further azhvar says “pirappiliyAi” Sri Krishna

explains,

 

“na jAyathE mruyathE vA kadhAchin nAyam bhoothvA bhavithA vA na bhooya: I

ajO nithya: shAsvathOyam purAnO na hanyathE hanyamAnE sareera II” [2-20]

 

This athma is never created nor destroyed; it is not that the soul is

created in the starting of the kalpa and that he will be destroyed at

the end of the kalpa. He is without a start or end. He is permanent

without any change. Though he is ancient he is new. Hence when the

body is destroyed the soul remains without any harm.

[This reminds all of us the scientific theory that matter can be

neither created nor destroyed it can be changed only from one form to

another. Here the soul is neither created nor destroyed it only moves

from one body to another.]

 

Next azhvar says “erappadarkkE ennAdhu”. All along it has been said

that there is no birth or death for the soul then what is azhvar

trying to convey saying “not thinking to die” lets see in the next

posting.

 

(To be continued)

 

Azhvar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam

 

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan