Number 26

[Guest guest]

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

Number 26

 

 

If you think about it, you find it really astonishing as to how

Numbers dominate our lives-- so much so that you can’t imagine

an existence without them. Previously, only Police Constables and

Prisoners used to be addressed by the numbers assigned to them and

not by names. However, with the advent of computers, all of us have

been reduced to a series of numbers, whether it is for the purpose of

Social Security, Income Tax, college admissions or employment. Much

more than your names, you are called upon to remember the number

assigned to you for the aforesaid purposes, if you want to lead a

peaceful life. And the day doesn’t seem far off when these

ubiquitous Numbers would replace our names, if Cyber Governance

reaches its logical destination. Imagine, your grandchild may well be

known just as “25675490870982321789”, instead of Krishnan

or Sharanya. With the gradual disappearance of national frontiers,

each new baby would be allotted a distinguishing number on global

basis, with the various digits representing date and place of birth,

sex, category and so on. This may sound to be a fantasy, but is not

so very far from truth as one might imagine.

 

In such a situation, where names lose their significance and

everything and everybody is but a series of numbers, what Number

would you allot to the Paramatma? For, when the Lord has made Himself

amenable to digitalisation of His images, when the administration of

His abodes (like Tirumala) has been extensively computerised, when we

prefer to watch His festive outings (Brahmotsavams) in the form of

computerised television images beamed across thousands of

miles—when all these can happen, it would only be logical that

we assign even the Paramaatma a number. If such were to be the case,

what number would we assign to the Lord?

 

“No. 1”, of course, would be the answer I expect from most

of you. And the logic behind this is understandable, for the Lord is

indeed the first in everything.

 

He was the first and only being in existence when there was none

other, prior to Creation—“Eko ha vai Narayana aaseet, na

Brahmaa na Eesaana:”, “Eko Vishnu: mahat bhootam”

etc. are just a few quotes attesting to the Parabrahmam being the

sole being in existence. (The other Atmas did exist of course, but as

an undifferentiated mass mixed up with Matter). It is only thereafter

that He created lesser beings—“Yo Brahmaanam vidhadhaati

poorvam”, “tat iykshat bahusyaam” and scores of

Shruti vaakyaas attest to the singular Supreme Being becoming many.

Secondly, the Lord is indeed the first in everything, be it auspicious

attributes like Wisdom, Strength, Bounties, Power or any other. There

is absolutely no dispute to His primacy, be it on whatever count.

 

Thus, viewed from any angle, it appears only correct to assign the

very first number, 1, to Paramatma.

 

However, Vedantis allot quite a different number to the

Lord—viz., 26. I see your eyebrows raised in

puzzlement—why 26? Why not 1 and why not 21? What is so

sacrosanct about 26, that the Lord should answer to this number?

 

In our Sampradaya, there are three Realities, which every aspirant for

liberation should be conversant with. These are respectively Chit,

Achit and Isvaran. Chit represents all the sentient Jeevatmas, Achit

represents non-sentient matter and Iswara, naturally, is the Supreme

Lord with all His innumerable kalyana gunas.

 

Of these three, Non-sentient Objects are counted first. Again, these

are classified into the following categories and are assigned the

respective numbers—

 

1. Prakriti or Matter, the basic material of which all non-sentient

objects are made. For instance, if we take a pot, clay, which forms

the basic component, is what comprises of Matter.

2. Mahat (which is of three types, Satvam, Rajas and Tamas)

3. Ahankaaram or Ego

4 to 8—The Five Tanmaatraas (Roopa, Rasa, Shabda, Sprarsa, Gandha)

which represent energy in the form of radiation and which

afford

the faculties of sight, taste, hearing, touch and smell

9 to 13—The Five Elements, Pancha Bhootam, viz., Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether

14 to 18—The Five Organs of Knowledge (Gnaana

Indriyas)—Eyes, Ears, Skin, Tongue and Nose

19 to 23—The Five Organs of Action (Karma

Indriyaas)—Hands, Feet, Speech and the two excretory organs

24. The Mind

 

Thus, Numbers One to Twenty-four are allotted to the aforesaid elements.

 

The 25th item is the Jeevaatma, the Individual Soul.

 

While Numbers 1 to 24 represent the non-sentient group, items 25 and

26 represent the Sentient or Chetana Group. We have seen that

Jeevatma is numbered 25.

 

The other Sentient, the Paramatma, answers to No. 26. It is thus that

we allot No. 26 to the Supreme Being.

 

The Lord’s love and affection for us is so much, that He yearns

for us to just utter His holy names, or even those of His abodes,

whether in devotion or merely in levity. He treats even such casual

utterances as reason enough to turn us on to the right path leading

to Liberation. According to Nammazhwar, the very utterance of the

name of Tirumaalirum Solai led to Emepruman embracing Azhwar with

ardour—

“Tirumaalirum Solai malai endren, enna Tirumaal vandu en nenju

niraya pugundaan”. Such mention of the Lord’s abode need

not even be with absolute devotion, need not even be with due regard

to grammar or syntax—even if it is uttered with absolute

casualness or flippancy, the Lord rushes forward to be counted as our

friend, guide and philosopher.

 

We are told that even if we know not the names of the Lord or His

abodes, even if we call the No. 26, Emperuman answers to the mere

number—this, even if we have absolutely no inkling of the

significance of the no. 26. Even if a devotee were to count from 1 to

100 for some other purpose, the moment No. 26 is uttered, the Lord

presents Himself, saying, “Here I am!”, much in the

fashion of a student answering the roll call at class.

 

This is what Sri Nampillai says, while commenting on the words

“eNNilum varum”, in the following pasuram from

Tiruvaimozhi—

 

“KaN ulle nirkkum, kaadanmayaal tozhil

eNNilum varum, en ini venduvam?

MaNNum Neerum Eriyum nal Vaayuvum

ViNNumaai viriyum Empiranaye”

 

When a devotee starts counting, “twenty-one, twenty-two,

twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five”, the moment

“twenty-six” is uttered, the Lord rushes forward and says

“Here I am”—says the Eedu—“Irupattu

ondru, Irupattu irandu, Irupattu moondru, Irupattu naalu, Irupattu

aindu, Irupattu aaru endru eNNinaal, ‘Irupattu aaru

naane’ endru varum”.

 

No.26 appears noteworthy in other ways too, in its composition.

 

1. If we add up the two integers, we get 8, signifying the

Ashtaaksharam, (the eight-lettered formulation) which is the greatest

of Mantras, which again reflects the Lord and His glory in full

measure.

2. If we multiply 2 and 6, we get the number of letters in

another great Bhagavat Mantram, viz., the Dvaadasa Akshari, the

Vasudeva Mantram.

3. The third of the Vyaapaka or famous Mantras of the Lord, the

Shadakshari or the Vishnu Mantram, is composed of 6 letters.

4. The first integer 2 stands for the Dvaya Mantram too, with its

two sentences, with which Sharanagati is performed.

 

Thus, looked at anyway, No. 26 appears extremely significant.

 

Nammazhwar tells us that the Lord is indeed beyond

numbers—“eNNin meediyan Emeperuman”. The

Sahasranamam too confirms that He is

countless—“Asankheya:”. Despite all this, it

appears as though we can capture Him before counting even 50.

 

The next time we come across No. 26 in any context, won’t it

remind us of the magnificent Lord and His immeasurable glory?

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri

Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

dasan, sadagopan