Guest guest Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha // SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha // SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/ SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya// KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: / SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm// ================================================= SRI RANGA SRI VOL.06 / ISSUE # 04 dated 11/02/04 ================================================= IN THIS ISSUE: 1. GLORY OF GARUDAZHWAR – PART 4 (ANBIL RAMASWAMY) 2. NAMMAZHWAR SNIPPETS - TIRUVOIMOZHI Part – 9 (ANBIL RAMASWAMY) 3. FROM MAHABHARATA: “YAKSHA PRASNAM” PART 49: PRASNAM 116 (SRI M.K. RAMASWAMY IYENGAR SWAMI) (SENIOR OFFICER OF GOVT. OF INDIA) 4. “TRIMURTIS”- IN NAMMAZHWAR’S TIRUVOIMOZHI- PART 1 (SRI N.KRISHNAMACHARIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO) 5. DESIKAMRUTAM SRIMAD RAHASYA TRAYA SARAM The Three Tenets--8 (BY SRI SADAGOPAN IYENGAR SWAMIN) SRIKARYAM OF SWAMI, BOARD OF ADVISORY CONSULTANTS OF SDDS/SRS ======================================================= 150 Regular issues have been released, so far besides several Special Issues) – - 27 Issues of Vol. 1 - 15 Issues of Vol. 2 - 42 Issues of Vol. 3 - 35 Issues of Vol. 4 - 28 Issues of Vol. 5 & - 03 Issue of Vol. 6 These issues have been archived for public view at - by Sri Diwakar Kannan (diwakark) You may also view the archives at http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia maintained by Sri Srinivasan Sriram (ajiva_rts) We strongly urge you to kindly peruse the "Regular Issues" archived in the “Files” Section and view the Contents at “srsindex.html” (Not the individual postings allowed for encouraging "Reader participation"). We are sure that you will be convinced of the quality of the contents. IF you are satisfied with the quality and contents of “Sri Ranga Sri”- Tell your friends to join by sending an email to Srirangasri- IF NOT: Tell us, as to how we may improve. Ever at your service Dasoham Anbil Ramaswamy, Editor & Publisher, “Sri Ranga Sri” =============================================================== xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx =============================================================== 1. GLORY OF GARUDAZHWAR – Part 4 (Anbil Ramaswamy) ------------------------------ AN ANTIDOTE TO FEVER Power of GaruDa’s vision is praised in the 21st SlOkam of Soundarya Lahari thus: “jvara pLushTaan drishTyaa samayati sakuntaadipa iva” – That his vision would greatly reduce fever and bring comfort. GARUDA SEVAI: It is considered a special blessing to meditate on the Lord as seated on GaruDaazhwar. When the Lord rushed to save GajEndra from the crocodile, the Lord rode on his shoulders, placing His holy feet on the palms of GaruDaazhwar. It was on an Akshaya Triteeyai day, which incidentally invests an importance to the Akashaya Triteeyai day. AMRUTA HARANAM EPISODE: There was a dispute between Vinata, (mother of GaruDa) and Kadru (mother of 1000 serpents) regarding the color of the tail of a cow. The tail was indeed white and Vinata stated the fact. And, Kadru argued it was black in color. The wager was that whoever proved the color chosen would be the master and the other would be a slave to the master for life. Kadru made a secret arrangement whereby she made all her serpent sons that were black in color to wind themselves to the tail of the cow. When the time came for proof, the tail appeared black and Vinata had to become the slave of Kadru. When GaruDa wanted to secure her freedom from this slavery, Kadru laid a condition that she would free Vinata, if GaruDa could bring Amritam that was in the custody of Indra. Accordingly, GaruDa set out in search of Amritam and succeeded in taking possession thereof. Though he ultimately succeeded in bringing the Amrita kalasam, he could declare “Mission Accomplished” only after a stiff fight with Indra. What helped him in succeeding in his mission is the SlOkam with which his mother blessed him. It reads as follows: Pakshou tE maarutah paatu, chandrah prushTam cha putrah / Siras tu paatu tE Vahnih Bhaaskarah SarvamEva tu // VisNuh sarvagatah sarvaaNi angaani tava chaiva hi // It is believed that when one sets out on a long journey reciting this SlOka, no harm can occur to the person. In fact, it was with this SlOkam that Kaousalya blessed Sri Rama when he set out for his ‘Vanavaasam”. GARUDA’s RESPECT TO A SAGE: When on his return bearing the pot of nectar (amruta kalasam), he had to engage in a fight with Indra. Though he had all the powers to vanquish Indra, when Indra used the weapon made of the backbone of Dadeechi Maharishi, out of deference to that great sage, he submitted himself, shed one of his wings and feigned defeat at the hands of Indra. HOW GARUDA BECAME THE VEHICLE OF BHAGAVAAN? During this fight with Indra, the Lord in His role as “UpEndra” fought with GaruDa. When GaruDa got defeated at the hands of the Lord, he prayed that he should be allowed to take the Amrita Kalasam and be accepted as the Lord’s vehicle. From then on, GaruDa has been acting as the chauffer– cum - vehicle of the Lord. VAIRA MUDI OR VAINA MUDI: When GaruDa was acting as a canopy for the Lord of the milky ocean (Kseeraabdi naathan), in what is known as “VeLLayam teevu” (white island) near “Saaka island” in the vicinity of the milky ocean, he came to know that the diamond studded crown (VairamuDi) of the Lord was stolen by an asura called “VirOchana’. As directed by the Rishis, he defeated VirOchana and recovered the crown. When the crown was placed on the archaa vigrahams elsewhere, it would not fit. When it was placed on “Sri Ramapriya” of TirunarayaNapuram (MElkOttai), it fitted Him smugly. Because it was brought by Vinata’s son Vainteya, it came to be known as “Vaina muDi”. Incidentally, he spilled the white clay clinging to the crown at that place. It is this white clay that SrivaishNavas wear on their forehead and other spots on their bodies to this day. WHY SERPENTS HAVE SPLIT TONGUES? When GaruDa was bringing the nectar, a few drops were clinging to the reed called “viswamitram” that stuck to the pot. The snakes tried to lick the nectar and the cutting edges of the reeds indeed cut their tongues and that is why, we are told, that snakes have cleft tongues. AMRITA VEERYAM: The reeds because of their association with nectar came to be known as “Amrita Veeryam” which today is being used as a purifier called “Darbam” in all our religious rites. GARUDOTKAARAM: It is said that GaruDa spat the bits of bones of “valaasura” and these became emeralds (maragatham) also known as “GaaruDamaNi” or “GaruDotkaaram”. -------- To Continue ================================================================= xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ================================================================= 2. NAMMAZHWAR SNIPPETS - TIRUVOIMOZHI Part – 9 (Anbil Ramaswamy) -------------------------------- 5.1.1 Kaiyaar chakkarathu enn karumaaNikkamE! Enrenru poiyE kaimmai solli puramE puramE aaDi mettE petru ozhindEn, vidhi vaaikkinru kaappaar aar aiyO!kaNNapiraan!araiyO inip pOnaalE In the 1st decad, the Azhwar established that Bhagavad kainkaryam to the Lord is THE Purushaartam. In the 2nd decad, he overcame the impediments. In the 3rd decad, he explained how “Bhagavad Kainkaryam” included “Bhaagavta kainkaryam”. In the 4th decad, he advised how to get rid of the vulgar pleasures as also “kaivalyam” that stood in the way of kainkaryas mentioned above. In this 5th decad, he establishes that it is Bhagavaan alone who can eliminate the hindrances. In this verse, he celebrates how by the unconditional grace of the Lord (nirhEtuka kripa) he got rid of all the sins accumulated over innumerable past lives from the beginningless time as also those currently indulged in and how he was made instrumental in correcting other too in the world. “Oh! The black gem (MaaNickamE), who wields the divine Chakra! Being immersed in sensual pleasures, I acted as if I loved you. I deliberately defrauded you by uttering hypocritically false words of praise (poyyE kaimmai solli puramE puramE aaDi)” Kaimmaai: Very big lie. We feel it sacrilegious even to repeat what the Azhwar says here that he cheated God! By no stretch of imagination could we ever hold Azhwar guilty of this indiscretion. It should be understood that these are spoken on behalf of us who constantly delude ourselves into believing that we are smart enough to deceive God, claiming credit for anything that we deem as good and blaming God whenever anything goes wrong in our perception. If we detach ourselves deliberately from mundane interests and attach ourselves to Him as our ONLY refuge (sarva vida Bhandu) He, on His part, would suspend His omnipotence (Sarva Swaamitvam) and independence (Sarva Swatantratvam) and become one with us in His infinite mercy. “But”, proceeds the Azhwar, “You trusted even my falsehoods as true and showered your grace and made me fit to be ranked among your servitors!” Vidhi Vaaikkinradu: Kaappaar aar? “Goodness! Gracious! Who can prevent your grace and how can you ever leave me now?” Vidhi: Fortune, Fate. Even as fate or destiny is inevitable, Bhagavad kripa is also inevitable. When it flows none can avert or alter it and nothing can be done about it. Once He decides to show His grace on someone, He integrates Himself indistinguishably and therefore, there is no escape for Him even! EMBAR avers that even the Lord has “agjnaana” (ignorance), “vismriti” (forgetfulness) and “asakti” (limitation to His omnipotence). How? EMBAR explains: “ The Lord said in the case of VibheeshaNa “Forgetting his faults, if any (vismriti), ignoring his defects (agjnaana), when once VibheeshaNa has come seeking my hand of friendship, I can never let him down (asakti)” “mitrabhaavEna sampraaptam na thyajEyam kadaachana/ dOshO yadyapi tasya syaath sadaam yEtad agarhitam” (VR Yudddha KhaaNda 18.3) When a person surrenders to the Lord, the Lord forgets (vismriti) all sins committed by him/her. Even after surrender, the Prapanna should commit any sins knowingly or unknowingly, the Lord would ignore them (agjnaana). Why? It is because of the Lord’s inability to go back and change His mind from grace to justice (asakti). When one surrenders to the Lord, the Lord Himself surrenders His Paratvam, Swatantryam, His DaNDam - everything in favor of the Prapanna. “Oh! KaNNapiraan! Where are you going? Acknowledge your defeat at my hands before running away! Shame! Shame!” says the Azhwar. “aiyO!” and “araiyO!” These are exclamations of jubilation uttered by the victor in a battle or in a game for putting the vanquished to shame. Why “KaNNapiraan”?: Because, as KaNNapiraan, the Lord had a “track record”. Was he not beaten up by the cowherd girls as he was caught red handed while stealing butter and did he not plead with them tearfully? In the 10 verses of this decad, we can notice what is known as “Saatvika Ahamkaara”- “justified pride” in having secured God’s grace that even goes to the extent of challenging the “Swatantriyam” of the Lord. -------- To Continue ================================================================= xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ================================================================= 3. FROM MAHABHARATA: “YAKSHA PRASNAM” PART 49: PRASNAM 116 (SRI M.K. RAMASWAMY IYENGAR SWAMI, (SENIOR OFFICER OF GOVT. OF INDIA) -------------------------------- PRASNAM 116 YAKSHA: “ VIMRISITA KAARYA KARAH KIM LABHATE?” “WHAT DOES HE GAIN WHO ACTS AFTER CONSIDERABLE FORE THOUGHT?” YUDHISHTIRA: “VIMRISITA KAARYAKARAH ADHIKAM JAYATI” “ HE WHO ACTS AFTER CONSIDERABLE FORE THOUGHT IS A WINNER EVERYTIME” NOTES: No question of the Yaksha can be as superficial as it seems. No answer of YudhishTira can be as superficial as it sounds. Normally, before acting, there is always an inner impetus. Ordinarily, this impetus is in the form of a desire. Desire gives birth to an anxiety over the consequences. The impelling desire and the consequent anxiety can deform the action. Such a deformed and falsified action produces results quite different from those aimed or visualized. But, when a would be performer starts reflecting, he realizes that he has no absolute control over what he is going to do and much less can he guarantee as to the result. As Sri Aurobindo writes in his immortal epic “Savitri”, “He knows not even what his lips shall speak” (Savitri Book VI Canto I) As a result of reflection the doer learns three things: He learns first that he is an instrument of the Supreme whom He has to obey. As the divine mother of Pondicherry would say- “You must take as your rule to do always what you have to do, for, it is that and nothing else that has to be done” He gets next a glimpse of his nature- self. That his nature- self is all that he knows so far, he learns to follow it like a “widening river”, so that he can be led “to its infinite source and origin” Lastly, he gets the realization that “VaasudEvah Sarvam iti”- Everything is a manifestation of Sri VaasudEva. Indeed, there is nothing for him to achieve or conquer. In essence, YudhishTira has emphasized the illuminating and the decisive line in Sri Bhagavad Gita- “karmaNyEva adhikaarastE maa phalEshu kadaachana” (BG Ch.2.47) “To action thou hast aright, But, never under any circumstances to its fruit” If every work is undertaken and completed in a spirit animated by such an attitude and thought, the work becomes a perfect consummation. The doer develops a firm understanding that every time a work is undertaken, he should act as if in a flowing sequence to such thoughts. -- To Continue ================================================================ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ================================================================ 4. Trimurtis”- in Nammazhwar’s Tiruvoimozhi – Part 1 (Sri N.Krishnamachariar Swami of Chicago) ------------------------------ Introduction: The nAlAyira divya prabandham consists of 4000 pASuram-s in tamizh, which extol the greatness of the Supreme Deity, Lord SrIman nArAyaNa, in beautiful tamizh poetry. It is also called the tamizh maRai or dRaviDa vedam. tiruvAimozhi is one of the four outpourings of nammAzhvAr, the other three being tiruviruttam, tiruvASiriyam, and periya tiruvantAdi. tiruvAimozhi is considered to be the last of the four. In the current series, we will be specifically looking at tiruvAimozhi pASuram-s that explicitly refer to the tri-mUrti-s (Lord vishNu, brahmA and rudra). One may ask – Why this strange choice for selecting pASuram-s from this divine work to spend our time? The background for this is the following incident. It happened that one day aDiyEn met a devout advaiti with whom aDiyEn was familiar, in our temple. This person was all praise about his ‘experiences of tiruvAimozhi’. His praise was based on his ‘understanding’ (actually misunderstanding) that “AzhvAr was ‘repeatedly’ referring to ari, ayan and aran simultaneously in many of his pASurams, implying that they are all equals, and should be worshipped as equals”. aDiyEn tried to tell him that his understanding was totally wrong, and in the process aDiyEn lost his acquaintance, which in retrospect is just as well. Then aDiyEn narrated this incident to a SrIvaishNava friend, and got the feedback that “AzhvAr’s pASuram-s are ‘confusing’ to him as well on this issue”. Then it occurred to aDiyEn that a proper explanation of AzhvAr’s pASurams on this subject, in simple English, might contribute to the correct understanding of AzhvAr’s supreme message to at least those individuals who are genuinely interested in understanding AzhvAr’s pASuram-s on this topic correctly. This is the motivation for the current series. tiruvAimozhi is considered the sAram of sAma vedam. A true and proper divine experience of this great outpouring of nammAzhvAr can only be obtained by properly receiving this knowledge at our AcArya’s Divine Feet. Even for a self-study series like the current one, a piece-meal approach like the one that is currently planned, will miss out on many divine anubhavam-s of our AcArya-s from a proper and systematic study of tiruvAimozhi, based on the continuity and sequencing of the experiences as conveyed by nammAzhvAr. But aDiyEn is undertaking this limited approach with a limited objective – one of presenting a correct interpretation of the pASurams in tiruvAimozhi that talk of the tri-mUrti-s. aDiyEn seeks the blessings of our AcArya in this undertaking, such that there won’t be inadvertent misrepresentations of the proper view as per our sampradAyam. 1.1.8: Surar aRi aru nilai viN mudal muzhuvadu varan mudalAy avai muzhudu uNDa paran puram oru mUnRu eRittu amararkkum aRivu iyandu aran ayan ena ulagu azhittu amaittuLanE. Since there are those who incorrectly argue that brahmA is the supreme deity because he is the creator, or those who incorrectly argue that rudra is the supreme deity because he controls samhAra, nammAzhvAr declares in this pASuram that brahmA and rudra get their power purely because of bhagavAn, and the true Creator, Destroyer and Protector is only BhagavAn. svAmi deSikan captures the gist of this pASuram in his tAtparya ratnAvaLi as “tri-aksha brahma Atma bhAvAt” - “Because bhagavAn is the antaryAmi of the three-eyed rudra and of brahmA”. EmperumAn is the Cause of everything starting from the mUla prakRti (viN mudal muzhuvadum mudalAi). He first created brahmANDa, and then He created brahmA and then rudra. So brahmA is not the primary creator, but bhagavAn creates everything in brahmANDa through brahmA, by being his antaryAmi. So also, bhagavAn is the One Who swallows everything at the time of pralaya (avai muzhudu uNDa paran), and so rudra is not the ultimate destroyer. rudra functions in his limited domain through the power given to him by emperumAn, by being rudra’s antaryAmi. rudra’s tripura samahAram (puram oru mUnRu erittu), and brahmA’s act of giving knowledge to the deva-s (amararkkum aRivu iyandu), are but the acts of bhagavAn through the agency of rudra and brahma, and not their independent acts, just as bhagavAn is the cause of whatever actions we perform. This is the message contained in this pASuram. Surar aRi aru nilai: BhagavAn’s acts of creation leading to the creation of the brahmANDa itself, is beyond the knowledge of brahmA, who was created inside the brahmANDa after the brahmANDa was created. brahmA , rudra etc., can deal with creation, destruction, etc., of things within the brahmANDa, but not outside the brahmANDa. Thus, they cannot create or destroy the prakRti, mahat, aha’nkAra etc. Only bhagavAn has control over these. Just as bhagavAn is the Creator of the things outside the brahmANDa, He is also the Creator of the things inside brahmANDa, by being the antaryAmi of rudra and brahmA, even though brahmA and rudra do not realize this. para paran - – He who is Supreme over even the likes of brahmA; the parama purusha - “asmadAdibhyah paranAna brahmAdikaLukkum paran”. viN mudal muzhuvadum varan mudalAi – BhagavAn is the Creator of everything starting with the mUla prakRti – “AkASa prabhRti-yAna prakRti mudalAna”. varan mudalAi – One who is the First Cause in a special way. varan here is derived from varam in samskRt, which means “superior”. That is, unlike brahmA who creates only the beings of this world, bhagavAn is the Creator of everything that has ever existed, including brahmA. In addition, He is one who is not only the nimitta kAraNa, but also the upaAdAna kAraNa and the sahakAri kAraNa. Thus, He is ‘varan mudal’ – He is “sarva vidha kAraNan”. avai muzhudu uNDa para paran – The Deity of all deities who swallowed everything in its totality at the time of mahA pralaya. Again, yama has limited domain when it comes to samhAra, but emperumAn is the one who terminates the lives of all including yama during pralaya. Since some may mistakenly think that creation and destruction are the works of brahmA and Siva, at the outset AzhvAr makes it clear that these are all the works of the para paran – Lord vishNu. Note that AzhvAr refers only to creation and destruction here, and not protection. This is because there is no dispute in anyone’s mind that rakshaNam is Lord vishNu’s function. There is some doubt in some people’s mind about who among the tri-mUrti-s is ultimately responsible for creation and destruction, and it is to clearly establish the truth about these two functions that AzhvAr mentions only these two specifically. nammAzhvAr has chosen the words of this pASuram so that at the outset, he makes it clear that except the position that Lord vishNu is the only Supreme Deity, all other positions that try to argue and bestow equality to tri-mUrti-s, or even worse, superiority to one of the tri-mUrti-s or another god over Lord vishNu, are all incorrect and unsustainable. This is briefly described below. svAmi deSikan discusses this whole issue in great detail with pramANa-s in his rahasya traya sAram, in the chapter titled para devatA pAramArthya adhikaaram. Some may mistakenly argue that this pASuram really postulates that brahmA and rudra are but incarnations of vishNu. If this is what nammAzhvAr meant, then he would have listed all the three in the pASuram. He specifically refers to brahmA and rudra only, above whom there is bhagavAn. For the same reason, the postulate made by some that there is a Supreme Deity who is above the ‘tri-mUrti-s’ – brahmA, vishNu and rudra, also does not hold. Lord vishNu is the only Supreme Deity. The use of the words “Surar aRi aru nilai” refers to multiple devatA-s, and thus the argument of ‘identity or one-ness of all’ is also negated. Thus, the arguments of identity of everything, the equality of the tri-mUrti-s, the identity of the three mUrti-s, the existence of a Supreme Being over and above the three, are all repudiated in this pASuram. 1.3.6: uNarndu uNarndu izhindu aganRu uyarndu uruviyanda in-nilaimai uNarndu uNarndu uNarilum iRai nilai uNarvadu aridu uyirgAL ! uNarndu uNarndu uraittu uraittu ari ayan aran ennum ivarai uNarndu uNarndu uraittu uraittu iRai’njumin manappattadu onRE. The main intent of this pASuram is to help us overcome the bhramai or confusion about the ‘equality’ of the tri-mUrti-s. In this pASuram, nammAzhvAr clarifies that it is just not easy, even with intense contemplation, to truly understand who the Supreme Deity is among the tri-mUrti-s: vishNu, rudra and brahmA. He advises us to repeatedly contemplate on the three mUrti-s over and over again, and look at all the pramANa-s, and clearly realize who the One and Only Supreme Deity is, and then repeatedly meditate on this one mUrti. At the outset, let us clearly note that nammAzhvAr is not saying that all the three mUrti-s are equal; on the contrary, he clearly asks to examine over and over again all the pramANa-s, and understand who the ONE SUPREME DEITYis out of these three, and then worship Him alone. AzhvAr points out in the first two lines that, relatively speaking, it may be possible to understand the true nature of the soul, through repeated teachings from AcArya-s, through our own introspection, and through meditation etc. But it is very difficult indeed to understand the true nature of the Supreme Deity through any of these means – uyirgAL! iRai niali uNarvadu aridu. So he advises us – intensely look at the guNa-s and other attributes of the three – ari, ayan, and aran (ari, ayan, aran ennum ivarai uNarndu uNarndu), thoroughly look at the pramANa-s supporting your thoughts (uraittu uraittu), select the One that stands out after this contemplation (manap paTTadu ONRU), and meditate on this One Supreme Deity, contemplate on His nAma, and worship Him (uNarndu uNarndu uraittu uraittu iRa’njumin). svAmi deSikan captures the gist of this pASuram in his tAtparya ratnAvaLi as “khyAbhikhAyadi cihnAt”. khyA means “declarations, proclamations, etc.”. abhikhyA means “splendor, beauty, luster”. So the purpose of this pASuram is to beseech us to “look at the pramANa-s carefully, look at the guNa-s of the tri-mUrti-s, etc., and convince for ourselves who the true Supreme Deity is, among them”. The true nature of AtmA is that it is limitless, as described through the adjectives: izhindu – (izhi – to descend); -adhah pradESam ellAm vyApittu. aganRu – tiryak pradeSam ellam vyApittu uyarndu – Urdhva pradESam ellAm vyApittu. uru viyanda – distinct and different from the body. Even though the jIva is atomic in size, it has the above vyApakattvam because of its dharma bhUta j~nAna. The jIva is eternal. The jIva is different from the body. Even if one succeeds in realizing the nature of this soul through SravaNam or hearing (uNarndu – SravaNattAlE aRindu)), contemplation (uNarndu – mananattAlE telindu), or through yogic paths (uNarilum – yogattAlE sAkshAtkarittAlum); iRai nilai uNarvu aridu – It is extremely difficult to clearly understand the true nature of the Supreme Being. The question that will prop up in our minds is: mUvarum mudalvarO? mUvaril oruvan mudalvanO? mUvarkkum appAl oruvan mudalvanO? – Are all three Supreme Deities? Or, is only one of them the Supreme Deity? Or, is there a Supreme Deity over and above these three? AzhvAr asks us to get over this bhramai. uyirgAL! – AzhvAr is calling out to us who are endowed with the ability to think and analyze. We are behaving like acetana-s, and AzhvAr is appealing to us to use our ability to think and analyze, and understand for ourselves who the Supreme Deity is. AzhvAr suggests the way to achieve the true understanding of the Supreme Deity: Think through all that you have learnt through SravaNam, mananam etc., (uNarndu uNarndu), take into account all the available SAstric evidences (uraittu uraittu), come to a conclusion on the One Supreme Deity (manap paTTadu onRE), and then contemplate again and again on this One Deity (uNarndu uNarndu), and worship this Deity with all the intensity at your command (uraittu uraittu iRai’njumin). AzhvAr tells us how to understand who the Supreme Deity is, and also how to devote ourselves to Him. Why does AzhvAr just make the neutral statement – “Choose the One that you are convinced about, by impartially analyzing all the pramANa-s”, instead of just telling us who the Supreme Deity is at the outset? He does not want us just to take his word for it; he wants us to be convinced about the truth ourselves. This should not be interpreted as AzhvAr suggesting that we can choose any one of the three randomly. In the very next pASuram, AzhvAr clarifies this even more. It is clearly the intent of nammAzhvAr in this pASuram not to ‘force’ his views on us, but let us impartially look at all the available facts and then make up our own mind on which One is THE Supreme Deity. It is worth noting that AzhvAr starts the list of the three mUrti-s with ari or vishNu. It is AzhvAr’s sincere hope that if we truly try to understand the SAstra-s well, we will come to the correct conclusion by ourselves, without our feeling that we are ‘forced’ to accept his views. What do the pramANa-s say? One of the three is the Creator, and the other two are created; One is of sAttvic svarUpa, the other two are of rAjasic and tAmasic disposition; Look at all these attributes and the associated pramANa-s, and make your decision. Look at the great epics – SrImad rAmAyaNa and SrI mahA bhArata. Look at all the sAttvika purANa-s. Some purANa-s, such as the li’nga purANa, start out with someone asking a question, such as: “Please tell us the greatness of such and such a deity” and then some sage describes the greatness of that specified deity. There are other purANa-s such as vishNu purANa, and itihAsa-s such as SrImad rAmAyaNa, where the unconditional question is asked: “Who is the Supreme Deity”, and then this question is answered. Understand the difference in these. Do not come to a conclusion about the Supreme Deity casually. This is AzhvAr’s message to us in this pASuram ------- To Continue ================================================================= xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ================================================================= 5. DESIKAMRUTAM SRIMAD RAHASYA TRAYA SARAM The Three Tenets--8 (BY SRI SADAGOPAN IYENGAR SWAMIN) (SRIKARYAM SWAMI OF BOARD OF ADVISORY CONSULTANTS OF SDDS/SRS ---- Swami Desikan deals next with the three types of Non-Sentient things or Trividha achEtanam. What is the definition of a Non-sentient object? Something, which cannot possess knowledge, is achEtanam. Would it not suffice if we say that it is the characteristic of being without knowledge? No, for, even some human beings lack knowledge, at times—however, they do not become non-sentient on that score. achEtanam is that which can never possess knowledge, not being equipped to be a receptacle for the same. Another attribute of an object is that it is capable of being known or apprehended only by others and not by itself. A pot, for instance, does not know itself to be a pot, but its form and nature are evident to every one else who sees it. This characteristic is known as “ParAktvam”, being the opposite of “Pratyaktvam”, which refers to being evident to oneself. While all sentient beings are endowed with “Pratyaktvam” (and are evident both to themselves and others), non-sentient objects have ONLY “ParAktvam”. Thus, while Devadatta knows himself to be such a person and others too know him as such, a pot is known to be one, not by itself but only by other beings. This, in turn, means that in respect of objects, their apprehension is not to themselves or for their own benefit. Since these two characteristics, viz., not being evident to itself and of not being of use to itself, are applicable to Dharma Bhoota GnAnam or Attributive Knowledge, the same is also considered Non-sentient. To recap, Non-sentient objects are of three types, viz. 1) Prakriti or Matter 2) KAlam or Time and 3) Suddha Satvam, the stuff of which Sri Vaikunttam and the Lord’s own shareeram are composed. Of these three, Prakriti and Time are non-sentient or Jadam and are not evident to themselves. Regarding the third component, Suddha Satvam, there is a difference of opinion. Some consider Suddha Satvam too to be a Jadam, since it is not evident to itself, like the other two classes of objects mentioned above. However, there are quite a few scriptural references, especially in the PAncharAtra, which establish that Suddha Satvam is indeed evident to itself, being endowed with knowledge and bliss (“GnAna Ananda mayA lOkA :”). Thus, it would be wrong to term the Lord’s Eternal Bounty or Nitya Vibhooti as Jadam, since Suddha Satvam is considered luminous by itself. If Suddha Satvam is indeed luminous, why are we mortals unable to see the same? We are able to learn about it only through the Scripture and not through our own faculties of sight or hearing. By the token of not being evident to us, can we categorize Suddha Satvam as Jadam? We have seen that the Jeevatma’s essential nature, SvarUpam and its Attributive Knowledge, Dharma Bhoota GnAnam, are both luminous by themselves. However, the SvarUpam is luminous to itself, but not to other souls. Others can comprehend this SvarUpam only through their own Attributive Knowledge. Similarly, Attributive Knowledge, though evident to the Jeevatma, is not luminous to others. These are thus instances of items being luminous, but only in a limited sense, being evident to some and not to others. Similarly, Swami Desikan concludes, there is nothing strange in Suddha Satvam being luminous and evident only to Emperuman and the Nitya Suris, but not to mortals. Since we are told that the Lord apprehends everything through His all-pervasive Attributive Knowledge, how can we simultaneously agree that Suddha Satvam is self-luminous and makes itself self-evident to Emperuman? (In other words, if it is the Lord’s Dharma Bhoota GnAnam which enables Him to perceive Suddha Satvam, how can the latter be self-luminous?) To this query, Swami Desikan answers—though the Lord’s own divine form, as all other things, is perceived by Him through His Attributive Wisdom, opinion is unanimous that His form is indeed self-luminous. Similarly, there should be no difficulty in agreeing that Suddha Satvam too is self-luminous, despite being perceived by the Dharma Bhoota Gnanam of the Lord and the permanent inhabitants of Sri Vaikunttam. Having dealt with the essential nature or SvarUpam of the three types of the non-sentient, Swami Desikan tells us that their activity or Pravritti is their continuous change and modification, in tune with the Lord’s divine will. Coming back to the first in the non-sentient category, viz., Prakriti or Matter, we are told that it possesses three basic qualities— 1. Sattvam, 2. Rajas and 3. Tamas. These are respectively responsible for Creation, Existence and Destruction. Matter undergoes constant change and modification, changing from one form to another. When the three qualities of Sattvam, Rajas and Tamas are equal in proportion and evenly balanced, there is dissolution or MahAPralayam. When these three are uneven, what results is Creation and Continued Existence (Srishti and Stitthi). It is this Matter, which transforms itself into the various components like Mahat, ahankAram, etc. The portion of Matter which is modified and that which is not, have been categorized by ShaAtras into twenty-four types. These are— Basic Matter, Mahat ahankAram Five TanmAtrams (Sabda TanmAtram, Sparsa TanmAtram, Roopa TanmAtram, Rasa TanmAtram and Gandha TanmAtram Five Elements (Earth, Fire, Water, AkAsam and Air) and Eleven senses (Five Senses of Knowledge, Five more of Action and the Mind). Each of these twenty-four items has its own Deity. For us, who are not interested in ephemeral fruits and pleasures, an overall knowledge of these items is required for distinguishing the Soul from them. These 24 concepts should be understood as the various weapons and adornments of the Lord, which Swami Desikan lists in a paasuram. The priceless gem, Koustubham, which adorns the Lord’s broad chest, is the Jeevaatma or individual soul. Prakriti or Matter is the beautiful mole, Sri Vatsam, which too is present on Emperuman’s chest. Mahat forms His Mace or Gadaa, the KoumOdakI. Knowledge and Ignorance form Emperuman’s scintillating sword Nandakam and its scabbard respectively. ahankAram, the Saatvic type, forms the Lord’s bow SArngam, while that of the TAmasic type constitutes His Conch, PAnchajanyam. Swami Desikan confirms this in the ShOdasa Ayudha Stotram— “Yam SAtvikam ahankAram Amananti akshya sAyakam avyAt va: Chakra roopasya tat dhanu: SArnga dhanvana:” The Mind represents the Lord’s Divine Discus, Sudarsanam. The Ten senses or IndiryAs form the sharp arrows in the Lord’s quiver. The Five TanmAtrams and Five Elements represent the VanamAlA VijayantI, which sprawls beautifully across the Lord’s chest. Thus these twenty-four items are to be meditated upon by the aspirant for Liberation, as forming the Lord’s various weapons and ornaments. ================================================================= To continue ================================================================= xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ================================================================= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.