A play with the word ‘mImAmsA’

[Guest guest]

A play with the word `mImAmsA'

 

In the `shatashlokI', a work of a hundred verses on Vedantic topics

by the Acharya Shankara, there is this particular verse (no.5)

wherein the word `mimamsa' is used in an amusing way as it were. The

word mimamsa means `enquiry'. The verse is as follows:

 

Deha-strI-putra-mitra-anuchara-haya-vRRiShAH toShahetur mama ittham

Sarve svaayur nayanti prathitam-alam amI maamsa-mImAmsayA iha |

Ete jIvanti yena vyavahRRitipaTavo soubhAgya-bhAjaH

Tam prANaadhIsham antargatam amRRitam amum naiva mImAmsayanti ||

(some of the words are split to make easy reading)

 

The meaning is this:

 

`The body, wife, friends, servants, horses, bulls are all the sources

of happiness to me' such is the thinking of the generality of people.

With this thinking people engage in the enquiry, mimamsa, of flesh,

maamsa. In this compound word `maamsa-mImAmsayA', the Acharya is

conveying the message that people in general are always concerned

with the well being of their near and dear and all those give them

happiness. One can see that in the list specified by Him, all are

living beings. When a person is concerned with these, he is

concerned with the health of these. This is largely a concern about

the gross body, the anna-maya aspect of these beings. When someone

enquires us about the above beings, they are also actually enquiring

about the flesh-aspect of these beings. Hence, the caricature

involving the maamsa-mimaamsaa.

 

The Acharya continues, with this enquiry about the flesh as their

main concern, people spend their precious human lives. Alas! None is

concerned with the enquiry, mimamsa,

of that Principle which alone is responsible for the very life, the

capability to be active and be of auspicious nature – of these

living beings. It is that Principle, the Atman, the Indwelling,

Immortal Lord of the praaNa.

 

There is also a deeper meaning in this. The `karma kaanda' or the

purva mimamsa is primarily concerned with the well being of the

anaatma vastu. The rituals, when performed with a desire to reap

fruits here or to reach other lokas and enjoy the better quality

sense objects with better quality sense organs and in a better

quality environment, the concern is certainly with that of the body.

But this concern is based on ignorance. It is only the uttara

mimamsa, the Vedanta, that can give a person the eternal, unalloyed

bliss by teaching him the Atma tattva. In effect, the verse teaches

that the purva kaanda is only maamsa mimaamsa and only the uttara

kaanda is Atma mimaamsaa.

 

Pranams to all,

subbu

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "subrahmanian_v"

<subrahmanian_v wrote:

>

> A play with the word `mImAmsA'

>

> In the `shatashlokI', a work of a hundred verses on Vedantic

topics

> by the Acharya Shankara, there is this particular verse (no.5)

> wherein the word `mimamsa' is used in an amusing way as it were.

The

> word mimamsa means `enquiry'.

 

Namaste, Subbu-ji

 

Wonderful. Your reading of shloka 5 of Shata-shlokI in connection

with MImAmsA is excellent.

 

Incidentally I attempted to translate the shlokas of Shatashloki and

post it on this list. The work is only half finished. 50 shlokas or

so were posted in 2004 June, July. This particular verse #5 is at

#23168 of 7 June 2004. At that time I translated mAmsa-mImAmsA as

philosophy of the flesh. Thank you for an enlightening reading of

the same.

 

I have been wanting to continue the posting of ShatashlokI beyond

the 52 shlokas I did then. God willing, I hope it will be done.

 

PraNAms to all advaitins.

profvk