Namasthe- Njanappaana 34

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Njanappaana 34

 

 

Ithra kaalamirikkuminiyennum 

Sathyamo namukkethumonnillallo

 

We do not know how long we will live (first line) or what is the truth (behind this world we see) (second line)

 

In the above two lines poet says how incapable we are of predicting the time of death. Astrologers, palmists and other future telling scientists might predict a time and physicians and nutritionists might provide advices to prolong life. But nobody who is born can avoid death. Whoever is born has to die. That is the reason we are called " marthyas " or mortals. Only Bhagavan is immortal.  Even if we keep the best of health, we have seen healthy people meeting death in accidents. Life is uncertain. It can end the next moment or it can prolong for several years, sometimes more than we expect it to last. There is no  rule that older people die first. Of course we all know this truth, but we never internalize the truth and make desirable changes in our life style and attitude. 

 

Pandavaas were exiled by Kauravvas and during that time they were wandering in the forest. It was the peak of summer and all of them were very thirsty. Nakula was asked to bring some water from a nearby pond. When Nakula did not come back in a reasonable time, Sahadeva went. He also did not come back and Arjuna and then Bheema also went and did not came back. Finally Yudhishtira went and saw all of them lying dead near the pond (they were all revived later). He was about to drink water and a Yaksha told him not to drink before answering his questions or else he would have the same fate as his four brothers. Yudhishtira did not drink water and agreed to answer his questions. One of his questions was:

 

" What is the greatest wonder in the world? "  

 

Yudhishtira answered: " The greatest wonder is that although people see living beings die everyday, they still try to live forever "

 

So, this mentality is not new to Kaliyuga. But in any yuga this attitude does not help. Poonthaanam is not telling us to think of death every moment and live with fear. He is reminding us not to waste time going after transient pleasures, instead he is persuading us to go after eternal happiness or eternal Truth.

 

When we put the second line in prose order, it reads " sathyamo onnu namukkaethumillallo " or we do not have (any knowledge of) " that one " which is the truth or sathyam. This world is not real. To say that, we should know about something that is real. Shri Nambishan gives the famous example of a rope and snake. One may misunderstand a rope as a snake. Here snake is not real, but we see the unreal snake because of the real thing rope. Once the misunderstanding is cleared, he sees the rope only as a rope. Basis of an unreal thing is a real thing. Here Poonthaanam says that Brahmam is  the rope or truth and  because of ignorance or avidya or ajnaanam, we are not able to see the truth. Also any time death can knock at our door. In this predicament we should not waste any moment of our precious life by going after seemingly real pleasures. 

 

How to get started our spiritual journey in such a complicated, so called unreal world, which seems to be hundred percent real to us? The good thing is, Poonthaanam says, any saadhaka or yearning devotee at any stage of his spiritual journey can confidently travel in the path of devotion just by chanting Bhagavaan's names. Repetition of Bhagavaan's names purifies our mind and guides us to the Ultimate Truth. 

 

Let us chant Bhgavaan's divine names along with Shri Poonthaanam and millions of other devotees around the world:

 

Krishna! Krishna! Mukunda! Janaardana!

Krishna! Govinda! Naaraayana! Hare!

Achyuthaananda! Govinda! Maadhava!

Sachidaananda! Naarayana! Hare!

 

Samathaaparaadham kshamaswa.

 

Sreekrishnaarpanamasthu

 

Regards andprayers

 

savitri